Ch 329: The wrong kind of sadist.

Okita was sitting on a tree branch, appreciating the feeling of the wind on her skin.

The Sanctuary was a very convenient tool, but the absence of both sun and wind had become wearisome for her, like a vague itch she couldn't quite locate.

It was because of this that she volunteered so much to stand guard outside.

Night Raid's main base, carved in the base of a cliff and in the middle of a large forest infested with large predators, was well camouflaged from both aerial and ground reconnaissance.

After Merraid agreed with Noah's deal, everyone needed to relocate to a much larger place, and Najenda had suggested using Night Raid's main base.

Her reasoning was that it suited their needs well, and after learning about the Jaegers, she knew that the next fight would be a decisive victory over the Empire, or a complete defeat. If they lost, Night Raid would be so crippled that losing the main base wouldn’t matter anymore.

Another advantage to this location was that there was only one practical path to reach the base from someone coming from the capital's general direction, a spot were the cliff became a moderate slope about a kilometer away from the base, and Okita and Nero were taking turns keeping an eye on it.

Which was why she saw a group of nearly forty people walk down the slope, most of them obvious martial artists from the way they moved. Half were wearing tight black clothes and wore masks and hoods hiding their hair and lower faces. The others wore individual outfits with no clear shared pattern Okita could discern. All were armed, however.

And the three leading them were extremely strange. One, with a nose so large it protruded at least twenty centimeters from his face, was sniffing the air like a dog on the hunt. Another, a woman, had round ears bigger than her face.

And the other man had eyes so big they occupied almost half of his face.

Clearly, those people had been somehow modified to amplify specific senses, with absolutely no regards for aesthetics or practicality. They had been made into tools.

And the one with the large eyes spotted her as she dematerialized, her body turning onto glowing motes of mana for a second, despite being deep into the tree's foliage.

Okita considered doing a hit and run for an instant, then abandoned the idea. She didn't know how capable those martial artists were, and if she was captured or killed here, her companions and their allies might be caught flat-footed.

Okita once again felt disgust towards the Empire, and quickly left to warn her companions.

…

"Dr Stylish, I think I saw something. A fleeting blue light that faded as soon as I spotted it, up in those trees." reported Eyes, and they all paused, staring at the direction Eyes pointed to.

"You sure? I'm only hearing the wind and a few small animals in that direction." frowned Ears.

"If their base isn't too far from here, this place is the best spot to place sentries. They probably are aware we are coming." nodded Esdeath, satisfied. "Let's increase the pace, and be on the lookout for traps or ambushes! Keep following their scent, Nose!"

"Yes, General!" exclaimed the man with the giant nose as the Jaegers resumed their advance.

…

"The Jaegers have taken the bait." said Okita as soon as she entered the Sanctuary. "About forty are coming, including Esdeath and a black-haired girl who looks a lot like Akame. They're about 800 meters away."

"Kurome!" exclaimed Akame, standing suddenly.

"We will go with plan A, then." nodded Miwa.

On the side, Air, Fal and Luna nodded with determined eyes. The three girls who had been saved the instant Miwa, Darkness, Okita and Nero stepped into this world, had accepted signing Soul Contracts with Akeno, and felt loyal enough to Lilith, and Noah by extension, that they benefited from his abilities without having needed any 'training'.

All it had taken was a video call with Noah where he sincerely sympathized with their circumstances and welcomed them in his family, and a few more discussions where Miwa explained in more detail about their mission, and how they were saving innocent people in the worlds they visited.

After all, who would pass on the opportunity to become a heroine like in the stories, not to mention gaining immortality and power? Especially girls who had been victims of unfair violence and almost been tortured to death? The taste of despair had made them crave power. Power to protect themselves, and to defend others like them.

