Beta read by Shigiya, GamerCrusher55 and Paragon of Awesomeness
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-Kyoroch Outskirts-
The forest was unnervingly silent.
As Wave pushed through the undergrowth, a growing sense of unease settled over him with every step. He was not alone. Run and the rest of the Jaegers followed close behind, their reactions varying as they advanced through the forest. Some appeared just as concerned as he was, while others, such as Dorothea, seemed largely unbothered by whatever awaited them ahead. Even so, the deeper they went, the stronger the feeling became. At first, he feared the assassins had launched another surprise attack and caught them completely off guard.
"Be careful," Run warned quietly, his nose twitching as he tested the air. "I smell blood."
The group immediately slowed. Moments later, they reached the edge of a clearing, and the source of the disturbance revealed itself. What lay before them made Wave's stomach sink.
The entire area had been swallowed by ice. Frost coated the ground in every direction, while thick sheets of frozen crystal spread across the landscape, glimmering beneath the filtered sunlight. Trees had been shattered, many of them split down the middle as if struck by overwhelming force. Massive boulders lay broken across the clearing, reduced to scattered chunks of stone that looked as though they had been tossed aside like pebbles.
"The General was attacked..." The words escaped him before he could stop them. His eyes swept across the devastation, trying to make sense of it. "She was the main target this entire time?"
"That is very unlikely." Run crouched near a section of frozen ground, his gaze carefully studying the battlefield. "This approach would be far from ideal for an assassination. An attack of this scale draws too much attention and leaves too much evidence behind." His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued examining the damage. "Still... seeing this much destruction, I cannot completely dismiss the possibility. Either the attackers were confident enough not to care, or they had objectives beyond simply killing one person."
Wave fell silent for a moment, knowing Run had a point.
"Perhaps there were multiple targets," the older man concluded. "Or perhaps something happened here that forced both sides into a direct confrontation?"
"Wait!" Wave suddenly shouted, his eyes locking onto a disturbing sight in the distance. He recognized the figures immediately. "Isn't that..."
The same group that had fought him before as part of a test, the memories of his battle against Sten still making him shiver on the spot. One of them was none other than Ibarra if he recalled correctly, or what was left of him. His body was hanging suspended in the air, impaled on a massive icicle that jutted up from the ground.
It was a macabre display. The man was still alive, somehow, his body twitching feebly in agony, even if he was too weak to even scream. Frostbite covered his skin, turning it a ghastly black and blue. Blood had been dripping from the wound, but it was frozen stiff now, creating crimson icicles. The spike of ice had pierced straight through his back and out his chest, miraculously avoiding any immediate vitals, though Wave doubted he'd last long even with medical attention. Several smaller icicles had stabbed through his limbs, pinning them in place and making any movement impossible.
Nearby, Mez had met a similar, yet uniquely horrifying, fate. Her limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, her left hand completely frozen and shattered into pieces. There was barely any blood, and from the looks of it, she had been frozen from the inside out. Her body was impaled against a large rock formation by more jagged spears of ice. Most horrifying was the fact that he could see her eyes moving. She was still alive? How... A bit further away, Wave could see the body of the other woman of the group. Suzuka, very much dead.
The sight confused and terrified him. From the looks of it, it didn't feel wrong to assume their General had been ambushed by the Rakshasa Demons themselves.
Wave shook his head, trying to clear the horrific images. "That's not important right now. We need to find General Esdeath."
The others agreed, and as they looked around, they soon found her. She was sitting on what appeared to be a large cluster of ice, holding onto her sword. She was seemingly focusing on an injury, breathing harshly. All the color had drained from her face, and she looked extremely weak. Her eyes settled on them, and for a minute...
"Huh?" Wave felt his entire body shake with fear. For a brief moment, he felt like he had seen slitted yellow eyes, but he shook his head and looked again. Her eyes were her normal winter blue with regular round pupils. He figured he'd just imagined it.
"..."
Still, the General did not say anything. She just stared at them, as if uncertain of their intent. Wave did not waste any time, rushing ahead.
"General! What happened!?" he called out, his voice laced with worry.
Esdeath watched him rush forward, her gaze sharp. For several long seconds, she said nothing, making Wave feel awkward. Then she sighed, the sound of relief barely audible. "Not everyone has betrayed me in the end, it seems," she murmured, more to herself than to him.
"What is going on?" he asked, utterly confused. "Why did the Rakshasas attack you?"
"It would seem the Empire has decided it no longer requires my service," she answered calmly, rising to her feet with a groan. She was clearly not in the best shape. Wave moved to support her, but she raised a hand, stopping him. "I'm fine."
Her prior words finally caught up with him. "The Empire no longer needs your service?" Wave repeated, finding the phrase to be confusing and unbelievable. "But... you're our best general and strongest warrior! Not to mention we're still dealing with the Revolutionary Army, of course we need you!"
A small smile touched Esdeath's lips as she looked at the pierced bodies of three of the Four Rakshasa Demons. The fourth was nowhere to be seen.
"Honest," she said in a low tone, contemplating several matters simultaneously without any satisfactory conclusion. "Looks like you really took that path, huh." Her eyes narrowed, and the smile on her face became borderline terrifying. "Hah, did I not make my stance clear from the beginning? What's the point of all of this? Are you really leaving me with no other choice here?"
"General?"
It was not clear who she was talking to or if it was to herself. "That's fine. So be it. I will take over the Empire... no, not the Empire, my stance has not changed and I still hold the title of General. Rather, I will take care of that man myself if that's the case."
The statement shocked everyone, including the former members of the Wild Hunt. "What!?" they all exclaimed almost in unison.
Esdeath looked at them. "This is not my choice. It is Honest's. He made it quite clear after what just occurred. If he truly believes that I will just stay quiet about this or desert my post, then he is a fool. At the end of the day, I am still a General. My task is to deal with all the pests in the Empire, and just now, I finally found the biggest one. I will be conducting my duty as I would with anyone else."
The Jaegers just looked at her quietly, not sure what to say. Until the former marine stepped up. "Can't we deal with this in a more diplomatic fashion? Surely we can seek an audience with the Emperor and-"
"No, it won't work." Out of everyone, the last person the young man expected to stop him ended up being Run. "It is not exactly a secret that the Emperor trusts his prime minister above anyone else. It would be easier to say that he trusts him with his life, given Honest practically raised him after the passing of the former Emperor. Not to mention... We have no proof. Even if you were to bring the bodies of the Rakshasas, we could just be accused of killing them."
"I agree with that as well." Dorothea added, "I am no high ranking aristocrat, but never in my life have I ever seen that kid standing anywhere else aside from that fatso's side. They are practically father and son, he spent more time taking care of the Emperor than our former leader... might be why he ended up being like that now that I think about it."
"You guys..."
He was having trouble listening to his own teammate's words, This was not something that could actually be happening. The aftermath would be disastrous. Run stepped forward. "Is this going to be a coup, General? Are we going to find ourselves allies with or even join the Revolutionary Army?"
The bluenette just waved her hand dismissively. "No, the Empire will not fall, I do not take back my words lightly and I uphold my promises, unlike a certain someone. I have no interest in raising an army and gathering allies to deal with the Empire. That would be a waste of time and far less effective. I would like to think of it more as just a bit of clean-up. Never in the past was my loyalty ever with Honest. I was just working for my own benefit on mutual grounds. He broke that promise first, so he should be expecting this outcome." Her face became serious while facing them. "I will be going back to the Capital. Right now, you all have a choice before you. Given you are still members of the Jaegers, you can either join me, fully knowing what I intend to do, or you can just leave."
Dorothea was the one who looked confused, her brow furrowed. "You're giving us the option to leave? You're really allowing us to just walk away rather than killing everyone here so that we don't go ahead and inform the Empire of your plans?"
A laid-back smile formed on Esdeath's face. "Of course, you can go ahead and do exactly that if you want to... Not like it will change anything. Why would I kill you? You haven't disobeyed me yet. This goes beyond your agreed upon contract. I won't overlook that I'm asking more of you than any of us expected when I formed the Jaegers and invited you all to be part of it."
Though she said it casually, the others felt a tangible pressure pressing upon them as they stood before her.
