Hey guys, I'm finally back with another chapter for this story! I'm very sorry about the extremely long wait for this chapter, but I started college again a few months ago and this semester I'm also working at the same time. So, with both school and work, I have very little free time to do any sort of writing. This isn't even including all the amazing games that have come out a recently, that I've been trying to keep up on. Well anyways, this chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and will have Night Raid continuing their mission to protect the Way of Peace and stop Bolic. That's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Teigu
"Incursio"
Disclaimer: I don't own Akame ga Kill or any of its characters.
(One AM: Just Outside Kyoroku Cathedral)
"Piece of cake..." Tatsumi thought as he used Incursio's invisibility to take out three guards patrolling the cathedral grounds. Once the guards had been dispatched, Tatsumi walked back over to the hole in the ground he had emerged from and helped Leone, Najenda, and Susanoo out of it.
"Everyone ready?" Najenda asked, adjusting her mechanical arm. "Because things are about to get dangerous really fast."
"Oh, I'm more than ready!" Leone exclaimed with a massive grin as she punched her fist into her palm. A moment later, Leone's body was bathed in brilliant golden flames. Once the flames began to die down, Leone had transformed into her Lionel form. "We just need to create a big enough commotion and lure the Jaegers out! So, let's start smashing some shit!"
(Five Minutes Later: Within Kyoroku Cathedral)
"We have a serious emergency!" An imperial soldier yelled, bursting into the room where Bolic and the Jaegers were gathered. "Bandits suddenly appeared within the courtyard! We have no idea where the hell they came from! But we need help damn it, we're getting slaughtered out there!"
"Huh, I had a hunch Night Raid would make their move tonight." Budo said as he crossed his arms over his chest, hearing an explosion ring out close by. "Good thing I've set a few plans in motion."
"T-The courtyard!?" Bolic exclaimed in a panicked tone, his entire body tensing. "That means they're right outside!"
"Kurome, you don't leave Bolic's side, not even for a second." Budo said as he pointed towards the dark-haired girl. "You need to keep him safe at all costs."
"Got it, sir!" Kurome proclaimed, saluting to her superior officer.
"Unacceptable!" Bolic shouted as he bolted off his throne and grabbed ahold Budo's leg. "You must protect me yourself, General!"
"Grow some balls man, act like a stuck up jackass like you always do! Disgusting!" Budo said in an irritated tone, shaking Bolic off his leg. "Don't worry, I won't leave the cathedral no matter how much your crying and whining irritates me!" Picking Bolic up by his throat, Budo slammed him back down into his throne. "No matter how much of a ruckus you cause, Night Raid...you lose if you can't assassinate Bolic." A small smirk spread across Budo's face as he turned to face the commotion outside. "Now...show me what you've got!"
(Same Time: Airspace Above the Cathedral)
"It's our time now!" Lubbock exclaimed over the rushing winds as he desperately clung to the Air Manta. "We'll infiltrate through the roof of the cathedral! Once we're close enough, Mine will use Pumpkin to blow a hole in the roof!"
"Got it!" Mine said with a smile, giving Lubbock and Akame a thumbs up. "I'm good to go!"
"You aren't worried about recoil or anything?!" Lubbock asked as he glanced down at Pumpkin. "You're gonna be firing off a really powerful shot, are you sure you can handle it!?"
"Of course I can handle it, I'm not a wimp like you!" Mine said with a teasing smile, standing up on the Air Manta's back and prepping Pumpkin. A faint blush spread across the pink-haired sniper's face as she remembered something Tatsumi had said to her on one of their first missions together. "I am a genius sniper after all."
However, as Mine took aim at the cathedral's roof, the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. Whipping around, the pink-haired sniper was shocked to see a golden streak of light blazing towards them at an incredible speed. As the golden beam of light shot passed, the three Night Raid assassins were surprised to see a winged man was the one soaring passed them.
"What the hell!?" Akame exclaimed shock as her blood-red eyes widened. "Is that guy seriously keeping up with us!?"
"A second team attacking from the sky, I had a hunch..." Run said, soaring next to Night Raid's Air Manta, briefly locking eyes with Akame. "Looks like our strategy was perfect this time." Run's eyes narrowed as he blasted passed the Night Raid assassins. "But despite knowing that I would be here, you still attacked from the air, which is my territory..." Diving underneath the Air Manta, Run hit it with a barrage of razor-sharp feathers, creating a small explosion. The massive flying danger beast groaned in pain as it began to lose altitude. "Was a poor strategy, this is a perfect example."
"We're going down!" Lubbock exclaimed as the Air Manta started to rapidly hurdle towards the ground.
"So, you're finally here, Night Raid." Wave said, gripping Grand Chariot's hilt as he watched an Air Manta plummet towards the ground from the cathedral below. "Revenge for Bols, Seryu, Koro, and General Esdeath...and for hurting Kurome...I'll settle everything here!"
(Same Time: Back Within the Cathedral's Courtyard)
"Budo still isn't coming out, even after all the hell we've raised." Najenda said as she released a heavy sigh, resting her hands on her hips. Gazing at all the dead imperial soldiers around her, Najenda grunted and lit a cigarette. "What a waste."
"Perhaps he fled?" Susanoo proposed, walking up next Najenda.
