Tatsumi sat awkwardly, or more so was forced to sit awkwardly, his arms by his side as a heavy chain was wrapped around his torso securing his arms to his sides. A weighty black collar currently clung tightly around his neck, the chain that was attached to the collar now also connected to the one wrapped around his torso, seemingly to keep him even more secure. This was how he had awoken after the tournament where Esdeath, a high ranking General in the Empire, had knocked him out after saying that he was now hers upon their first meeting.

Tatsumi had to wonder how he got into these situations, first he was literally abducted by Night Raid, and now he was being abducted again by Esdeath and her team of Jaegers, with the reports that Leone had given, Esdeath had recently formed a team specially for hunting members of Night Raid, so they were hunting him and didn't even know it. He was either really lucky that they hadn't discovered he was one of the assassins that they were after, or he was super unlucky by being brought into the lion's den.

Maybe it was simply his destiny to keep being abducted by deadly weirdo's?

"And so..." Esdeath began, Tatsumi cast a glance at the General from the corner of his eye, she was incredibly beautiful with striking light blue hair that flowed down her back, her eyes a darker shade of shimmering blue. Tatsumi could make out her slender figure beneath her uniform, simply amplified by her generous bust which held an intricate marking upon her skin. Her skin itself looked silky smooth and almost as white as snow, he wondered if she had any scars on that nigh flawless skin, she would have to have a few to have earned the rank of General, right?

To think she had taken an interest in him, it definitely shot his ego up a few grades that was for sure. Perhaps if things had worked out differently he might have been interested in her back. But they were enemies, killers of both sides, what she wanted from him simply was impossible and he could never see him feeling about her that way.

She was the enemy.

"This is the newest addition to the Jaegers." Esdeath continued as she stood beside Tatsumi's seated from, her presence alone demanded respect from everyone in the room, eerily similar to how Najenda's presence was among those of Night Raid. "Tatsumi." She introduced him to the group standing before him, some had awkward smiles on their faces unsure of the sudden abduction of a civilian, into their ranks.

"You dragged in one of the populace, just like that?" A muffled voice questioned causing Tatsumi to take an interest in who had spoken, the only one with a mask was the largest one among them. Tatsumi didn't know what the mask was for, but it was definitely intimidating and he had seen others in the Empire wear them, Lubbock had told him that they were members of the incineration squad, merciless killers that wiped out entire villages with flames.

"He'll no longer have to live in poverty." Esdeath explained, having figured if he was fighting in a tournament for money he must have been in need of it for some particular reason, now he would have no wants for anything. "And he isn't just an extra man for our group either… I felt it, Tatsumi is the one who will become my partner in love." There it was, the reason Tatsumi had been taken away and abducted by this bombshell of a General. While mentally he was cheering that a beautiful woman was liking him, he also realized the situation he was in. The enemy all around and not a single opening, not to mention Incursio had been confiscated, he could see it resting on the table off to the side of the meeting room. Even if he did get it, what were the odds of him making it out of here alive?

"So, why does he have a collar around his neck, then?" Another questioned, Tatsumi's green eyes turning to the one that spoke this time, obviously a fan of the sea by the anchor printed on his red scarf, he seemed like a man of the sea but Tatsumi had no proof that he was, he just needed to take note of everything and report his findings back to Night Raid no matter the miniscule detail, that's if he ever could get out of this seemingly impossible situation.

"Because he's my lover of course, and I want him to stand out." Esdeath replied giving a nonchalant shrug, raising her hands as if what she had said made perfect sense, maybe to her it did but to everyone else, not so much.

"I'd have to agree with Wave, General, if you want him to be your official lover, and not your pet, shouldn't you remove the collar in order for there to be a difference?" Tatsumi could have literally hugged the blonde man who had offered his suggestion, if he wasn't currently chained to the chair he was seated in. The man seemed rather calm and casual about the entire situation, almost to the point it was slightly off putting for the assassin. Esdeath took the man's words into careful consideration before looking down at Tatsumi, a gentle blush coming to her face as she did so, Tatsumi had to quickly glance away, there was no way he was being seduced by such cuteness! How could a merciless killer that frightened the entire Revolution be so damn adorable!?

"Hmm, that's certainly true. I'll remove it." Esdeath stated moving to do so, if Tatsumi ever got out of this alive and saw the blonde man on the street, he was giving him a hug! The collar was pulled from his neck and placed off to the side before Esdeath continued and removed the chains from his body as well allowing Tatsumi to stretch his arms, it having been a while since he had used his muscles, Esdeath watching his every movement as if witnessing something amazing for the first time.