Wave found his voice, finally able to gather himself up after hearing such a terror-inducing declaration of intent. "Is this really necessary? Doing so might just throw the Empire into more chaos than it already is. And I just learned that Seryu is still alive, that she can be saved."
Esdeath went quiet, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "That must be his work. Only a fool like him would let an enemy Teigu user live." She shook her head. "I have no problem with going to save my subordinate. The issue is that the current location of Night Raid's base is unknown. A rescue mission will have to wait."
She then strutted ahead, her previously weakened look disappearing as she took a firm stance. "So, what will you choose? Whoever wants to stay, step forward. Those who want to leave, stay right where you are. You shall not be killed for your decisions. This is a free choice I am giving you, for you are each Jaegers. I will warn you, for a brief moment, it will feel like the whole world will be against us when we march on the Capital."
Everyone looked at each other, the frozen forest a silent witness to their decision. Surprisingly, the first one to step forward was none other than Bols. This surprised Wave and Run, who both looked at him for an explanation.
"My family is currently residing in the Capital," Bols stated, with the image of a beautiful blonde woman and a young daughter surfacing in his mind. "I want a guarantee from the General that if I stay, they won't be killed or harmed in any way."
Esdeath looked at him, an expression of pride on her face. "No harm shall befall them, Bols. You are free to find them and take them away from the conflict if you see fit." Her voice boomed through the clearing, making the masked man let out the sigh of relief.
Bols nodded his head. "Thank you, General."
Next, Kurome stepped forward. She did not offer any particular reasons, saying nothing, which Esdeath seemed to expect. One by one, so did the others, including the former members of Wild Hunt.
Dorothea spoke with a smirk. "I'm curious to see the outcome of this. I'm interested in seeing Honest's face as he faces the consequences of his decisions. It will be fun to watch."
Cosmina stepped in alongside the blonde girl, adding, "I agree with her."
The remaining members of the former wild Hunt followed for similar reasoning.
Run also stepped forward. "I am the team's vice leader. It is my duty to look after the others, and I can't do that if I leave."
This left only Wave. Many looked at him, but Esdeath merely observed him, not pressuring him for anything. He took a few seconds to decide.
"I don't want to see more senseless death. The Capital is filled with snakes, I agree, but it's also filled with many innocent people who are just doing their best to survive." He looked at the General. "Will there be casualties? Will they be killed? Will there be any senseless death?"
She did not waste any time, answering bluntly. "Yes. There will be casualties, intentional and unintentional. I will not paint a fake vision for you and say that no one who is innocent will be harmed in this conflict. That is simply the nature of war, especially when besieging a populated city."
"I see." The former marine cursed himself for asking such an obvious question. Then, surprising even himself, he marched forward one step and joined the others. Esdeath raised an eyebrow, seemingly having expected him to walk away for being unable to promise a clean victory.
"I agree with Run," Wave declared with a town of defeat. "He is taking his duties as a leader seriously, and I am also taking my responsibility as a member of the Jaegers seriously. Thus, I will personally make sure that there will be as few casualties as possible by your hand and those you will fight. I will protect the civilians at any cost." He said it confidently, expecting Esdeath to deny his vision.
Surprisingly, the woman smiled. "You have a good heart, and at least you have the guts to say this to my face." She then manifested a sword of ice and sliced it through the air. The blade cut through a frozen branch, shattering it. She crushes the remnants under her boot and looks into the distance. "We shall leave immediately."
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-The Capital-
Winter was never kind to the Capital.
Every season carried its own burdens, but none were feared as much as the coldest months of the year. Spring brought relief after months of hardship and the chance to sow new crops. Summer threatened wells and rivers in arid climates, turning water into a precious commodity, while even in lands of plenty swarms of pests threatened the farmers' labor. Autumn filled storehouses and markets with fresh harvests, offering a brief period of comfort, but people had to be quick to bargain well and see to it their homes were prepared before the cycle began anew.
Then came winter.
For the wealthy, it was an inconvenience solved with larger fireplaces, thicker blankets, and well-stocked pantries. For everyone else, It could only be described as hell on earth. For upon its arrival, nothing could be done if they were not prepared in advance, and no one from another household would risk their own families' lives to save another unfortunate soul.
As temperatures plunged, food became scarce, simple amenities like charcoal grew increasingly expensive, and countless families found themselves forced to choose between staving off hunger or the cold. Each year the death toll climbed. The streets often became home to those who had nowhere else to go, and by morning some never rose again. Bodies remained where they fell, preserved by the relentless cold. More than one passerby would mistake a frozen corpse for a sleeping beggar until one of them stepped closer and noticed the lifeless eyes staring back.
The approach of winter cast a shadow over the Capital long before the first snowfall. Those with experience prepared months in advance. Those without resources simply hoped they would be able to survive until spring.
Within one of the Capital's heavily guarded compounds, activity had already reached a feverish pace.
Men hurried across a wide courtyard carrying crates, sacks, barrels, and stacks of supplies. The sound of boots striking stone mixed with the groaning of overloaded carts. Nobody lingered. Nobody wasted time. The threat of the coming season was motivation enough.
Standing near the center of the commotion was a broad-shouldered guard whose face had turned red from exertion and frustration. His voice boomed across the courtyard loud enough to drown out nearly every other sound.
"Move! Move! Move! Winter isn't going to wait for you idiots!" A pair of workers nearly stumbled while carrying a crate. "You call that lifting? My grandmother could carry more than that with one arm and a broken hip!"
Several nearby men immediately quickened their pace.
"And you!" He pointed toward another group. "Why are you standing around looking confused? Pick up those supplies and get moving before I find a better use for you in the latrines!"
The courtyard erupted into even greater activity. The guard folded his arms and continued barking orders without mercy. "If I catch anyone slacking off, you'll be spending the night, no, you'll be spending a year cleaning the entire unit's fucking latrine! Now quit staring at me all confused and get back to work!"
That threat worked surprisingly well; cleaning the latrines that were used by several thousand fellow soldiers every single day could be described as another form of torture on a similar level of those inflicted by the prisoners of war taken by General Esdeath.
"What's with all the urgency going on around here?" One of the younger looking soldiers asked, leaning against a crate he was supposed to be carrying. "I just got back from sleeping off a sixteen-hour shift and I'm still exhausted."
This time, a middle aged soldier smacked him on the back of the head. "You need to shut up. I heard this is a normal thing when serving with Grand General Budo. You must be new."
"Sure am, the name is Raba. I just joined the faction yesterday after I got promoted and was accepted into this unit," Raba explained, rubbing his head. "What's your name, old timer?"
"Puh, I'm barely thirty! Also, just call me Nouken. And before you ask, no, I have no relationship with the former General Nouken, we just happen to share the same name." He explained it so dryly, that it made the young one question just how many times he got himself in a situation where he needed to say that. "Also, what the hell do you mean by 'faction'? What did you plan on joining, then? Esdeath's regiment? The Imperial army is the only faction! Stop calling it one, or else you might get in trouble."
Raba shook his head, his face pale. "Are you crazy? Who would want to join those maniacs and psychos? I heard that the training they go through just to be a foot soldier is inhumane and ridiculous! From what I've heard, the minimum requirement to be accepted as a foot soldier is being able to hunt down a Danger Beast all by yourself without any firearms, just a sword! Even if it's only a Class Three Danger Beast, who the hell confronts those things by themselves without a firearm!?"
"That is nothing," Nouken said, shaking his own head. "Not that long ago, there were rumours that to be selected as a potential candidate to join her elite unit, the Jaegers, one had to be powerful enough to take on a Class One Danger Beast all alone. Though this time, they were allowed to use their own weaponry of their desire."
"It doesn't matter if weaponry is allowed," Raba retorted. "I'm like, ninety-nine percent sure most of them don't possess an Imperial Arm."
"That's the point. To weed out any weaklings who think themselves strong. It is either that or just getting a recommendation letter from the Grand General himself," Nouken explained with a proud smirk. "I know a friend who actually received one and even became part of the Jaegers!"
Raba and a few others around them just gave him a bizarre gaze. Many of them rolled their eyes and ignored him. Nouken noticed the reaction and pointed at them. "What's with the look? I'm telling the truth! They can just go talk to a guy called Wave and ask if they know! Wave will vouch for me! We served together in the navy!"
