Meetings and the next world

Raven walked through her rift and held her breath, expecting it to be loud. Her expectations were shattered when she heard nothing. Nothing but a melodious voice asking questions.

"So how good is Raven in bed exactly? She wasn't a woman before this right? Takes some getting used to" Neo was there, sitting at a patio with Esdeath, Tearwyn and Salem.

"Hmm.. it'd be nice to try something new since Lawrence mainly stuck to missionary before all this" Salem responded with a smile.

"Shame.. I could have taught her so many things if she just gave in and accepted my advances" Esdeath commented with a wry smile, oddly enough, her eyes were covered up by a blindfold.

"Have you considered a three way? Not saying you HAVE to do what I'm doing but it's an option if you're feeling.. uh.. adventurous?" Neo asked, smirking at Tearwyn as she giggled at Cinder and Emerald's awkward faces.

"Hmm... that's- Oh, Raven! Nice to see you back" Salem called her over, getting Esdeath and Neo's attention back on Raven.

"Somehow this is worse than what I imagined before.." Raven muttered.

~"I think it's fantastic. What a good wingman Neo is"~ Pride chimed in with a soft giggle.

Raven sat down and sent a flat glare Neo's way. Neo simply responded with a wiggle of her eyebrows and a smug grin.

"Okay.. So I'm happy you're not fighting. But what happened back on Remnant with you, Esdeath?" Raven asked, seeing the ex-General lean in and smile.

"A neutral God's pawn had started to invade your world. One who was trying to lure you in to be his 'waifu'" Esdeath finished with a sneer.

"Yeah he came from the Monster Hunterverse and invaded Remnant. Ended up in Mistral and took over your scattered tribe and started killing off villages and putting up 'Branwen' to lure you in so he could try and use his subjugation powers on you" Neo commented, taking a sip from her tea.

"I see.. But how do you know all this?" Raven asked, folding her arms as Esdeath and Salem made expressions of disgust.

"Momma Lilith and Esdeath. Ooh.. tell the story, Esdeath!" Neo requested with a grin.

"Gladly. Now it all started when Emerald and I found the hunter camp.." Esdeath started to narrate.

-Mistral wilds-

Esdeath and Emerald had found their camp. Near twenty people in the hides and scales of monsters were seen within the camp. It seemed as if they were using scrolls, having to slowly get the hang of them. Apart from that, to Esdeath, they all smelled of Danger Beasts and Teigu. Her grin grew as she felt one powerful presence in particular. Seeing enough, she made to move towards the camp but Emerald grabbed her sleeve.

"M-Esdeath wait.. We're going straight in..? During the day?" Emerald asked, spooked.

"Why yes. I'm not one to use something like stealth. I quite like battle after-" Esdeath stopped, seeing a rift open nearby and saw Cinder tumble through.

"Raven's rift.." Esdeath saw the rift close and watched as Cinder coughed and struggled to get up.

"Sa..lem.. I have to.." Cinder summoned her glass blades and fell to the ground again.

"I suppose we'll have to wait then.. Emerald, carry her. We'll have to take her back to.." Esdeath summoned an ice saber and blocked a surprise attack from behind.

A very long silver scaled blade wielded by a man donned in silver scaled and metal plate armor. The blade was very hot and warped the air with its heat.

"To where? Actually.. no. Let me ask something else" The man said while clashing blades with Esdeath again.

Esdeath flipped back and parried his swing with her saber. Then she summoned pillars of ice at him that he cut through, using a quickdraw slash. Again, they locked blades, his strength a step above superhuman and was pushing the ex-General back.

"Now how did you get here..? I was looking for someone else but.." The man tried to kick her back but Esdeath was still faster and swerved away while blasting his head with a giant, two meter ice block.

It didn't do much to the armor but stick to him. Though it didn't stay long, heat flared from the armor and melted the ice as if it were doused in napalm. More hunters appeared and surrounded them all. Emerald had Cinder and was looking at Esdeath in worry.

"Go! Escape from here! I have this handled but I need you to leave so I can truly let loose" Esdeath yelled as she blocked an armored fist with a thick wall of ice.

"O-Okay!" Emerald dodged a hunter and used her semblance to hide herself and Cinder as she ran.

"Hmm... you actually care about them? Interesting. I suspected another reincarnator here. I assume you're devoted to him?" The man asked, scoring a slight cut across Esdeath's face but getting kicked back in the trade-off.