"No, he's definitely still here." Leone replied as she gazed at the cathedral ahead of them. "I feel a very powerful aura coming from within the center of the cathedral. It's got to be Budo, he wants to kill us all."
"We must be prepared, it is almost time for Akame and the others to begin their aerial assault." Susanoo pointed out, glancing up at the sky overhead. "They should be here any minute."
"This isn't good, for the assassination to be successful, we have to lure out Budo's group." Najenda thought as she stroked her chin and took a drag of her cigarette. "We have no other choice!" Her eyes hardening, Najenda tossed her cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out. "There's been a change of plans! We'll be charging in through the front door!"
"Got it!" Tatsumi exclaimed, equipping Neuntote into his hand.
"I'll be right behind you!" Leone said with a devious smirk as she cracked her knuckles. "I'm ready to smash some more heads in."
"Susanoo, is your trump card ready?" Najenda asked, glancing back at the biological teigu. "Because I have a feeling we might need it."
"Of course." Susanoo replied with a smile as he gripped the red disk on his chest. "I'll activate it as soon as you give the keyword."
"Good, now let's move out!" Najenda exclaimed, charging towards the cathedral's entrance, with her assassins trailing right behind her. "We'll be in the most danger after the assassination is complete. Budo won't have someone to guard anymore, so he'll be able to focus on attacking us. If that's the case, then the best time for the Magatama Manifestation is right after we kill Bolic. I'll use it to keep everyone safe after our objective is complete!"
(Back With Akame's Team: Skies Above Kyoroku Cathedral)
"Fuck, this is really bad, that attack killed the Air Manta!" Lubbock yelled as he tightly gripped the falling danger beast in a desperate attempt to not fall off. "We're definitely going to crash!"
"Ah, I can't let this chance fall away." Run said, flying behind the rapidly descending group of assassins and firing off another barrage of knife-like feathers.
"Well, I won't this threat get any closer!" Mine exclaimed as she took aim with Pumpkin and let loose a powerful beam of spiritual energy. The beam blew away the feathers and managed to graze Run.
"That teigu is far more dangerous than I thought..." Run thought, wincing in pain as fell towards the ground, firing off two more feathers as he descended passed the Night Raid assassins.
"Damn it, I only managed to scrap him! Too bad I can't fire off shots like that all the time." Mine thought as watched the feathers rapidly approach. "I need a second to recharge my spirit energy! I won't be able to shoot those feathers!"
"I got this." Akame said, standing protectively in front of Mine. In the blink of an eye, the red-eyed assassin had unsheathed Murasame and cut the flying feathers down. Once the projectiles had been taken care of, Akame released a light sigh and resheathed her sword. "That was an impressive shot Mine, you managed to drive him away."
"And your follow-up was pretty awesome too, Akame." Mine said with a smile as she stood onto her feet.
"Hey, you two! Save the small talk for later! We'll all die if we don't do something!" Lubbock exclaimed, frantically weaving his wires, spreading them all along the Air Manta. After a few moments, Lubbock had covered the entire Air Manta in a protective layer of wires. "This should make for a decent impromptu cushion." A few seconds later, the three Night Raid assassins crashed into the ground, creating a large crater and kicking up a cloud of debris. Lubbock's impressive protective weaving had held up and did its job. When the dust began to settle, the wires surrounding the Air Manta disappeared and the Night Raid assassin emerged relatively unscathed. "That's pretty impressive...the Air Manta's body absorbed most of the impact."
"Thanks for everything..." Akame said in a slightly saddened tone as she patted the Air Manta's head. "You really saved us, we can't thank you enough." Releasing a light sigh, Akame rested a hand on Murasame's hilt. "We hit the ground off target, so let's hurry to the cathedral."
"I won't let you." Wave announced, approaching the three Night Raid assassins, Grand Chariot resting on his shoulder. "If you want to get to the cathedral, you'll have to get through me."
"A Jaeger?!" The three assassins said simultaneously as they all tensed and gripped their teigu.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mine asked, aiming Pumpkin at Wave's head. "Even if you're not our target, the three of us won't show you any mercy."
"Come...Night Raid...you guys even injured Run..." Wave said as he extended Grand Chariot's blade, his eyes hardening. "I'm not going to lose any more of my comrades! I won't let you hurt anyone else!" Letting out a mighty yell, Wave's body was soon encased in bright blue light and a small shockwave was sent out. "Grand Chariot!" When the light had died down, Wave was now cloaked in Grand Chariot's armor. "Come at me, Night Raid!"
"Take this!" Mine exclaimed, firing off a burst of shots at Wave.
"Too slow." Wave said as he dodged the incoming fire and charged towards Mine.
"No, you don't!" Akame yelled, leaping towards Wave and slashing at him with Murasame. However, her eyes widened in surprise when her blade bounced off Wave's armor, barely leaving a scratch. "His armor...my blade can't pierce it and reach his skin...that armor doesn't have any openings!"
