Recruit warriors : Universe 9 ( 2 )

Appearing in the midst of a dark place made of many things, some were indescribable, Wave started to feel uncomfortable with this place that only inspired death, as a red sky loomed overhead from him.

"So this is it... this is the afterlife?" Wave couldn't help but wonder if this was all there was to it.

"Absolutely," Mohito assured. "This is where we can find the remaining warriors for the tournament. For now, it seems we'll have to search across the plains of Hell."

"He... Hell?" Wave swallowed, looking around. He really didn't want to spend an eternity trapped here in this miserable realm. He had expected Hell to be something much more torturous than what it actually was. In all of the lore, there had been talks of a multitude of zones throughout Hell that ranged from icy plains to mountains made of needles, which in itself sounded a bit gruesome. For someone who had made a living from the blood of others, he had really expected the place to live up to it's name.

As he peered out into the distance, over the edge of the summit, he could see a more... viable area, much less rigid than the mountainous side of the pond he had found. Below, greenery seemed to stretch on for miles and Wave could see multiple red fountains speckled throughout the grass and trees. This was nothing like the lore he had heard. Suddenly, a giant explosion erupted out of nowhere, and a loud BOOM was heard from hundreds of meters away, but it didn't shake the ground in the slightest. Only a giant explosion was seen in the distance.

"Does that happen often?" Wave wondered as the smoke that forged from the explosion had begun to fade away.

"Unfortunately so, and it seems that's where we can find possible candidates," Mohito guessed, before whisking himself away, along with Wave. A second later, they came across a giant cage, which seemed to be fifty feet tall, with steel beams having loads of cracks on each and every one of the barriers, and a tiny door the height of an Angel, giving the guards of this realm relief, not having to worry about any chance of this prisoner escaping. That didn't mean he would cause a ruckus though.

"All of you are out of your damned mind if you think I'm going to sit here for another second!" shouted a being from a huge troll species, with dark green skin, four fingers on each of his hands, and a beige horn a few inches above his eyes. He roared a he struck down one of the guards for Hell with an energy ball from his mouth.

"Hey! Calm down or your punishment is going to be even worse!" another guard ordered him, pointing a trident at him. The huge troll sneered. What could possibly be more worse than this? Simply punching the latter, the giant troll asserted dominance to all who were below him, literally. "Do you ingrates know who you're standing before?! I'm Pouxis, king of Planet Tororu! I can do whatever I please to whatever louts and boors that reside in my domain! A nobleman like me has no place here in this horrid hellhole!"

Eyeing him from top to bottom, from the halo above his head, to his feet, Wave almost gasped at the height of this troll. He wasn't as tall as King Yemma, not even near, but he was still tall enough to where he could crush him like a grape with his bare hands. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say unruly conduct occurs here often also."

"Oh, most certainly so," Mohito answered him. "Damned souls always have a hard time getting used to the thought of having to spend an eternity in Hell."

Preparing to strike another guard, trying to control Pouxis, the huge troll heard a voice behind him, and it spoke in a threatening tone. "I would advise you to calm down immediately, before things get ugly for you. Not that you're ugly enough as it is."

"Which ingrate dares to mock me?" the monster wondered, turning over to the newcomer, who was a tall, muscular man with spiky blond hair with two longer bangs resembling horns and blue eyes, and like all deceased souls, had a halo above his head.

"Wait... is that who I think it is?" Wave wondered, finally recognizing the stranger who challenged the king of Tororu.

"Who are you?!" roared the troll.

"I'd rather not say to foolish dullards like you," the former general said simply, facing the man, without the slightest fear. "And if you don't want me to break your jaw to make you stop screaming, you better be quiet."

"Who do you think you are? You must have a gigantic ego, trying to challenge me!" roared Pouxis, rushing at him. Seeing the monster's fist slowly extend towards him, Budo bent down under the giant arm with ease, before jumping high up below his face, giving him an overpowering punch in the chin. His body jumped slightly, the troll's feet only a few inches off the ground before falling on his back, now unconscious. "I warned you," Budo growled.