"Yeah, whatever, it doesn't matter right now. I'm just too tired," Raba said, waving a dismissive hand.
Nouken's face turned serious. "It's a good thing you didn't choose to join Esdeath's army. Things have been getting very dicey lately between her and the other generals."
"That's mostly a rumor, isn't it? What side isn't a bit shaky with one another here?" Raba questioned. "Not to mention, it's Esdeath. She's pretty famous - or infamous - for having nearly frozen the entire Capital over, twice. It makes sense why the higher-ups and those closest to the Emperor are kind of scared of her."
"Shut up!" Nouken hissed quickly. "There's more to it than that." He then sighed. "But it doesn't matter. That matter is way above both of our pay-grades. It would be better for us to just sit back and watch the show play out. As long as we get paid without being killed, of course."
As soon as he said that, the same soldier from earlier who was shouting orders bellowed out, "Attention! General salute!"
The shout cut through the courtyard like a blade. Every soldier froze mid-motion. Crates were set down, ropes dropped, and the men who had been hauling supplies immediately abandoned their tasks and rushed toward the center of the compound. Within moments, dozens of soldiers had formed orderly ranks facing the main entrance. The atmosphere shifted from noisy labor to rigid military discipline.
A heavily armored figure entered the courtyard at a steady pace. The man's broad frame and imposing armor made him stand out even among veteran officers. His cloak barely moved as he walked, and the weight of his presence alone was enough to keep the entire courtyard silent. The soldiers straightened simultaneously and saluted.
"Grand General Budo, sir!"
The armored commander acknowledged the greeting with a small nod before his gaze settled on the officer who had been shouting orders moments earlier.
"Report."
The soldier stepped forward immediately.
"Grand General, the shipments that arrived a few hours ago are being moved into storage. We expect the sorting process to continue until the end of the day, but everything has been accounted for and the inventory remains on schedule. We also received requests for reinforcements from several border regions, specifically the eastern and western sectors. Revolutionary Army activity has increased significantly in those areas over the last few days."
Budo's brow furrowed.
"Damn it." The curse escaped under his breath as he folded his arms across his chest. "Our forces are already stretched thin enough as it is. Every battalion is assigned to a critical position. If I strip more of the Capital of its defenders, I'll only be exposing more weaknesses."
Silence settled over the courtyard for a few moments while he considered the situation. Then his eyes returned to the officer.
"What about the troops currently stationed under General Esdeath?"
"They remain under her direct command, sir."
"I know that." His tone remained calm, though there was no room for argument. "However, I am still the Grand General of the Empire. By authority granted to me through imperial law and the authority vested in me by His Majesty, I retain the right to requisition any military force within the Empire whenever circumstances demand it."
The officer immediately straightened.
"Yes, sir."
"I want a portion of her forces reassigned to the eastern border. The revolutionary army has become far too active there to ignore. Once transportation has been arranged, reinforce the western sector as well. Draft the orders immediately. Those fools ignore my orders then I will have their actions be labelled as treason and deal with them myself."
"It will be done, Grand General."
Budo gave a single nod before turning his attention toward the mountains of crates stacked throughout the courtyard.
"Begin distributing the supplies without delay. Every unit stationed here will receive its proper allotment for the coming winter. Follow the inventory records precisely. No hoarding, no favoritism, and no carelessness. Every soldier, every officer, and every civilian assigned to this garrison receives their share."
"Yes, sir!"
"The cold season is approaching faster than expected," Budo continued, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "Once the roads begin freezing over, resupply caravans will become increasingly unreliable. If we mishandle these provisions now, men will start starving or freezing before winter reaches its worst. I refuse to lose soldiers because of poor preparation."
The assembled troops answered in unison.
"Understood, Grand General!"
Satisfied, Budo swept one last glance across the courtyard. The soldiers immediately returned to their duties, though the pace had noticeably quickened. Crates were lifted onto shoulders, inventory ledgers checked twice over, and supply teams reorganized with renewed urgency while the Grand General remained where he stood, silently watching the preparations. Winter was drawing closer with every passing day, and neither he nor the Empire could afford to be unprepared.
"Yes, General!" the man said, bowing. "We'll make a head count and start distributing the supplies by tomorrow. It shall be done precisely as per your command."
The man gave a curt nod and continued forward, though the satisfaction from the report did little to improve his mood. The discussion with Honest still lingered in the back of his mind like a foul taste that refused to dissipate. After a few steps, he glanced over his shoulder toward the soldier who had delivered the report.
"Have the men found anything in the sewers yet?"
The man hesitated for a moment before lowering his head. "No, General. The search teams reported nothing. No sightings, no traces, no evidence that anyone was there."
A muscle twitched in Budo's jaw. His hand slowly tightened into a fist before relaxing again.
"Then expand the search. If she's not hiding in the sewers, she's somewhere in the slums or the crowds of the downtown districts." His voice remained calm, but the irritation beneath it was impossible to miss. "Organize additional patrols and distribute new posters. I want Spear's face spread throughout the Capital. Put her alongside the Night Raid notices and offer the same reward."
The soldier's eyes widened slightly.
"The same amount as assassins wielding Imperial Arms, sir?"
"Yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
"She may not possess the combat reputation of Night Raid's stronger members, nor does she wield a Teigu to make her a military threat on her own. The issue has more to do with what she represents." His gaze drifted toward the distant skyline of the Capital. "She is the daughter of the former Prime Minister. The old fool may be dead, but not every one of his supporters vanished with him. Some are still hiding in the shadows, waiting for an excuse to crawl back into the light."
His expression hardened.
"If word spreads that his daughter survived, those remnants will rally around her. They'll offer resources, protection, influence, whatever they have left. Give people a symbol and they'll build a movement around it. I have no intention of allowing this country's wounds to reopen."
The soldier immediately straightened.
"Understood, General. I'll see to it personally."
Without wasting another second, he turned and hurried away.
Left alone, Budo remained silent for a while. The courtyard bustled around him as workers hauled supplies and soldiers carried out their duties, yet none of it eased the weight pressing against his shoulders. He rubbed at his temples and closed his eyes briefly before drawing a slow breath.
As he exhaled, a faint white mist escaped his lips.
The sight made him pause.
A small frown appeared on his face.
Another breath followed. Again, a thin cloud drifted from his mouth before vanishing into the air.
The temperature had dropped.
"Hm?" Around him, conversations began to quiet as others noticed it as well. Soldiers shifted uncomfortably, some pulling their coats tighter while workers glanced upward in confusion.
Budo raised his head toward the gray sky overhead. Something cold touched his cheek... Then another.
Tiny white flakes drifted down from above, sparse and scattered, carried by a gentle wind. They melted almost instantly upon contact, yet more continued to descend, lazily swirling through the air. For a moment, the entire courtyard seemed to grow still as the first snowfall of the season began to fall.
One of the soldiers in the background whispered, "Isn't winter supposed to be at least two months away?"
Another soldier cursed. "Shit, I'll have to get things ready for my family far sooner than expected."
While they were thinking that, Grand General Budo continued looking at the sky where dark clouds started to gather in the distance, swiftly becoming closer as if a storm was fast approaching. He looked around and noticed more and more snowflakes gathering, and they were growing larger by the minute. At the very corner of his eyes, he saw a thin layer of ice starting to cover a nearby puddle.
The scene felt like one of horror; a dreadful thing approaching at a tense moment.
The Grand General's eyes opened wide. He immediately shouted, "Everyone, drop whatever you are doing and stand ready for combat! We are being attacked!"
A sudden sense of dread washed over Budo, his instincts screaming that the threat had shifted from inevitable to imminent.
"Move!" he bellowed.
The warning caught the surrounding soldiers off guard. Confused faces turned toward him, some freezing outright as they tried to understand what had triggered such an explosive reaction from the General.
Then a shadow swallowed the courtyard.
Heads tilted upward.
The color drained from countless faces.
Tools slipped from numb fingers and struck the ground with dull clatters.