"I don't care how many of you there are!" Wave exclaimed as he hit Akame in the stomach with a powerful punch, sending her flying backward. The dark-haired assassin grunted in pain as her back slammed into a tree, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"Get the hell away from Akame, ya bastard!" Lubbock said, sending out his wires. In an instant, the wires had wrapped themselves around Wave's body. "Got you now!" However, Lubbock's celebration was cut short when Wave easily managed to break free. Quickly recalling his wires, Lubbock watched closely as Wave charged towards him. Lubbock's eyes soon focused on the nearly invisible wire that Wave was sprinting towards. "That's it, just a little closer! Get caught in my trap threads!" The green-haired assassin's eyes soon widened in shock when Wave suddenly leaped over his trap wire. "He already knew those were there!?"
"I'm going to kill every single one of you!" Wave yelled as he continued to barrel towards Lubbock.
"Shit!" Lubbock said, rapidly forming a protective wall of threads in Wave's path. But Lubbock's threading wasn't strong enough and Wave easily tore through it with a flying kick. Still having enough momentum, Wave's kick hit Lubbock in the stomach, sending him flying backward.
"Damn you!" Mine exclaimed as she a burst of shots at Wave, but he leaped into the air and easily avoided them. "What the hell?! This guy wasn't this strong before, was he?"
"This isn't good..." Akame thought, gripping her aching shoulder as she walked up next to Mine. "He's like a force of nature...if we don't hurry Tatsumi's team will be taken out!"
(Same Time: Night Raid's Hideout with Sayo)
"I hope everyone is okay..." Sayo muttered as she sat at the kitchen table, her foot rapidly tapping as she heard several explosions ring out in the distance. Outside Sayo could hear a commotion as people ran by, trying to get away from the fighting at the cathedral. After hearing another explosion, Sayo suddenly stood up from her seat. "Damn it! I can't just sit around any longer! I have to go and help!" Bolting across the room, Sayo opened a secret compartment in the wall where their weapons were hidden. However, when Sayo reached down to grab her bow and Extase, she felt a sharp pain shoot down her back. Hissing in pain, Sayo fell onto one knee, feeling her body starting ache once again. Growling in frustration, Sayo slammed her fist against the wall. "Son of a bitch! My friends are out there risking their lives and I'm just sitting here! I feel so fucking useless!" Feeling tears sting her eyes, Sayo slumped against the wall and sat on the floor. "Damn it...god damn it...all I want to do is help my friends..."
As Sayo fought back tears, she suddenly heard a series of knocks at the door. Grabbing a small dagger from the hidden weapons stash, Sayo slowly made her way towards the door. Sayo tightly gripped the dagger and pressed herself against the wall near the doorway, trying to listen for whoever was outside. After another series of knock, Sayo hid the dagger behind her back and took a deep breath, slowly pulling the door open. Peeking her head out, Sayo was surprised to see a cloaked figure standing in front of her. The mystery person also had thick ski goggles and a scarf hiding their face.
"C-Can I help you..." Sayo asked, preparing to attack with the dagger at a moment's notice.
"I sure hope you can." The mystery person replied in a strangely familiar voice. Suddenly the mysterious newcomer pulled off their goggles and scarf. Sayo's eyes widened in surprise when she recognized who had shown up on their doorstep.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sayo asked as she fully opened the door and tossed her dagger onto a nearby table. "They let you off your leash or something?"
"No, nothing like that, I merely snuck out. Now, if you're up to it let's gear up and get to the cathedral. From the sounds of those explosions, it seems like those guys could use some backup."
(Back with Tatsumi's Group)
"So you're the famous Najenda I've heard so much about..." Budo said with a small smile, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's an honor to finally meet you."
"I can't say I share similar sentiments, Budo." Najenda said as her one good eye narrowed, glaring at Bolic who sat behind Budo. "Either you let us through, or we go through you."
"So these people are apart of Night Raid..." Bolic thought, openly leering at Leone's exposed cleavage. "Oh my, how seductive..."
"Don't think I missed that you fucking perv!" Leone snarled as she bared her fangs at Bolic, tightly balling her fists. "Before I kill ya, I'm gonna claw out your fucking eyes and make you choke on your own dick!"
"How...vulgar..." Bolic thought as he recoiled slightly in his chair, before a twisted smile spread across his face. "I like this one, I'll enjoy breaking her."
"You assassins went through a hell of a lot of trouble to get here..." Budo said, the gauntlets around his arms starting to crackle with electricity. "As much as this bastard Bolic irritates me, it's my job to protect him. Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep at least one of you alive, we'll need to get some information out of you."
"Sorry, but none of us are really the talkative types." Najenda said as she turned her fierce glare towards Budo.
"That's fine, I have ways of 'persuading' you to talk." Budo said, electricity sparking off his hands as he cracked his knuckles. "Now let's finish this fight quick, I want to get out of this city as soon as possible."
"Akame's team still isn't here yet...what could be taking them so long..." Najenda thought as she stared up at the ceiling, hearing an explosion out in the distance. "We'll just have to go on the offensive then and divert Budo's attention."
"Listen here Kurome, focus on guarding that slimy bastard Bolic." Budo ordered, sparing a glance back at his subordinate. "Don't let anyone near him."
"If it's big sister..." Kurome thought as she rested her hand on top of Yatsafusa's hilt. "She's definitely going to try something."
"I need to pick my moment...I can't be too hasty..." Tatsumi thought, using his invisibility to sneak into a position near Bolic's side. "My job is to kill Bolic while Boss and Leone are fighting Budo...I have to focus on my objective..."