As the chains dropped to the floor Esdeath turned to the others with a curious look. "By the way, are any of you married, or have any lovers?" She queried, truly interested. Just as Tatsumi was shocked, so were the other members of the newest assassin hunting group as the masked man rose his hand up shyly.

"Bols, is that true!?" Tatsumi grit his teeth at the sudden excitement of the auburn haired girl, that voice, that face, he'd never forget them. Upon first look, she seemed like an innocent well mannered young woman and she had been that same picture of innocence when she had helped him through the city when he had been separated from Leone. But she was a monster beneath that innocent surface, just like that dog she held in her arms, she took Sheele away from Night Raid.

"Yes… I've been married for six years now." Bols said, embarrassed as he held his hands to his face. "I really don't deserve someone as wonderful as that though."

"Then maybe you can offer me some assistance." Esdeath began. "What can I do to encourage Tatsumi to..." She glanced down at the teen sitting awkwardly, his cheeks slightly red at how he was currently center of attention. "...to return my affections."

"Oh the trick is to never give up." Bols encouraged as Esdeath pulled a notebook from her uniform and opened it, a pen sitting within the pages that she picked up as she began to write. "I'll tell you a secret, my dear wife turned me down twice before I found the perfect moment and swept her off her feet, so bare in mind it may take some time, but it will be worth it." Bols assured her.

"Thank you Bols, I'll be sure to take that advice." Esdeath told him to which the large man nodded.

"Umm… excuse me." Tatsumi began, awkwardly raising his hand up gaining Esdeath's attention immediately. "I'm really happy that you've taken a liking to me and all..." God he could feel the bullshit just spilling out at this moment. "But, I'm not really all that interested in working for the Imperial court… so..."

"Fufu, it will likely take a bit of training to get you to be obedient, hmm?" Esdeath chuckled causing Tatsumi to react instinctively. "I'm look forward to it."

"Listen to what's being said to you!" Tatsumi shouted at her only causing her to chuckle more finding his argument amusing, even some of the others were amused at the sudden outburst.

"Now, now everyone." Tatsumi grit his teeth, his hands on his knees clenching the fabric of his pants. He didn't want her near him, let alone defending him! "He's just confused, it's a lot to take in all at once." Seryu smiled as she walked towards the seated assassin, each step that she got closer Tatsumi could feel the hatred burning deep inside of him. Lowering his head, staring down at the boots that she wore only for his anger to flare to the point he bit the inside of his cheek to hold his mouth shut, a gentle trickle of blood spilling into his mouth as Seryu rested her cold metal hand atop his head gently tousling his hair.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, we're all allies of justice here, so please don't worry." Seryu smiled happily, gently caressing his brown hair with her metal hand. He understood what she was trying to do, comfort him, but he'd never take it. She had taken Sheele away, the sole member of Night Raid that had comforted him through the loss of his friends. But he had to stay strong, if he did anything, reacted in any way, he'd be dead.

"We met before, do you remember me?" Seryu questioned, pointing to herself as Tatsumi looked up at her through the bangs of his hair, how could she smile so innocently like that when beneath it all was a barbaric monster? How could the innocent woman who had helped find his way be so cruel and merciless? Why was the Empire so corrupt!?

"All right, thank you for that Seryu." Esdeath stated with a little ice to her tone, the former guards hand being removed from Tatsumi's head rather quickly. "While now that the Jaegers have seven official members including Tatsumi. I wish to explain how we're going to proceed from here." Esdeath explained walking towards the table where Incursio sat. Tatsumi followed her across the room with his gaze, he didn't know all that much about the Teigu or how much the Empire knew about them, but was it possible that Esdeath recognized the weapon?

Esdeath herself looked down at the sheathed blade atop the desk before crouching down, reaching beneath the table to where a large bag sat and returned to the main table where the Jaegers had gathered. Placing the bag down she opened it and started pulling out an assortment of items, the only one to seemingly recognize the items was the dark haired girl that reminded Tatsumi of Akame, similarly dressed as well.

"General." The dark haired girl began. "These are."

"Ah, yes." Esdeath smiled. "Kurome, you have prior experience with these don't you?" She questioned getting a nod from the dark haired girl. Esdeath looked over the others, to see that they were both curious and confused about what she had brought before them. Tatsumi himself couldn't see what was going on from where he was seated on his chair, and in truth didn't want to be apart of the group and continued to remain seated. "Several years ago, the Empire formed a group of assassins for the benefit of the nation." She began.

"The Elite Seven." Kurome added getting a nod from Esdeath.

"Several generations ago around four hundred years, a former Emperor tried to recreate the Teigu that we now possess, however failed in doing so." Esdeath explained, gaining Tatsumi's attention slightly, just like how the Teigu had been complete mysteries to him, so were these weapons. "These weapons that were created were known as Shingu, while not as powerful as Teigu, they were given to these Elite Seven who were the finest assassins that the Empire had ever created."