Above them hung a colossal mass of ice descending from the heavens. It resembled a mountain torn from a frozen wasteland and hurled across the sky. Its jagged underside pointed directly at the palace, large enough to rival the structure itself. The sheer scale of it overwhelmed the mind.
For a brief moment, many simply stood there staring, unable to process what they were seeing.
Budo planted his feet.
"RAAAAGH!"
The roar of unshakable defiance thundered across the courtyard.
Blue sparks exploded around his body as his Imperial Arm awakened. Electricity crawled over his limbs, dancing across the stone beneath his boots. Muscles tensed. Veins bulged. Then he drove a fist into the air with enough force to distort the space around it.
A deafening crack erupted.
Lightning answered his command as his Teigu, Adramelech, came to life, the gauntlets radiating with pure power as they followed its users will and fuelled by his anger roared with lightning arcing across his form.
Crackle!
A pillar of brilliant white thunder burst upward from the center of the courtyard, thick as a tower and blindingly bright. It ripped through the sky and slammed directly into the falling iceberg.
The collision shook the Capital, followed by a thunderous boom! A tremendous shockwave swept across the palace grounds.
Cracks raced through the frozen mass.
Then the entire thing exploded.
Countless chunks of ice scattered across the sky like shattered glass. Some pieces crashed into rooftops. Others smashed into walls and towers throughout the Capital. Though the palace itself avoided destruction, the impact still left damaged buildings, collapsed structures, and terrified civilians scrambling for cover.
Dust and debris filled the air.
Chunks of stone shifted as Budo pushed himself upright from beneath scattered rubble and ice. He brushed fragments from his shoulders before suddenly narrowing his eyes.
Someone was approaching. Without hesitation, he leapt onto the palace wall. His boots struck the stone with a heavy impact. At the top of his lungs, he roared across the battlefield.
"Have you lost your mind, Esdeath!?"
His voice carried throughout the Capital.
Far beyond the damaged courtyard, a lone figure walked calmly toward the palace.
There was no army behind her. No escort. No protection.
Only a lone woman carrying a rapier carved from pure ice.
She continued forward without slowing down.
One hand reached up and removed the military cap from her head. Long blue hair spilled free, swaying gently in the cold wind. The discarded hat landed in the snow and was immediately forgotten.
Those ice-blue eyes met his, Even from so far away he could clearly distinguish those cold and deadly-sharp irises staring right back at him with pure killing intent. Talking would serve no purpose.
More importantly, if she stood before him at the moment, then it became all too clear what had occurred.
Or rather, what had failed.
"That damned Honest..." The words escaped through clenched teeth. "I warned him this would happen."
Anger surged through him. He spun toward the palace behind him.
"Sound the alarm!" His voice boomed across the courtyard. "All soldiers to arms immediately!"
Lightning crackled around his body as he pointed toward the approaching woman.
"We are under attack by a hostile force! Mobilize every available unit and prepare for battle!"
The order spread through the Capital with astonishing speed. Messengers ran through palace corridors carrying sealed commands while alarm bells rang from watchtowers overlooking the city. Military horns followed shortly afterward, their deep calls echoing across entire districts. Citizens stopped what they were doing. Shopkeepers closed down their businesses. Off-duty guards hurried toward their barracks while officers abandoned paperwork and rushed to their assigned units. Confusion quickly followed the alarm. People began asking questions amongst themselves, trying to understand what could possibly justify such a response.
"What happened?"
"Was there another attack?"
"Is it Night Raid?"
"No, this is too large for the Nightraid. Great General Budo is assembling everyone! Did you see that ice attack just now!? It's General Esdeath, you idiot!"
"Shit, not again! I just got done finishing up paying the repairs for the last time she destroyed my house!"
Among the military, however, the significance was immediately understood. Calling together such a force was almost unheard of. Night Raid had spent years assassinating officials, generals, nobles, and government figures, yet never once had their actions justified assembling the full military strength of the Capital itself. Assassins were dangerous, but they were not the sort of threat one answered with an army.
Measures like this were reserved for entirely different disasters. There had been occasions where Super Class Danger Beasts emerged from unexplored territories, creatures so enormous and destructive that entire divisions had to be deployed simply to contain them. In some cases several appeared within a short period of one another, forcing emergency mobilizations throughout entire regions of the Empire. Even then, the strongest generals were usually capable of resolving the situation themselves before it reached the Capital.
The second possibility that crossed the mind of many before they thought about Esdeath was a foreign invasion, but that explanation seemed just as unlikely. While border conflicts still occurred from time to time, like the northern tribes occasionally raided settlements near frontier regions and local skirmishes happened every year, yet none of those incidents had ever threatened the heart of the Empire itself. No hostile army had approached the Capital in generations. Which made today's situation all the more unbelievable. Tens of thousands of soldiers were being assembled because of a single individual.
"Hah..."
As General Budo marched toward the main gate, snow continued drifting from the darkening sky. 'Each generation has faced a great threat, I suppose this could count as my own tribulation.'
For centuries his family had stood as one of the Empire's shields, generation after generation inheriting the responsibility of protecting the kingdom. Other military bloodlines gradually weakened over time. Some, if not most, produced incompetent heirs who squandered their family's reputation and lived off their grandfather's accomplishments. Others simply faded into obscurity until their names disappeared from history altogether. His own family endured because each generation understood the burden they carried.
And for that reason alone, that legacy would not end today. Regardless of what decided to march upon the Capital, be it a super class Danger Beast, an entire foreign kingdom or even a single soul.
Looking around, it dawned on him that now... only he remained. Great General, the only remaining person holding that title by now. "Hah, if only." His thoughts briefly drifted toward the Nagumo family.
They had once been regarded as one of the Empire's most promising military households. Disciplined. Loyal. Capable. He still remembered seeing Najenda's potential during her youth - with him even having taught her during combat practice lessons. Amongst talented officers she easily stood apart with every campaign brought another victory and every battle further cemented her reputation.
There had been a time when he genuinely believed she would become one of the greatest defenders the Empire had ever produced. Instead she became its greatest threat. Too many promising people had already been lost... It would have been a lie to say he held no resentment toward Honest. The Prime Minister's influence had damaged countless things over the years, so much so that even he could not overlook some of them. Yet despite their disagreements, both men had always shared one objective. Neither wished to see the Empire collapse.
The gates finally opened. What followed resembled a river of steel pouring from the Capital. Infantry carrying spears marched in disciplined formations he hammered into their brains from countless hours of training while swordsmen advanced beside them in a similar fashion. Archers moved into designated positions, cavalry assembled along both flanks, and military banners rose above the advancing ranks.
Officers barked commands continuously as more and more soldiers emerged from the city.
"Maintain formation!"
"Close the gaps!"
"Keep moving!"
"Advance!"
The fields outside the Capital gradually disappeared beneath an ocean of armored men. It started with a hundred, steadily growing till it hit a thousand and became tens of thousands. More units continued arriving every minute, filling the horizon with soldiers carrying swords, shields, spears, bows, and every weapon the Empire could field during an emergency. The sight alone would have terrified most enemies before a battle even began.
At the front, he stood without fear.
His cape moved lightly in the wind as snow settled upon his shoulders. Lightning occasionally flickered across the Adramelech and wrapped around his body. Far ahead stood a solitary figure dressed in the same white uniform she always had on but this time stained with dried up blood. 'Those cuts... so the Rakshasas did actually manage to hurt her. Then how did she survive, let alone heal so quickly? No wounds.'
Compared to the vast army behind him, Esdeath appeared insignificant. Yet nobody present made the mistake of underestimating her. Thousands of eyes remained fixed upon that single woman.
His voice thundered across the battlefield. "Have you forgotten everything the Empire has done for you, Esdeath?!"
"..."
The accusation echoed across the open plain. Blue eyes met his gaze from across the battlefield, showing no visible reaction.
"The Empire saved you who came from a clan that had gone into extinction! It gave you shelter, resources, education, rank, and a future! The authority you possess today exists because the Empire placed its trust in you! The power you wield was initially held and given by this nation! Everything you became happened because people believed in your potential to serve!"
Several seconds passed before a response came. "I remember."
Despite the distance between them, he could hear it perfectly well. The calm answer only deepened his frustration.