"Alright, let's get this over with..." Budo said as he raised his arms up into the air, his gauntlets coursing with multiple streams of electricity. Moments later, Budo slammed his fists into the ground, cratering the floor beneath him and sending out a shockwave of lightning.
"Get behind me!" Susanoo exclaimed, dashing in front of Leone and Najenda, before smashing his staff into the ground. The impact of Susanoo's staff kicked up a wall of debris, which managed to block the wave of electricity.
"Not bad, try this then!" Budo said as he raised his arms and fired off several bolts of lightning at Susanoo. The biological teigu stood his ground and let the attacks hit him, unflinching as the electricity singed his skin and burned his clothes. Budo quirked an eyebrow as he continued to watch Susanoo take attack after attack, seemingly unfazed. "Ah, I see what's going on here."
"Great job Budo, you definitely got him!" Bolic exclaimed, a smirk spreading across his face. However, Bolic's happy demeanor soon faded when he saw that any wounds Susanoo had received were quickly healing themselves. "What the hell!?"
"You must be the biological teigu that my reports mentioned." Budo said as he lowered his arms, a small smile creeping across his face. "I must say that I'm starting to get interested. It's been quite a while since I've felt the rush of a good fight."
"Now it's our turn!" Najenda yelled, gesturing towards the imposing imperial general. "We need to take this guy out!" Nodding in agreement, the three assassins charged towards Budo, with Susanoo taking the lead.
"Don't be too hasty now." Budo said as he ducked underneath a jab of Susanoo's staff. Cocking his fist back, Budo hit the biological teigu with a powerful, electrically charged punch to the stomach. The force of the strike sent Susanoo flying backward, crashing back first into a wall. Whipping around, Budo sidestepped a launched attack from Najenda's mechanical arm. As Najenda reeled back her fist, Budo took a moment to examine the Night Raid assassins, who had momentarily feel back and grouped together. When his eyes landed on Leone, he saw that some of her minor wounds appeared to be healing quite rapidly, causing his brow to quirk once again. "The blonde woman with the obnoxiously large breasts, she's surely human, but it appears that she has an extremely fast recovery rate. It must have something to do with her teigu."
"Hey ya bastard, I can hear you!" Leone growled, glaring fiercely at Budo as she used one arm to cover her cleavage.
"The distractions are working, I was able to move much closer since they started fighting..." Tatsumi thought as he ducked behind a pillar less than twenty feet away from where Bolic was sitting. "I just have to be careful of Kurome...but if this keeps up a little longer I should be able to kill Bolic! How are you holding up Incursio?"
"I'm doing fine partner, I should be able to keep your invisibility up for a while longer. There's no need to rush things, but don't take too long."
"Damn it...something definitely happened to Akame's group..." Najenda thought as she grit her teeth in frustration, helping Susanoo back onto his feet. "They must have run into one of the Jaegers that isn't here."
"I must admit that you are all interesting fighters..." Budo said, gathering up a large amount of electricity within his gauntlets. "I've changed my mind, I think I'll capture all alive. We can get useful information out of you, and we can break you down and make you fight for the empire instead of your pathetic rebellion." Slamming his fists into the ground once again, Budo sent out another wave of lightning, which forced the Night Raid assassins to scatter. Budo instantly focused on Najenda, pouncing forward and grabbing her by the neck. "You'll have the most information, so I need to keep you alive."
"Get your damn hands off the boss!" Leone exclaimed as she springboarded off a nearby wall and launched herself towards Budo. "I'll smash those damn gauntlets of yours and break your fucking arms!"
"You really need to put a muzzle of your dogs." Budo said in an annoyed tone, roughly throwing Najenda onto the ground, before sidestepping Leone's attack. The busty blonde assassin's eyes widened in both pain in surprise as Budo slammed his electrically charged fists into her back. With a thud, Leone slammed into the floor, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Whipping around, Budo grabbed ahold of Susanoo's arm, stopping the biological teigu's surprise attack in its tracks. Pulling Susanoo's arm behind his back, Budo slammed the biological teigu onto the ground. Charging his gauntlets with electricity, Budo sent a continuous stream through Susanoo's body, the constant stream of damage preventing the biological teigu from healing. Standing over Susanoo's incapacitated form, Budo turned his gaze towards Leone. The blonde assassin was trying to get back onto her feet, but a swift kick to stomach stopped her. "Now, you said something about 'breaking my fucking arms.' Let's see how your impressive your healing abilities really are." Leone's eyes widened in horror as Budo grabbed ahold of her right arm. With a sudden jerking motion, a sickening crack echoed out in the room, followed by a blood-curdling scream from Leone. Forcing back tears, Leone stared down at her clearly broken arm, which was bent at the wrong angle at her elbow. "I'm impressed that you're still conscious, you have some incredible vitality girl. But we're not done yet, you still have an arm and two legs left."
"This son of a bitch..." Tatsumi thought as a fierce growl rumbled in this throat, watching as Budo broke Leone's other arm, a wave of white-hot anger shooting through his body. The young assassin finally snapped when he heard Leone scream out once again, her right leg now completely shattered. "Screw Bolic, I'm going to kill this bastard for hurting Leone!"
"Partner wait-" But Incursio's warning was too later, Tatsumi had already taken off sprinting towards Budo.
