Steel Eyed Faker Chapter 8: Save the Twisted Part 1 (Patreon)

Beta read by Paragon of Awesomeness and Shigiya

So, was supposed to be done with this two days ago but had some irl stuff putting it on hold again and again. Just not to waste time I had already started to work on the next story to update so next chapter should be done in 1-2 days.

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--The Capital-


The city was abuzz with activity, with people from all walks of life bustling about. Peddlers and merchants shouted their wares at bargain prices, while entertainers in revealing attire advertised their establishments. Groups of guards in heavy protective armor patrolled the streets with vigilant eyes. It was a stark contrast to the small port town where a certain member of the Empire's naval force had grown up.


In the middle of the street, he walked with confidence, a fairly muscular young man of above-average height with short, dark blue hair and eyes. Wearing a blue leather jacket and red scarf — Wave could hardly contain the excitement in his heart.


"Whoa, this place looks so enchanting. Is it really okay for girls to wear such revealing clothing without any trouble? And these prices are outrageous!" His reactions came one after the other as he couldn't help but gaze from one store to the next, taking in the variety of products on display.


The man's cheeks flushed slightly as some girls in strange bunny suits walked past him, greeting him with seductive smiles and passing out flyers, which he absentmindedly took before walking away. Truth be told, he was starting to feel overwhelmed by the overly stimulating atmosphere and wanted to find a quiet, isolated place to compose himself.


"Fifth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, where could it be? This isn't it, this is Fourth… Oh wait, this is Fourth, so Fifth should be close by, right?" he muttered to himself as he checked a piece of paper with the meeting place address. Wave continued his walk deeper into the capital, slowly approaching the center. The people around him began whispering amongst themselves as they looked at him. Most of them were now nobles or people of high rank, all of whom went out of their way to avoid him, unlike the treatment he had received previously.


"That's definitely a country bumpkin," he overheard someone remark.


"Just look at those clothes. Definitely a peasant."


"Ew, he smells like fish!"


“Of course, he smells like fish, look at his bag! It's filled to the brim with sea creatures!”


Wave could hear all these people's hushed whispers, some mocking his origin and others treating him as if he were an entirely different species. "Better to ignore them. I promised my village to do my best, and I have finally arrived at the capital to make a name for myself!" Despite all this, the man remained optimistic, his head held high. A few days ago, he had received an official letter from the higher-ups, ordering him to leave for the Capital immediately without discussion and join a special force put together by something high up on the ladder — a General.


"It will only be a matter of time before I am recognized for my talents and granted the post of captain or even a general in the future!" He couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. And so, while whistling his favorite tune, he continued his march, even as more people grew weirded out by his behavior, some even considering calling the guards.


It did not take long for Wave to finally find the area where the meeting would take place—a large building located near the main barracks. The building was so massive that he was certain his entire village could fit inside multiple times over, and its imposing presence seemed to cast an invisible weight upon his shoulders. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open with confidence and straightened back.


A grand entrance!


"Good afternoon, people! My name is Wave, and I have come to fulfill… my… duty… uuuh…" His voice trailed off as he was met with a sight that left him speechless and disturbed.


A large, burly man sat at the table in the middle, shirtless and wearing a gas mask that concealed his entire face. His glassy, vacant eyes slowly turned towards Wave in a creepy manner, followed by an unsettling silence that sent chills down his spine.


Instinctively, Wave closed the door behind him, his face covered in sweat. 


"Holy shit, what the hell was that? Am I in the right area?" 


Checking to ensure he hadn't wandered into the insane asylum ward, the man confirmed that he was indeed in the correct area and quickly recomposed himself. Opening the door, he quietly walked back inside and took a seat without exchanging any words with the stranger. ‘This is already too much. I want to go back to my home town! I haven't even spent an hour at the Capital, and already I’m stuck sitting next to a perverted creep!’ 


Even the pirates dealt with daily by his group looked normal in comparison! 


Sighing, wondering when this meeting would take place so he could be done with it as soon as possible.


The door creaked once more, and the man looked in expectation for someone normal to finally arrive. Surprisingly, his wish was granted as a young girl wearing a black uniform of some sort, a short skirt where a simple gust of wind would be more than enough to reveal everything underneath. "City girls really do like to wear little clothing even when on duty…" 


No wonder his aunt told him to be careful of the girls around here, but perhaps that was just the fashion and she turned out to be a regular person!


Holding onto hope, he ignored that part and went over to greet the young lady. However, he was met with a murderous glare as she possessively huddled her arms around a large bag of treats she had dropped on the table. "This is mine. You can't have one."


All right, he was definitely wrong, she definitely wasn't normal. 


“Um, I'm not here for the treats. I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Wave. It's nice to meet you," he said tentatively, trying to break the ice despite the girl's intimidating demeanor.


"Kurome," was all she said before returning her attention to consuming the bag filled with confectionaries. Wave noticed the man on the other side of the table turning his head towards him once again, looking at him straight in the eyes without breaking contact. This made him feel pressured and somewhat weirded out, so he decided to go back to his seat and wait out the period as he had originally planned.


“Hm?”


The door creaked again and this time an even stranger sight took place. 