There was then a long silence, before finally cries of joy were uttered among the guards.

"Well done, Budo!"

"Awesome as usual, Budo!"

"Man, King Yemma was right about you!"

Budo simply sighed. The former general had dealt with insolence such as this many times before, so something like this wasn't new to him. The deceased man was about to leave to relax somewhere else, when his gaze fell on Mohito, then on Wave.

"Wave?" he slightly gasped, while noticing that he didn't have the slightest trace of a halo on his head. "You're not dead so how are you here? And who's the other person next to you?"

...

"A tournament?" Budo repeated, as he sat on a rock. "Between the multiverse?"

"Exactly," Wave affirmed. "And if we don't win this tournament, our universe will be completely eradicated by the gods who rule all twelve universe! Everything will disappear, not even Heaven and Hell are excluded from this."

"And to help the rest of you win…" Budo continued, giving Mohito a suspicious look. "This guy could get me out of here to give our team more members, and you say ten are required..."

"Absolutely! And in return for your assistance, your resurrection might be possible with the wishes we might earn!" Wave exclaimed. He was positive Budo would want to be brought back to life. What person who was dead wouldn't want to be resurrected?

"And you really believe in all that? How am I supposed to believe in all that?" Budo still had his many doubts. Wave wasn't someone to lie often, but this seemed... all so surreal it wasn't even humorous.

"I... I know it's hard to swallow but... you have to believe me, Budo! Me, Kurome and even the members of Night Raid had seen how strong that Lord Sidra guy was! He completely destroyed a mountain without even trying! That's enough evidence for me to know this is serious! This isn't a joke, and we would highly appreciate if you joined the team for the Ninth!" Wave so desperately pleaded.

Turning around then, Budo stared into the underworld where he had now lived for a few years.

"You know, soldier, the dead of our planet arrived here after me and explained to me the situation of our kingdom. Apparently, it looks like you and Night Raid saved our empire! Even though I regret to say it, I was wrong about what I said, wasn't I? Why do you want me on the team?"

"Budo... you're one of the strongest people I ever knew! We really need you!"

"And they need my help too! Since I landed here, there have only been problems as newcomers have always tried to wreck everything to be able to leave this place! It was I myself who decided to take care of calming them! I have King Yemma to thank for giving me this job. It was the least I could do to pay for my sins when I was alive, and since then, I have the impression of really serving! Coming back to life doesn't really interest me, and if we're going to be eradicated by the gods, then I suppose that's a fate I can accept."

Suddenly, Wave bowed to the former general. "General Budo, I beg of you! It's not just about you or me! The fate of all of the inhabitants of this universe is in our hands! Everyone back home, aliens, all alike! We need your legendary strength!"

"What legendary strength? Need I remind you that I lost before I died?"

"That doesn't matter!" Wave retorted. "The fact remains that you are still a very skilled and strong fighter! Lord Sidra wanting you on the team is proof enough! The gods themselves want you to participate! it's because your power is phenomenal."

Simply sighing, Budo continued to stare at the floor. It wasn't false that his power was indeed recognized as phenomenal back home. Besides, if they lost, he wouldn't even exist anymore. He stood up before finally coming to a decision

"Fine, you got me. I'll join the team."

Preparing to thank the general, Wave was rendered silent again as Budo spoke to him again. "Nevertheless, I will do it only on one condition."

Looking at Mohito then, he made a request to the Angel. "If our universe prevails, I would like you to sign a contract with King Yemma! I want to become one of his right-hand men and work directly for him."

"Work for King Yemma?" Wave wondered. "Surely you don't…"

"Yes," affirmed Budo. " I don't intend to come back to life! Managing souls here in Otherworld has become my new reason for living." It was obviously a metaphorical statement as he was already dead. Getting up, hearing guards ordering a newcomer to calm down, he then left, but not before reminding him of how he had changed.