"Then why?!" Snow continued falling between them as silence stretched across the battlefield.
"Because strength decides everything."
The response drew visible reactions from nearby soldiers. Some frowned. Others looked confused. Budo merely stared at her.
"After everything you've received, that is your answer?"
Esdeath tilted her head as if he had asked the most stupid of questions. "It always was."
He should have known, her nature would never change. His teeth ground together.
"The Empire trusted you, the people trusted you, the Emperor trusted you along with countless soldiers followed you willingly into battle, and this is how you repay them?"
For the first time her expression changed slightly. Not regret, guilt or even simple annoyance.
"You're wasting time, Budo. Why waste so much time talking when I know better than anyone that you yourself would not hesitate to strike me down and even prefer such an outcome. "
That response once again convinced him of something he had been hoping was not true; conversation was impossible. The woman standing before him was no longer an ally who could be reasoned with.
"Very well." The General slowly raised one arm. "I offered you a chance. But you were right about one thing... I would not give you a chance to get out of this alive, even if you would have surrendered."
Lightning danced around his fingers, glancing behind at the soldiers who got ready upon seeing his signal. Then his voice exploded across the battlefield.
"ARCHERS!"
Thousands of soldiers immediately reacted. Rows upon rows of bowmen stepped forward as officers repeated the command further down the line. Bows were raised in unison. Strings stretched tight. Arrows were nocked by the thousands, forming an immense wall of sharpened steel aimed directly at the lone woman standing ahead.
"Draw!"
Wood creaked as countless bowstrings reached full tension.
"Aim!"
Every arrow pointed toward a single target.
"Fire!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, they let the arrows all loose at once. The sky darkened from the thousands upon thousands of projectiles launched simultaneously, rising upward before descending as a black cloud spread across the battlefield - every single one of them forged from Danger Beast bones. "Tch, to use this on you rather than Nagumo's brat... what a waste."
Their numbers were so great that sunlight briefly disappeared beneath the descending storm of steel. The ground around Esdeath vanished beneath their shadow as death fell from above.
Only then did she move. Her rapier traced a smooth arc through the air. Ice erupted from the ground around her position and expanded at astonishing speed, forming a massive dome that completely enclosed her. A heartbeat later the arrows struck. The impact sounded like a thunderstorm crashing against a fortress wall. Yet not a single crack appeared across the frozen barrier.
A moment later the entire structure exploded outward. Thousands of arrows were hurled away in every direction.
"CHARGE!"
Budo's shout easily spread across the battlefield, the roars of his soldiers shook the area as the army surged forward. Soldiers roared as they advanced, shields raised and weapons ready.
"For the Empire!"
"Advance!"
"Take her down!"
At the same moment, the same emotion did not reflect across the blue haired woman's gaze, with a mere flick of her wrist, dozens of icicles materialized around Esdeath. Each created to be roughly the size of a human body, a technique he recognised her using quite irregularly. 'So she's starting with that rather than her trump card huh... perhaps she finds it too demeaning to use it against mere footsoldiers? Most definitely, her pride will be the end of her.'
While not all of her trump cards were recorded in detail, the empire had made sure to carefully observe the ones already used by the woman in the past during her search for Emiya. In a way, the longer that hunt went on the more they were prepared to face her, but knowing what techniques she possessed and having ways to counter them were two very different things.
Summoning an army of ice soldiers would have counted as a perfect counter to his army, he gambled on her using it. Yet she did not show signs of taking that path, strange enough. Esdeath was no fool, she perhaps already began to suspect that his goal was to drain her energy as quickly as possible even if it means sacrificing the lives of thousands in exchange.
While such thoughts were coursing through his mind, his target continued to make her moves. With another motion of her rapier, the now double number of icicles honed in on their target and shot forward like siege weapons, tearing through the air toward the advancing army.
"Lightning Crash!" Not willing to see her conserve her energy by taking out the lot with a basic technique of hers - he had to give the enemy some pushback.
Adramelech charged with power and a flash of lightning answered them.
"RAAAAAAH!"
Electricity erupted from Budo's Imperial Arm as arcs of lightning crossed the battlefield the moment his fists struck the ground. The incoming icicles shattered one after another, exploding into countless frozen fragments before reaching their targets. The instant thunder began to burst from the ground like spikes.
For the first time, Esdeath's eyes widened slightly. Caught completely by surprise by the sheer speed of his Teigu's ability activation and spread across such a wide area, covering hundreds of meters in mere instants. That reaction earned a grim smile from the General.
"You aren't the only one who's spent years improving. With two monsters running outside, capable of returning and decimating the kingdom at any time, not making the appropriate preparations for such beings is foolish." Lightning crawled across his body, gradually spreading until it resembled a suit of crackling armor wrapped around him. "Ever since the day you allowed Nagumo's kids to escape, I have prepared for this possibility. I hoped I was wrong. I wanted to be wrong."
Another burst of electricity illuminated the battlefield. More arcs of pure power descending and crashing around her, forcing the latter to jump back as her ice walls proved to be brittle against his Teigu.
"A general... no, a Grand Great General who refuses to prepare for betrayal is a fool!"
His interference brought the time he needed for his soldiers to cross the distance without dying and soon reaching Esdeath herself. Unfortunately, their exchange lasted less than a handful of seconds.
The rapier moved.
Several men were cut down immediately before they even understood what happened.
Clang!
As expected, the first ranks of soldiers never even reached her. A single swing of the rapier swept across the front line, and two men at the head of the charge were cut apart before they could finish their step.
Red painted the former green pastures.
Blood sprayed across the frozen ground as their bodies collapsed in separate directions. Before the others could process what they had just witnessed, Esdeath practically vanished from their sight.
"W-Where is she!?"
Panic spread through the formation as heads turned left and right searching for her location. Adrenaline still pumping through their veins as the world around them began to twist and turn, every single breath, The sensation of the wind against their face, the clacking of the armour... everything was sensed at the same time. With each soldier trying to find the slightest trace of anything that could show where she had disappeared. The former bravado had quickly sizzled away and left nothing but fear in its stead.
"Argh!"
Yet they were still too late. A scream suddenly erupted from the flank of all places. Then another. Then three more.
"She's here!"
The blue-haired woman moved through the battlefield so quickly that many only caught brief glimpses of her white uniform and long hair between strikes. Spears thrust toward empty air, swords cut through nothing and every failed attack was answered with a fatal counter.
"Damn you crazy bitch!" One soldier swung downward with all his strength only for his weapon to be redirected by her rapier. The blade slid harmlessly aside before a kick crashed into his knee with a loud sickening crack. "Agh!"
The man's leg bent in the wrong direction and he collapsed. The rapier immediately followed, piercing through his throat before moving on to the next target.
Another soldier managed to approach from behind while she was occupied. His sword lunged toward her ribs, only for his opponent to casually reach out and catch the blade with her bare hand. Frost spread across the steel almost instantly right before his eyes filled with disbelief. The weapon froze solid all the way to the hilt. The very same weapons handed to them by the Grand General himself, forged out of high quality steel and reinforced by Danger Beast bones.
Something that initially gave them that bit of confidence to take on this monster, yet now just like the rest, it had shattered like a regular weapon.
"W-What?!"
The horrified soldier tried to pull away, though the frozen sword shattered apart in his grip. Retreating prove to be a waste of time, an ice-covered palm drove into his face with enough force to crush bone. Her fingers piercing through both flesh and bones like a damned fruit, his body lifted from the ground and thrown backward into two comrades, sending all three crashing into the ice-covered battlefield.
The grizzly sight proved to be more than enough to cause uncertainty to spread amongst the rest, for even if they outnumbered her buy a ridiculous margin... still did not feel enough.
A click echoed beneath her heel, tapping the ground casually. Instantly, the temperature across the area dropped further as a layer of frost spread outward from her position like a rapidly expanding tide. Soldiers lost their footing almost immediately and some had their legs completely frozen to such an extreme degree that many saw their own limbs shatter right before their eyes.
"Watch your step!"
"Too late!"
Men crashed into one another as formations broke apart. Some attempted to regain their balance while others dropped shields and weapons trying to stop themselves from falling. Esdeath tapped the ground a second time. The frozen surface exploded upward. Hundreds of ice spikes burst from beneath the army, impaling soldiers through legs, stomachs, and chests.