“Pardon my intrusion!” Another girl came, this one with brown hair styled in a ponytail, wearing an appropriate military uniform with the badge on her shoulders making his mouth drop. “First name Seryu and last name Ubiquitous! Recently promoted Sergeant Major and former member of Captain Ogre's Capital Defence Forces at your service!” 


Through sheer instinct and habit alone, Waver nearly got up from his chair and saluted her in a similar way. ‘Someone so young has already achieved the rank of sergeant…? She barely looks past her teenage years!’ 


How cruel! The world was just too unfair!


“And this is my second in command, Staff Sergeant Koro!” She said while pointing at the saluting dog next to the other side of the door.


The fucking dog had a rank in the military!? These people were more than weird… they were insane! Where was his lieutenant badge at the navy after all he'd done!?


But of course, this was just the beginning, as Seryu knelt down and scattered multiple handfuls of rose petals on the floor. “Dr. Stylish, the preparations are in place!”


Upon finishing her words, a middle-aged man wearing a lab coat, walked in as if it were a fashion show. “First impressions are important, especially for a stylish person like me.” He said whilst sending a wink at him. “A handsome country boy? You must not know me then like the others, let me introduce myself!” 


Apparently, this guy presented himself as a genius extraordinaire called Dr. Stylish, known for his achievements in the medical field and many other things. “I'm sure you'll find plenty of interesting things to do. If you're interested in enhancing your skills to another level, you're more than welcome to visit me, and I'm sure we'll find a solution together," said the man, shaking Wave's hand. 


Though his words sounded polite, the way he looked at him made his skin crawl. "O-Oh, okay. I'll k-keep that in mind," he replied with a slight stutter, trying to maintain his composure.


Also, how did people keep figuring out he was from the countryside? 


Then, another man entered the room, sporting blonde hair and a feather trinket adorning his head. "Greetings, everyone. I'm Ran," he introduced himself in a calm and composed manner, extending a casual greeting with no indication of any underlying tension. Wave felt a sense of relief at the sight of someone who appeared to be ordinary among them. "Looks like I'm fashionably late. My apologies for keeping you waiting.”


"You don't need to worry about that. Most of us just arrived a few minutes ago, and whoever is responsible for conducting this meeting has not arrived yet, so you're not late," Wave reassured him.


"Is that so? Well, I guess we can wait in the meantime and get to know more about each other. I believe you must be new to the capital," another person accurately guessed his origin just a couple of seconds after meeting him. Wave chuckled at the observation. "How do all of you manage to guess I'm not from here correctly? I was given these clothes after what was in fashion in the capital according to my aunties."


"It's not your clothes, but just your general demeanor and how you are behaving. You're just, just too optimistic and cheerful compared to what you would see of people here," explained the doctor, which he found intriguing. 


Cheerful? Wave was pretty sure he'd seen enough cheerful people outside who were smiling and laughing just like him. So why was he any different? 


though as the man was about to ask further questions, a tray brimming with cups of tea was placed before them. Glancing around, he spotted the eerie individual from earlier holding the tray, meticulously distributing the cups to each occupant in the room. "Apologies for the delayed introduction. I'm Bols, formerly a member of the incineration squad, let's get along fellow Teigu users." the man introduced himself. 


His voice resonated with an unexpected warmth, and his timid demeanor stood in stark contrast to the preconceived notion Wave had formed.


"I was feeling nervous in the beginning… having not gotten over my fears of strangers. So my body refused to move and I didn't know how to start the conversation, but seeing how everyone now is talking to one another it would be rude of me to continue to behave as such," the masked man continued his speech, earning a smile from Wave, Ran, and even a slight nod from Kurome. Dr. Stylish, on the other hand, continued to remain silent, his eyes squinting as he observed the tall man, a myriad of thoughts passing through his mind after learning that this guy had been part of the Incineration squad.


Unlike him, the others did not seem to recognize where the guy came from and treated him normally now.


“Nice to meet you too, Bols, and thanks for the tea. Seriously, if no one arrives in the following hour, should we go find someone—cold?” before Wave could finish his sentence, his body felt a chill spread across his skin, and everyone's eyes in the room widened as they sensed something off with the atmosphere. The air around them instantly plummeted in temperature, with a white fog escaping their breath as they exhaled. 


“Look out!” 


Run shouted, the blonde-haired man spotting a figure standing right behind Kuro. Kurome reacted expertly, jumping away from the table, a blade appearing in her arm before she attempted to slash at the trespasser.


Her empty, cold eyes that were filled with killing intent had instantly vanished in that moment as shock replaced it when her slash was halted abruptly, her hands suddenly refusing to budge. “…” Her attention trailed down to her limb where a pillar of ice emerged out of nowhere, encasing it along with half of the sword. 


“I've got you!”


The others did not sit idle; Bols instantly positioned himself between her and the stranger with a flamethrower in his hand, “Take cover!” He fired a wall of fire that consumed everything in its path. 


“What's with those flames? Is that his Teigu?” Wave noted how abnormally quickly these flames spread and continued to burn anything they touched with a constant intensity. “Thanks for the help!” Using this opportunity, he grabbed his sheathed blade and struck the frozen pillar with as much strength as possible.