Still, while they might have gained Noah's abilities and started doing their daily quests to increase their attributes, they lacked combat experience and were unwilling to kill, so their role in the plan was only to swoop in on some of the weakened targets, wearing light-rune enhanced clothes making them invisible, subdue them with chains made of hardened light, and quickly retreat away from the battlefield with their prizes before restraining them with magic-sealing steel restraints, and sealing some of their senses with leather hoods to further incapacitate them.

Then, Luna, Air and Fal would return to the battlefield, ready to take more.

The captives would be monitored by Chelsea, the twin psychotic girls Meela and Loris, and the thirty-four maid-assassins from the Oarburgh Family who had joined them so far after Merraid issued a general recall.

Meanwhile, the core members of the Oarburgh, Merraid, Daniel, Gilberta, Cassandra, Babara and Taeko, as well as the members of Night Raid, the former members of the Elite Seven, and the members of Noah's faction, would all face the Jaegers in what promised to be a chaotic melee.

The only exception would be with Esdeath herself, as she was too dangerous, and Miwa and the others wanted to avoid taking even a single casualty if possible.

Darkness would be the one to face her.

And if there was one thing Darkness was good at, it was taking hits and shrugging them off.

…

The Jaegers reached the trees at the base of the cliff, and even Esdeath nodded in admiration when she saw the flat walls, doors and windows carved deep inside the cliff.

"No wonder we never found this base before. Ears, Eyes, report." said Esdeath.

"I definitely hear some noises and whispers, the sounds are too faint for me to understand, general, but there are definitely many people inside." said Ears.

"Good. Dr Stylish, send your men."

At Esdeath's command, Dr Stylish lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. As one, the squad of twenty elite soldiers dashed forward and spread out, intending to enter simultaneously through every visible opening.

"Should we assist, General?" asked Seryu. "This is Night Raid we are talking about. Our soldiers are going to take casualties."

"Not yet. Our soldiers are meant to trigger any trap and flush them out of cover." grinned Esdeath, not caring about her soldiers. If they were weak enough to die, they weren't of any use to her.

She saw muzzle flashes from one window and heard gunshots, as well as the sounds of clashing blades and short, interrupted screams.

And yet, it lasted for only three seconds before silence returned, and Esdeath's smile grew as she stared at the dark openings. She wasn't disappointed that her soldiers had failed in forcing her foes out of their hiding place. It looked like her preys were worthy of the efforts she made hunting them down.

Then, she heard the sounds of armored footsteps, coming closer.

A young woman emerged from the dark opening that was the base's main door. She had long blonde hair stylized in a ponytail, clear blue eyes, and was dressed in plate armor with an orange tabard.

She paused just outside of the opening, a naked sword in her right hand, a shield on her left arm, and smiled.

"Welcome. I have long waited for this day. My name is Darkness. I know some of you. You must be Seryu, the blind idiot who believes she is on the side of Justice, yet only manages to protect criminals."

Seryu was so angered by those words that she made a step forward and was about to retort when Esdeath cut her off with a gesture.

"You were waiting for us?" asked Esdeath with a fearless smile.

"Of course. Were we not blatant enough in targeting only evildoers in the area, and leaving tracks behind?" shrugged Darkness.

"I thought you were getting sloppy."

"We weren't. We only decided that today would be the decisive battle." said Darkness, looking at someone on Esdeath's left, and displaying a gentle smile. "You must be Kurome, right? Akame is looking forward to meeting you again. Don't worry, you will lose, but we won't kill you, and we will do our best to avoid killing most of your comrades as well."

"So arrogant. I will definitely kill you." replied Kurome before looking at the dark windows and shouting. "Do you hear me, Onee-chan? I will definitely capture you and make you return to your senses!"

"And finally, the person I wanted to meet the most, General Esdeath." grinned Darkness.

Esdeath could definitely see hunger in Darkness eyes, and understood that she was a battle fanatic just like her.

She was going to enjoy defeating her and slowly torture her. Maybe she would even let her alive and make Darkness one of her underlings, if she proved worthy enough.

