"Welcome back, General Esdeath." The emperor greeted his most accomplished soldier. "I am pleased at your victory in the north."

Underneath her friendly face, Esdeath hid a sadistic nature that belonged to the deadliest monster to ever walk the planet, which she might be. But to keep up appearances, she had to hide it from the child emperor. Of course, the prime minister knew her true nature, but allowed her to do whatever she wanted.

"It is my greatest pleasure, your highness." Esdeath said.

"I know you just returned, but I have another job for you." The Emperor said. "We've had a rising increase of Night Raid activity lately. Some of them are of an… unorthodox nature. Do you think you can take care of them?"

"My team, the Three Beasts, are already working on a way. Though, to be safe, I will also require six more Imperial Arms wielders by my side."

"That's what makes you an admirable soldier, general. You don't cut corners."

"There's something else you must know, my lord." Esdeath said. "During my expedition north, my men and I came across a strange artifact that looked like gold. It's in the shape of a hand like a gauntlet, and it has six cavities on the back of it."

"I see." The Emperor said. "We'll be sure to study it as soon as we can. Well, is there anything else you need? I feel like a reward is in order. You're always compensated with gold which you send to your troops, but I feel it's not enough. Is there anything else you need?"

"…Now that you mention it, there is one thing." Esdeath answered. "I would like… to find love."

That took both the Emperor and the prime minister by surprise. They both paused for a moment.

"Don't you have plenty of men pleasing you already?" Honest asked.

"Those are all just pets." Esdeath answered.

"Well, if need be, I can play matchmaker." The Emperor said. "How about the Prime Minister? He's a good man."

"No offense, but his blood pressure is too high. He wouldn't survive long."

"I'm right here, you know." Honest said.

"In any case," Esdeath said holding up a piece of paper with a list on it, "This is a list of my preferences. I would like my love to fit this criteria."

"All right then." The Emperor said. "Thank you."

Across a snowy field, a noble carriage rode off. Inside are two people: a former minister, Chouri, and his lance-carrying daughter, Supia.

"This is no time to retire. This nation is falling apart." Chouri said. "I might as well as give Honest a piece of my mind."

"Well, you've got me to protect you, father."

"Supia, dear, you seem too daring. If you keep this up, you'll never find a husband."

"Father!" Supia blushed. "That has nothing to do with this! Besides, I'm not that intimidating. I just happen to know my way around a lance."

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The father and daughter were confused, but that confusion changed to fear when they heard their guards outside screaming their lungs out. Supia took a peek outside and saw three men standing over the corpses of the guards. The former minister saw too and widened his eyes.

The three men are as follows. One was a pretty boy shorter than the others. Another was a brute of a man holding an axe. The other was a distinguished gentlemen complete with a mustache.

"I know those three." Chouri said. "They're the Three Beasts, the general's elite officers. Liver, Nyau, and Daidara. But why are they here?"

Before Supia could pull out her lance, Daidara swung his blade ultimately breaking the carriage into pieces. Of course, the father and daughter dodged it, but they were completely blown out. When Supia looked up, she saw the cute face of Nyau close to hers.

"You survived Daidara's attack." He said. "Good for you. However…" He pulled out a large kitchen knife. "I'm going to make you wish you didn't. It's good to have another face in my collection."

Supia was utterly petrified. But then, she was surprised at another figure behind Nyau. This figure suddenly pressed the front of his pistol at the side of Nyau's head.

"Huh?" he asked. "Who…"

BANG!

Nyau's head exploded at the gunshot. Liver and Daidara were taken aback by the sound. Above Nyau's body, Deadpool stood spinning his gun like a cowboy.

"Was that girl-boy bugging you?"

"What?" Daidara asked. "How…"

"Did I pull off this sweet entrance, you ask." Deadpool interrupted. "The secret, my furry friend, is timing." During the conversation, Supia went to her father and snuck into hiding.

"Why you…" Daidara growled. "Who do you think you are?"

"I think—therefore, I am—your friendly neighborhood Deadpool, sent here on a special mission by Lady Death herself to join Night Raid and put an end to the turmoil of this kingdom."