A large and audible crack resounded within the room as the structure shattered into pieces, freeing Kurome and her weapon.


"Agh!" Bols grunted in pain as he was shot straight across the room with a powerful leg sweep, using the weapon, the flamethrower, as a way to defend himself. The weapon threatened to bend under the impact but held firm thankfully.


"Disappointing," he heard the stranger speak as his back struck the wall with a loud thud. With some of the mist having gone down, all of them got a good look at the intruder and found out it was a woman. 


Her face was hidden with a blank mask and had long pale blue hair that reached her heels. She had a rapier sheathed on her waist, which she hadn't brought out yet. "You can't expect to live for more than a second if your reaction is so slow, especially against someone like him," she said as her figure bent forward slightly and pushed against the floor with enough force to crack the wood. Launched from her spot and reached Run in nearly an instant. 


“Woah there,” the blonde man, who frowned as a flurry of kicks was sent towards him, managed to react in time.


"Hn!"


Unlike the others, Run showed adequate speed and skills by dodging each attack at the very last second with great elegance, backing away while making sure none of his vital spots would get hit. "Hoh, not bad," the stranger complimented, making the others believe that they had a chance to get the upper hand. But that notion was quickly destroyed into dust as her high heels struck the floor, turning the entire area around them into a frozen cave.


"Wah!" Run slipped upon the surface, unable to catch himself in time as his opponent's hits landed on his body like a storm, breaking through every layer of his defense in an instant. Each kick with those heels dug into his flesh and muscles, nearly breaking his bones into pieces. The walls cracked under the pressure of his back crashing into it, the very air being brutally knocked out of his lungs and his vision darkening with the sweet embrace of unconsciousness knocking at his doorstep.


“Enough! You'll pay for breaking the law, you criminal!” The figure stopped, tilting her head sideways where a punch flew by and missed its target by a hair's breadth, the wind slightly moving the mask where Seryu's feral look turned into shock. “Ice?” Was all she could say as the newly promoted Sergeant followed a similar fate as Run. 


“Don't speak unless necessary or when you're planning a sneak attack. You're just giving away your position.” First came a vicious strike with her elbow into her stomach and then a final crushing blow as the masked woman grabbed Seryu's face and planted it firmly onto the wall next to Run. Then came a final attack in the form of another solid pillar of ice shooting up from the ground, hitting the airborne Koro going for her jugular, sending the Teigu flying straight upwards and crashing into the ceiling. 


“Cute, but still weak.” 


Wave, seeing the people he had just met and gotten acquainted with get taken down so easily after just a few seconds of battle, was starting to get desperate. He even started to believe this must have been an assassin sent by the enemy.


"Tch! You've gone too far! If you want to blame someone, then blame yourself for what's about to happen. You brought this upon yourself," he declared. His hands went back to firmly hold the sheath on his blade, an ancient artifact created by the first emperor and perfected from a defective prototype from what he heard.


Resolute showing in his eyes, he slowly drew the weapon, the blade piercing the ground beneath his feet as he held onto the handle with a firm grip. Blue waves of energy surrounded his body as he shouted with gusto.


“Haaaaaa! GRAND…” Even if he believed it was too soon to bring out his ace, Wave could risk it. “CHARIO—Urgh!” 


Before he could even utter the incantation to summon his Teigu, his opponent vanished before his eyes, inducing a brief moment of panic. A piercing scream of agony erupted from his mouth as a leg swept at his hands, shattering his grip on his weapon. The force of the blow was enough to nearly fracture his bones. It was swiftly continued by a powerful punch to his chest and a vicious hold of his neck, rendering him breathless and unable to vocalize his pain.


“A-argh! L-lergh—go!” Struggled the man, held up with little effort by his opponent who perhaps grew to pity him and let go.


Wave watched in complete disbelief as he crumbled onto the floor while his opponent just stood there, watching him with the blank mask hiding her features. She stood so casually, without even looking like she exerted any effort in taking them all out. Even with her features hidden, he could feel the presence of her gaze upon him. He was unsure whether it was a disappointment, arrogance laced with bloodlust, or something else entirely.


"When facing an opponent you know is faster than you, don't waste your time by shouting out your next move, or hesitate to bring out your trump card if necessary," she remarked coolly. "You will be taken down before you've even finished your sentence. It doesn't matter whether they are aware or not of what you're going to bring out, as it will be your first and last mistake in a life and death scenario."


Was… was she teaching him an actual lesson in the middle of this battle? Was this intruder a member of the Night Raid coming to mock them somehow? Waiver could not provide any answers as his throat still was paralyzed by her previous strike. But at the very least, he managed to put on a light smirk when he noticed something in the background. 


"Fuck you," he muttered.


“—!”


The woman tried to turn around as if she sensed something off, but it was too late as a katana pierced through her heart in an instant. 


"You should be more aware of your surroundings," Kurome said while standing behind her. Having been freed from the ice prison thanks to Wave's effort, she managed to gain an advantage over the opponent by exploiting her blind spot while she was focusing on someone else.


“You sure took your time," said the country boy, being helped up on his feet by Run.