Agonized cries filled the battlefield.
"AAARGH!"
"My leg!"
"Medic! Somebody help me!"
Blood ran down the transparent spikes as bodies hung suspended several feet above the ground. Without slowing down, she extended her free hand. Dozens of swords made entirely from ice formed around her and floated in the air. Their tips turned toward the nearest concentrations of troops.
"Scatter!"
The warning came too late.
The frozen blades launched forward one after another. Some pierced straight through shields before continuing into the soldiers behind them. Others tore through multiple men in a single line. The sound resembled heavy rainfall as countless ice weapons struck armor, flesh, and the frozen earth. Every miss simply embedded itself into the battlefield, creating yet another hazard for the advancing army.
Even with the mounting casualties, the soldiers continued pressing forward. Years of discipline and loyalty to the Empire prevented them from breaking completely. One veteran forced his way through the chaos and reached Esdeath's side while she was in the middle of another exchange. Instead of attacking, he threw himself forward and had the blade pierced his body without hesitation.
"Urgh!"
Coughing up a mouthful of blood from prior injuries that already guaranteed his death, this move felt practically insignificant and even managed to stun Esdeath for a handful of precious seconds. Furthermore, he grabbed the arm holding her rapier and made sure she could not let go so easily.
"Hoh?" She just hummed with curiosity, looking at him with what could only describe as curiosity and a grim type of amusement. "So not all of Budo's men are a waste."
"I've got her! Move! Kill her now!"
Several nearby soldiers immediately charged, yet temporarily seizing her hand would not change the outcome. For even if her limbs were tied up, her control over the plethora of ice constructs remain as undisturbed as ever, sword floating nearby dropped into Esdeath's free hand.
"Nice attempt," she whispered to the man, The latter not even having the time to consider whether it was a genuine compliment or her just mocking him.
His body remained standing for a brief moment before collapsing in two separate pieces.
"-!?"
The nearby soldiers froze, nearly emptying their stomach on the spot upon seeing another barbaric outcome worse than the prior one. That hesitation cost them their lives. The ice sword moved again and again, each strike removing another attacker from the battlefield. Corpses accumulated around her position while fresh troops continued taking their place. What began as an organized advance gradually turned into a slaughter. Entire sections of the army were being erased faster than officers could issue new orders.
"Hm?"
For the first time since the beginning of this battle, Esdeath paused and stared at the arcs of lightning dancing in the background, growing in intensity and magnitude. Far away from the center of the battlefield, another sound began building. Unlike the screams and clashes of steel, this one resembled a distant storm approaching.
Crackle!
Arcs of electricity danced around Grand General Budo's body, charging his Teigu to its limits and advancing through the dead bodies of his own troops.
"..."
One could hardly say what was going through his mind at the moment upon seeing the death of so many he once trained. Even Budo himself was not so sure, anger having grown to a point he now felt almost numb at the carnage. Emotions pushed aside, he figured it would take months... perhaps a year to raise an army of that size again. The iceberg, even if destroyed by him, had caused casualties before the battle had even begun.
"Hah," he exhaled, letting his body relax for a brief period.
Bzt!
The air around him vibrated with growing power accumulated within his Teigu. To the point that the light alone blinded anyone too close to the Grand General, illuminating the entire field.
Esdeath noticed the change immediately and turned toward the source. Her eyes narrowed, "Willing to sacrifice so many of your own just to buy yourself a few seconds? That is not something I'd expect to see from a Grand General."
Afterwards, a wall of ice surged upward just as a pillar of lightning tore across the battlefield. The impact detonated with enough force to shake the ground beneath everyone's feet.
Crack!
The first layer shattered instantly, the second survived for only a fraction longer before exploding apart as well. The remaining force crashed directly into her and launched her across the frozen terrain. Ice and dirt erupted behind her as her body skipped across the battlefield before finally coming to a stop.
Several soldiers cheered upon seeing the display of pure might from their leader. And also witnessing Esdeath being pushed back for the first time.
"Go, General Budo!"
"He got her!"
"Finish her!"
The celebration continued as a shadow descended from above Esdeath, where her opponent displayed a surprising amount of speed that nearly matched hers. His body pushed to its absolute limits and even beyond from the aid of Adramelech, "hn!" He could practically feel his muscle tear from that single leap, still, he pushed past the pain with gritted teeth. "Aaaaaaaaah!"
Having already crossed the distance. Lightning surrounded his Imperial Arm as he dropped from the sky and drove his fist into Esdeath's abdomen. His figure descending fast enough to cause a loud boom and even forcing the very ground beneath to shake. The impact compressed the soil beneath her, whatever ice had been covering the place blasted into dust, creating a crater as shockwaves rippled outward. Loose shards of ice shattered in every direction.
"Cough! Cough!" A violent cough escaped his lips as blood splattered onto the frozen earth. Yet the same could not be said for the woman in front of him.
"Tch. What the hell are you even made of!?" The Grand General followed immediately with another punch aimed directly at her face. This time, a hand intercepted the attack.
Bam!
His fist stopped upon the collision. For a brief moment neither moved. Electricity crackled around Budo's arm while frost spread across Esdeath's fingers. The ground beneath them groaned under the pressure. Muscles strained visibly as both attempted to overpower the other.
For the first time since the battle began, surprise appeared on the now former General's face.
"So you've become stronger, much stronger than you were a few years ago. " A faint smile appeared on Esdeath's lips despite his own blood and from his slaughtered men trickling down her face. "And you've finally caught up enough to make this interesting."
"Even after all that you do not bleed? If I did not see it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it," he whispered to himself more than anything else. "Aside from your appearance, nothing about you is human."
Esdeath narrowed her eyes. "Don't you get tired repeating that by now? You talk too much."
Before Budo could answer, her forehead slammed into his. "Argh!" The impact produced a dull crack that momentarily made his senses go blank. His head snapped backward, vision blurring for an instant as blood trickled from the bridge of his nose. Esdeath immediately followed up on the opening. Both feet pulled towards her stomach as she drove a powerful kick into his abdomen.
Bang!
Metal groaned under the force. The Grand General was launched backward, tearing through a cluster of soldiers who had not moved away quickly enough.
"Move! Move, damn it!"
"Get out of the way!"
Several men were thrown from their feet as Budo crashed through them. Armor bent, shields shattered, and bodies rolled across the frozen ground before finally coming to a stop. The Grand General dug his hand into the earth, carving a trench behind him before managing to halt his momentum. A streak of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. Before he could properly recover, Esdeath was already moving again.
The blue-haired woman crossed the distance in moments. One hand swept outward and countless streams of ice erupted from the ground around her. The frozen mass gathered together overhead, rapidly compressing into the shape of a gigantic sphere larger than a house. Without hesitation she swung her arm downward. The construct mirrored the movement and descended upon Budo and the surrounding troops.
"Scatter!"
The warning came too late.
The enormous construct smashed into the battlefield with enough force to shake the ground. Soldiers disappeared beneath the impact zone. Others were thrown through the air by the shockwave alone. Chunks of ice and dirt erupted outward in every direction. Those close enough were knocked off their feet or buried beneath debris. A cloud of frost spread across the area, reducing visibility.
A deafening boom suddenly erupted from within the massive ice formation.
Cracks spread across its surface.
Then another thunderous explosion followed. The entire frozen construct burst apart from the inside. Lightning surged through the shattered remains as chunks of ice were launched high into the air. Soldiers shielded their faces as fragments rained down around them.
Budo emerged from the wreckage.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Arcs of electricity crawled across his Imperial Arm and danced along the ground beneath his feet. Steam rose from his armor where frost had melted instantly upon contact with the current. His expression darkened as he looked around the battlefield.
"Damn it..."
His jaw tightened.
The realization was unavoidable. Continuing the battle like this would only feed more men into Esdeath's attacks. Ordinary soldiers could not meaningfully contribute anymore, regardless of the weapons they were given. They had already got him all the time he could have received from this scenario. Their presence was becoming a liability rather than support.
At the top of his lungs, Budo roared, "Everyone, fall back! Return to the Capital immediately!"