"I, Darkness, will be your opponent!"

"Ah! Let's see how long you can entertain me!" smirked Esdeath, stepping forward. Darkness nodded and walked toward her as well.

Yet, Esdeath didn't simply trust Darkness's declaration, and she kept a vigilant watch over her surroundings, ready to instantly respond to an ambush.

And it was because of her vigilance that she immediately noticed something had happened.

"What did you do?" asked Esdeath as the rest of the jaegers had disappeared.

"I brought us both into a pocked dimension, a mirror image of the real world. For the next twenty minutes or so, it is just you and me, General Esdeath."

"I see. A classic move, divide and conquer. Was it Najenda's idea?"

"No, although she did agree to the plan."

"It won't work, you know? Even if I'm struck here for a while, the Jaegers are the elites of the Empire, and most of them are Teigu users. The Night Raid members may be able to face them one on one, but the former Elite Seven have almost no Teigu of their own." declared Esdeath, confident that her troops could win even without her.

She dashed toward Darkness and initiated the fight, thrusting with her sword.

It was a feint, and while Darkness parried away the blow, Esdeath sent a side kick on Darkness's shield with enough strength to send her careening to the side.

Except that Darkness didn't do any careening, and she barely moved, her feet firmly planted on the ground.

"And did you consider the Oarburgh?" smiled Darkness before slashing toward Esdeath's belly, and she had to hurriedly jump back.

"The Oarburgh? You hired them?" asked Esdeath, surprised. She knew how dangerous those assassins were, had even briefly met their leader, Merraid. The only one besides Najenda who Esdeath actually respected.

But Esdeath also knew that Merraid wouldn't accept any contract if it meant facing her.

"I didn't think the revolutionary army had the money to hire the Oarburgh family for this." said Esdeath, losing some of her smile. Their involvement changed things, and there now was a real chance that the Jaegers would suffer. She needed to shorten this fight and quickly return.

Esdeath used her Teigu, made from the blood of the Danger Beast she had consumed long ago. Unlike most Teigus that looked like weapons or accessories, her own was inside her, merged with her blood. It gave her control over ice, and a thick block of ice formed around the feet of her opponent, pinning her in place.

Darkness replied by making something strange, white lines forming on the ground around her, but whatever is was, Esdeath didn't intend to let her finish.

She sprung forward, expertly slipped under Darkness's guard, and managed to hit her throat.

And Esdeath's sword almost escaped her hand as she felt unexpected resistance, and Esdeath was so shocked she froze for an instant, and Darkness struck her with her shield, batting her away.

Her sword thrust, which should have pierced easily through a thick layer of steel, didn't actually pierce her skin?

"Ahhh… That was a good hit." grinned Darkness, the thin line on her throat disappearing. Her attack has barely pierced the skin and made Darkness lose a single drop of blood.

Esdeath's eyes widened at Darkness's lustful tone, and widened further when the ice cracked. Darkness broke free out of sheer strength.

"What kind of monster are you? Why couldn't I pierce your throat?"

"I am confident in my toughness! That's my greatest point!" proudly declared Darkness, rushing toward Esdeath with surprising speed.

Esdeath parried away the first hit, then the second, but she was also forced to step back under Darkness's relentless assault. And she quickly noticed something. Something that made her feel like she had been slapped in the face.

"You are avoiding my vitals? Don't insult me!"

"Of course I am avoiding your vitals. I do not intend to kill you, general Esdeath." smirked Darkness, stepping back for an instant. "You will be my pet project!"

"Your… pet project?" asked Esdeath, her eyes squinting.

"Yes! My Master told me all about your sadistic ways! How you love to inflict pain on your enemies."

Darkness's expression turned from one of eagerness and happiness, to one of sadness.

"But, you are severely mistaken. Your sadism is the wrong kind. That's why I am going to fix you! Soon enough, you will be a proper sadist! And Master will allow me to use you often!"