Bols, who had recovered from his previous attack, returned as well, still holding onto his flamethrower, more careful than anything else. "Are you okay, Wave?" 


Strangely enough, he was the only one out of everyone in the room who was instantly worried about his condition, other than Run. Even with a mask, Wave could feel the sincerity in the gaze of the muscular man, making him feel even more ashamed to have judged such a nice person upon their first meeting. "I'm fine, just my throat feels like it's burning and torn to shreds," he replied, his voice hoarse and broken. Even uttering a single word felt like it was making everything worse. But a few moments gave him some time to recover and get his attention back onto this assassin.

 

But before he could do anything, Run instantly pulled him back, an apprehensive expression showing on the blonde's face. "Wait, something isn't right here."


"Eh?" Wave's confusion deepened.


It seemed that he wasn't the only one who sensed something wrong, as Kurome's eyes widened in shock. She removed her blade from the opponent's chest and jumped back far enough before assuming another battle-ready stance. Bols brought up his flamethrower protectively between the two boys and the woman.


Ready to shoot another stream of fire towards her at any moment but hesitated.


"She's not bleeding."


"!?" As soon as he said that, Wave instantly noticed that the man was right. The wound on her chest did not show any signs of red, even after Kurome removed the blade. The blade in question also did not have any traces of blood on its surface.


"She's… cracking?" The body of the intruder suddenly turned pale blue, from her skin to her shirt, and any kind of clothes and hair, all becoming crystalline blue and forming into a transparent ice figure. The cracks around the chest spread all over the body before it started to crumble piece by piece.

 

Clap 


Clap


Clap


They heard the sound coming from the other side of the room, the floor beneath their feet turning into water as the temperature returned to normal. The group watched in confusion and horror as next to Dr. Stylish, the man who hadn't moved since the beginning and sat there with a grin on his face, stood the intruder herself, except this time there was no mask and they could see her blue eyes and somewhat impressed smile.


"That was an impressive display of teamwork despite all of you only having met a couple of minutes ago. Though there were flaws in how each of you fought individually, all in all, I am satisfied with your performance. You have done well to not make me regret my decision in choosing you," Esdeath said before taking her seat. 


Everyone else stood there speechless, looking at one another, wondering what the hell happened. The first to figure out their situation were both Run and Kurome. "So it was a test," said the blonde, sighing as he dusted his clothes before going back to his seat, followed by the katana wielder, who did the same, along with Bols. 


Wave, not wanting to be left behind, quickly followed suit but still had plenty of questions. "I am so very confused."


Dr. Stylish, after hearing his response, rolled his eyes. "How can you still be confused when the answer is so brazenly presented before you? This is the esteemed General Esdeath. She's the one who invited all of us to this… meeting and the one whom you all fought just a minute ago as a test."


"But… didn't Kurome just pierce her katana into…" Upon closer observation, the woman did not have a pierced wound on her chest and looked perfectly fine. The ice construct behind him had mostly vanished, leaving only the high-heeled boots, which still hadn't dissipated yet.


"What you fought was merely an ice clone of mine. I made sure that it wouldn't be aggressive enough to kill any of you instantly or cause any major wounds. I must admit, it was fun seeing you all fight in the beginning. I was half tempted to let you finish summoning your Teigu, but I'd rather not destroy this building in the process."


"I'm surprised none of you recognized who she was from the beginning. It was very much obvious," Dr. Stylish answered, pushing his glasses with a slight smirk, as if he were speaking to them mockingly. Esdeath did not pay him any attention and waited for all of them to be quiet once more.


Various reactions appeared on everyone's face: curiosity, amusement, and even nervousness. The story about Esdeath's army, and more specifically the Duo Beasts, was widely known to those in the army or who followed any news of her conquests across the continent. This particular group she talked about, even though it consisted of only two individuals, was widely regarded as a one-man army.


Said to be able to take down an entire battalion by themselves or sink an entire kingdom without needing the presence of an army or soldiers, they were perfectly capable of doing so by themselves and highly regarded as the closest people to earning the rank and status of a general.


“I'm not one to waste any words, so I'll say it to you all directly, this entire project is to find someone qualified enough to earn the title of the third Beast.”


“…Hah? One of us getting the title of a Beast? That's…" Wave was at a loss for words; his hands shook as anticipation rose within his heart. This was a one-way ticket to nearly accomplishing his dream and getting that much closer to earning the title of a renowned general. This, on top of working under Esdeath's division, was already a great honor in itself.


"Of course, there are six of you, and only one position is available. So it should come as no surprise that most of you will fail or even die in the process. If such a notion scares you, then you are more than welcome to walk out through the door." She pointed at the exit, but no one left their seat; every single member was fully committed and willing to give this chance a shot.


"No one? That's good. You're making me prouder by the second in picking you all." Some of them puffed their chests at that comment, mostly Seryuu, who looked at Esdeath with eyes filled with admiration.


Though Doctor Stylish had more to say about this matter, "While I am more than happy to take this opportunity to be granted a spot as a member of the Beasts group, I won't say that I'm not curious as to why this is being done now of all times. As far as I'm aware, the third member perished in combat a few years ago, and since then, you have made no attempts at replacing him. So why now of all times?"