Several officers hesitated.
"General-"
"That is an order!"
The authority behind the command left no room for argument.
"Retreat!"
"Back to the walls!"
"Move!"
The surviving soldiers quickly began withdrawing. Organized formations broke apart as officers focused on evacuating the wounded and pulling survivors away from the battlefield. Thousands started retreating toward the Capital while engineers and support personnel rushed to prepare defensive positions atop the walls.
Rather than pursue them, Esdeath simply stood there and raised her hand. His body tensed, not sure what she was trying to do only to be confused when a trail of ice shot above in the sky and exploded. Several of its shards reflected what little light there was of the sun around creating a bedazzling view, though it served no purpose from what he could tell.
"Hold on... that's a signal!"
Right, from the very beginning she had marched on alone. He had assumed that the other members of the Jaegers had either parted ways or would not have survived what had occurred back there. But if she was sending a signal now then it meant that...
"General, ambush!"
Several of his men shouted at once, leading him to snap his head to the side, but rather than with the same group of elite soldiers chosen by Esdeath herself emerging from the woods and attacking - the ambush came from within the Capital itself. "That is Esdeath's army!?"
"They betrayed us too!?"
"Oh no, they blocked our path back!"
Panic searched as his side was immediately confronted by numerous armoured men all bearing the insignia of their general. Without hesitation marching out of the Capital and starting to slaughter their way through in a very similar fashion to that woman.
"Surprised?" The culprit of this spoke with disdain. "What makes you think you are the only general who commands the loyalty of an entire army? Looks like you're still very naive and ignorant if you thought that I wouldn't have used this. I too have men willing to die for me and my cause."
"You..."
For several moments neither moved. Snow drifted between them while the sounds of retreat echoed in the distance. His fists clenched, "Focus on the traitors! Stand your ground and fight to the end!" he commanded, having no other choice but to take this path.
"Have you abandoned your men?" The blue-haired woman taunted with a mocking tone, walking over ever so casually. "In fact, let me throw you a bone, become my pet and I'll let you surrender."
A... pet? A short laugh escaped Budo, a mixture of anger and humiliation.
"Surrender?" He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Never in my life has someone so much as dared to utter such words. I know you don't accept surrender. And even if you did, the fate awaiting those you capture is worse than death."
"I won't deny that." A small smile appeared on Esdeath's face.
"Hmph, glad you can acknowledge that much at least." The Grand General slowly rolled his shoulders, loosening stiff muscles while lightning continued to gather around him.
"This outcome is something you and Honest brought upon yourselves."
He did not deny her. "I agree that Honest made mistakes. It would be better to say that he made many mistakes. More than I care to count. But unlike you, I understand why he made them. I understand the reasoning behind his actions, even when I vehemently disagreed with them. Selfish as they were... it would have continued upon the Empire's goal to expand across the land. As per the prior Emperors' desires, something the former Prime Minister wanted to change."
His gaze remained fixed on her.
She shrugged, "I don't care about his reasoning or yours. All I wish to know is why the attempt on my life?"
For the first time since the battle started, there was no anger in his expression. Only disappointment.
"The truth is simple, Esdeath. You were becoming impossible to control. Every year you pushed further. Every year the reports became worse. Every year more people started looking at you with fear instead of respect."
The electricity surrounding his body intensified. Small bolts jumped between pieces of armor before disappearing into the ground.
"You carried the title of General, but you stopped acting like one in loyal service to the Empire long ago." Snow continued falling between them. "You are not worthy of that title anymore."
The smile vanished from her face.
"And what have I done to not be worthy of that title? I doubt it's because you could not 'control' me." Esdeath asked, her tone more curious than offended.
"You may have subdued plenty of armies who were opposed to the Empire, but it was never for the benefit of the Empire," Budo stated. "The only reason you went against them was solely to hunt that boy. Your singular obsession with him made you target those armies just to dig him out more than anything else."
"And why is that a problem?" she countered. "At the end of the day, the work gets done and the weak are purged. I never pretended otherwise and I made my intentions quite clear. If there is someone to blame, it is you all for being under the delusion that I was loyal to the Empire for some other reason. Loyalty is earned, not given freely."
Budo narrowed his eyes. "I doubt you even know the meaning of loyalty. You are nothing more than a feral animal with a particularly deadly set of claws and fangs."
Esdeath smiled. "Thank you for the compliment."
He clicked his tongue, at this point he was not even shocked. "No, you are just insane."
He charged up, getting into a defensive stance as he let out a war cry. Power started to gather around him, his Imperial Arm producing more and more energy. Esdeath watched as lightning from the sky gathered from the clouds. A pillar of lightning and dozens of smaller bolts began to strike the ground around him. It looked like he was bathing in electricity, his Imperial Arm absorbing the energy, summoning more and more.
"So this is the famous Advent of the Thunder Emperor?" Esdeath looked at it with curiosity. "Should I count it as an honour?"
"This is the bell being tolled!"
He closed the distance between them with incredible speed. This time, she raised her sword just as he was about to punch her.
Crack!
"-!?"
His punch actually broke her sword, shattering it into pieces. The ice rapier broke, and Esdeath barely dodged the attack as it grazed her cheek, creating a small slice across her face. A lightning arc traveled behind her, shattering an entire boulder.
"Let's end this once and for all. I still have my duties to attend to."
Budo did not stop pressing the attack.
The moment he sensed the battle shifting in his favor, he committed fully. Lightning coursed across the surface of his Imperial Arm, crawling over the armor wrapped around his body before bursting outward with every movement. Each punch unleashed a thunderbolt powerful enough to shatter the ground wherever it landed.
Esdeath found herself forced onto the defensive as one attack followed another without pause. Ice walls rose from the frozen battlefield only to explode apart beneath the barrage. Flying icicles intercepted bolts of lightning and shattered into fragments. More than once she attempted to counterattack, only to abandon the effort and defend herself instead. The pressure continued building. A thunderbolt tore through one of her barriers and struck her shoulder.
"A-Ah!" Her body twisted from the impact before she regained her footing. Moments later another blow slipped through her defenses and crashed into her side, producing a sharp crack that even he heard over the thunder. For the first time since her return, visible damage was accumulating faster than she could comfortably ignore.
"You're being pushed back," Budo called out as he advanced through the storm surrounding him. "All that talk, all that confidence, and this is the result? Is this truly the extent of your strength?" Another punch sent a bolt of lightning screaming toward her position.
Esdeath raised three ice swords in front of herself, using them as shields. They exploded on contact, forcing her back several more meters as shattered ice scattered across the battlefield.
The Grand General could feel it now. Every exchange was becoming easier. Every defensive measure she created required more effort than the last. Confidence began replacing the frustration that had plagued him since the battle started.
"You're not the only one who never stopped training," he declared. "You're not the only one who developed new techniques. Did you truly believe I would spend all these years preparing for every threat to the Empire except you?"
Lightning immediately began converging toward him from every direction. Bolts descended from the darkening sky and crashed into the area around him. Electricity danced across the frozen landscape, turning ice into steam and leaving scorch marks wherever it touched.
His opponent's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched energy gather between his hands. At first it appeared as nothing more than a sphere of condensed lightning, but it rapidly grew larger and larger as more power was poured into it. The surrounding air distorted from the sheer concentration of energy.
"I had hoped to refine this further, I have not yet fully mastered it. But for now, it will serve as the perfect weapon to use against you. And once you are dead, Emiya as well."
Soldiers watching from the distant walls of the Capital instinctively stepped backward. Several officers found themselves unable to speak. Slowly the sphere began changing shape. The energy stretched outward, forming a long shaft. A blade emerged as its tip. Within moments, Budo was holding what resembled a colossal war spear forged entirely from lightning. Bolts continuously struck the weapon, feeding it more energy and making it brighter until it became almost painful to look at directly, with thunderclaps routinely echoing throughout the battlefield.
"This is the end!" Budo roared, raising the spear overhead with both hands. Veins bulged across his arms as he forced even more power into the technique. "Thunder God's Spear!"
The weapon descended.