"While I may have committed many sins, I'm nothing compared to the likes of Esdeath! I no longer have the desire to cause the death and agony of many! Now if you excuse me, I have some business to take care of here, so come back and get me when you have completed the rest of the team."

...

Moving across the land almost as fast as the speed of sound, Mohito turned his head to notice Wave thinking. He didn't blame him, Budo wanting to stay dead was an interesting, weird and confusing prospect, and not one usually heard amongst others.

"You still do not understand his choice?"

"Not really! In fact, I… if he wants to work here, it's up to him to decide! But I'm having a hard time telling myself that someone like him would rather stay here than come back to life."

"It seems there is some information I should impart to you, Wave… whenever a mortal understands that he or she has made mistakes after they have passed on, it is sometimes difficult for him or her to retrace their steps! For Budo, he must inform himself that he no longer has his place among the living and that working for King Yemma is a remarkable way to redeem himself! In fact, I quite seem to think so as well, there aren't many mortals King Yemma personally hires as his assistants."

Soon, they began to slow down as they approached another permanent resident of Hell. At first glance, it was impossible to identify the mystery being before them, but once Wave got a closer look, walking towards the small cave, his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, and his jaw almost his the floor. His heart even skipped a beat as well. There weren't any other feelings that could describe Wave right now, other than petrified.

Clumped together, thousands of people were below Mohito, Wave, and the mystery person, their faces filled with pure, unaltered rage. Armed with sticks, swords and other weapons of all kinds, they were simply piercing a body that was suspended above them, with a chain hanging from the ceiling in a cave.

"I believe you know this deceased being as well," the Angel affirmed, who's expression didn't falter in the slightest. Wave however, almost felt like vomiting, seeing the state of the body, then he saw it heal as if it was magic, all of the wounds disappearing and the holes in the body mended back together. If it weren't for the healing, this person would be completely ossified. Soon, he recognized who was in the cave. The long auburn hair and amber eyes was very familiar, and no one else had those features but a certain psychotic and unstable woman.

"S… Seryu?" Wave gasped, finally recognizing the person who was being tortured like this. Getting stabbed again in the back with a sword, the former soldier of the Empire let out a cry of pain, before other swords and other weapons plunged into her as well.

"S… stop..." she sobbed, and begged, her eyes red and puffy as heavy tears streamed down from them. "Please..."

"You are the evil one," hundreds of ghostly voices affirmed.

"You're the one who is a monster!"

"No one cares about you..."

"Heartless murderer!"

"You killed my best friend!"

"How the mighty have fallen!"

"You will pay for your sins!"

"This is what justice is, not your twisted sense of righteousness!"

Then, getting a hole in his stomach, Seryu Ubiquitous spat blood, before screaming again in agony. Wave couldn't form a single word in his mouth as he viewed the horrifying spectacle before him. He honestly had no idea what to make of this. This made the giant troll's imprisonment look like nothing in comparison to this. This was true hell.

"Do not forget the part of Otherworld we are in, Wave! The mortal you see now is being punished for paying for all of the sins she committed during her many years! And since a dead person is immortal, their wounds heal naturally, no matter what wounds they receive."

"Pay for her sins?"

"Yes! Despite having killed quite a few murderers, Seryu also killed countless victims, which got her condemned here, in the midst of this crowd of people, being mostly people she killed! It was established that she would stay here for several years, before her soul left her body and then reincarnated in the body of a newborn baby! Of course, her memory will be erased and her personality will be completely different. "

Swallowing upon hearing this, Wave remained speechless, while Mohito finally raised his staff in the air. Shining an intense light in Seryu's way, he blinded the crowd below him. And, as if the light were burning them, the bodies eventually cried out in pain before fleeing out of the cavity, leaving only their victim behind.