This question once again made a few people around the table curious as it was a valid question. Even Wave had to agree that it was strange how she went so many years without replacing the third member and was doing it now. Surely there had to be some reason behind her action.


"And astute observation," she said with a grin on her face. "I am doing all of this in preparation to go to war against a certain enemy of mine, you can say…"


That response created more confusion amongst the masses than anything else. Even Dr. Stylish was not expecting that and started to brainstorm for who this enemy could be. 


"I do not recall any such enemy that would require you to make so many preparations, General Esdeath. Wait, have the tribes formed an alliance with each other and joined with the Revolutionary Army? I must admit, that is a very great reason for concern if that were the case. With a treasure trove of various artifacts from Teigus and similar weapons in their control, they do indeed pose a great threat to the Empire."


"The Revolutionary Army…" Wave repeated those words with slight apprehension and anger. He truly despised those people who made the lives of the innocent so sufferable and taxing. Having been a member of the Navy, he had, on some occasions, fought against those people, and such things would always leave more destruction than what they claimed to want. In his eyes, these people did not want peace but merely wanted to gain control. "Those bastards."


However, that notion was instantly thrown out as Esdeath chuckled, shaking her head before answering with a deeper tone. "If only it was the Revolutionary Army and the tribes. I wouldn't even need the assistance of the Beasts to take them down. They are of no threat to me, and how they continued to stay hidden this entire time only shows just how weak they truly are."


"Not the Revolutionary Army?" This made Wave more worried than anything else. Just what kind of entity could possibly pose a bigger threat to the Empire and General Esdeath if it wasn't them? Unless they were people or a nation that had risen in power very recently from the far corners of the world and were planning on invading the Empire. If that were the case, then another major war would only make things much worse for the people.


"I'm doing this because he returned to the capital a couple of days ago."


"He?" All right, now this completely threw everyone out of the loop, as Esdeath spoke about a singular person rather than an entire kingdom or army as they expected. 


"Forgive me, General Esdeath, but I would prefer if you give us more details on this matter," Run asked. Just like everyone else, he had no idea who this person could be.


"It's normal neither of you nor his identity; that bastard has always remained hidden and under the radar, trying to hide his strength for some unknown reason. But recently, he has made a name for himself. I'm sure all of you are familiar with someone called the Archer."


"The danger beast hunter?" Dr. Stylish added, having heard of such a person from his informants going around the many villages across the Empire and helping the local populace with some of their smaller issues concerning beasts roaming their lands and so on.


"Indeed, the last I heard of him was that he killed an Earth Dragon near the main road outside the walls. A merchant caravan was besieged by such a creature, and it was speculated that he was involved in slaying it due to the similar kill strikes."


Esdeath clicked her tongue, as if annoyed by the way Stylish spoke about this person.


"That is indeed him, for which I'm preparing to face in the near future. I let my guard down in the past, and that moment of weakness caused one of my most trusted men to die before I could save him. 'Archer' is only an alias he uses to keep his true identity hidden. His true name is Emiya, adopted son of Nagumo, and stepbrother to the leader of the assassin group Night Raid, former General Nagenda."


"He's related to the leader of the Night Raid? This is the first time I have heard anything about that family having another child under their care. There are no records of him ever attending the Imperial Military Academy either." Seryu noted, curious.


"Because he never joined the Academy in the first place. His skills were beyond anything they could have taught him before he was even old enough to attend," Esdeath said with a dry tone. It was clear there was more to that story, but none of them had the courage to ask.


"For such a person to validate your attention to such a degree, he must have gotten his hand on a rather powerful Teigu," Run assessed, a statement that many agreed with. 


"Going by his moniker as Archer, the first Teigu that comes to mind is L’Arc Qui Ne Faut. But I'm pretty certain that this weapon was previously utilized by another member of the Night Raid. But since you've mentioned his sister is the leader, it's very possible he has gotten his hands on it." A weapon capable of hitting a target regardless of where they were or moved by simply uttering their name and having the arrow seek that person out. A rather dangerous weapon in the right hands.


"But for it to pose any danger to General Esdeath, I highly doubt that we are talking about that weapon in particular," Dr. Stylish scoffed, aware of what this Teigu was capable of doing and being more than certain that it wouldn't have forced Esdeath to take on such drastic action.


"My guess would be he has gotten his hands on Pumpkin and found himself to be rather highly synced with the weapon. It is not unheard of for certain Teigus to change and evolve under the right circumstances. Which makes this even more interesting if and when I get my hands on him." He couldn't suppress his grin at the idea of examining this man and researching the factors that could have led to such an outcome.


"Or, it could be something else," Bols added. "We can't believe that just having the name Archer automatically means he has only access to those two weapons. It could very much be something else entirely."


"Unlikely. I do remember cases detailing the corpses of the Danger Beasts he has slain. All of them end up with a hole in their head, a feat only possible through the use of a highly concentrated beam. There are no other weapons that could deliver such a specific wound in the first place," Dr. Stylish remarked as Run and Bols continued to discuss the matter with one another. 


Esdeath slapped her hand against the table to silence everyone.


