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...
Uhgh, damit ! It's hurt ! Where was I ? Ah, yes, I remember. I spotted some guy from the Empire, he was acting strangely. I pursuit him, an then-
"Ah, you're finally coming to your senses". Leone opened her eyesstraight away. She tried to move but only struggled "W-What the ?"
"Relax." Her eyes fixed on the man she saw earlier tonight. He was sit on a chair, arms crossed on the chair's back, his eye fixing her without blinking. Leone was on a chair too, but she was arms and legs tied so that she could not make any move "I just want to talk"
"Where am I ?"
"If you're wondering if we're out of the town, then I assure you, we're not. We're inside a abandonned house, in the basement"
Something is not right. If he's from the Empire, why did he not just brough me there ? My face is maybe not wanted, but he know what I am.
"Judging by your face, you have a lot of questions too, right ?" The man, Cidd, stop her in her thoughts once again "Here what I propose: We made aquaintnance, then we decide what we can do each other, deal ?"
Leone smirked. Great ! If I know who is he, maybe I can convince him to join the Revolutionary Army. "Don't mind if I ask first ?"
Cidd shook his head "I bumped you with a axe, this is the least I can do"
"So I begin, who are you ? Exactly ?"
Cidd tilted his head "For obvious reason, I cannot tell you my name, but I think you and me are quite similar. I didn't notice you before you bumped on me. You're an assassin, right ?"
Leone frowned, confirming Cidd's inkling. "You said you're an assassin, but I never saw, or hear anything about you before. You seems to be too competent to be a newbie"
"Oh that, that's because I'm not from here. I traveled for a long time, and I wanted to earn some money, and I heard that we need someone to do the dirty job. About the..." He scratched his head "...Rebels ?"
"Revolutionary army. You said you wanted to work for the Empire, but do you just know what is it truly ?"
Cidd's face hardened "Pretty much now" he said in a deep, menacing tone, making Leone shiver a little.
"Then, why won't you work for the revolutionary, we fight for a good cause, unlike the Empire who just do as they li-" She was cut off by Cidd who lifted his hand.
"I know what you try to do, but your little civil war is none of my business. When I fight, it's for what I could win by doing so. And I saw some places similar to that one, so I can handle this one"
"That doesn't change the face you made. I know that reaction, it disgusts you. If you really are not bothered by the Capital, let me say that I don't believe you at all"
Cidd sighed "What a pain" What should I do now ? Boss wanted discretion, but I think that's dead for that. Fortunately, I now have an idea about what's happening now. I can't kill her, but I can't let her go. Think Cidd, think. He opened his eyes, forgetting a detail which intrigued him. "Since I knocked you out, your ears dissapeared and your hair shortened. What kind of Suin are you ?"
Suin ? What the heck is a Suin ? Leone lowed her head for verification, her eyes widened in surprise, and a bit of confusion . Lionel is still here ! Why didn't he remove it ? He saw it in action. Doesn't he know about Teigu ? Suin or not, Leone still have her Teigu, a grave mistake for the unaware Cidd. "I'm fully human. And you just made a grave mistake boy". Cidd tilted his head, wondering what she mean when her belt suddenly shone. Cidd didn't have the time to really do anything as Leone's ears grew back as well as her hair. Her hands morphed into claws and her pupils were slit shaped. "These ropes may be tigh, but..." She forced her arms and legs until the ropes yieled "That will not stop me !"
"Shit !" Cidd grabbed his axes and have just time for crossing them for the incoming punch. She is way faster than before ! The paw enevtually overwhelmed the axes and send Cidd fly away until he percuted a wall "Gah!"
Leone approached him, cracking her knuckles "I underestimated you, I admit. But I won't make the same mistake twice. As interesting as you are, you saw my face, so I can't let you out of here alive"
Cidd managed to lift up, shaking his head. Damn it ! She's much stronger than I though. He took a fight stance, now prepared for any other attack that woman may lauch. I can't fight her, there will be too much comotion. I must sneak away. He looked past Leone, where thestairs were situared. He jumped at Leone, who brough her fist back. At the time she punched at him, Cidd bended his body, narrowing evading a hit which could anihilate a brick wall with ease. If I take something like that, I'm dead. He landed on his feet and made his way to the surface.
"I won't let you go!" Leone snarled as she chased the eye-patched man. Cidd slammed the door, but it didn't even buy him time as it flew at blinding speed, Leone just behind.
I think I made her mad. Cidd speeded up at the exit. I need tomake her lost her track, but the same trick won't work twice.
Leone reached the front indoor, sniffing the air. Over there ! She raced to the right, tracking like a predator. He may lose me in sight, but I-. Her ears twitched and brough her arm to block a axe with a right timing, but it stuck in her arm. It hurt. He didn't try to flee ? She saw a silouhette getting around her, preparing his other axe. Seeing an opportunity, Cidd stopped his track and dashed toward the blonde. He brough his other axe back, before jumping, and swung it, but the blade was caughted by Leone's other hand, this time, it not managed to pierce her skin. The blonde smiled at his reaction "Gotcha!"? She clutched the axe and stroke Cidd with the flat side "Payback!", Cidd crashed on the floor. Leone threw the axe far away and clenched her fist.
Cidd managed to get back to his senses when Leone's paw was about to strike. His eye widened as he rolled on the side ,leaving the impact for the gravel, leaving a crater. That was close. He took advantage of this momentum to get up. He took back the axe planted on Leone's other arm, at this time, he smiled deviously "Take that !". With his two hands he lacerated Leone's forearm, causing her to scream in pain. Proud of this, Cidd ran into his other axe at the other end of the square and made his goodbye "Farewell !" He left the area as swiftly as possible.