"You truly are something, even with all these broken bones, you're still conscious." Budo said, standing over Leone's battered and broken body. "But I'm growing tired of this. I'm just going to finish you off and capture the other two."
"Get the fuck away from her!" Tatsumi roared as he lunged at Budo with Neuntote.
"Ah, I had a feeling someone else was skulking around in the shadows." Budo said, easily dodging Tatsumi's attack. "You aren't a very good assassin if something like this will bait you out."
"You shut the fuck up!" Tatsumi snarled as he carefully scooped up Leone and placed her away from Budo, his anger growing when he heard the blond whimper in pain with every step he took. "How could I possibly just sit back and listen to Leone suffer!? You mangled and broke her body, you'll pay for that!"
"Oh, you must be close with that blonde girl then. A lover perhaps?" Budo pondered, an evil smirk spreading across his face. "Then I'll make sure you get a front-row seat as I kill her, very slowly." Budo quirked an eyebrow when he saw the armor that Tatsumi was wearing. "So you're Incursio's new user...I've always wanted to fight against one of these armor-type teigu."
"He doesn't give off the same aura as Esdeath, but I can still feel an incredible pressure coming from him..." Tatsumi thought as he tightly balled his fists, his grip on Neuntote tightening. "But he hurt Leone, he has to die!"
"Partner, you need to try and reel your emotions in...I'm having trouble holding back..."
"Holding back? What are you talking about, Incursio?" Tatsumi asked, noticing that the danger beast's voice sounded strained.
"I'll tell you later...now is not the time..."
"Now isn't the time to be spacing out!" Budo exclaimed as he shot towards Tatsumi, the young assassin barely managing to leap out of the way. The imperial general's electrified fist had slammed into the ground where Tatsumi had just been standing, leaving a smoking crater behind. "You were going to pay me back for hurting that girl, so let's see what you've got assassin!"
(Same Time: Back with Akame's Group)
"I'm getting sick of this guy!" Lubbock thought, dodging a series of attacks from Wave. However, the Jaeger's attacks were too fast, causing Lubbock to mistime one of his dodges. Wave's leg slammed into Lubbock's stomach with incredible force, sending the green-haired assassin flying backward, slamming back-first into a tree.
In a split second, Wave raised his arm and deflected a slash from Murasame. Spinning around, Wave unleashed a barrage of punches at Akame, which the red-eyed assassin barely managed to dodge. Gritting her teeth, Akame quickly leaned back, a powerful kick from Wave just missing her chin. Leaping backward, Akame darted passed a treeline where Mine was currently hidden.
"Tch, this bastard..." Mine muttered underneath her breath as she looked for an opening to take a shot at Wave. "He may be fighting Akame and Lubbock right now, but he's still on the lookout for any shots from me."
"AH!" Akame exclaimed in pain, clutching her stomach as she flipped away from Wave. One of Wave's attacks had managed to connect, tearing through the fabric of her shirt and exposing her stomach, the skin red and raw. Landing on shaky legs, Akame took a moment to steady herself, clutching her throbbing stomach.
"What's wrong?! Why do keep on running away?!" Wave yelled as he stared down the dark-haired assassin, tightly balling his fists. "Fine, then I'll just come to you!" However, before Wave could take a step, he felt dozens of wires wrap around his chest and arms. "What the hell is this?!"
"Heh heh..." Lubbock laughed, before coughing up a mouthful of blood, a small smirk still spreading across his face. "She...was doing more than just dodging your attacks...she was wrapping your body up with my threads and tying you this tree.
"This didn't work last time you tried, I'll just break the threads." Wave said as he tried to extend arms and snap the wires. But despite the wires straining against his movements, this time they didn't break, surprising the Jaeger. "What's with this thread, it's not breaking this time? This strength...it's on a completely different level."
"Boundary Cutting Thread..." Lubbock said, raising his hand as he showed the wires extending from his teigu. "It's my best thread." Turning his head, Lubbock locked eyes with Akame. "Now's your chance Akame, Mine, go on ahead!"
"Don't you dare die, Lubbock." Mine said as she spared one last glance at the green-haired assassin, before leading Akame towards the cathedral.
"Stop! Get back here!" Wave exclaimed, continuing to thrash and struggle against the wires trapping him, none of them slacking at all. "You damn cowards! Fight me!"
"Ah, quiet the hell down..." Lubbock laughed with a smirk before he let out a shaky breath, resting his head against the tree he was leaning against. "Heh...bout time I did something useful..." Moments later the green-haired assassin coughed up another mouthful of blood, before collapsing onto the ground.
"Tch, you're tough, I'll give you that..." Wave muttered, staring back at the unconscious assassin. "But I can't stay trapped here forever..." The Jaeger soon turned his attention towards the tree he was bound to. "Okay, if these wires won't break, then I'll have to improvise..." Roaring in exertion, Wave used his enhanced strength to literally uproot the tree, breathing a sigh of relief as the wires began to slack. Moments later, the wires fell around Wave's feet, finally giving him full mobility once again. "Alright, if I hurry I should be able to catch up with them! I won't let them hurt Kurome or the others! I will stop them here!" Taking off sprinting through the forest, it only took Wave a few minutes to catch up with Akame. Spotting the dark-haired assassin through the treeline ahead of him, Wave leaped towards Akame. "Grand Fa-"
"You may be strong as hell, but you sure are gullible!" Mine said with a smirk as she appeared from a nearby patch of bushes, Pumpkin fully charged and ready to fire.