"While I am glad to see all of you brainstorming a possible answer which would fit the description of the danger beast he has slain, I'm saddened to inform all of you that you are all wrong. And Emiya does not possess any Teigu."


"What? Then could it be…"


"No, he also does not possess any of those weapons," she added, cutting him off again. Seeing them at a loss for words as to what Emiya would be wielding, Esdeath sighed. "Emiya does not wield any Teigu or Shinkus from the past. All of the weapons he uses were individually made by him."


"What!?" For the first time since the meeting began, Stylish showed a strong reaction. "How is that possible? The secrets of creating new weapons like Teigus were lost after the first emperor's demise and civil war. How could someone, an unknown child adopted by General Nagumo, possibly have the secrets to such things?"


At his question, she just shrugged her shoulders. "You don't seem to understand my statement. The real danger is not the weapons that he is holding; it could be any other bow reinforced with enough material to make it strong — though not as powerful as some high-grade danger beast bones. Rather, it's his own strength that gives him the ability to use those weapons, which would normally be impossible to use without superhuman strength. You have seen me fight today; you have seen how fast and powerful a simple clone I made was. That was the strength and speed he possessed a couple of years ago when we last fought seriously. And I’m sure that he had grown stronger since then"


Dr. Stylish's eyes grew brighter at this piece of information but a sense of disbelief still nawed at him. “It's not possible for someone to have successfully created an enhanced soldier before my own research.” He said it with great certainty, the mere thought that anyone could achieve such a breakthrough without his expertise was just unthinkable. 'He must be a natural born!’


"And also, he is the one who killed the third beast with just a bow," Esdeath continued. “I highly suspect that the attack on the Karleen's mansion was his handy work — though I can't be sure that it was really him as it doesn't exactly suit his style. But then again, that man has a way of surprising you in the most frustrating of ways.” 


As much as she wanted to believe the fact that Emiya could create a Teigu-like weapon, that was simply not the case. She had seen and even touched that bow many times in the past, and there was nothing special about it other than it was made through a blend and alloy which made it harder than the bows handed out in the army and more flexible. There was no usage of Orichalcum or any other ores with similar effects. 


"Fascinating…" Stylish muttered under his breath, his previously indifferent eyes now gaining a light of curiosity and greed. A natural-born human possessing supernatural abilities without having gone through any experiments was unheard of. And if the weapons he created were able to destroy a mansion like that of the Karleens a couple of days ago, then it made him that much more curious about what else he was hiding!


The doctor suddenly felt a chill run up his spine, finding the general's cold blue eyes staring right at him. “I want to make this clear, under no circumstances should you go after him alone or outside of my orders. Nothing awaits you but death.” 


“A-Ahahaha… su-surely you don't mean that, General. I'm confident that my wonderful inventions can work wonders—!” His body went still as a layer of frost covered his hands and slowly crawled up his arm. Esdeath’s gaze had turned far colder and was leaking enough killing intent to make the occupants in the room tremble in fear. 


“That is an order. You will not search for him, nor engage in combat unless I say so.” 


What!? To keep him away from such a specimen made no sense to Stylish. Anger rose within his heart but he did not have the strength to show them outwardly. To do so would be a death sentence, and the man still had enough survival instinct to not disobey Esdeath at this point.


After making sure to get her point across, Esdeath continued her speech, she laid out the duties of the group. "So your responsibilities will be to perform any missions I task you with to the best of your abilities. I'll be watching all of you and judging your performance accordingly. If you perform well enough, then at the end of all of this, I'll personally select who will be promoted to the rank of a Beast. For now, this little group will be known as the Jaegers, and you will be judged by your performance in hunting down each member of Night Raid and other enemies of the empire. Is that clear?"


"Yes, ma'am!" All of them shouted in unison, and the meeting was adjourned. After being given the uniform, each member waited outside and further conversed with one another. Dr. Stylish, on the other hand, walked away with a different opinion in his mind.


‘These fools are wasting their time with Night Raid. Why bother going after them when we should be focusing our attention on the one who matters the most? Truly, even a general like Esdeath cannot hope to get a clear understanding of the situation unlike me. I won't sit idle and allow her to commit such a grave mistake, and for me to pay the price in the end. If he's still in the capital, then I'll find him with or without her permission.’ 


To get his hands on such a person and experiment on him to learn his secrets of creating Teigu, he could not let that chance pass him.


{Break}


-The Capital, Slums-


"I feel like we are being watched," Tatsumi mentioned as they walked through the bustling streets of the slums in the Empire, glancing at every passerby. His movements are erratic and spontaneous after the events of last time. His distrustful gaze swept around every corner, expecting the guards to come after his throat.


"We are a group of five individuals walking together with hoods. Of course people are going to stare," replied Emiya dryly, unconcerned about drawing attention.


"You don't have to worry, there’s barely any guards patrolling this part of the city, especially at this hour. You'd be surprised how many criminals and thieves coexist here despite being searched by the army. There aren't even that many Revolutionary Army spies supplying us with information around here," said Leone, appearing the most relaxed of the group as she casually linked arms with Emiya, making sure to have his arm buried between her breasts. "You seem quite familiar with the area yourself, big guy. Should I know something in advance?"


