Just a heads up! I will be accepting no more requests. And again, I like to remind everyone that not all of you are going to have your OCs appear in the story depending on the plot. So please do not feel upset by it. Anyway, with that enjoy and review!

(Fake Mountain)

Teth roared as he fired another magma ball at Esdeath. The blue haired beauty skillfully dodged it and retaliated with another barrage of ice projectiles. They struck Teth's hide but did not damage him, melting quickly. Opening his mouth, Teth released a barrage of magma at the general, who had to switch between dodging and forming ice walls that would quickly melt. Kurome had already taken Wave to a safe spot. She could've summoned her corpses to assist, but her instincts told her that they would only get in Esdeath's way.

Doing a back flip to dodge lava, Esdeath landed perfectly and placed her left hand on the ground. Conjuring ice underneath Teth, she summoned a pillar of ice that struck the Zenith Beast's underbelly. The bear grunted but destroyed the pillar with a single swipe of his claw. He then ignited both claws in flames and lunged at Esdeath. The General was forced to dodge the large burning appendages. Each time his claws would strike the earthly crust, melting that area.

Teth then did a charge, coating his entire body in magma as he prepared to ram Esdeath. The General immediately erected several walls of ice between them, only for them to be easily smashed by the bear's body. Esdeath just barely managed to jump out of the way. She winced a bit as the heat from Teth's body hit her, melting parts of her clothes. Safely landing on higher ground, Esdeath took a moment to analyze the situation.

'There's no doubt in my mind that he's a Zenith-Class Danger Beast. His prowess is far greater than an Ultra-Class. The fact he can talk just proves that he is different.' Esdeath mused before looking at her body. The parts where the clothes burned off showed light marks. 'His heat isn't as strong as END's, but they're enough to melt my ice with ease. As much as it pains me to say it, retreating is the best option here. Plus, Kurome and Wave would be slaughtered by him.'

"Are you done thinking?" Teth asked, his attention focused on Esdeath. "Then die!" He released a large magma ball at the General. It was twice the size as his others and the searing heat from the projectile melted the ground.

Acting quickly, Esdeath brought her hands over her Teigu symbol. "Mahapadma!" She said. In seconds everything froze in time. The birds in the sky, the animals on the ground, Teth, the magma ball, Wave, Kurome, everything except for Esdeath. This was her Trump Card, the power she had awoken when fighting END.

It wouldn't last long. The effect took a lot out of Esdeath and she could only use it once a day. Taking this chance, Esdeath raced to grab Wave and Kurome. She had briefly thought of striking Teth but dismissed it. Esdeath had hunted many Danger Beasts in the past and she could tell that her weapon would not be able to pierce the bear's skin. Retreat was the best option for now.

A minute had past when time returned to normal. The projectile struck where Esdeath had stood, turning the earth into lava. Teth blinked as he felt his standing temporarily disrupted. When he regained his balance, the Beast Lord realized that the three humans were gone. A quick sniff in the air revealed that they were miles away, heading back to the human city. Enraged that his opponent escaped, Teth let out a loud roar that scared the surrounding wildlife, even other Danger Beasts.

(Sometime Later, Night Raid Hideout)

Back with Tatsumi, the brunette had managed to escape towards the forest. It was fortunate that Akame was patrolling the area. The red eyed assassin brought Tatsumi back to the hideout where all the members were waiting. The only one absent was Najenda, who had to go to HQ to deliver the recently acquired Teigus. Currently Tatsumi was informing the others of his time with the Jaegers, as well as their skills and Teigus as well as Natsu's identity as END and the Zenith-Class Danger Beasts.

"And that is everything I know about the Jaegers and their combat force." Tatsumi finished. "I know its not a lot but that's all I was able to witness during their short exchange with that guy."

"Well, we already have information on Rubicante, given its use in the Empire's Incineration Squad. It seems like Seryu also got some enhancements after Sheele cut off her arms." Lubbock noted, writing everything down.

"And Mastema is already recorded." Mine added. "And thanks to Akame we know what Kurome's Teigu does too."

"That just leaves Grand Chariot, Perfector and Esdeath's Teigu." Akame said. "However, I'm more concerned about these Danger Beasts. Tatsumi, how would you rank them?"

Tatsumi shuddered, remembering the powerful auras that Teth and Blume gave off. It was nothing he had ever felt before. In their eyes, he might as well have been a simple mouse. "To be honest, just one of them is a bigger threat than the Jaegers as a whole. The fact that they are intelligent and can speak human tongue is odd, but their abilities are powerful. They seem even stronger than Esdeath."

"And yet these guys are weaker than END. If that weirdo really was END, then he barely used a fraction of his powers against us." Leone commented. She could still remember the threatening sensation Natsu had given off. Just the mere thought of it gave the busty blonde chills.

"That could make him an even bigger threat than Esdeath and Budo combined. He wiped out her entire army with ease and could probably do the same to us and the Empire at the same time." Lubbock said. "We should tell Najenda-san this when she returns."

"Don't forget about that mark END gave Esdeath and Tatsumi." Sheele added, pointing to said tattoo on Tatsumi's neck.

"That bear said that only Zenith-Class, or Beast Lords, were given these marks as a sign of their position." Tatsumi said, rubbing the spot. "To be honest I don't know what to make of it."

"Sounds like END wants to turn you and Esdeath into Danger Beasts." Mine commented as she looked at the mark.

