Author Notes: Happy Father's Day! This is a setup for the next big fight that will be coming very soon.
Chapter 11: Kill The Interloper 1
"I'm sorry...I'm pooped.," complained the auburn haired girl as she breathed heavily.
"Oh really? Well, toughen up, you're delaying our arrival. We're almost there anyway.," the old woman snapped in regards to the girl's whining.
"I remember all that I ate last week. Don't treat me like a senile old fool.," she added as she looked back at the auburn haired girl.
You only had hamburgers though., the auburn haired girl observed in her thoughts before the dark haired girl walked towards her.
"I'll give you a lift.," said the girl in a reserved voice as she gave the girl a piggy back ride.
"Sweet!," the girl yelled in praise.
"Don't spoil Chelsea Taeko!," the old woman snapped.
"Back when I was young and beautiful, I didn't have the luxury of being helped. It was either you pulled your weight or you were left behind-," droned the old woman as Chelsea blocked the words out of her head.
Ack! Old Lady Babara is bragging about her golden years again. I need to change the subject quickly., thought Chelsea, worried that ironically the old woman would be the one to delay them now.
"Soooo, our next mission is to assassinate one of the Empire's top secret units, right? How do you think we'll lure them out?," Chelsea said to Taeko, ignoring the words of the old woman.
"We'll plan it with our allies.," Taeko said plainly.
"The trade route by which foreign countries have been supplying and financing the rebel army has been located. This false information should been sent to the Empire by now. And those suckers will have bought the bait just by now.," explained Babara.
"So we're going to act as merchants on that trade route and ambush them right?...Hm...," Chelsea replied before noticing the cloth tied around a branch.
"It seems like we've arrived at our destination.," Babara said aloud.
Suddenly, a group of shinobi jumped in front of them.
"So we're teaming up with these girls? Are they really going to be of any use?," said a light haired young man with a scar diagonally across his face and smug grin.
"You think they're grappling and wrestling specialists? If they are I'd love to test out their skills.," said his friend with a lecherous tone of voice.
It's that kind of talk that gets your ass kicked., Chelsea thought with annoyance.
"But, is ok that granny's coming along? Does she babysit and cook for you?," said the youth as he walked towards Babara.
"Don't call me granny- I'm Babara.," Babara snapped at the youth with a grin of confidence.
"What did you say "Babara" The Babara Oarbugh? Of the organization that carries the Grim Reaper's name?!," shouted the youth in shock and awe as he backed away in a panic.
"That's right. I'm the adviser to the Oarbughs! Want me to prove it?," she asked as she emitted a powerful bloodlust.
"N-no just your aura is proof enough. I never thought I'd see the real thing in the flesh!," he apologized while dropping to his knees.
"You better not underestimate Taeko either. She's been raised by the Oarbughs since she was a baby. And you do not want to get on her bad side.," the old man pointed to Taeko who emitted an intimidating aura as she looked to the side in a daze.
"And she's Chelsea. She used to work for a sadistic viceroy after losing her family and eventually killed him once she realized that she had a reason to change this world to rid this country of these scumbags, as a member of the Revolutionary Army. And she's been training and working with us to improve her skills and she's become able to hide her threatening aura...which I and Taeko can also do. So continue to train hard on stamina as well Chelsea.," Babara added to Chelsea's annoyance.
"Granny taught me well. Why did you say all that? Giving away my trade secrets...," Chelsea said with a sing-song tone.
She's right. I don't sense much from her, which makes her just as dangerous as her colleagues if not more so., thought the youth.
"And we're-," said the youth before Babara cut him off.
"Judging by your attire, you're the mercenary unit the Tengus. I heard int the East, they are making weapons of that same name.," Babara observed.
"No relation, but if they've hired us along with the legendary Oarbughs. Then we have a really difficult group of adversaries to face.," the youth said with a sweat of nervousness on his brow.
"I suspect there's another organization outside of both the rebels and the Empire, is at work as well. We'll have to prepare for the worst.," Barbara acknowledged as she looked up in the sky and observed an insect that suspiciously acted in an observant manner uncommon for an animal.
North East of the Empire - Near the Border Hakuro River
The Elite Seven were now training to keep their stamina up and their skills sharp. They were training in an abandoned temple that was partially submerged.
"Alright! Come at me Poney!," Cornelia in her training attire declared as Poney charged at her.
"This time I'm gonna win Corey!," shouted the auburn haired girl until she was thrown on her back by Cornelia.
"Yes! Cornelia wins just like always!," Guy clapped with joy.
"Corey and Poney are no. 3 and no. 4 fighters after all. It's only natural for her senior to beat Poney. And she's the champ for the girl matches since the very start.," Green observed from the seats.
"Damn...If only I could land a hit.," Poney said as she got up, only to noticed that Guy was now rushing towards Cornelia.
"Alright! time to take on the champion of the man matches!," Guy shouted.
"You're second place to Najasho though...," Green said from the sidelines.
I"ll take advantage of her confusion and cop a feel!, thought Guy before Cornelia punched him down into the water.
"Hey punches are against the rules!," Guy complained before Poney, Akame and Cornelia all splashed him.
"Felt threatened, instinctive reaction.," Corey said to Guy with a tone of disappointment.
"Nice one Corey!," Poney said as she gave a thumbs up.