He sent her a side-eyed glance, ignoring the amount of cleavage that Leone was purposefully showing off to him, "This is not my first time traveling through the slums within the Capital. It used to be very different in the past, the stench has gotten worse." replied the man, his answer diverging from Leone's expectations. After learning he used to be the boss’s brother, it made sense for his early life to have been opulent. 


Didn’t make much sense for a rich boy to visit such places for any reason aside from some kicks. 


"But you should be more careful. After what happened last time, you wouldn't want anyone to realize you're here. They're still on edge." He noticed the heightened tension among some of the locals, realizing that their actions had little impact on the overall state of the Capital, and often brought more harm than good to its populace.


“It has to do with the Karleen's incident rather than Ogre's assassination.” Mentioned Najenda, followed by Akame who nodded her head.


“Like the boss said, they are able to ignore our assassinations since we have done it a few times — some even look forward to who our next target is. But having an entire mansion destroyed by a powerful explosion would rattle anyone. It doesn't matter whether they were friends or foes, many would still worry if another explosion would happen near them.” 


“I know,” the brunette replied, acknowledging the deserved reaction from the populace. “I don't blame them for how they are treating me. What I did… was not something I would have done in an ideal scenario.” 


“If you don't mind me asking, what happened that made you fire that thing in the first place?” 


He hesitated for a brief moment before continuing.


“Leone…”


“It's fine, it's not like I'm asking him anything too sensitive, Akame.” 


“No, it's nothing like that.” The Counter Guardian cut in, “I wouldn't say it's the worst thing I've seen in my life, but it's certainly up there. That place needed to disappear and I had to make sure no remnants remained of it and its owners.”


“I'm with you on that,” Emiya was not expecting Tatsumi to agree with him so readily. 


The brown-haired boy looked down, frowning. “We all saw what my friends looked like in the infirmary. It doesn't take a genius to figure out how hellish that place was and the kind of monsters that they had to deal with for who knows how long.” 


“In a way… those two were lucky they ended up there,” Najenda added, forcing Tatsumi to look at her with pure disbelief. “Trust me, torture chambers are not a rarity in the Empire. I know someone who had a place where they boiled people alive daily, peeling their skin away whilst making sure every single one of them stayed alive for weeks if not months. Eyes gouged so that no one can find the exit to escape, hands locked together with shackles seared into their flesh and most of their sanity having been long since broken. Your friends would have been dead in a day or two with the Karleens, that in itself is a far more merciful ending in comparison.” 


“Heh, and you better believe it that will be our fate if we ever end up getting captured alive if they don't decide to just outright kill us on the spot.” Leone had to add, her jovial face having significantly become dimmer than prior.


Tatsumi shivered at her description, sweat dripping down his face. He looked back at Emiya, hoping the latter would have something to say about this case. 


“She's not exaggerating, quite the opposite in fact. You can't even save those people as there is nothing left to save anyway within their minds. Just walking husks kept alive by a thin thread by a sadistic monster. You better hope that woman never captures you.” Her methods made some of the sadistic Heroic Spirits he met in real life whose Noble Phantasms were based upon their history with torture look less cruel. 


He had never seen it in person, but Najenda did and her description was more than enough for him to get a clear picture. 


Anyway, better to change the subject.


"Now concerning this soldier friend of yours, do you have any idea where her office is? Even if we find it, there's still no guarantee that she'll be there, so be prepared to follow my orders if I sense something odd," he advised Tatsumi, the boy tasked with convincing someone to join their cause and leave the Empire. Despite his doubts about the overall success of this plan, he felt it was necessary to caution Tatsumi one more time. "Just remember, you're still being accused of corruption and the slave trafficking, leading to your arrest. They're also placing the blame of Ogre’s death on you after you escaped from prison, or at the very least, your involment in it. Chances are that stated that you were connected with Night Raid the entire time."


Tatsumi considered Amia's words for a moment. "I know, but I won't know if I don't try. If there's a chance I can convince her of my innocence, then I'm willing to take the risk," he said, looking at Archer with determination. "I can handle this on my own. If it doesn't end well, at least I'll be the only one they capture.”


He pointed up ahead, Emiya recognizing this being the same district where he and Leone hung out at the tavern previously.


“She should be here, that's where Ogre used to occupy. Unless she's been transferred to another unit, Seryu should be here.” The quiver in his voice was apparent, but so was conviction. 


“Leone and I will remain here, in case reinforcement arrives or we walk into an ambush. Emiya will stay with you and stay outside the building, he'll be tasked to keep you alive.” Leone's words were clear-cut and to the point, making sure to check her surroundings for any possible giveaway.


Tatsumi clenched his fists, the way she said it made it clear that the woman was waiting for things to go south quickly… when his attempt  ultimately fails. 


“Shouldn't you and Leone handle matters concerning our spies here? I can handle any possible issue that may arise with Tatsumi here.”


“It's better to be careful.” 


Just as he was about to argue with her about how useless and pointless this decision of hers was, Leone came in and grabbed Najenda. “Come on now, boss. You should trust your brother a bit more, and we also can't put at risk our own spies at risk for us any longer than necessary. So just let the bow master here handle the affairs or this little guy who totally didn't develop a slight crush on the police girl.” Her grin sent toward Tatsumi made the boy gasp. 


