Chapter 47: The Merciless Empress

"Is that so? Well then.." Makima mumbled and raised her left hand up, her index finger pointed at the back of Scarlet's head. "Bang."

Scarlet's head exploded after what Makima had done. Power glanced over to her and then over to Makima. "You think that worked?"

Scarlet's body collapsed onto the ground as her blood pooled out from her neck. Makima crossed her arms and had a smug smirk on her face. "It seems so." She closed her eyes and turned around, her back facing Scarlet's body. "Come Power, we have other stuff to take care of."

Scarlet's head would regrow as she started to laugh, she slowly got up and snickered. "Ara Ara, leaving so soon? You have to admit, that surprise was something. It was pretty good, I won't lie." The Grimm girl turned around and popped her neck. "But now it's my turn to give you what you deserve tenfold."

"Oh? Still alive after that? My, you're an interesting specimen." Makima chuckled under her breath, she turned her head to the side as if she were looking at Scarlet. "So what's your goal here hm? Kill every last person in sight? Where's the fun in that?"

Scarlet snarled angrily at how Makima mocked her, she glared at her with the look of murder in her eyes. "And what if it is? What are you going to do about it? Stop me? Please.. don't make me laugh." The Grimm girl smirked and spun Black Rose around. "I'll be sure to savor each little piece I slice off from you and Power. One by one, and then when I'm done with you both...I'll slaughter everyone else."

Makima started laughing, she looked around Power and then over at Scarlet."Kill us? Oh that is just precious. Do you hear that? She thinks she can ki-"

Makima was silent, Scarlet used her semblance to stop time. She dashed towards the two, she went in to stab her hand through Makima's heart but Scarlet noticed something. She stopped and looked at Makima. "Did her eyes just move? No... I must be seeing things. There's no way this woman is that strong."

Scarlet stared at her for a moment as Makima's head slowly turned and her eyes stared back at Scarlet. She did move, but how? Scarlet wondered how that was possible. She jumped back and blinked, allowing time to resume.

Power was confused, did she miss something. Or did something happen? She looked at Makima and then at Scarlet. "What?"

Scarlet gritted her teeth but she inhaled and exhaled. "Clever girl, I'm surprised you could move when my semblance is active. I must give you credit, moving when time is stopped."

"Oh? So that's what it is? Freezing time around everyone but yourself...you truly are a interesting specimen." Makima smirked and clapped her hands. "Now then, you were saying you'd kill me and Power? I'd love to see you try, but how could you? If you can't even touch me?"

Scarlet scoffed, swinging Black Rose towards her. Only for it to be blocked by Power's blood scythe. "Get out of my way you demon."

"Just you wait, when Denji shows up, you're going to be out numbered, three against one." Power spoke with a glare in her eyes.

The Grimm girl snarled but laughed, she cocked her head back and bashed it against Powers forehead repeatedly. Blood trickling down their foreheads. "Denji? Ha, that chainsaw hybrid bastard? I think I left him for head if memory serves me right.. " She smirked and pushed Power back, kneeing her in the gut.

Power spat up blood over Scarlet's leg. She went to swing her blood scythe at her again, but didn't expect something to happen.

Scarlet caught the blood blade in her mouth, snapping it in half with her teeth. She bite down on it hard, separating the blade of the scythe. Power was speechless, quiet nonetheless, she just watched Scarlet swallow the blood blade from her scythe. Makima however was just standing idly by, not bothering to help Power.