"A… proper sadist?" asked Esdeath, slightly dumbfounded.

"Yes! Good sadists to not kill their victims, or even seriously injure them! That is not just morally wrong, but also wasteful! Good sadists will ensure their toys will endure for a long time!"

"I misjudged you! I thought you were a warrior, but you're just another pervert like Suzuka!" exclaimed Esdeath with utter disgust.

"Ahhh… The way you look at me with those eyes!" replied Darkness with a blush and a dopey smile, before she shook her head. "Suzuka? Is she one of the Jaegers who came with you?"

Esdeath made a slightly reluctant nod. She tolerated Suzuka because she was strong, and only showed her extreme masochism whenever the possibility of capture and interrogation by the enemy was mentioned. And Darkness seemed to be even worse!

"A comrade! We will get along well! Anyway, let's resume the fight. I will have all the time in the world to reform you later!"

Esdeath decided to go all-out to deal with the pervert and used her Teigu again, to encase Darkness into a thick coffin of ice.

Darkness saw it coming and evaded by jumping to the side, then forward.

Which was exactly what Esdeath had prepared for, and a wall of ice appeared in front of Darkness.

Esdeath intended for Darkness to collide against the ice wall, dazing her for an instant, while other walls would box her in. Then, she would only have to fill the inside with more ice, eighter crushing Darkness, or encasing her into ice meters thick.

Her plan was crushed, however, when Darkness shattered the wall between them with a punch.

"How freakishly strong are you?" exclaimed Esdeath as she jumped back to evade a slash from Darkness's sword.

"I am strong, but it's not just that." boasted Darkness. "I imbued my fist with vibration magic! A spell my Master specifically designed to deal with your ice!"

"You damn monster!" yelled Esdeath, moving forward and unleashed a series of sword strikes, ice stakes, and kicks and punches to try to overwhelm Darkness.

She aimed for her eyes in particular, but Darkness was faster, managing to deflect or block every attack aimed at her head or neck.

Esdeath managed to land a few hits on her body, damaging her plate armor, but Darkness only grunted happily.

At that point, Esdeath felt an urge to just give up and leave. Perverts like Darkness and Suzuka were living insults to her way of life.

Pain wasn't supposed to be enjoyed! It defeated the whole purpose of torture!

"Still, I am a bit worried about some of my comrades, so it is time for me to get serious." sighed Darkness.

Esdeath found herself on the defensive as Darkness's speed increased again, and suddenly, she disappeared, leaving sword and shield behind.

Before Esdeath could react, two armored arms snaked around her waist from behind, and she was lifted. She barely managed to tuck her head in and rotate her shoulder to absorb the shock as Darkness pivoted backward, making Esdeath crash hard against the ground.

Esdeath immediately flailed with her sword, only for it to be grabbed by the blade and torn off her hand by Darkness. The blonde woman didn't get away and instead ensnared Esdeath's arms against her body with her legs, while grabbing her hair and doing something on her nape.

And suddenly, Esdeath felt a wave of weakness spread across her body.

She tried to summon a large block of ice to dislodge Darkness, and… nothing happened.

"I just sealed your Teigu." said Darkness with a victorious smile, noticing her dumbfounded expression. "Now, let's secure you pro-per-ly!"

"You!" exclaimed Esdeath, fighting for all she was worth.

Esdeath was strong. She could shatter large stones with a kick or a punch. And yet, Darkness was stronger still, faster, and before long, she was bound by thick chains and manacles.

To add insult to indignity, Darkness took from somewhere a black leather hood and put in on her, plunging her in darkness.

She felt herself behind lifted and put on Darkness's shoulder.

Esdeath was absolutely fuming inside the stifling leather hood. She had used hoods on her captives on occasion, knowing that being deprived of their sight would increase their fear, but only rarely, because she wanted to see said fear in their eyes, and having them see the torture instruments that were to be used on them was actually more effective in inducing fear.