Suddenly Leone grabbed Tatsumi and pulled his head into her large breasts. "Well let's just forget all about that! We have Tatsumi back safe and sound! I say we celebrate, break out the food and beer!" The blonde cheered happily, trying to get rid of the grim atmosphere. It worked as the mentioned of food had flipped a switch inside Akame, who immediately ran to the kitchen to get something to eat.

As the Night Raid members prepared their party, they were unaware of Dr. Stylish standing on a cliff not too far from their hideout. With him were three of his human test subjects/subordinates. "Can you hear what they are doing, Mimi?" He asked a woman with large ears.

"Yes, Stylish-sama. Night Raid has no knowledge of our presence here." The woman, Mimi, responded.

"Excellent! Once the rest of my forces arrive, we can begin this operation with style!" The mad doctor exclaimed gleefully.

The moment he had saw Tatsumi, Dr. Stylish knew that there was something suspicious about him. A boy that skilled couldn't have learned how to fight without having been in an actual battle before. Stylish's senses told him that Tatsumi had to be connected to the rebel army. And like always, his senses were right. Now, here he was, at the Night Raid HQ without them knowing a thing. Oh, the materials he would gain after this battle was over.

And then there was END and those other Danger Beasts. Just the thought of those stylish creatures sent a shiver of excitement up his spine. He had read about the Zenith Class-Danger Beasts, animals that had evolved over countless centuries from battling and feasting on other Danger Beasts, thus gaining unique forms and abilities. At first, Dr. Stylish thought they were just mere myths. But, after END's existence was proven true, then those creatures also had to exist too. Just thinking of the research from the test on those Danger Beasts sent shivers up Stylish's spine. Because of that, neither the Doctor nor his subordinates noticed the approaching fog that started to cover the area. Nor the hooded-like creature watching them from the mist.

(Imperial Palace)

Esdeath let out a sigh as she walked out of the room where she had listened to Wave's report. While allowing Tatsumi to escape was upsetting, the fact Wave was able to survive an encounter with a Zenith-Class was impressive. Thus, his punishment was lessened though still severe. And regarding the new Danger Beast, a report had been sent notifying the Prime Minister. The blue haired general was quite eager to face the bear again. Its strength was on pars with hers, perhaps even greater. Yet Esdeath could tell that it was weaker than END. That left her to wonder if the other Zenith-Class, or Beast Lords, as they called themselves were just as strong. The thought of finding beings with strength equal to or greater than hers excited the blue hair beauty, even if they weren't human.

"Someone seems happy." A voice broke Esdeath from her thoughts.

Looking at the source, Esdeath was surprised to see Nikolai walking towards her. He was holding a wooden cane with a metal grip and end that made a small smack as it hit the floor every time. Still dressed in his kimono and haori, the man had a small smile on his face as he made his way over to the general.

Esdeath's eyes widened in surprise. "Lord Nikolai…" She said, surprised to see him adding the title 'Lord' as a sign of respect. It was obvious because Esdeath knew from personal experience that the former Great General was stronger than her and Budo combined. "I must admit that I am surprised by your appearance. You went into isolation after retiring."

Nikolai shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, I was getting bored. Besides, Budo-kun sounded quite desperate when he asked me to come to the capital. I couldn't really refuse when Thunderbolt acted like that." The old man replied referring to Budo as 'Thunderbolt'.

Esdeath frowned. It was no secret that Budo held disdain towards Honest and didn't trust her. However, requesting Nikolai to come out of retirement was a bold move and would no doubt put Honest in a tight situation. The old man still held much influence in the military as well as politicians for his service as the Great General. Combined with his incredible skills in combat and use of his Teigu, Nikolai would be a difficult opponent to face. However, that made Esdeath feel excitement at the prospect. She had always wanted to face off against Nikolai, to see just how strong the old man really was.

"Anyway, I heard you had a run in with the mythical END." Nikolai asked with a curious look. "What was it like?"

Esdeath grinned a savage grin as she recalled the confrontation. "As I told Honest, it was a true battle. I felt that I was putting my life on the line for the first time in years. Even if I lost, or that END wasn't taking me seriously, I will always keep it as a fond memory."

Nikolai laughed. Having been around Esdeath since she first joined the army, the veteran was hardly surprised by her words. "Well, at least your battle lust hasn't gone down. Anyway, I was going out for a walk and figure I stop by and give my greeting." Nikolai said as he walked off. He gave a nod to Run and Bols, who had been standing to the side as the general and former general conversed. The young blonde than looked at Esdeath.

"Commander, was that former Great General Nikolai?" Run asked, his eyes shifting back to look at Nikolai's back.

"Indeed. I'm surprise you recognize him. He had retired quite a few years ago." Esdeath commented.

"There are not many people who don't know him, commander. Nikolai was stated to be the strongest person to ever hold the rank of Great General." Run replied.

"I heard he once repelled a pirate fleet of fifty ships from the Empire's major port town all on his own. No one has a clue what his Teigu." Bols added. "What is he doing here?"

"Probably to keep an eye on Honest and myself." Esdeath mused. Then a feral grin appeared on her face. "The arrival of END, these Zenith Beasts and now Nikolai. These times will be most interesting. I can't wait what the future will bring."

And there we go! I apologize that it took so long. Lately I have been losing interest in this story. I might put this up for adoption, but we'll see. Anyway, leave a review!

Wacko12