"Were you one of these Elite Seven assassins, Kurome?" Seryu questioned with wide eyes, thinking that Kurome had been one of the assassins doing justice for the Empire in secret.

"No." Kurome shook her head. "My sister, Akame was." Tatsumi's eyes shot wide open, he knew that Akame had been with the Empire but didn't know her full story. To think she had been trained to be one of the best by the Empire! Not to mention this Kurome was Akame's sister! Even the other members were surprised to see Kurome announce it without hesitation. This simply rose so many questioned in the young assassin.

"During the time of these Elite Seven, the Shingu were destroyed, however unlike the Teigu, these could easily be recreated by the Empire's top scientists." Esdeath told them. "In truth, these Shingu have even been modified further than what the Elite Seven wielded."

"What are we supposed to do with these?" The man in the doctor's coat questioned, while flipping his coat for some reason. "We all have our own Teigu to rely on, I don't see why we should need some half rate second generation failures." He stated, while his crude remark didn't sit well with Esdeath, he made a proper point.

"Well, Dr Stylish, these Shingu may not sit on the same level as Teigu, but it's not possible for everyone to have a Teigu with several already having owners, more being lost through the nation and the others remaining in the hands of the Revolutionary Army." This simply confused the Jaegers even more, each one of them had a Teigu of their own, well apart from Tatsumi, unaware of his possession of Incursio.

"Simple." Esdeath smiled. "Each of you are going to have a subordinate, each one will be given a Shingu that you will train them with to the point that they are of a level above of those among the Elite Seven. The Jaegers are going to become a force suited for protecting the Empire, something just seven of you can't do alone. Over time, you seven, along with the subordinates you train will have teams of your own, before squads, then platoons and so on. You all will be the future, the very foundations that protect the Empire and keep it strong."

"You really believe in us that much General?" Seryu questioned with wide eyes, a blush on her cheeks as she stared at the woman in awe.

"You wouldn't be here if I didn't." Esdeath told them truthfully, she wouldn't bother herself with weaklings. "The subordinate you choose, will be approved of by me. So take your time in making your choice before bringing them to me." The six around the table looked over the Shingu now before them, Tatsumi remaining seated in his chair. What Esdeath had just told them, it was something that Tatsumi once wanted, to become a high up person in the Empire, eventually take control of a force of his own and make his name known all across the nation all for the sake of his village. However, that was a dream held by a naive child, if things had worked out differently, perhaps that was what may have happened, however things were different to back then, very different.

"Tatsumi." Esdeath spoke causing the young man to look up at her. "Are you going to sit there or are you going to choose a Shingu for your future subordinate?" Tatsumi swallowed nervously, he was suppose to choose one now? Wouldn't she prefer to hand them out? Awkwardly standing, he crossed the room his eyes drifting to Incursio before Esdeath blocked his vision of the blade as she spoke with Kurome, who had already chosen one of the Shingu for herself, a katana similar to the one she already had strapped to her waist. It was obvious that she was familiar with it, perhaps it belonged to Akame when she had been in the Elite Seven?

Turning his attention away from the two he looked to the others, Wave held up a large broadsword with an intricate dragon like design for the handle. Bols, the man with the relationship advice, was looking over an assortment of armor on the table. Dr Stylish was looking curiously over a whip like tool, he still didn't look pleased with it and if the glint in his eye was anything to go by, Tatsumi had to shudder, he wanted no part of that whatsoever.

The blonde man that had saved Tatsumi from the chains was looking over a pair of leggings with belt and ankle bands attached to it, sensing Tatsumi's gaze the blonde man rose his head and offered him a smile before going back to inspecting the Shingu in his hands. Seryu spun wide causing Wave and Tatsumi to both duck as what she had spun around and aimed with was large dual pistols. Giggling to herself she offered an apology to them before going to show her own personal Teigu, Koro. Tatsumi and Wave sighed as they rose back up Wave glancing at him before offering him his hand.

"I'm Wave, I saw your fight in the tournament, it was pretty impressive how you took down Kalbi without much effort, he was no joke." Wave told him as Tatsumi took his hand, while the guy didn't seem all that bad Tatsumi had been mistaken about that before, both with Seryu and Aria, he was loyal to the Empire, that was good enough reason not to trust him.

"Thanks." Tatsumi stated as he turned back to the table to see a gauntlet remaining.

"With how you handled Kalbi in the arena, I'm pretty sure you can teach your subordinate to fight well with that." Wave told him, trying to cheer him up it seemed. "Where did you learn to fight, was it the Imperial Fist Temple here in the Empire?" He questioned.