"As if I were some property..? Hmhmhm!" Esdeath froze the ground right as a female dressed in ninja-like monster parts landed behind her.

Seeing as she couldn't move, her eyes widened as Esdeath beheaded her and sent a large spurt of blood across the area.

"Come now. You seem to know who I am. Do you really think I'm some common woman who follows a man blindly?" Esdeath smirked as she unleashed her teigu.

"Hmph.. Good. I'd hate to think I got used goods" The man retorted and all the hunters became that much more cautious.

Emerald was still running from the group. She knew Esdeath was extremely skilled but those people were really no joke either. They didn't have powers like Esdeath but those weapons and armor were dangerous. She then felt a chill as a blizzard encompassed the area. The hunters weren't unused to the biting cold and continually attacked the Ex-General. Every minor scratch on Esdeath was met with a deep cut on the exposed areas of the hunters. Though the Silver Hunter was unharmed due to being covered head to toe.

Soon, only the hunters in full gear remained and were all persistently attacking Esdeath. Emerald was far enough away to see she was beginning to tire and could see even Mahapadma could only give her enough time to stab the closest hunter through the visor of his helmet and kill him before time unfroze and she took a scythe hit to the back. Red dragon energy pulsing through the cut as she pursed her lips and grimaced at the last seven wary hunters.

"You're on your last legs now. You've cost me a lot but I guess that's expected. Now surrender or we'll have to hack off your limbs and carry you back to camp" The Silver Hunter exclaimed.

"Hehe.. No. I don't think I will~" Esdeath playfully retorted as she covered herself in ice that created a sort of golem around her.

Her nose bled as she pushed her teigu, a large ball of ice forming in the air as she prepared for another round. As she did, she heard a voice in her head. One that wasn't hers. A distinctly mature, female voice.

"Oh, my~ How gallant of you. But how will you get out of this interesting situation~?" The female voice asked.

"The ice ball might kill one and I may kill one while they're distracted by it. The armor is quite tough. May I know who is speaking to me?" Esdeath asked, too softly to be heard by the hunters as the ice ball fell at them.

~"You can just think to respond, Child of Ice~ And that armour is indeed tough, but it won't save you. How many enemies do you see before you?"~ The woman in her head asked.

~Six. Though I suppose I'm in trouble here.. that Silver armored man's blade can cut and melt through my ice..~ Esdeath admitted.

And a blast of intense flames was let loose from the Silver Hunter's blade, whittling away at the ball of ice as Esdeath blocked and hit away a charging hunter with a red scaled hammer.

~Damn.. I'm not as mobile in this~ Esdeath grit her teeth and blocked the shells coming from a hunter wielding a gunlance.

~"Six, you say?"~ The voice asked

The colour of the world instantly drained, and everything stopped. Nothing can move, even Esdeath. The sound of fingers snapping rings out softy.

"And now, how many do you count?" The voice asked, closer now.

"One.." Esdeath replied, seeing only the Silver Hunter's phantom along with a few other phantoms with him.

But behind him was a Silver entity. It was draconic and Godly, radiating an intense aura of power.

"Hmm hmm~! And do you think you can take him, even at your peak Child of Ice~?" The woman asked.

"...It's a shame to admit but no. I will likely die. But I truly cannot run from a fight. It's not in my nature" Esdeath responded, battle lust in her voice.

"I know~. It's one of the reasons I am willing to help you, and accept your attempts to chase after my daughter~" The woman replied with amusement evident in her voice.

~Daughter..?~ Esdeath had to time to properly ask.

Esdeath's body gains colour, and she is able to move. A voice rings out behind her, in the real world and not in her head.

"So, what are you willing to sacrifice to gain the power needed to kill gods, and stand proudly next to my daughter, Child of Ice?" The woman asked.

Turning around, Esdeath looked to the woman who had been talking to her. Seeing a woman who could only be described as a Goddess. Several fox tails resembling a black hole, Esdeath hummed as she tore her eyes away from them.

"Sacrifice hm..? I suppose anything but my life, my loves and my soul. These things, I must keep. I think Raven would be sad if I rejected and died here. Along with dear Emerald. I've gotten a little attached to her" Esdeath admitted with a chortle.

"My daughter would be incredibly sad, it is the main reason I am helping you~ I see you like to use your abilities to freeze time. But, as you've noticed this ace in the hole isn't as big as you thought~" The Goddess informed before she grinned.

