Survival in Akame ga kill.

A thick, acrid smoke billowed from the impact site, enveloping the monstrous figures in a swirling, blackened cloud. 

The oppressive stench of burning flesh and chemical propellant filled the air, causing nearby soldiers to gag as they stumbled away from the growing cloud.

"..."

For a moment, there was an eerie silence. The soldiers held their breath, eyes fixed on the smoke, hands trembling on their rifles.

But then, like the emerging silhouette of a nightmare, the charred beast stepped forward.

The smoke gradually dissipated, revealing the gruesome aftermath.

A gaping crater marred the creature's chest, blackened edges still smoldering. Veins of bright blue substance pulsated beneath its obsidian armor, visible through the gory wound. 

Chunks of its flesh dangled precariously, some sloughing off into the filthy water below.

And then, its aquamarine eyes flared, burning with a renewed, malevolent light.

Before their horrified eyes, the wound began to seal shut. The flesh knit itself back together, the fractured scales fusing seamlessly over the injured area. 

The beast's regeneration was not only swift but appeared almost effortless, as though the destructive shell had done little more than scratch its surface.

But what followed was even more terrifying.

The beast's back began to bulge, the muscles beneath its scales writhing as though something monstrous lay hidden beneath the surface. 

*CRUNCH*

Flesh twisted and contorted, unnatural cracks resounding like snapping bones.

*Squelch!*

Two fleshy tendrils erupted from its back, wriggling like snakes before stretching upward, elongating into grotesque, serpentine heads.

The new heads opened their jaws, revealing rows of jagged, venom-dripping teeth, each head hissing in tandem, the sound chillingly reminiscent of a serpent's rattle.

One soldier, his face pale and eyes wide with terror, muttered under his breath, "What kind of abomination are we even fighting…?"

The heavy artillery they had fired at the demonic entity was powerful enough to knock down a high-ranking danger beast with good defence, yet the malevolent thing in front of them had recovered from such a force. To make matters worse, more heads grew, adding to its eeriness.

The sinuous heads snapped towards the sound, their hideous azure eyes fixed on the gathering of troops with predatory intent.

"We have to run or we will die." Slipped from a terrified soldier's mouth as his face turned pale.

At this point, they lost all sense of bravery or dread of disobedience. 

Hearing the Hellspawn's wicked roar caused several of them to pee their pants.

The only reason they didn't run was Mez, a rakshasa demon capable of restraining teigu wielders.

The obsidian beast's twin sinuous heads lunged forward towards the fearful soldiers, venom dripping from their jagged maws, but before they could strike, another guttural roar tore through the chaos. 

*BOOM*

Kuro slammed into the obsidian monster, their collision sending shockwaves that cracked the remaining walls. 

The sewer trembled as the two beasts traded blows, Kuro's claws raking furrows into the obsidian hide, the monster's fists cratering Kuro's regenerating body. 

The serpentine heads struck, spewing venomous acid. Kuro swiftly raised its arms to block, but the venom melted through flesh and bone in seconds. Its forearms dissolved into sludge, but the Teigu didn't retreat. 

With a roar, it lunged again, its maw splitting open to reveal rotating, saw-like teeth. 

"Finish it, Kuro!" Seryu screamed in desperation and fury. 

But the obsidian beast caught Kuro's jaws mid-strike, its claws digging into the biological Teigu's maw. The sinuous heads reared back to spray acid, but Kuro's body suddenly pulsed. 

*ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR*

Kuro let forth a terrible, vile howl. The roar was vicious, a wall of fury that ripped through stone and crushed eardrums. 

The roar was loud enough to cause soldiers who were far away to scream in anguish, clutching their bleeding ears, but despite that, Seryu remained unaffected.

Mez fluidly pressed pressure points at her temples, sealing her hearing instantly. This was easy for someone like her who had body altering techniques.

The obsidian beast staggered, its serpentine heads writhing in agony. Cracks spider-webbed across its body as the sonic assault intensified. Rubble rained down, and the sewer's ceiling began to collapse in earnest. 

Kuro's jaws inched closer, its teeth grinding against the monster's grip. 

Then, as if in defiance, the obsidian beast roared back. 

"ROOAAR!!"

Its scaly muscles bulged as it drove a knee into Kuro's jaw with enough force to shatter steel. 

The biological teigu's jawbone splintered, but before it could regenerate, the monster unleashed a flurry of blows, fists like meteors, each impact cratering Kuro's body. 

*CRUNCH.*

With a final, vicious wrench, the obsidian beast tore Kuro's maw clean off. It stomped on the teigu's skull, pinning its twitching form to the ground, and let out a soul-rattling roar that shook the underground tunnels. 

The obsidian beast's serpentine heads hissed triumphantly, their acid dripping onto Kuro's remains.

The sudden roar of rushing water drowned out all other noise as the walls of the damaged sewer buckled, unleashing a surge of murky liquid. 

Within seconds, the sewer turned into a chaotic flood, the current rising rapidly around the soldiers' knees, then their waists.

Mez sighed as she looked at the unconscious Seryu.