"No, I didn't grow up in the Capital." Tatsumi admitted, although he wasn't sure why he was telling Wave this. "I'm from a small village, to the south near the border of the Empire." Wave nodded in understanding.

"I'm from the Imperial Navy along the coast, I've spent more of my life on the sea then the ground I think, or that's what my mother always told me." He chuckled. "I'm looking forward to working with you." Wave smiled at him.

"Ah… yeah..." Tatsumi trailed off awkwardly, as Wave attempted to chuckle however it came out just as awkward.

"Kinda weird huh?" Wave stated.

"You have no idea." Tatsumi muttered hanging his head as Wave placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So you grabbed, Crushing King." Esdeath's voice sent shivers up Tatsumi's spine, he hadn't even sensed her behind him and now she was leaning mere inches beside him looking at the Shingu upon the table, even Wave was surprised at her sudden appearance.

"Ah, General, Tatsumi doesn't have a Teigu right?" Wave questioned causing Esdeath to stand up straight. "Shouldn't we search for one for him, or is he going to obtain the one that Seryu recovered from Night Raid?" Tatsumi went pale as Esdeath's blue eyes locked with his green as an all knowing smile came to her face, it almost looked cruel.

"I'm sure that will work itself out." Esdeath stated as Tatsumi's eyes were wide, she knew about Incursio, how could she not? Bulat was apart of the Empire, any records about him and the Teigu he wielded at the time would have been used as information given to anyone who went after him, after her three subordinate's had been killed there would be no way she wouldn't look into it. Swallowing nervously Esdeath clapped her hands together to gather everyone's attention, however her eyes narrowed before she could speak, sensing an unwelcome presence.

"I know you're there." Esdeath called out before her eyes roamed the walls of the room, it would appear multiple people were hiding within the walls of the palace, Night Raid? No it wasn't possible for them to entire the Palace unnoticed, even they weren't that well prepared, nor stupid enough to attack while she was present. "Come out, if you don't I won't hold back!" She ordered before a shrill laughter echoed the room before the sound of something slamming down echoed in the room causing everyone looked to the door where the sound had come from. Wave charged for the door however it was now barred from the other side.

"I thought we all hid pretty well, but it's to be expected of the Empire's Strongest." A voice echoed in the room causing Esdeath to narrow her eyes, all the Jaegers apart from Tatsumi drew their Teigu ready for battle. "No hard feelings, right General? We're just following orders here." The voice continued.

"It seems you know some things I'm not privy too." Esdeath stated as a cruel smirk crossed her features. "I'll escort you to the torture room and you can tell me all the details about your orders and who gave them to you." A shrill laughter filled the room, it caused Tatsumi's skin to crawl even Wave was put off by the laughter.

"No need for the torture chamber." The voice echoed out. "I'll give you the details, not like you'll be able to do much about them anyway." Esdeath narrowed her eyes, she was unable to lock onto the person speaking, the people moving behind the walls were making it difficult to pinpoint each one. "The Prime Minister, he didn't like the idea of you gathering a force like these Jaegers, so he's asked someone far better for the position to exterminate all of you!" Esdeath clicked her teeth in annoyance, perhaps she had pushed too far demanding the Shingu from the Prime Minister and revealing her plan to make the Jaegers into another personal army under her direct control. She had seen it in his eyes, the uneasiness he had felt upon learning of what she was planning. This was simply Honest retaliating. Oh how she was going to love butchering Honest and listening to him wail as she spilled his guts, in the literal sense.

"However, I'm no match for you in a fair fight." The voice continued once more. "So I'll dispose of all of you without so much as drawing a drop of blood! Shambala: Complete Dimension Rift!" The entire room lit up in a purple haze as a large design covered the room with a yin and yang symbol located in the middle, everyone was shocked by its sudden appearance beneath them before they were engulfed by purple light, but not only them, everything in the room from the tables to the laid out carpet on the stone tiled floor.

Nothing was left behind, only the shrill laughter of the one who had activated Shambala.

The rush of air on his face and the complete weightlessness that he felt caused Tatsumi to panic slightly, not to mention the severe drop that he was seeing below as he fell. The Ocean was below him, it's water glistening in the light of the sun, however the echoing of cannon fire broke up the peaceful waters. From what he could see, there were two ships being fired upon by three others. Massive explosions in the water showed where the cannon balls hand landed. However what he noticed about one of the ships that were being fired upon was the flag at the top of the mast that was flapping in the wind… it was black.