"She waited to ambush me?!" Wave thought, his eyes widening in shock.
"You know the old saying, slow and steady wins the race!" Mine exclaimed as she fired a massive beam of spiritual energy at Wave, hitting the Jaeger and sending him flying off into the distance. Watching Wave disappear, Mine's smirk widened as she rested Pumpkin on her shoulder. "Besides, there's no way you wouldn't have caught up with us, I had to prepare for that." Turning towards Akame, Mine gave the red-eyed assassin a thumbs up. "That armor probably saved his life, but at least we've sent him way off course."
"Right, let's hurry towards the cathedral, we're way behind schedule!" Akame said, taking off sprinting in the cathedral's direction, with Mine following slightly behind her.
After a few minutes, the two assassins had burst through a treeline, just outside the cathedral's courtyard. However, they were halted when a group of imperial guards stopped them. One of the guards, clearly the leader, wore sunglasses and was smoking a cigar, a massive scythe resting on his shoulder.
"Bingo, that has to be Night Raid!" The man with the large scythe said with a smirk as the other guards gathered around him. "You two girls lucked out, running into Horima-"
"We don't have time for this." Akame said in an emotionless tone, rushing through the imperial soldiers in a matter of seconds, her sword slashing out in the blink of an eye. Appearing behind the man wearing sunglasses, Akame patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry, but you really shouldn't have gotten in our way." Moments later all the soldiers collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from their throats and Murasame's curse marks spreading across their bodies. Akame glanced back at Mine, gesturing towards the cathedral doors in front of them. "Let's get going!"
(Back with Tatsumi and Budo)
"I'm so weak..." Najenda thought as she tightly balled her fists in frustration. "Even if it was only for a few moments, I can't believe that I blacked out. Even though I knew what was going on...my body wouldn't do what I wanted it to..." Slowly standing onto her feet, Najenda took a shaky breath. "I really wanted to save this for later, but I can't do that any longer..." Suddenly, both Najenda and Susanoo's bodies began to faintly glow, he red core on Susanoo's chest crackling with energy. "Magatama Manifestation!"
"Oh, Najenda...what are you planning?" Budo asked, dodging a thrust from Neuntote. "You and your little dogs are starting to piss me off."
"Well, we've survived this long because we're stubborn..." Najenda said as she let out a shaky breath. "Just because you think that you've paralyzed Susanoo with your lightning doesn't mean you can count him out. Now...go Susanoo." Letting out a fierce roar, Susanoo bolted off the ground, free himself from Budo's electricity. The biological teigu's appearance had changed drastically, his skin had hardened to become armor-like, his hair had whitened, his turned black, and a large disk appeared on his back. "Now Susanoo, crush Budo and Bolic!"
"You dispelled my electricity...so you were hiding a trump card..." Budo said in a slightly surprised tone, watching as Susanoo rocketed towards him. "I'm surprised he could still activate that in his state." Stepping pack, Budo dodged a powerful uppercut from Susanoo, the force behind the attack sending out a small shockwave. "Pretty good, this is starting to get interesting again!"
"Now's my turn..." Tatsumi thought as he took aim at Budo with his Akuma Raifuru. Taking a breath to steady himself, Tatsumi aimed at Budo's head and fired. With a deafening bang, the Akuma Raifuru fired a javelin at Budo. However, Tatsumi was utterly stunned when he saw Budo reach out and grab the javelin out of the air, while at the same time blocking a powerful kick from Susanoo. "W-What the hell...this guy...I knew he was strong...but he's almost on par with Esdeath."
"Nice try kid..." Budo said, tossing the javelin to the ground and hurling Susanoo across the room. "But you can't beat me! The only person who has ever able to match me was Esdeath!" Slamming both fists onto the ground once again, Budo sent out another shockwave of electricity, hitting both Tatsumi and Susanoo. "You all have some skill, but you might as well give up now."
"That won't happen!" Susanoo exclaimed as a massive sword materialized into his hand. "Clouds of Heaven!" Letting out a mighty yell, Susanoo launched himself towards Budo, swinging the massive blade. Eyes widening in surprise, Budo slammed a fist into the ground and ripped out a large chunk of the floor, using it as a makeshift shield to block Susanoo's sword. "Using the floor to guard yourself, clever."
"I'll have to praise your relentlessness..." Budo said, tossing aside the sliced piece of debris, his gauntlets crackling with electricity. "But you won't be able to beat me."
"That may be true, but what about my targets behind you." Susanoo explained with a smirk, gesturing towards the throne Bolic had been sitting in. "You were a little too caught up in our fight."
"What the?!" Budo yelled as he whipped around, see that that the platform Bolic had been sitting on was destroyed. However, Bolic and Kurome seemed to be safe, having been saved by Natala, one of the dark-haired Jaeger's puppets. "They're still okay, the mission isn't over yet."
"We're all okay!" Kurome exclaimed, moments before Natala collapsed to the ground. "Natala!"
"I was trying to take Bolic out with the shockwave from my attack..." Susanoo thought as his eyes narrowed slightly. "Looks like I'll need more than that to kill him, but at least I weakened their defense forces."