"The toll finally caught, huh? We'll settle this later, personally, you lunatic, but consider yourself lucky for now." she muttered and adjusted Seryu on her back, her sharp eyes scanning the vicinity. 

Her voice rang out with authority.

"Retreat! Fall back! Regroup at the next tunnel junction!"

There was no time to hesitate. Soldiers scrambled to retreat, their movements panicked and frantic as the rising water slowed them down.

But then—

With a monstrous, soul-piercing scream, the obsidian beast reared back and let loose a howl so deafening and unnatural that it sent an involuntary shudder through every man present.

And then, with tremendous leap, it descended upon them.

A soldier barely had time to turn before the beast's clawed hand lashed out, gripping his skull like a ripe fruit. 

A sickening sound echoed through the tunnels as the beast squeezed, caving in the man's head like wet clay. His body spasmed once—then went limp before being tossed aside like a rag doll.

Another tried to raise his rifle—

They were too slow.

The beast's arm shot forward, claws piercing through his chest and out his back in one brutal motion. The soldier coughed up a thick spray of blood, fingers twitching as the monster ripped its hand free, leaving a gaping hole where his heart used to be.

The water, now a thickening crimson, sloshed violently as the beast continued its rampage.

"ARGHHH!!" a man screamed as he was hoisted into the air by his leg.

With a single swing, the beast used his body like a club, smashing him into another soldier with such force that both men's spines shattered on impact. Their bodies slumped together, folding unnaturally, like broken dolls left in the gutter.

Soldiers tried to flee, tried to escape the carnage.

But they didn't stand a chance.

The serpentine heads lashed out like whips, fangs piercing flesh and tearing men apart limb from limb. 

One soldier was ripped in half at the waist, his upper body flailing helplessly before sinking into the flood. Another's arm was torn off, the stump spurting blood as he collapsed, screaming in agony.

Amidst the carnage, the beast saw two soldiers struggling to drag something through the waist-deep water.

The beast roared and rushed towards them.

Then—

SNAP.

With sudden, brutal efficiency, the two heads lunged—biting down on the soldiers' throats.

CRUNCH!

Their skulls were torn from their bodies, spinal cords whipping through the air like snapping ropes before their limp corpses splashed into the water.

The flood swirled red around the lifeless bodies, the stench of blood thick in the air.

The obsidian beast loomed over the carnage, its massive, clawed hand gripping something tightly. With a low, guttural growl, it raised the figure toward its jagged maw, prepared to tear it apart—until it caught sight of the delicate, bloodied figure within its grasp.

Its beastly eyes looked at its prey.

A woman.

Her tattered, long, soaked purple hair clung to her bruised face, and despite her unconscious state, tears dripped from her bruised beautiful face.

A faint whisper escaped her lips.

"M…ine…"

The beast's eyes widened. Its savage aura flickered.

It froze.

A shudder ran through its monstrous frame as something foreign clawed at its mind, something almost forgotten. Its breaths grew uneven, its claws twitching. 

A low growl escaped from its deadly maw.

But before it could process this feeling, the serpentine heads coiling from its back hissed violently.

They lunged, fangs bared, aiming to devour the prey.

*Swoshh*

But the beast's free hand snapped up with blinding speed, catching one of the heads mid-strike. It clenched, its claws digging deep into its own flesh, black ichor spilling between its fingers. 

The trapped serpent thrashed violently, shrieking in defiance, but the obsidian beast only roared back, a sound of raw, overwhelming dominance.

"ROOOOOARRR!!"

The other serpent stilled.

A moment of eerie silence followed before both heads let out weak, defeated whimpers. Their forms convulsed, then dissolved into nothing, retreating into the beast's body.

Its breath was ragged, but its movements were careful now.

The monstrous, bloodstained hands that had torn men apart like paper now cradled the unconscious woman with gentleness. 

The cold, scaly fingers trembled slightly, as if afraid that the fragile woman might break.

The metal restraints on the woman's arms cracked. But the beast quickly shattered them into rusted fragments, sinking into the bloodied flood below.

Then, slowly, the monster began to walk.

Towards Tatsumi.

The beast waded through the bloodied water, its heavy footsteps sending ripples across the flood. The surrounding chaos no longer mattered.

It reached Tatsumi's sinking motionless body, its massive arms scooping him up effortlessly.

With Sheele gently cradled in one arm and Tatsumi hanging over its broad shoulder, the monster turned—its path clear.

It was leaving.

A/N:

And that's the promised chapter! How was it? Did it live up to your expectations, or are you sharpening your pitchforks already? Either way, I hope you liked how it ended.

As for Kuro… well, I'll let you figure that out yourself. If you're wrong, don't worry—so was he.

Also, a fun fact: Bane's split consciousness wasn't just for drama. Turns out, being part Hydra means having a built-in personality disorder. You chop off one head, and another pops up with a different opinion. Imagine the mental gymnastics going on in there. (There were also several other reasons.)

Anyway, the arc is basically done, with just one or two more chapters left. Thanks for sticking around.