Feeling a rush of wind caused Tatsumi to spin slightly as he fell, looking to see what had disrupted his falling he saw Run with white angelic wings on his back flying down towards the boats with Stylish and Bols under his arms. Tatsumi's green eyes widened as he turned and looked above him, all the Jaegers along with Esdeath were in the same situation as he was. They were all falling to the ocean below along with the furniture from the room they had been in. Esdeath's gaze was locked on his own as she seemed to be aiming right for him, a hand on her hat a grin on her face as adrenalin pumped through her system, thoroughly enjoying the fall so far. The only one currently panicking was Wave who was thrashing about, unable to get his bearings in the sky.

Seeing a chair aimed straight for him Tatsumi maneuvered out of the way before a red glint caught his eye and he turned, his green eyes widening before a grin came to his face. Incursio was falling not far from him! The table that had been in the Jaegers meeting room fell behind Tatsumi who pressed his feet against it and pushed off, heading straight for the Teigu falling from the sky.

He heard Esdeath call his name but he ignored her as the ship's below became increasingly closer. Suddenly, cannon fire caught Tatsumi's attention and his focus was lost as he was engulfed by a fountain of water and pulled into the ocean. That's why Esdeath had called him, he had been in a collision path with one of the cannon balls, luckily it had hit the water and not him. Tatsumi was sucked beneath the surface of water being dragged down by the current, his hands tightly gripping Incursio. This was his chance to get away, he wasn't going to let something like drowning get the best of him!

Esdeath landed on the deck of the ship with the utmost grace, Run was already present arms folded behind his back and his wings have retracted as he looked over at the ship with a small smile, Esdeath had to grin as well. It would seem the sharks were going to eat well tonight, or at the very least Koro was going too. The closest ship, which had a crew full of soldiers, each in matching white and blue uniforms were pointing rifles at them. Not even up to date standard rifles of the Empire's military, instead they were outdated flint lock rifles.

Stylish seemed to have moved to a spot, clear out of the firing range while Bols had his own Teigu, Rubicante, at the ready should Esdeath give the order to eradicate the fools who were stupid enough to aim a weapon at her. Kurome landed soundlessly behind the icy General while Seryu landed down on one knee with her arms outstretched, Koro holding onto her shoulder. It was Wave that came flailing about that ruined the Jaegers performance this day. The former Navy man crashed into the deck breaking through into a storeroom beneath. Esdeath rose a hand to her head, it wasn't that big of a drop each one of them should have landed perfectly. It would seem Wave needed some discipline.

"You alive down there?" Seryu called down as both she and Kurome walked to the now new opening the deck of the ship, only getting a groan from Wave in response.

"Walk it off." Kurome added before a thud was heard. "He's out cold."

"General, it would seem we're about to become under fire." Run stated turning to look over his shoulder as Esdeath walked to the railing of the ship that they were on. "What are our orders?"

"Stand down, once we have a moment we will take the time to assess this situation, but first we need to deal with the immediate… threat." Esdeath told him getting a nod from Run as he took several steps back behind Esdeath, Kurome and Seryu standing with him as Bols stood with Rubicante, still ready. "I am General Esdeath of his Majesties, Emperor Makoto's, Empire." Esdeath called out to the soldiers on the boat. "Who is your commanding officer?" The soldiers on the ship seemed to speak with one another for a time causing Esdeath to raise an eyebrow, were they a military operation or a random group of sailors stupidly trying to look like a military?

"I'm Warrant Officer, Holland." One of the men called out. "Pirates, we order for your immediate surrender! If you do not comply! We will open fire and sink your ship and send it to the bottom of the ocean!"

"They think we're pirates?" Seryu questioned before looking up, to where the flag atop the mainmast sat. A frown came to her face as she saw a black flag flapping in the wind, it had the symbol of a skull and crossbones with a red heart in it's center. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, searching the ship for any of the pirates that would be aboard such a vessel. Seeing numerous pirates aboard she thrust her arm out, about to issue the order to Koro before she was stopped. Having sensed the growing the blood lust behind her, Esdeath rose a hand to stop her movements.

"Do you serve under Emperor Makoto?" Esdeath questioned, once more seeing confusion come to the men aboard the vessel however Warrant Officer Holland didn't respond to her question.

"We're members of the 153rd branch of the Marine Navy that belong to the World Government." The Holland called back as he gave the signal for men to take up aim once more. "Pirates, if you fail to comply, we will open fire!" He called over. "Surrender, this is your last chance!"

"General, I'm not sure what they're saying." Run stated. "The Empire is the world's greatest nation is it not? How is it that they say they serve a World Government that we've never heard of?" He queried. Esdeath herself was confused by this, the Imperial Navy itself was a force to be reckon with, their ships and the Empire's Navy ships were very different. Wave was a Navy Soldier, perhaps he could show some insight on this, if he wasn't unconscious below deck that is.