Leone grope her arm, gritting her teeth "That son of... look at my arm, I'm literally peeing blood !" She focused on her injury, and in less than one minute, the regeneration began to make effect, preventing more bleeding." Alright. Now, this guy." She capted his scent and resume her pursuit.
It's faint, but his scent is still here. She went from an alley to another, but the time Cidd managed to save, despite her speed, it provided to be more difficult thatn intended. This only got worses when Leone reached the main streets. Damn it ! Where is he ? There is too much people. The street was crowded, an the man was nowhere to be seen. By the scent or the presence, it served nothing. That bastard. Using the crowd to his advantage. She jumped on a roof, then made her way toward the Capital's exit.
"Phew, I though she might never stop". Cidd, who was hiding amongst the crowd, sighed in relief. "That was a hell of a night. Might found Boss and the others."
"How many are after us, Coli ?" Pyllis asked
"I've seen two: one blaack haired girl and one man with a peculiar hairstyle"
"Do you think they already track us ?"
"If it's about they saw us or not, I don't really know. But what I'm sure is about the mess we did. Without doubt they already investigating it."
"So it's why we go in the wrong direction" Haste guessed.
"And we left trails on purpose" Pyllis continued
"That's right" Coli nodded "Now we can only hope for them to not go right at our base"
.
"Wow, who might do that ?" Bulat scratched his head, looking over the pack of Danger Beasts's corpses all over the area.
Akame examined one of the corpse, seeing the marks on it "Killed on the spot, by a scythe"
"A scythe ? I'd said a three-blade one. Look at this one, it's like he was attacked three time on the same spot at the same time"
"A Teigu ?"
"Maybe. I'll ask Boss about that, but I never aknowledge a Teigu with that ability"
Akame turned her head at the biggest one "That must be the Alpha" She approached it "The hit which killed it is different. We pierced the neck with a perfect angle and precision"
"At least, we know that there are several of them. Whoever did this, they are capable, very capable. Speaking of these Beast Dangers, do you think they were affected by the strange...thing we felt ?"
"Mostly. We are not close to any lair for something this big, and never we found a pack like that in the middle of the forest"
"And our dear wolves killer unfortunately encounter them and must deal with them." He noticed something on the grassy dirt "Hm?"
"What is it Bulat ?"
"There are footsteps here. They're fresh"
.
"Where are we going ?" Pyllis asked
"For mislead them, at the town you and Eligos visited yesterday. Once we will be sure they get there, we will go back to our base, and make our report to him. Once they arrived, they made their way through the gate and made things so that they mislead their pursuers, to believe they are from here.
"Phew, what a day" Pyllis sighed
"I can't be more agreed" A voice from behind said
"Eek !" Pyllis jumped backward, seeing who spoke "C-Cidd !"
"Look at you, you're all sweaty. Did you ran a marathon ?"
"And look at yourself. It's like you just had a tough fight" Coli replied with a smirk "Even your axe is covered in dry blood"
"Hey, that was not my fault! I ran into some Suin girl I didn't notice-"
"Wait, you DIDN'T notice someone ?" Coli put her hand on her mouth, trying to not laugh at the face of Cidd who had a deadpanned face.
"I'm serious" Cidd's face became serious "I had not felt her at all. Even in a tight crowd, I can noticed someone's presence"
"Guys" Three head turned at Pyllis "We will discuss about that later at the base. Let's go home"
"I agree" Haste added "Maybe there are people we can't feel the presence right now, observing us"
Coli sighed "Right, if you say so..."
.
"They're leading at the Capital" Bulat scrutinizes the ground. There were three types of footprints: That of a young and slim person, a deeper oneby someone less axed on speed andmore heavy and one belong to...a child. Bulat put his hand on his chin "...Something is wrong"
"Yes" Akame stared at the void, thinking "The Alpha was killed quickly and swiftly. Instead of few which were killed by a sword, the majority were by that scythe owner"
"And they were skilled enough, I don't think they may struggled with that one. At least..."
"They left hurrying"
"But why dashing at the Capital like that ?"
"I don't know"
"So, tell me" Eligos sipped his wine glass "How was it ?"
"Eventful" Everyone said instantly, causing Eligos to chuckles "I see. Who want to go first ?"
"ME !" Cidd and Coli lifted their hand, looked each other, realising they talked at the same time. Bolt of lightning zapped between their eye(s).
Eligo sighed. These two. "I will speak, Boss" Haste said
"Fine" As Haste tell what hapened tonight, Eligo's face changed multiple tiùes. From surprise frown to, he nodded when the small vampire finished. "I see, Cidd ?"
"Okay !" If Haste's story was indeed eventful, Cidd's one exceeded it by far. Eligos was expecting to learn more about this town, the 'Capital', the turn of events and the unfortunate encounter Cidd made down there, he knew more inside out that intended. He smiled widely "All according to what they said" He met questionning eyes. He drank more of his wine " While you did you onvestigation and hunt, I searched some places to obtain informations. Firstly, Cidd, you said you encounter a peculiar Suin, right ?"
"Yeah, she used some kind of belt to multiply her strenght. She said she was a total human, but she can transformed herself into a Suin"
"That woman you met must be from a huge rebelious group, the 'Revolutionnary Army' you mentionned earlier. Judging by her strenght and how she fough, there is a high probability that she is from the same group as the woman in this wanted paper, Night Raid. And about her belt, I learnt there are some special weapons wandering in the nearby, they are calles 'Teigus'"
"Teigus ?" Coli repeated.
"Yes. They are weapons with stranges powers, but I could not learn more than that. As for you, Haste and Pyllis. The creatures you dealt with are 'Dangers Beasts', natives monsters from this world divided in multiples ranks"
"So, what now ?" Cidd asked
"First of all, congratulation, each of you, for the mission. It must not be easy for any of you. Rest for tonight. I have plans to talk with you tomorrow"