"It's fine if I torture you now, right?" teased Darkness. "Isn't that your whole philosophy? The strong takes from the weak, and inflicting pain on the weak is simply following the law of nature? Well, I am stronger than you, so I can do whatever I want with you, right?"

"mphes!" grated Esdeath, the hood muffling her answer.

While is was so vexing to admit it, Darkness did best her in combat, so Esdeath acknowledged that she had no right to complain about how she would be treated.

Of course, that wouldn't stop her from trying to escape and get revenge.

…

When Esdeath and Darkness both disappeared, the real fight started. Mine used her Teigu, Pumpkin, to shoot a pinkish beam of energy at Dr Stylish, while the members of Night Raid, Miwa, Okita and Nero erupted from the base. Close behind them were the core members of the Oarburgh family and the former Elite Seven.

Their plan was simple. They wanted to capture the women, as well as the men who looked her approximate age, assuming they had been indoctrinated like Akame and the others had been.

The older men would be killed, and if a mistake was made, they could always request for Noah to revive them.

Dr Stylish, still sluggish from the shock of seeing both Darkness and Esdeath disappear, was too slow to evade the sudden attack and died, a fist-sized hole just under his neck.

A chaotic melee followed as the members of the former Elite Seven, Night Raid, Oarburgh and more erupted from the base's door and windows, one that quickly turned against the Jaegers. They were outnumbered, each of them engaged by at least one opponent just as strong as they were, stopping them from supporting each other or seizing opportunities to target other enemies.

In the middle, Miwa expanded her domain, and in a flash, Seryu, Gin, Womyn and Mez cried out as they fell, their Achilles Heels severed.

Bols noticed how dangerous Miwa was and aimed his flamethrower at her, deciding to ignore the swordswoman with a red sword and red dress coming at him.

But he had barely started pressing the trigger when the red sword flashed, severing both of his arms and the weapon's fuel line.

As he screamed in pain and fear, the flame at the tip of the flamethrower hit the leaking fuel, and the blonde swordswoman yelled 'cover!' as she ran out at great speed.

Bols died in a huge explosion of flames, knocking everyone off their feet. Miwa, Okita and Nero were the first back on their feet and used the opportunity ruthlessly, killing two of the Rakshasa as they were rising.

The battle after the explosion barely lasted thirty seconds. The Jaegers, stunned by the blast, many of them already severely injured, could only offer token resistance as they were forcibly disarmed.

Only after they were restrained, their powers sealed, did Miwa heal their injuries.

Mez, Kurome, Gin, Wave, Nadala, Womyn, Suzuka and Seryu were the only surviving Jaegers.

"That went well, if not according to plan." said Luna as she landed near Miwa, deactivating the light runes on her clothes.

"Plans rarely survive contact with the enemy." shrugged Miwa. "We didn't count on that big explosion."

"Umu!" grinned Nero despite her back being a bit burnt. She had been the closest. "The important thing in battle is being able to seize opportunities!"

Miwa nodded wordlessly, healing her, and observing their captives. All were now kneeling in a line, their hands shackled behind their backs.

Kurome was angry, but didn't say anything as she was tightly hugged by Akame.

The two men, Nadala and Wave, watched them with defiant expressions.

Seryu was doing the same, but occasionally sent sad glances at the severed body of her dog-like Teigu.

"So, we're your captives now. How are you going to torture us?" asked Suzuka, wearing clothes similar to a shrine maiden's outfit, her black hair tied in a spiky bun. She had a scar running across her nose and under her right eye. "No matter what you do to me, I won't speak. But you should do it quickly before General Esdeath returns from wherever you teleported her and kills you all."

Miwa saw the eagerness in her gaze.

"Heavens, they're multiplying." sighed Miwa.

As if she had been summoned by Miwa's words, Darkness reappeared, smiling, holding over a shoulder a chained woman whose long light blue hair escaped from a tight black leather hood, and the Jaegers fell into despair.