"To think they would think of us as filthy pirates!" Seryu grit her teeth, her metal fists clenching tightly. "Such insolence should be punished General!"

"It seems to me that these Marines are no ally to Emperor Makoto or the Empire, meaning they are no ally to us." A deranged grin crossed Seryu's face. "Do not damage that ship, it seems as it would be beneficial of us to have a working vessel for ourselves seeing as we are in the middle of the ocean and I have no desire to travel on a pirate ship, nor one without weapons." She explained, having seen their surroundings from when they fell and had already discovered that the ship currently anchored next to the pirate vessel housed nothing but civilians and was a cruise liner not something fit for battle.

"What of the other two Marine Ship's General?" Run questioned.

"I'll deal with them." She simply stated. "Run, please search the water for Tatsumi." Esdeath told him.

"At once General." Run nodded as his Teigu, Mastema, appeared on his back before he launched into the sky, the Marines on the boat were shocked to see him suddenly fly up into the sky and made the foolish mistake of taking their aim off of the ship and directing it towards the now flying blonde. Seryu and Kurome dashed across the deck of the pirate ship, leaping from the railing and across the gap.

"Koro! Phase Three!" Seryu ordered as Koro's body enlarged to it's full size, engulfing the entirety of Seryu's right arm before replacing her metallic arm for the Sung Dynasty Blade of the Ten Kings as Kurome drew Yatsufusa, both woman landing on the Marine ship as Koro crashed into a group of unsuspecting Marines before the carnage of the organic Teigu began, screams of terror reigned out as Marines were ripped limb from limb, all turning their fire onto the beast now on their ship, however as gunshots rang out over the screams of pain, Koro's body simply regenerated from the damage it had received.

Kurome easily dealt with the now frightful Marines, using Yatsufusa to kill them with ease not even needing the use of her puppets. Seryu was no different, using the Sung Dynasty Blade to completely bisect the Marines in her way. By the time the two woman and Koro had dealt with the Marines, half of the Deck was covered in blood and severed limbs, Koro already beginning to devour what was left. Cheers erupted from the pirates aboard the pirate ship causing Esdeath to glance at the men who had been cowering before the Marines meager might before they had arrived.

"Bols." Esdeath turned to the large man who looked over to her. "Dispose of the pirates and burn the ship to ashes, Stylish retrieve Wave and set the civilian ship away." Stylish accepted the offer of retrieving Wave as Bols turned to the pirates, the few who had heard the order stopped their cheers to stare in horror at the large man with the flamethrower.

"At once, General." Screams erupted as a torrent of flames shot forth from Rubicante, completely engulfing the pirates. Each pirate was set ablaze, unable to escape the flames as their skin began to blister, boil and peel away under the intense heat. Several tried to jump into the ocean to quell the flames however not even the ocean stopped them as the flames continued to rage on, their source of fuel being the bodies of the pirates themselves. Once Bols saw that Esdeath and Stylish who had retrieved wave and set the civilian ship away, were now off the pirate vessel, Bols began on setting the pirate ship alight as he made his way backwards to the Marine vessel that Esdeath was claiming for herself.

Esdeath, now aboard the claimed ship stood on the railing eying the two Marine ships off in the distance, they were unsure of what was going on as Warrant Officer Holland was now dead and not giving orders meaning that the two ships had no idea what to do. It was pitiful really, they were like chickens with their heads cut off. If this force attempted to go up against the Navy of the Empire, they wouldn't know what hit them, surely there had to be something better than these meager three ships. Pushing her arms forward, her finger tips touching as a blue glow formed from her hands, the familiar cold sensation of the demon extract in her blood beginning to course through her veins as she cast her arms out wide, dozens of large icicles the size of row boats appeared in the air around the now claimed ship.

"Weissschnabel." Casting her arms forward the dozens of giant icicles shot forward towards the two ships, the Marines aboard attempted to fire their cannons in a ditch effort to stop the oncoming onslaught however it was to late as their ships were impacted completely tearing them asunder with each strike before the ships themselves sank below the ocean's surface, the crew that had survived drifting in the water. Turning her back on the destruction she had wrought she turned to Kurome and Seryu who were standing on a deck covered in blood. Koro still consuming the lifeless bodies that were scattered about on deck. While an appealing sight, it wouldn't do for the wood to rot, and drying blood never smelt great.

"Seryu, Bols, I leave the task to cleaning the deck up to you, not a speck of blood is to be left." Seryu saluted immediately with a smile on her face, even given the most tedious tasks she undertook them without a second glance. "Truly a great show of commitment." Esdeath mused as the young woman grabbed Bols by the arm leading him to get the supplies that they would need to clean the deck. "Kurome, search the ship for anything of value, notify me should you find anything worth my time. Kill any Marines if you come across them."

