Fragments

Ch.27 - The Empress

From the very start, the Reapers ardently defending their settlement were disadvantaged and losing accordingly, encircled and slowly slain, simply overpowered by numbers.
Despite humanity being weakened, lacking funds and resources to train every wielder of special abilities that could carry infinite potential value…
Despite not all Reapers being bloodthirsty, brutal maniacs, some fighting in unified, tactical ways and securing short-lived moments of glory…
Regardless of voluntary support from nearby, onlooking creatures of their kind that came to assist for various reasons…

All of their efforts shone through temporarily at best, when compared to the Empress's arrival on the scene.

The female Reaper looked… Shockingly human, aside from the yellowish, scaly tail that seamlessly extended out from above her hips.
She calmly looked around the battlefield, the grandiose heater shield and gnarly konda sword by her sides, giving the two Instructors, who stepped up to face her after the impact her appearance caused cleared the area, time to observe and strategize.
The woman had exquisite white hair reaching just below her shoulders, black and yellow eyes, and a clearly defined, lean physique, evident from her relaxed posture.
Her upper body was adorned with loose clothes similar to a white karate gi, kept tight with a red and white, striped belt and slightly open around the chest…
And her lower body was covered by long, black, flared pants with fiery orange, embroidered flames reaching up to her knees from ankle-height, all topped off with traditional-looking shoes resembling ones worn by tai-chi practitioners.

"So, that's the Reaper Empress... Impera. It's my first time seeing her."
Asuma, standing in front of her fellow Instructor, squinted her eyes, which could only be seen from behind her sunglasses due to mildly furrowed brows. She was visibly cautious, unbefitting of her typically unmotivated and lazy approach to things…
"Yeah, that ridiculous aura she's got checks out with the rumors and legends I've heard," she concluded, relaxing her shoulders and sighing.

Those experienced in combat didn't just see a mesomorphic, misleadingly beautiful Reaper easily mistakable for a human…
The fabric of space seemed to gently twist and reshape above the Empress, rising in strands similar to thread and creating a dreadfully unforgettable, eldritch, almost tangible visualization of the aura Asuma described seeing.
What she bore witness to was unspeakable, spine-chilling danger… An omen of conquest.

Shattering the entrancing sight, the two's earpieces beeped to life, and Ku, who bothered not to find the right channel, spoke to them both.
"Hey, can someone hear me?"

"Y-yeah? Ku? What is it?" Asuma asked, urging him on, as there wasn't much time to idle around and speak.

"We've engaged the target, but Reuel's badly hurt, so I'm requesting a medical team!"

"Right," Station 1's Instructor nodded, immediately switching channels to contact his men.
"Teams 1 through 4, which one of you is available?"
He received the answer shortly, and commanded the second one to rush over and help those in the factory...

"By the way," Ku insistently asked Asuma, "what's the situation outside? Our enemy suddenly seems nervous and stopped, Yin thinks something's wrong, and you guys sound pretty out-of-it, too… What happened?"

"It's the Empress, we're looking right at her. She hasn't engaged thankfully, and is a good distance away from our spot… I think she's mad we're fighting on her turf."

Asuma received a quiet, increasingly worried "fuck" in response…

"Don't think that word suffices anymore– anything else you guys need?"

"No, we can manage. Good luck."
With the press of a button, the device beeped and their short conversation ended, no further time being wasted…

"Yeah, gonna need it. Ari," she spoke up, turning to her colleague, "I'll engage and try to kill her right off the bat. If that doesn't work, stay back, and let's fight her like usual."