"Night Raid?" Liver asked.

"Yeah, you see, somebody's been killing innocent civil servants and making it look like Night Raid did it. We figured that with the former minister traveling out in the boonies, he'd be an open target. So here I am."

"Well, you responded better than we thought." Liver said. "You see, this was all a trap. You see, we've got Imperial Arms, and I see that you do not."

"That didn't help your why-boner friend, did it?" Deadpool said. "Besides, I've brought an Imperial Arms. I'm just not the one using it."

"What?" Daidara asked. Suddenly, he was kicked from behind. Everyone looked at the attacker who was wearing his Incursio armor.

"I bet he's gonna feel that one in the morning." Deadpool said. "Nice kick, Bulat!"

"Wade!" Bulat shouted.

"Bulat?" Liver asked.

"Deadpool!" the mercenary shouted.

"So it is you." Liver said. "My, it's been so long."

"You know this guy, Bulat?" Deadpool asked. "Oh, was he your boyfriend?"

"He wishes." Liver said.

"Deadpool, this is Liver, my former general." Bulat said. "Last I saw, he was taken by the capital for not taking bribes for the Prime Minister. He never got a fair hearing and was sentenced to death. And now, here he is doing despicable deeds for Esdeath."

"If you only knew, Bulat." Liver said. "I was in my cell waiting for death. That is, until the unequal General Esdeath came to me. She told me that it'd be a waste to kill someone as talented as me. And she would erase all my charges simply because no one would deny her. Everything I have, everything I am, I owe it all to her. My power, my status…"

"That mustache." Deadpool said. "Seriously, dude, I've seen sketches of your general. Don't get me wrong, she's one of the sexiest chicks I have ever seen, but you seriously need a life."

"You might be right." Liver said rubbing his ring. "So I'll take both of yours!" He thrusted his hand up and the snow changed into water striking in Bulat's direction. He dodged it just in time.

"Well, big guy, while you deal with Waluigi, I'll handle…" Before he could finish, Daidara stood up in front of him with an angry growl escaping his teeth. "…The most generic thug I have ever seen. Neat."

"Killing you may not give me as much experience as I need." Daidara said holding up his axe.

Deadpool dodged each strike and jumped back while breakdancing.

"Can't touch this. STOP! Deadpool time!"

Daidara raised the axe again and threw it forward. It split into two different blades that flew in Deadpool's direction. He dodged it and watched them reverse back in his direction again. And again. And again.

"Try all you want." Daidara said. "My Imperial Arms, Belvark, will keep attacking you until it runs out of momentum."

"Well, if they're dead set on my location, then…"

Deadpool dodged one more time before sprinting in Daidara's direction. The Imperial officer was confused, and even more once Deadpool wrapped his arms around Daidara in a great embrace.

"What are you doing?" Daidara asked. "Let go!"

"No!" Deadpool yelled. "Let's be sliced in half… together!"

"What?" Daidara asked. He suddenly remembered Belvark spinning in his direction. The blades struck right through like cutting butter. Blood from both Deadpool and Daidara's severed bodies stained the white blanket of snow. They both fell and Deadpool fell right next to Nyau's corpse.

"Well, there goes Larry and Curly." Deadpool said as he started shifting his upper half to reattach with its lower half. "All that's left is Moe."

Suddenly, Bulat fell next to him and dropped his Imperial Arms. Liver walked to approach them observing the corpses of his two friends.

"Nyau. Daidara. Bulat, you and your friend are going to pay."

"Can you put it on my tab?" Deadpool asked. "I know it's an old comeback, but it's a classic too."

"Deadpool." Bulat groaned to talk. "My Imperial Arms. Incursio. You must take it."

"Oh, for me." Deadpool said as he picked up the sword. "Well, you shouldn't have."

"Don't be a fool." Liver said. "Not just anyone can wield an Imperial Arms. If you're not compatible, it could kill you."

"Kill me?" Deadpool asked. "Well, then I guess I have nothing to worry about." Deadpool jumped up back on his feet and raised his sword pointed in the air. "FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL!"

Suddenly, the sword changed into a suit of armor that wrapped itself all around Deadpool's body. When it was done, the Merc with the Mouth couldn't help but admire himself.