"Yes General." Kurome nodded, reaching into the pouch tied to her belt and pulling a cookie from within before lightly skipping towards the entrance of the superstructure that would lead her inside the ship's interior. Doctor Stylish had laid Wave down on a clean part of the deck and was now seemingly investigating the acquired vessel for himself, from what she knew of him he would already be planning modifications to it. Casting her gaze away from those aboard she looked to the sky, Run was currently circling around in the sky above. Esdeath frowned, had Tatsumi not been found yet? Run seeing that the fight was now over returned to the ship, landing before Esdeath and bowing his head slightly.

"I'm sorry General, there was no sign of Tatsumi in the water and I saw no sight of him boarding the civilian ship before their departure either." Run explained causing Esdeath to scowl slightly, she had watched Tatsumi plummet into the fountain of water where a cannon ball had hit. He was strong, she knew that she had seen his strength and his future potential, it would take more than that to kill him she was assured of that.

"Please take another look, through all the commotion you may have skipped something." Esdeath explained and with a swift nod, Run returned to the sky's as Esdeath went about searching the deck herself, seemingly taking note of the ship's layout.

However currently leaning up against the wall of the superstructure atop the deck was Tatsumi, Incursio equipped with the invisibility trump card activated. Currently he had a hand raised to his mouth as he watched Seryu and Bols began to mop up the blood on the deck, Seryu throwing detached limbs to Koro who devoured them in a greedy fashion. While it would have been the smartest move to sneak aboard the civilian ship, he couldn't let this entire situation be for nothing. If he could kill at least one of the Jaegers, then it wouldn't have all been for naught. While it would have been easier to deal with Wave, who was unconscious or Stylish who had his back turned to him several meters away, his eyes were located on his target.

Seryu Ubiquitous.

If he was going to risk his status being known as a member of Night Raid, he was going to go try to kill the one who had taken Sheele away. He saw Bols pick up the bucket that now held bloody water in it and headed to the railing to dump it over the side, leaving Seryu with her back completely exposed to Tatsumi, the only problem now would be Koro and there was no way he could see him while his invisibility was on. Crouching down, waiting for Bols to be completely out of the way.

The moment Tatsumi was about to launch forward, a strong grip landed on his shoulder causing him to instinctively react, turning and throwing a punch at the assailant only for his fist to be grabbed mid air by a smirking Esdeath before the grip on his shoulder turned him and crashed him into the wall causing him to let out a grunt before he was dragged across the deck, the invisibility leaving him as he was pushed up against the wall, Esdeath had brought them behind the superstructure, away from prying eyes it would seem.

"Incursio can completely turn the user invisible, however the person's presence can still be felt." Esdeath continued to smirk as Tatsumi let his armor disappear, his eyes downcast as he looked away from her, his one chance to get revenge for Sheele and he had failed. "You have no idea how surprised I was when I saw you with Incursio, formally in the possession of Hundred Man Slayer Bulat." Tatsumi grit his teeth as his hands clenched at the mention of Bulat, the memories of his defeat at the hands of Liver. "Tell me, was it you who defeated the Three Beasts, or was it the former solider?" Tatsumi grit his teeth as he glared at Esdeath. "I can't say I hate that look in your eyes." Esdeath smiled reaching up to cup his cheek. "But I will change you Tatsumi."

"Don't touch me." He snapped, slapping her hand away from his face surprising her slightly. "I'm a member of Night Raid." He began before Esdeath chuckled before full blown laughter erupted from her causing Tatsumi to pause as he watched the woman laugh, wiping her eyes of the laughter induced tears began to form.

"I know that Tatsumi." Esdeath smiled, calming herself. "I knew that as soon as I spotted Incursio on your person, yet my heart still yearns for you." She continued raising a hand to his cheek once more, lightly caressing his skin before removing it and taking a step back. "For now, your identity will be kept a secret from the other Jaegers until I see a time where it will be suitable to reveal it to them. Right now, we're in a rather unusual situation, it would be beneficial of you to work together with us."

Tatsumi grit his teeth, why would he want to work together with her? Why would she want to risk him being among them?

"Now, hand over Incursio." Esdeath instructed, Tatsumi's hand clenching the sheathed blade. "Right now, you have no chance of beating me as you are now, even with Incursio." She stated. "You're just not at that point yet, but you'll grow stronger." She stated patting him atop his damp hair from his time in the ocean, taking the sheathed Teigu with her other hand. "Come along." She continued walking down the exact way she had dragged Tatsumi from.