“I-It's nothing like that!” He whispered harshly, a blush present on his cheeks.


Unfortunately for him, both women were already far enough to not hear his protest, leaving him completely red-faced at the misunderstanding. 


Emiya on the other hand did not bother to hide his chuckle, amused at his reaction and Leone's words. He was thinking about it as well but she ended up saying it first. 


“Let the girls handle other important matters, and you just focus on how you'll be dealing with that soldier girl.” 


“I'm still here.” 


Emiya tilted his head around to find Akame still standing in her spot staring blankly towards him, which he did so as well. “Why?” 


She shrugged, having no particular reasons. 


Well, having her around wasn't going to change anything, to be honest. Having traded blows against her on multiple occasions, he trusted her abilities. Swift enough to keep up in case things didn't go so well. “Won't Najenda and Leone be worried that you went missing or something?” 


“…No.”


That was all he needed to hear.


.


.


.


(A few minutes later)


“Do you think I should go back for another upgrade?” 


Within a large office once used by Ogre, Seryu asked Koro while holding up the living Teigu in front of a mirror. Heavily contemplating this decision after what she experienced during the meeting and the fact that her personal strength barely contributed to the overall battle. 


“Woof!” Her little partner barked, rubbing its head on her legs as if comforting its owner while she bent down to give it a pat on the head with a gentle smile on her face. 


“Yeah, I don't think we need to go that far as of yet, and you didn't get to show off during the meeting. I’m pretty sure that we would’ve lasted way longer if we worked together.” Though she said that, Seryu wasn’t sure that she would have been able to do anything against the General even if they gave it their all. That woman carried a presence strong enough that it made her quiver in her boots just by staying near her.


“Maybe I should ask if he has any other plans  for something less extreme.” She said, still very much wanting to keep her outward appearance mostly the same without half of it being replaced with metal. Even though she was willing to sacrifice a lot for justice, it did not mean she did not desire comfort. 


“Grrrrrrrrr!!!” Out of nowhere, Koro started to growl and change its posture to a more hostile one, Seryu didn't need to wonder just why it behaved like that when she heard a soft thud behind her. 


“Sergeant…” whispered a voice, a hooded figure jumping in the room from the window and silently landing on the desk. “…I wanted to talk with you. I'm not what everyone is say I am.”


That voice… she recognized it, and instantly a surge of anger ignited from the depths of her soul. His words not even reaching her as she recalled the memories of how she found her captain dead in that ruined mansion. 


Her eyes turned maddened with rage as she looked at the person with pure hatred at Tatsumi. 


However, the latter didn't back down. 


“Please, give me a chance to explain! I was being framed!”


Unfortunately for him, she heard such excuses from lying criminals thousands of times and she wasn't going to fall for his deception like last time. 


Never again. 


A loud bang sounded as a giant metallic sphere with spikes dropped near her feat. Linked to her arms by a chain as she prepared to go on the offense without even giving the young man a chance to talk. “There is nothing to explain, criminal, I'll avenge Captain Ogre and have you deliver true justice!” 


“Wait! Just give me a chance! Ogre was the one behind those crimes and just used me as a scapegoat! He was just using me like he was using you!” He tried again, but to no avail, the girl had long since reached her conclusion as he said those words that did nothing but infuriate her further. 


“Enough! You won't escape justice!” 


The girl did not wait any longer, rushing forward and swinging the weapon straight toward Tatsumi with a twisted snarl… “Humph,” only to have it be kicked away at the last second by a second figure that appeared near her target. 


“What!?” Nearly losing control of the sphere, she watched it get easily knocked away as if it were a ball before getting embedded inside the wall. This person has his features hidden by a hood and some fabric hiding his lower half. 


“Em—Archer?” 


Her mind went on high alert as she heard that name. Wasn't this the person the general warned them about? 


In a single moment of clarity, rather than confront him immediately she thought of something else. 


‘The doctor…’ her hands went to grab a small device in her pocket where she pushed a button, something given to her by Dr. Stylish in case of an emergency and recently he ordered her to use it if she finds herself encountering this very person. Serving the purpose to call forth the Jaegers as a whole according to the man. 


“Looks like your attempt failed before it even truly started, Tatsumi. It's best if we leave this place.” Emiya said, surprised that the girl the boy was talking about was someone he had spoken to before by pure chance. 


His wariness increased when she reacted to the name Archer, he was pretty sure he never told him that name in the past. And even if she knew him as the one behind hunting Danger Beasts, it shouldn't have made her react like that… there had to be more to her reaction. 


“Damn it, she's not listening to me.” 


“I don't think she's willing to listen to anything right now. Let's move, you had your chance.”


Seeing her target's attempt to escape, Seryu quickly got back to her senses and jumped back up. 


“You'll not be escaping this place, people like you bring nothing but evil in this world. It is my duty to destroy it, you won't escape my justice!”


Emiya’s eyes crossed with hers as the latter frowned ever so slightly. 


“You… have an annoying way of speaking.”