"That was a nice little trick..." Budo muttered, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I fucking hate bodyguard jobs, never doing one again." Slowly advancing towards Susanoo, the electricity gathering around Budo's gauntlets rapidly began to intensify.
"That's more electricity than he's produced so far..." Susanoo thought as he prepared himself for whatever Budo planned to do.
"I'm done playing around! I'm going to destroy you along with your core!" Budo roared, leaping up into the air above Susanoo, raising his gauntlets and firing off a huge stream of lightning. "Just hold still and get roasted alive!"
"Never!" Susanoo exclaimed as he pressed his glowing palms together, a large mirror materializing in front of him. "Eight Mirror!" The mirror took the brunt of Budo's attack and reflected it back at him.
"Damn it, you're really starting to irritate me!" Budo yelled, dodging the beam of reflected electricity. "But this is the opening I need."
"Yasakani no Magatama Jewel!" Susanoo said as he gathered up a large amount of energy, his body starting to glow as he rocketed passed Budo at an incredible speed, aiming directly for Bolic. "I've got him this time!"
"Solid Shooter!" Budo raised both his gauntlets once again, but this time fired a massive, continuous stream of black lightning. In a split second the beam hit Susanoo, slamming the biological teigu into a nearby wall. Budo began to advance towards Susanoo, all the while still hitting him with Solid Shooter. The biological teigu could do nothing to avoid the attack, being forced to take all the hits. Once Budo was close enough, he stopped using his gauntlets and began to relentless assault Susanoo with a series of powerful punches.
"Susanoo, get away!" Najenda exclaimed, watching her teigu be beaten mercilessly. "Get out of there!"
"Not happening!" Budo grunted as he reached down and literally ripped Susanoo's core out of his chest. Najenda's eyes widened in fear when she saw the core begin to crack as Budo tightened his grip. "You were a hell of a fighter, and I'll remember you as a great soldier, but we're finished here."
However, before Budo could completely crush Susanoo's core, the glass windows above burst. Looking up, Budo was surprised to see four people leaping down into the cathedral. One of the newcomers pulled out a bow and rapidly fired out three arrows, before landing in front of Tatsumi. The three arrows landed all around Budo and began to glow brightly, before exploding in a blinding flash of light. During that flash of light, two more of the newcomers rushed forward.
"I got Bolic!" Akame exclaimed as she dashed towards her target, Murasame ready to strike. In a matter of seconds, Akame had closed the gap and was directly in front of Bolic.
"Sister!" Kurome yelled, trying to unsheathe her own blade and protect Bolic. However, she was stopped by a searing pain shooting down her neck and spine. "Damn it...that wound that girl gave me is acting up again...I can't believe one damn needle prick is causing me so many problems!"
"Target acquired." Akame said as she slashed open Bolic's stomach with her sword, his blood gushing out and curse marks rapidly spreading across his body. "Target eliminated."
"I'll be taking that." The cloaked newcomer said, kicking the still-blinded Budo in the stomach and grabbing Susanoo's core. Unsheathing a small dagger, the cloaked newcomer slashed both of Budo's legs, causing the massive man to collapse to the ground, howling in pain. Grabbing ahold of Susanoo's unmoving form, the cloaked newcomer dashed over to Najenda and Tatsumi's side. "Your mission is complete, let's get out of here."
"Who the hell are you?" Najenda grunted as she slowly got back onto her feet. "And why the hell are you here Sayo? I told you not to come unless you were back to full strength."
"You're welcome for the backup..." Sayo replied in a mildly irritated tone, helping Tatsumi back up onto his feet. "I wasn't just going to sit on my ass while you guys risked your lives...and from the looks of it you guys needed our help."
"We really should get out of here, boss." Tatsumi said as he carefully picked up Leone and rested her on his shoulder. "Both you and Leone are injured, Su-san is completely incapacitated, and Akame and Mine are exhausted." Reaching out, Tatsumi offered his hand to Najenda. "We killed Bolic, it's time to go."
"*Sigh* You're right, we shouldn't press our luck any further." Najenda said, allowing Tatsumi to carry her on his shoulder as well. "We need to return to base."
"Damn it...I can't kill Akame...or any of them in my current condition..." Kurome thought as she clenched her teeth in frustration. "And I don't have the physical strength to send out any more of my puppets...all because of that damn girl!"
"You fucking bastards!" Budo roared, a massive burst of electricity exploding off his body. Letting out a fierce growl, Budo slowly stood back up, despite the blood pouring from the cuts on his legs. A moment later he was charging towards the Night Raid assassins. "Do you really think I'll let you leave here alive?!"
"It's time to go!" Mine said as she fired a couple of shots at Budo, which he managed to dodge successfully.
Spinning around, all the Night Raid assassins began to run towards the room's entrance, with Budo hot on their heels. Once the assassins were close enough to the doorway, Sayo pulled three more arrows out of her quill, rapidly firing all of them into the doorframe. The arrows all began to beep and a red light on their tips began to blink. Once the Night Raid assassins had safely cleared the doorway, the arrows exploded and closed off the entrance behind them.
"RAGH!" Budo roared as he slammed one of his fists into the ground. "Kurome! Stop standing around and gather all the guards! We can't let those bastards escape!"