"Damn it, why am I so weak!?" Tatsumi grit his teeth as his hands clenched. "I'm such a failure! I'm so sorry Sheele!" Swallowing his pride he turned and walked after Esdeath, she had been right, he needed their help. He had no idea where he was, stuck in the middle of the ocean god knows where. He still didn't even know what had happened. If Esdeath was going to keep it a secret that he was apart of Night Raid, then he was going to have to trust her, as much as it was going to kill him inside.

Reaching the front of the superstructure, he saw that most of the blood had been cleaned up, just red smudges remained as Seryu and Bols were both mopping now, Koro having returned to his smaller form was licking the blood of the wood to aid in their chore. It would seem all the remaining body parts had been disposed of. Feeling a slight change in wind he looked up to see Run dropping from the sky, Tatsumi had to say that the wings were something else.

"Thank you Run for your assistance." Esdeath started. "It would seem that Tatsumi was able to climb back up onto the deck without much trouble of his own, I'm just glad he didn't choose the civilian ship." She continued.

"I'm simply glad everything is working out well." Run smiled, however it was the same creepy smile that seemed way too perfect for the situation, like it was hiding something behind it. Tatsumi had no wants to find out what it was that he was hiding behind it. The door to the superstructure opened revealing Kurome.

"Koro, there's some fresh meat down below." Kurome called to the white Teigu causing him to Yip happily before looking up at Seryu who smiled.

"Go on boy, make sure to clean up the mess." Koro let out another bout of happy yips and bounced over to the entrance and disappearing inside. "Tatsumi's back!" Seryu smiled happily upon seeing the assassin. "I was really worried that you had been injured, or worse by those filthy pirates." She was completely unaware that she had been the target for his attempted assassination prior. Tatsumi simply rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, while he looked away. He didn't want to have to deal with her, it was bad enough dealing with Esdeath just now.

"Ugh, my head." A groan escaped Wave who sat up, rubbing a hand through his hair before he was hit by splash of water cutesy of Kurome who was holding a bucket out. "Gah! What was that for!?"

"Waking you up." Kurome stated.

"Gah, now I'm soaked!" He groaned pulling at his wet clothes as he looked around, only to blink in surprise. "Huh, what's going on? Where are we?"

"Yes, I believe it's time to address the situation at hand." Esdeath began gaining everyone's attention, even Dr Stylish had rejoined them to listen to what she had to say. "I believe that under orders from the Prime Minister, a select set of individuals were tasked with dealing with myself and the newly formed Jaegers. It would seem that Minister Honest was not fond of the ideas I had in creating the future military powers, since they wouldn't be under his direct control."

"Wait, that doesn't explain how we winded up in the middle of the ocean." Wave said looking around once more, while it was nice to be back on the sea, it was still a little discerning. "All I remember is a bright purple light."

"Same here." Bols agreed. "Would it be some kind of space manipulation Teigu?" He questioned.

"It is possible." Esdeath nodded. "Of the forty eight Teigu, one was said to be able to manipulate space itself." She explained. "Of all the Teigu, I can only think of a handful able to manipulate space like that." Tatsumi noticed her hand clenched around Incursio slightly. "Just who was that man..." She trailed off.

"Wait, why are you so calm about this General?" Wave questioned. "Shouldn't we, be freaking out or something? This kind of thing just doesn't happen everyday."

"In our line of work, you best be prepared for the unexpected Wave." Esdeath lectured. "Now, since you're from the Imperial Navy and have the most experience on the Sea, I'm leaving the navigation of the ship up to you. Kurome, did you find anything of use?" She questioned.

"A couple of unrecognizable maps." Kurome shrugged in response.

"Wave, start with those maps, find out where we are and how to return to the Empire. Our presence away from the Capital will not bode well, while Budo is still there it would not do well for us to be gone longer than necessary." Wave nodded and followed Kurome inside to where the maps would be. "Seryu, continue with the cleaning of the deck." Seryu saluted and got back to work. "As for you Bols, I want you to check the ship's storage. I want a full inventory list before night fall."

"Of course General." Bols nodded.

"Dr Stylish, go with him." The doctor sighed but headed after the large man, muttering how he would have rather accompanied Wave.

"What shall I do General?" Run questioned.

"Head up to the crow's, nest, we'll need a look out. Alert us should there be anything on the horizon, I'm regretting not taking a prisoner to interrogate, however I was sure they would have had nothing worth my time." Run nodded before using his Teigu to fly up to the crows nest. This left Tatsumi alone with Esdeath on deck, Seryu mopping the blood up happily towards the bow of the ship. "Now." Esdeath began turning to Tatsumi. "We're going to have a little talk, Tatsumi."