Once again, as usual, Seryu felt her body heal itself again, as it had always done since she had been here. In her old life, she would have been ecstatic to have such power, making her an immortal vigilante. However, today she hated that power. All she wanted was not even exist anymore so she wouldn't feel pain anymore. She would have thought about dyeing, but she was already dead.

With a blank gaze, she did not even realize the departure of her tormentors. She only showed surprise in his eyes, when her chains disappeared, causing her body to fall to the ground.

"I... I... what...?" the deceased woman wondered, realizing that she was free.

"Salutations, Seryu Ubiquitous," Mohito greeted her then, walking over to him, while his tall stature hid Wave behind him.

"Who... who are you... if you're gonna keep torturing me, just do it!" Her emotional state had become even worse when she arrived in Hell, she was almost completely unstable, if not, near the brink of insanity. Thinking he was some kind of judge wanting to examine the state of her soul, Seryu immediately knelt before him. "Just get rid of me! I get it! I'm a horrible person! I got the lesson! I don't want this! PLEASE! JUST END ME!"

"Seryu," a voice called her that she immediately recognized. "We didn't come to kill you, you can calm down."

Ceasing her begging, Seryu lifted her face a little, only to see Wave appear in front of her. "W… Wave?"

"I mean, we can't necessarily kill you since you're already dead, but I get what you're saying." Wave couldn't think of much to say besides that, or the fact they haven't seen each other in half a decade. Taking his breath away, Seryu dropped him onto his back, as his arms wrapped around him. Then, the sounds of sobs could be heard.

"Wave... I beg you... I wanna leave this place! I don't want to stay here anymore! I want to go home!"

"Seryu, I…"

"I'll never kill anyone ever again!" she swore. "I won't touch a sword, or anything! I swear! Please, make it stop!"

Wave was stunned. Even though the girl in front of him was very recognizable in appearance, he didn't recognize Seryu in other characteristics. For him, Seryu was a girl almost always playful, endowed with a strong temperament and above all psychopathic towards her enemies.

But here, he saw only a frightened girl, in tears, who had almost sworn to him that she would not kill any more anyone, criminals included. His mind had been broken. Because of this, Wave wanted to ask her questions, tell her the reason for her visit, make her understand that he needed her, but Seryu no longer had a desire to fight, Wave had no interest in stay with her and could leave by leaving her there.

The first thing he did, however, was to run his hand over Seryu's head, while starting to comfort her.

"Don't worry... they're gone, Seryu."

"Wave," sobbed his old comrade, hugging him tighter. "I want to go home ! I want to go home, please!" Viewing this little scene, Mohito turned his back on them, figuring he should leave this to themselves, and so he could smile a little without anyone being able to see him do so. The camaraderie that Wave had just displayed was something rare in this universe. For many, they would only think of themselves or betray their own were commonplace.

Yet here, Wave had thought above all to reassure Seryu, rather than to make sure that she was still fit to be able to participate in the tournament.

...

"A... tournament?" Seryu repeated, as she spoke most quietly, despite Mohito making them move slightly close to the speed of sound.

"Yeah, and it's gonna determine which of the nine universes is going to survive, meaning if we lose this, everyone, alive or dead will be eradicated from the face of the cosmos," Wave replied, his blue hair slightly blowing across from the wind, along with Seryu's as well. Swallowing her saliva, Seryu showed some fear that Budo hadn't really expressed.

"But then… the Jaegers are going to die?"

Looking away from her a little, Wave was a bit confused at her uneducated response, so he confessed the truth to her. "Seryu... you really don't know? The Jaegers no longer exist."

"What?"

"Since you died, many of the soldiers were killed, including Run and General Esdeath. Me and Kurome were the only ones who were able to make it out alive. It was all thanks to Night Raid, they even managed to overthrow the Emperor himself."

"But then the blood of the citizens must have flowed because of these rebels! Surely they would want revenge!"

"Seryu… in the end, we were in the wrong."