"Hey Tsukushi! Wanna come?," Akame said with a pleased look on her face.
"I'll back you up!," Tsukushi said as she went into the water with her friend.
The four played in the water while Green looked at Akame longingly.
"Is this ok Father? Our target is coming down the river tonight.," Najasho asked.
"I actually have a suspicion...that something is going to go wrong...It's important to know when and when not to fight.," Gozuki explained.
Later That Night...
The Tengu team were all on boats while Babara's group remained further away.
"This is a perfect spot for an ambush...," said the youth that led the Tengus.
"Something feels off...Chelsea scout the area.," Babara asked Chelsea.
Chelsea then pulled out a makeup kit with a plaid covering, however it wasn't an ordinary kit.
Subtly, the boats began to move on their own.
"Is it just me or the current moving too quickly...," asked the youth as the boats gradually began to move at a faster rate.
And the current was circling...downwards as it kept sipping towards the center of the cause of the increasing current.
"What the shit?!," he yelled as the boats spun down into the center of the current.
Quickly, the team readied their weaponry prepared for anything.
However, two large insect like pincer mandibles clasp onto the main boat, crushing it in its grasp.
"A Danger Beast huh?...Wait those mandibles?...That's a Well Antlion Danger Beast! Why would one hid in the water! They'e desert-," the youth said aloud before a large arm with a white, segmented sleeve grabbed his body in its grasp.
It then pulled him under as the others looked in shock, landing onto the boats away from the whirlpool's range.
The boats and the members that didn't get out in time were devoured by the trap.
"Is this one of their tactics?," Taeko asked.
"No, this is too barbaric and showy. The Empire won't do this...publicly. What is going on?," Babara observed as the Tengu team were gradually pulled into the current or grabbed by the arms of the unseen creature.
"Should we aid them?," Taeko asked as she pulled out her sword.
"Hold it. We shouldn't attack something that we have no idea of what it's capable of. Or that it's intelligent enough to do something dangerous. Either way, we need to retreat for now before it attacks. Chelsea- We're ready to leave!," Babara ordered as a large Mega Owl Danger Beast grabbed the two in its grasp, seemingly knowing of what the old woman wanted.
"We should be-," Babara explained until the whirlpool now filled with blood stopped its motion...and then propelled itself towards their direction.
"I knew it, it's intelligent! Fly faster!," Babara ordered as the Owl reluctantly flew even faster, causing the whirlpool to propel itself at an even faster rate.
As they reached the edge of the river and onto land, the whirlpool dissipated as a large insect Danger Beast, a Well Antlion Danger Beast scuttled in their direction. Oddly, it wore white clothing that was segmented and its proportions were oddly humanoid compared to how usually animalistic it would usually appear.
It seemed ready to continue pursuing, but it suddenly stopped and returned to the lake to Babara's confusion.
Hidden Location
"Phew, we should be ok here. It seemed like it's amphibious and can't stay out of water too long...," Babara explained while sitting on s box.
"Or it received a command to continue hiding. I didn't expect that we would be ambushed by water. I don't think any survived.," Taeko answered as she dried off her clothing.
"If its the latter, then we're dealing with a secret third group that experiments in evolving Danger Beasts- there's no species in this country that looks like what we've see. And it was wearing clothing, meaning that its probably not the only one by any margin. In any case, we should send this news to HQ. Understand Chelsea?." Babara concluded as she turned to the Mega Owl.
The Mega Owl then poofed in a puff of smoke and Chelsea was in its place...rather the Mega Owl was Chelsea who had transformed.
"That monster was terrifying, but I think we're missing the main objective- that group that keeps on killing our allies...Damn using Gaea's Foundation is difficult for larger forms. It's exhausting,," Chelsea said with a huff.
"Then we're dealing with several possible scenarios. One is that this third party is playing on killing us to lure out those assassins in order to kill them. Kill them to lure us out...Or wait for both sides to kill each other. In any case, this is no longer just a simple mission...we get to slay monsters...," Babara said with anticipation to Chelsea's dread.
"Isn't it dangerous to focus squarely on this new target? What about the assassins?," Taeko asked her mentor.
"Oh I got that covered! I just got it before we went on the boat. It turns out that the Over-Confident Quintet, who were apart of the program that raised these...seven chosen ones.," Chelsea said aloud as she pulled out seven drawings from her to Taeko and Babara's astonishment.
"Wait, those idiots who were dumb enough to attack the Empire head on and got captured and made into their prisoners? They actually had the brain power to pull this off under their nose?," Babara inquired Chelsea with a tone of shock.
"Yes, it turns out before they died, they sketched out what each member looks like. No one didn't check because they were just janitors and they had a reputation of being disposable idiots.," Chelsea explained as she revealed the images of four girls and three boys.
"These will be helpful in tracking them and to make sure that we can identify them at anytime. Their sacrifices won't be in vain.," Babara said.
"Then we'd better get these drawings sent to our spies quickly. We'll have them search the nearest towns.," Chelsea said with optimism.
So these were youngsters all along. Taeko can't lose to such novices. And we'll make sure to deal with these other interlopers as well and show them the terror of the Oarbughs., thought Babara with a determined look on her face.
"Next time it will be our turn to attack.," Taeko said as she observed the one with Akame's face in particular.
Next Chapter: An episode going into one of the lab sessions with the Five Reapers.