"Delicious, now I wonder.. " Scarlet spoke with a murderous gaze in her eyes. "What you taste like?"

~~~

Power backed up slowly. She gritted her teeth, gripping onto her broken bloody scythe. She changed its form into a spear, tossing it towards Scarlet. "Eat this!"

Scarlet grinned widely and grabbed the spear in her mouth, munching on it and swallowing, she licked her lips snickering. "Now now, this game of cat and mouse isn't going to be fun." She charged towards Power and pounced on her, she pinned her down and glared back at Makima. "You won't stop me... will you?"

"Oh heavens no, I'd say have at it. I want to see how stronger you get. But with that said, even if you manage to consume as much as you want, you still won't stop me." Makima spoke, her eyes like pricing daggers into Scarlet's soul.

Power felt shattered, did she hear her right. Makima wasn't going to help her? "You bitch! You can't just let this happen!"

Scarlet grinned again as she turned her gaze to Power. Her jaw unhinged widely as she chomps down on Power's head, slurping her up and swallowed. Makima stood there, arms crossed and with a unfazed look on her face.

"Oh yeah, that's better. Now I've got a fire in my belly." Scarlet spoke as she chuckled and smirked, she glanced at Makima before cracking her knuckles. "I should thank you, but then again.."

Makima simply shrugged her shoulders. "Then again, you know deep down...you can't win against me, even if you tried. But how about this? Let us make a deal.." She slowly approached Scarlet stopping right in front of her. Her hand reached up and cupped Scarlet's chin, her eyes locked onto hers. "I'll let you go about your merry way and do what you want, consume others. Kill the demons...challenge Denji to another fight."

"And?" Scarlet questioned, slapping her hand away from her chin. "What do you get out of this so-called deal? How do I know you won't be stabbing me in the back?"

Makima chuckled. "Simple really, I'll wait for you... wait until the very last day... and then I'll fight you, and maybe even spill the beans, on where you need to head.. the location of your.... target."

Scarlet scoffed, she put a hand on her left hip. She closed her eyes for a moment as she pondered over the proposal. She knew there would be consequences with this, she opened her eyes. Her crimson red eyes looking into Makima's eyes. "It won't do any good, Queen will know and she will slip through my grasp. Always one step ahead." She smirked and chuckled. "Although, fighting you at my fullest..."

"Sounds tempting, doesn't it? In fact, I'll give you exactly what you need." Makima spoke, circling Scarlet like a hungry shark. "I'll give you a list of where the other Devil Hunters are located, and the devils themselves."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow up, it did sound more and more tempting. "And you said, I could fight Denji too? Fascinating. Fine, but I'll have to get myself a hotel room to stay at until then. Luckily for me, whichever hotel I stay at."

"Will be a free buffet for you." Makima spoke as if she was reading Scarlet's mind. "Indeed it will be my dear killer..." She leaned in closer, her breath hot against Scarlet's ear. "So what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Scarlet scoffed, she pushed Makima away. She walked past her and stopped half way, she turned her head to the side. "Fine, it's a deal. But just know this. I already have your scent familiarized, if I catch a whiff of your scent anywhere within the hotel... and I find out you're plotting something to break this deal. I won't hesitate, you'll join Power in the afterlife."

Makima wore a small smirk on her face, hearing what Scarlet was saying. She raised her hands up as if she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Very well, I'll see that no one who works under me or for me interferes with your plans. But do keep an eye out on the mail. I'll be sending you a letter of what you need to know."

~~~

After that small yet what seemed to be a long conversation. Scarlet walked the streets of Tokyo, her eyes scanning the area, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs that may lead her in the right direction to a hotel. She pondered for a moment, rubbing her chin a little, she came to a stop however as she turned her gaze to a sushi shop. Her belly growled as she gazed down at it, she shrugged a little and walked in. Figuring she'd ask for directions while having some food.

A few hours went by as the sushi shop fell silent. The door slowly slid open as Scarlet stood there, drenched in blood. Her eyes scanning the area seeing it had already became sunset. "Huh...time flies when you're feasting." She turned her head and smirked. "Thanks for the meal fella's...keep the change." With a smirk she walked out of the sushi shop. "Now then, I believe one of them said there was a hotel just about..." Scarlet stopped as she jumped up onto a nearby roof. Her eyes scanned the area ahead as she then snapped her fingers. "Bingo, that big one way over there. Looks like I can either walk it or..." She smirked as she sprouted her Nevermore wings. "I can fly there."

Taking flight into the air, Scarlet flew over the citizens. Some mistaken her for a devil, others saw her as a fallen angel God had sent down to smite them all. Hearing their mumbling about their different opinions on her, brought a sinister smirk to her face. She was tempted to stop, to enjoy the praise. But then again, she knew one or most of them would contact the devil hunters. Instead, she kept flying by and over head of those who looked upon her from below. Once she made it to the hotel, she didn't bother using the front door, instead she swooped into an opened window in one of the empty rooms. "Not bad, it looks a whole lot cleaner than the dormitories at Beacon and other academies in Remnant. But, it's not like I plan on spending my entire time here." She kicked her boots off and tore her Nevermore wings off. "Now then." She stretched and popped her bones and cracked her back. "....Makima better hold up her end of the deal, or else."