"Nice!" Deadpool said. "All the wenches at the ren fair aren't going to keep their hands off me. And speaking of nasty stuff…" He turned his head to Liver.

"That's some luck." Liver said. "Not that it matters anyway."

Liver shot his water with his ring and launched it toward Deadpool. The mercenary quickly dodged out of the way making mocking noises. Liver was annoyed, so he struck again. Rinse and repeat. Deadpool couldn't help but mock him.

"That all you got? I don't know why, but I thought you'd be better than that little girl who mutilated her visitors. 'Hey, look at me. I'm Liver. Deadpool rules and I grew my steampunk mustache to hide my secret sex lips'."

"STOP MOCKING ME!" Liver shouted.

With one last distraction, Deadpool got the chance he was waiting for. Liver left himself wide open for Deadpool to pull out his swords and launch them into Liver's stomach. Unfortunately, the swords never got the chance to cut it as Liver used a water whip to knock them aside. Deadpool jumped to the side with both swords in his hands.

"A valiant trick, I give you." Liver said. "But unfortunately, your distraction wasn't enough for your swords."

"You misunderstand, snookie bear." Deadpool said. "The swords were the distraction."

Liver looked down on his belt and saw an unclipped grenade attached to it. Before Liver had the chance to react to it, it ignited surrounding Liver with an explosion of fire.

"How you like me now?" Deadpool sang softly.

He stopped when he heard Bulat coughing with his back against the snowy ground. The former minister and his daughter emerged and approached with Deadpool.

"Hang in there, big guy." Deadpool said. "You'll get through it. We'll just take you back and…"

"No time." Bulat said. "Deadpool, you can use Incursio now. I can safely entrust it to you."

"Don't talk like that. You'll…" Deadpool wanted to say more, but the more he observed Bulat's wounds, the more he realized what was inevitable. He sighed. "All right then. I'll tell the others you did good."

"One more thing." Bulat said as he struggled to keep breathing. "Do you really mean it? About the stones you brought being able to bring us back?"

"If they can't do it, nothing can."

"Hehe. Then… I'll see you later… my friend." Bulat closed his eyes and embraced his fate. His lifeless body limped into the cold.

After a few minutes, Deadpool looked at the former minister and his daughter. "It's not safe for you guys anymore. You'd best leave the kingdom."

"But if this is Honest's work, then someone has to tell the people. Tell the Emperor." Chouri said.

"He won't let you." Deadpool said. "He'll have more assassins sent your way before you can set eyes on the kid. Just come with me to Night Raid. We'll set you up somewhere safe. And not to worry. The next time you'll see that Prime Minister guy, I'll be cutting him open like a tauntaun."

Chouri sighed and hugged his daughter. "All right. We'll go."

"Actually…" Supia said, "If it's all right, I'd like to stay."

"Meh?" Deadpool asked.

"Supia." Chouri said.

"Those men attacked us. They would've killed us and I would've been powerless to stop it. I don't want to feel that way again. So I'd like to get better at it. I want to join Night Raid."

"Really?" Deadpool asked.

"My precious daughter…" Chouri said. He then took a moment in silence. "If that's what you want, then I won't stand in your way. Good sir, you said your name was Deadpool, right? Can I trust you to watch over my daughter."

"Well, if that's all right, then okay." Deadpool said. "Just to warn you, lance girl, it's going to get very deadly from here on out."

"I don't care." Supia said. "If it means making sure the Prime Minister gets it, I'll do anything."

Standing over a mountain of bodies, a little girl with a black skirt and black hair sat on top watching her undead followers finish the victims while eating from her bag of cookies. That's when an imperial guard approached her.

"Ms. Kurome, you've been summoned to the capital."

"Okay." The girl raised her sword up revealing a yellow gemstone attached at the end. All of her undead minions were pulled and drained into it. "Hmm. I wonder where you are, my dearest sister, Akame."

Author' Note: Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. I was deciding how to handle the Three Beasts arc. I've decided on this. As you can tell, Kurome is now in possession of the Soul Stone. Any and all comments are welcome.