Instantly, a mammoth arc of lightning erupted across the battlefield. Esdeath reacted without hesitation. Massive domes of ice appeared one after another around her position. The first barrier was thicker than the gates of the Capital. The second rivaled sections of the palace walls. The third dwarfed both of them.
None of it mattered. The attack sliced through the first layer. Then the second. Then the third. The frozen structures exploded apart in showers of ice as the lightning continued forward. The ground behind Esdeath split open and an entire section of forest vanished. Hills were carved apart as though struck by an invisible blade. Seconds later the remaining energy detonated in the distance, producing a flash visible from the palace itself. The resulting explosion shook windows throughout the Capital and sent a shockwave rolling across the surrounding countryside.
"..."
"..."
Many watched the carnage in disbelief. Never had they imagined that aside from Esdeath and Emiya themselves, they would witness a third individual capable of causing such widespread damage. This was more than enough to destroy half of the Capital if it were ever aimed carelessly...
For several moments, nobody moved. The thunder gradually faded. Smoke drifted through the air. Fragments of shattered ice rained down around the battlefield.
"Hah... cough! Hah..." Budo remained where he stood, breathing heavily. Sweat rolled down his face beneath his helmet as the enormous strain of the technique finally caught up to him. "Hah... hah..."
Every breath felt heavier than the last. Still, relief slowly began settling into his chest, this on top of his aching muscles made each movement painful.
No one could have survived that attack - not even Esdeath.
Step by step, he advanced through the destruction left behind. Melted ice hissed where lightning had passed through it. Deep trenches scarred the landscape. Eventually his eyes settled on what appeared to be the remains of his opponent. The lower half of a body lay amidst the wreckage. Legs. Part of a uniform. Nothing above the waist.
A long breath escaped him. "Finally..." Years of concern, frustration, and preparation seemed to lift from his shoulders. "It's over."
Then he heard it.
Crack.
"Huh?"
The sound was faint, but unmistakable.
He immediately stopped walking. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at the remains. Another crack followed. Thin fractures spread across the exposed flesh.
Slowly, the color began fading. Skin turned translucent. Fabric transformed alongside it. What had looked like a corpse moments ago was becoming ice. The Grand General watched in disbelief as the entire thing continued changing before his eyes. More cracks spread across the frozen figure until it finally collapsed into countless glittering fragments. The remains disintegrated completely, scattering across the battlefield like broken glass.
For a brief moment his mind struggled to process what he was seeing. Then realization struck him. It had never been her.
"Curious."
The voice came from behind him.
Every muscle in Budo's body tensed instantly.
Spinning around, he found the supposedly dead Esdeath he had just blasted apart standing so very close to him. She appeared completely unharmed on top of that... One hand rested casually on her rapier while the other remained behind her back. The battlefield around her was covered with corpses, shattered ice, and scorch marks, yet she looked perfectly fine with not a single wound or cut on her body.
"I was quite certain that my special creation would be enough," she remarked while glancing briefly toward the scattered fragments of the decoy. "But it would seem I truly underestimated you."
Her gaze returned to Budo. For the first time since the battle had begun, there was genuine acknowledgement in her eyes. "You certainly deserve the title of Grand General. It seems that your rank was earned through more than reputation alone." A faint smile appeared on her face as she adjusted her grip on the rapier. "This has become far more interesting, I really did have fun."
"Y-You..."
"It still needs some work," she mentioned casually. "I infused enough energy inside it to create at least five thousand ice soldiers worth of my energy. But any more than that would just destroy the creation and cause it to detonate from being overloaded with too much power. I clearly need to refine it further."
Budo jumped away, gathering himself and looking at her in disbelief. She saw his reaction and chuckled. "Are you so surprised that I'm alive? You're behaving as if you've seen a ghost."
Not amused at her attempt at a joke, he demanded, "How is this possible?"
"Oh, it's nothing but a small project of mine," she answered immediately. "I didn't see the need to have myself go against you. I figured doing so was just a waste of time while I went after the Prime Minister for his betrayal. Though you've quite literally blown past my expectations for you."
"Waste?"
This infuriated Budo like never before. So this entire time, he had been pushed so far by a faker? A clone!?
No... no! He would not accept this outcome!
"RAAAAAAAH!"
With fury boiling his blood, the man charged his Imperial Arm again as more and more lightning gathered. This time, the intensity was immense; the arcs of lightning were bigger than a watchtower. Some of them even struck the walls of the kingdom in the distance, causing damage to the local area. The entire weather in the region was changing.
"Regardless if you're another clone or the genuine article, I will kill every last one of you!" Budo roared, his voice carrying across the battlefield despite the thunder. "It doesn't matter how many tricks you hide behind! It doesn't matter how many bodies you create! The result will be the same!"
Electricity exploded from his Imperial Arm with enough force to tear apart the frozen ground beneath him. Bolts of lightning descended from the darkened sky and converged upon his position one after another, each strike feeding more power into the technique he was preparing.
The air itself seemed unstable as currents of electricity danced wildly across the battlefield. Between his raised hands, a sphere of lightning began to form. At first it was small enough to fit between his palms, but it rapidly expanded with every passing second. It grew to the size of a helmet, then a man, then a horse. Even after reaching that size, it continued swelling.
Growing bigger and bigger.
The sphere soon dwarfed its creator, growing until it resembled a small house suspended above the battlefield. Its surface constantly shifted and churned, resembling a miniature storm trapped within a sphere. Every few moments, lightning would burst from its surface and strike the surrounding ground, leaving behind scorched craters and shattered ice.
Soldiers that had been engrossed in their own battles stopped and watched from the Capital's walls, staring in awe. Some shielded their eyes from the brightness. Others took several steps backward despite being hundreds of meters away from the attack's intended target. The amount of energy being gathered was obvious even to those with no understanding of Imperial Arms.
With a shout, he thrust both arms forward.
"Solid Shooter!"
The gigantic sphere of condensed lightning immediately shot across the battlefield. The ground beneath it ruptured apart from the pressure alone. Sheets of ice melted into steam before the attack even passed over them. Everything caught in its path vanished beneath blinding white light. The attack was so large that avoiding it seemed impossible. It occupied a massive portion of the battlefield, advancing toward Esdeath like a moving storm of concentrated destruction.
Watching it surge forward, Budo felt a measure of certainty return... No matter how powerful she was, no matter what techniques she possessed, there was simply no reasonable way to survive something like this head-on.
Then something moved inside the sphere.
At first he thought the brightness was distorting his vision.
The attack itself was difficult for even him to look at directly. Yet as he continued staring, the movement became clearer. A shape was emerging from within the mass of lightning.
"N-No..." His confidence immediately faltered. A hand encased in ice pushed through the surface of the attack, followed by an arm with several burns on it. Strands of blue hair appeared next. Budo's eyes widened as disbelief fully replaced certainty. Every instinct told him what he was seeing should not have been possible. The sphere continued racing forward exactly as intended, yet somehow a figure was walking through its interior.
"What...?" The word escaped his mouth before he could stop it.
Esdeath stepped out from the other side of the attack as though emerging from behind a curtain. A thin layer of translucent ice coated her body from head to toe. Lightning struck that icy covering repeatedly, yet rather than piercing through it, the energy dispersed across the surface and flowed away, leaving Esdeath herself unharmed.
The Grand General blinked in confusion, and suddenly Esdeath was right before him, her hand clenching fiercely onto his neck.
"I once faced the power of the sun itself and survived, idiot. What's a bit of lightning compared to that?"
A sickening squelch echoed, and with his eyes still bulging with various emotions, Esdeath clenched her fist and with one swift motion, decapitated the man with a single pull.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Droplets of blood dripped onto the ground, with Budo's face now eternally stuck in a state of pure shock. His body still stood tall and refused to fall. Only for Esdeath to tip it backwards with a careless flick of her finger and have it collapse out of her sight, as she had already turned away.
What remained of the army in the distance watched the conclusion with pure despair. Any strength or morale they had left to continue to fight had fizzled away for good with their supreme commander's demise.
Esdeath on the other hand just stared at the palace far in the distance. Even from this far away, she looked right into where she knew Honest's personal chamber was, and lifted Budo's head in her hand.
Showcasing the Grand General like he was her personal trophy.
"Your move, pig."
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.