"What?" Seryu had always believed whoever wasn't part of the Empire and attempted to seize it, or overthrow it were considered evil,

"The members Night Raid weren't the villains in this story! It was the Empire itself."

"W... what are you talking about?" Seryu roared. "The Empire, evil? That's not possible! I refuse to believe it!"

"Whether you believe what I say or not, it won't change anything, Seryu," Wave retorted calmly. "Anyway, the remaining Night Raid members, as well as Kurome and I are going to participate in this tournament! However, we are missing a few people to complete the team. We just got General Budo to join us, so that's seven, and if you join, we have eight."

"And what would I gain from it, apart from helping the enemy?"

"Your sentences to Hell will be relieved," Mohito replied immediately. Seryu's eyes opened up a bit while her pupil's shrunk as well. This was news she wasn't expecting to her after all of the atrocities she had done.

"As far as I could see, Seryu, you were condemned to be tortured by your former victims, for eternity, and unless King Yemma is lenient with you, he will make the choice to have you lose your memory of your previous life, plant your soul in the body of a newborn! If you help us, three possible wishes will be granted, as a reward, for the universe that will win the tournament! Your resurrection will then be possible."

Hearing this, Seryu was stunned.

"I... could I come back to life? But... but what if everyone else on the team is against the idea and they decide to let me languish in Hell?"

"I'm fairly certain Lord Sidra can at least do something to repay you for your services! Perhaps he will convince King Yemma to allow you to leave Hell and transfer your soul to Heaven! After all, he will be able to make forgiveness for all your crimes, knowing that you will have helped save the universe and him with it. Of course, if you are against it, it's your right! But that means that I should drop you back where I found you."

Hearing this, Seryu began to cry out in horror, and plead for mercy. "NOOOOOOO, PLEASE! I never want to go back there again! I'll do it! I swear!"

"Simply splendid," giggled Mohito, before he retained a serious composure, proceeding to give Seryu a warning. "Although I should warn you right away, if you dare to kill one of the members of the team, you will expose yourself to serious trouble. That goes as well for the tournament, you cannot kill your opponent, so as soon as the team unites, I would highly advise you to make amends."

"Oh, y-yes sir!" Seryu stuttered. Hesitant for a few moments, she had the courage to speak again. "Also, if you can… could you give Koro back to me… please?"

"If you are referring to your Imperial Arms, of course," Mohito understood. "It can easily be reassembled without much difficult, but if you so desire it with your heart, you must prove yourself that you deserve it."

Increasing their altitude, Mohito moved towards a sky completely covered with clouds, and crossed the white layer without the slightest problem. Passing then from a dark and rocky place, the small group found themselves in a bright and welcoming sky.

"Here we are, welcome to Heaven."

Suddenly moaning, Seryu felt like his eyes were burning. Surprise, she looked up before she saw something she hadn't seen in years: the sun. Looking at him for a few seconds, she finally confessed.

"I had forgotten how bright it was." Flying over a gigantic continent covered with flowers, Mohito allowed Wave to see some clouds floating here and there.

"What is that?"

"The souls of the people who deserved to spend eternity in Heaven, for their many good deeds and barely no harm caused to those who don't deserve it." Scanning the horizon, Wave was amazed, seeing nothing but beauty as far as the eye could see.

"I wouldn't want to be a bad tongue, but spending eternity here didn't sound like much fun to me."

"You have to be joking!" cried Seryu. "I would give anything to have the right to be here!" Then ending up capturing a particular energy, Mohito went down and ended up finding himself in front of a soul.

"And here we have another acquaintance I believe you are familiar with.

"In Heaven? I don't think anyone we personally knew was all that good," Wave retorted, inspecting the ball of smoke.

Shaking his staff, Mohito made its end glow before sending it towards the soul. Shining in its turn, the soul began to convulse. Then, it expands before it begins to transform. Taking a human form, she grew limbs, while a head formed. White skin then covered her body, as a cascade of blonde hair fell on her face. Then, finally opening his eyes, the newcomer seemed surprised to find the use of his body.