"So, I suggest this~" With a snap of her fingers, some information is implanted into Esdeath's mind. The power, and the cost of it echoed through her mind.

The simple power of continually hitting her enemy and not receiving a hit will multiply the force of her attacks. But that was just an appetizer. She could now essentially start to control the forces of space. The ability to perceive infinity and make others perceive it with an activation of a domain Esdeath now had access to. Though her eyes could not be opened very long due to the strain, it would greatly assist in the fight.

"I see... Then I accept. The sight issue can be dealt with over time" Esdeath agreed and looked at the Goddess.

The Goddess smiled, and with another snap of her fingers, Esdeath felt her eyes sting for a few seconds before information started to rush into her mind like a raging river. Her head began to hurt as the power settled, her eyes, still blue, now were far more mesmerizing. A soft blue glow emanating from around her pupils. She closed her eyes as the perception overstimulated her mind.

As Esdeath closed her eyes the Goddess said, "I think Raven will love your new eyes. Do make sure to train the power, as I am sure you will~ Ah, how forgetful, I didn't introduce myself!"

Even though Esdeath's eyes were closed, she could tell the Goddess was smirking as she introduced herself, "My name is Lilith. You may ask my Daughter for more information about myself if you so desire, Child of Ice~. Now, show me that paradoxal fire that burns in your ice. Show me what you can do with this gift I've given you~!"

And time resumed as she felt her ice armor attacked by two more hunters and her ice attack diminishing. Esdeath fell out of the armor and slowly opened her eyes, unsettling the two hunters as her hand blurred and several ice swords slashed into their armor, leaving a noticeable cut across them this time.

Her blades carrying a spatial trait now as she expanded the domain and they felt an infinite space stretch out between them and Esdeath. Attacks that hit nothing but the infinite space between them before they were hit again and again by a seemingly teleporting Esdeath. On the fifth hit, their heads were cut through. Esdeath then put her attention on the last four and turned the entire area into a craggy ice field as she kicked off the ground and kept sending ice shards flying at them with far greater force than before that they actually needed to defend against properly.

"Not bad.. Not bad at all~" Esdeath smirked, starting to feel her eyes sting as she ducked a powerful arrow shot and tore through space to bisect the hunter with a bow.

"Stay close! What the hell happened to her!? She's only supposed to have-" It was all over though.

Esdeath had gotten close enough and used Mahapadma again. Time slowed to a crawl and her blue eyes blazed in a luminescent light as her hand was covered in a spatial aura, tearing through all of the remaining hunters who grouped up. The Silver Hunter was all who remained and Esdeath grinned at the wide eyes behind the visor of his helmet. She passed her hand through his armor and pulled out his heart without damaging it before resting it in his hand and walking away.

Time resumed as she closed her aching eyes. The Silver Hunter staggering forward as his beating heart slowed to a standstill as he collapsed.

-Shared Dimemsion-

"And that is how it happened. Shame I can't steal subtle glances at your figure any longer" Esdeath sighed.

"Then just deliberately look" Salem chuckled and retorted as Esdeath hit her palm with her hand.

"Of course!" Esdeath exclaimed while Raven sighed.

"I'll have to thank Lilith when I see her next" Raven slightly smiled, a feeling of gratefulness rising in her chest.

"Well that aside.. Where do you plan to go next? We still gotta get stronger. I'm still thinking about where to go after I complete my little town building" Neo asked, tapping her lip.

"Mn.. I have no idea. But I could use a trip with Yang. She's had anger issues before I bestowed her but now.." Raven scrunched up her face thinking of the potential property damage.

"Maybe.. Witchblade? It's a safeish world with women in living weaponized armor and weird human weapons. Not really a huge threat. Good Mom and Daughter duo there too" Neo gave an idea.

"Hm.. I guess if it can help Yang. I'll consider taking her in a few days" Raven replied, considering the idea.

"As long as I can occasionally stop by" Esdeath grinned.

"Me too, obviously" Salem added, finishing her own tea.

"Nothing weird about that world besides those things, right..?" Raven asked.

"Hm.... the weaponized armors are all kinda skimpy but that's it?" Neo answered.

"..." Raven was speechless.

"...Get a few while you're there, will you?" Salem asked.

"...I'll see what I can do.."