(Same Time: Cathedral Outskirts)
"Heh heh..." Lubbock chuckled as he made his way back towards Night Raid's hidden base within the city. "I can't believe that dude fell for my ultimate trump card: playing dead." Taking a shaky breath, Lubbock suddenly collapsed down onto one knee. "But the way I am right now...it'll be tough to escape." The green-haired assassin was immediately on edge when he heard rustling coming from the treeline in front of him. But he was relieved to see that one of the two people to emerge from the treeline was a familiar face. One of the people was a rather large man and the other was a smaller girl. "You're that girl...I saved you back during the Four Rakshasas case."
"Are you okay?!" The girl asked in a concerned tone as she rushed over to Lubbock's side. With a bright smile, the girl helped Lubbock back up. "I'm with the revolutionary army's spy unit. My name is, Pais. We're here to help one of our comrades' escape."
"Thanks, you guys are lifesavers..." Lubbock said as the larger man carried him on his back.
"I'm so happy that I can return the favor." Pais said with a bright smile, causing a light blush to spread across Lubbock's face.
"Oh damn...I think I'm in love..." Lubbock thought as he stared at Pais, scratching his bright red cheek.
"This guy saved you, my precious?" The large man asked, which dashed all of Lubbock's hope in an instant. "Then, of course, we're going to help him!"
"Thank you, Litone!" Pais cheered, before hugging Litone's arm. "I love you so much!"
"Why do I even get my hopes up..." Lubbock thought as he released a heavy sigh, resting his head against Litone's back. "Tatsumi is the only bastard lucky enough to get a harem."
(Twenty Minutes Later: Outskirts of Kyoroku)
"I guess we're finally saying goodbye to this place." Mine said, standing on the cliffs overlooking Kyoroku.
"I can't believe we managed to survive that shitshow...we owe it all to Su-san, Sayo, and..." Tatsumi said as he turned his head to gaze at the cloaked person was standing beside him. "Whoever you are."
"I must admit Tatsumi, I'm a little hurt that you didn't recognize me." The cloaked person said, causing Tatsumi to quirk an eyebrow in confusion. "Does this help?" Reaching up, the cloaked person pulled down their hood and took off their goggles, revealing flowing pale blue hair and ice-cold blue eyes. "Did you miss me?"
"E-Esdeath..." Tatsumi breathed out in shock, stunned to see the former imperial general standing before him. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the revolutionary army's headquarters?"
"Oh, there's no way I could just stay behind while you put yourself in danger." Esdeath said with a smile as she hugged Tatsum's head against her chest. "You're my sweet little Tatsumi, I'll always be there when you need me."
"Damn, you really have started to change." Najenda said with a smirk, slowly walking towards Tatsumi and Esdeath. "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but...thank you Esdeath. We'd have been in real trouble without you."
"Heh, you're very welcome Najenda..." Esdeath said as she released Tatsumi and reached into her pocket. "Before I forget..." Taking out Susanoo's damaged core, Esdeath placed it into Najenda's hand. "It's pretty banged up, but you should still be able to repair it and bring Susanoo back to full strength."
"Thank you Esdeath...I was really worried we'd lose Susanoo..." Najenda said with a small smile, staring down at the core, before putting it in her own pocket. "Now let's get going, the carriages are waiting."
(Same Time: Other Side of Kyoroku)
"Damn...this place really got trashed..." A treasure hunter said as he gazed at the ruins of one of the temples outside Kyoroku. "I wonder if we'll find anything valuable out here?"
"We should be careful..." A second treasure hunter added, walking into the ruined temple's entrance. "Digging through ancient ruins like this, we could be attacked by some sort of temple guardian, ya know? They'd pop right out and attack us."
As if on cue a hand suddenly burst out of the rubble in front of the two treasures hunters. Screaming in pure terror, the two treasure hunters immediately took off running away from the temple. However, what emerged from the rubble wasn't a monster or temple guardian. Instead, it was the only surviving member of the Four Rakshasas, Shizuka.
"Ah, being buried alive felt so nice and relaxing." Shizuka said in a cheerful tone as she stretched her arms. "I'm really happy that I have my Rakshasas ability, or else I'd totally be dead." A sudden twinge of pain shot through Shizuka's side and she let out a low moan. Her cheeks tinting red, Shizuka pressed her hand against one of the numerous healing flechette wounds on her stomach. A moan escaping her lips as pain raced up her sides. " But my eyes were opened to an entirely new type of foreplay. That boy in armor really did it for me...he might even give Esdeath a run for her money..." Exiting the ruined temple, Shizuka gazed out at Kyoroku. She licked her lips, thinking of the armored boy who had given her a thorough thrashing. "I think Seryu said that his name was, 'Tatsumi.' I hope we'll see each other again."
(Same Time: Back in the Capital's Palace)
"Perfect, everyone has been gathered. Our toy this time is the entire country. I, the great Shula, am going to enjoy myself fully."
And done! This arc is officially over and we can now move on to the next one. Esdeath and Sayo managed to come in at the nick of time and save everyone, including Susanoo. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I should hopefully have the next one out soon. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK), check out my profile and other stories if you haven't already, and PM me ideas you might have for any of my stories. So until next time, I'm outta here!