"What… ?" he wondered, looking at his hands. Barely having time to lift his face, he felt two pairs of arms surround him as two bodies jumped over him.

"RUN!" Wave and Seryu exclaimed as they jumped him. Falling backwards, the trio quickly lifted leaf petals all around them.

"Ugh, get off..." Run requested, a bit agitated from the sudden playful attack, dusting himself as he got up, looking around. "Wave? Seryu? What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?! The Jaegers are back in business!" Wave told him, teary eyed, seeing his old friend again. "It's a long story, but we'll discuss about once we get to Budo, and get everyone else. You're about to be in for the ride of your..." Wave was going to say life, but he remembered the halo on top of Run's head, signifying his status as deceased. "Never mind, the point is, this is very important and we need you."

While Run understood everyone who would probably be involved in what was going on, he needed to know exactly what they were talking about first before he made any decisions.

"Explain."

...

Meanwhile, Tatsumi, along with the God of Destruction Sidra had made their way to another one of the dark corners of Hell, and were now facing a huge prison.

"Here we are, the one who is possibly our best chance of victory resides her, to pay for her crimes."

Appearing behind him, Tatsumi began to inspect the cell, before swallowing. Truth be told, if Sidra was telling her about such a powerful person, then it could only be… her. Walking along with the mortal, Sidra waved his hand to bend the bars in front of him and entered the cell. Following him quietly, Tatsumi glanced around the huge room, only to be surprised to see hundreds of people there.

His eyes widened, he immediately stepped back, while most of those people were just… himself.

"That's... me..." he uttered, feeling like he was surrounded by clones.

Ignoring his presence, as well as that of Sidra, each of his clones were in the company of a beautiful girl, as they displayed lustful smiles while touching them.

"This girl is too beautiful."

"No, this is the most beautiful."

"No, this one."

Finally stepping forward, in front of the other clones, one of them said in a loud voice.

"All these girls are prettier than you! You have no chance that I can love you, poor fool."

It was then that Tatsumi could see someone, sitting on the floor, with chains on his wrists and ankles. Looking down, this person seemed to be trying to ignore each of the Tatsumi in front of them, while meditating. Identifying his face made Tatsumi swallow again, as he took a step back.

"Esdeath."

Suddenly opening her eyes, the former general stared the newcomers straight in the eye. Since arriving here, she had been able to meet thousands of Tatsumi's lines, being here just to mentally torture her. At first, she had felt a real jealousy as well as a deep hatred towards all the girls who were with these fakes.

Then, little by little, letting her anger fade, she just let it go, taking advantage of the fact that this torture gives her at least one advantage: seeing Tatsumi's face for all eternity.

Yet she never thought she would ever see a replica that looked even more like Tatsumi. Fixing his gaze, Esdeath really felt that the emotions in his eyes were the same as the real Tatsumi's. Therefore, she dared to smile, while affirming.

"Isn't this quite a shocker? I'm surprised a talented warrior like yourself actually came to greet me, Tatsumi. It warms my heart to see you actually care about me, even if it is for a little bit. I'm flattered you thought of me, even when I'm no longer alive to pleasure you."

Seeing her smile, instead of suffering, the aftershocks began to cry.

"No, I'm Tatsumi!"

"No it's me!"

"Don't listen to those fakes!"

"I'm the real Tat-"

"This is getting bothersome," Sidra growled, and with a wave of his hand, all of the replicas of Tatsumi were destroyed, leaving the god alone with Esdeath and the real Tatsumi. Staring at the young woman, too, Tatsumi chuckled a bit. "Well, from what I see, the owner of the place has managed to find you a punishment for your sins!"

"You always have the word to laugh, Tatsumi," chuckled Esdeath, defiantly. "If you think a few lines you spewed are going to make me mentally crack, you've more naïve than I originally precepted."

Then, deciding it was time to ask her real question, she wanted to know what was their actual reason for coming. "So tell me, what is your business here? I'm positive you simply didn't come to gloat about your everlasting victory."

"Well, we actually have a proposition for you. How would you like to come back to Earth for a while? Once you hear everything I doubt you'll refuse. You like fighting, don't you?"

If Esdeath was surprised, she didn't show it. Instead, glancing at Sidra, she wanted to know. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is another one of your allies, who has an unheard Imperial Arms, capable of reviving the dead?"

"Actually, he's a god, like King Yemma."

"Is that so?"

"Yes! To put it bluntly, I know how much you like to fight, and as you said, the weak die and strong the survive, and it looks like some of these gods have the same ideals as you."

Esdeath's expression didn't falter one bit, as she continued to gaze at the two without even blinking. "Do elaborate."

"No time for questions," Sidra retorted. "I want your answer now! In exchange for an exit from Hell, are you willing to cooperate with us?"

"Cooperate? Can I at least know what mission you plan to give me?"

"To participate in a battle royale between the multiverse, deciding the fate of each universe. If we lose, everything will cease to exist."

Recording his request in her mind, Esdeath narrowed her gaze. This almost sounded like the tournament she held a long time ago, when she met Tatsumi. What a day that was for the both of them Finally, after a few seconds, she inquired to the God of Destruction. "Who else is going to be competing in this little event?"

"Ninety warriors from nine universes will engage in combat, including this one! Each universe will have the right to have ten warriors! The goal for these warriors is to fight and survive until only one universe remains in play."

"Am I to assume that there will be those who are in the high tiers of strength."

"Oh yes," Sidra replied, remembering Goku and Top's performance at the Zeno Expo. "As of now, I know of at least two who are hundreds of times more powerful than you. "

Hearing this, Esdeath narrowed her eyes, showing that she took it for an insult. "And how much time do we have before the tournament starts?"

"A week and a half at best," the God of Destruction replied.

"And you think you can multiply my fighting force by a hundred in that short span of time?"

"Forget that detail, and give me your answer! Are you willing to cooperate?" Sidra was starting to get agitated by this mortal's multitude of questions. It's not that hard to understand their very essences hang on the outcome of this tournament.

"What would I have in return?"

"Any wish you desire will be granted at your leisure, a perfect example is your complete resurrection! You have plenty of gain from this situation."

Raising an eyebrow, it seemed as if Esdeath began to overlook many things thoughtfully. There were some things she desired other than being brought back to life. "I could let myself be tempted, but on a single condition."

"Which would be?"

"I want my resurrection to be like a reward for agreeing to cooperate! And if I ever manage to be the central element of our universe's victory, I want to be able to make a second wish." Staring at Tatsumi, she smiled tenderly at him, which made the boy shiver. "I want to have Tatsumi."

"What?!" Tatsumi exclaimed. "Sorry, but that's not gonna happen! I already have a wife and daughter!"

Frowning from hearing this, Esdeath couldn't help but feel very agitated, but she didn't show i. "A family? Well, it really looks like it's time for me to re-enter the stage."

"Wait just a minute," Sidra stopped him. "You also need to know something: if you ever kill someone, during your training period, you will automatically come back here, without having a second chance."

"Why would I want to kill someone?" Esdeath asked innocently.

"Because the other fighters in our universe, who will therefore be your teammates, are mostly members of a group that you once knew: Night Raid."

Hearing the old name of Najenda's group, Esdeath smirked. Then, finally, she cried out to the Destroyer, with a sadistic smile. "Forget my second wish! Resuscitating me will be more than enough! Fighting against Najenda's group again is a perfect opportunity to test out my strength and improve, once this tournament is over, is going to be a lot of fun! Much more than this place."

Hearing this, Tatsumi swallowed his saliva, wondering if recruiting Esdeath was such a good idea