Akane bowed to the leader of the guards as she politely declined his offer.

"Thank you, sir, but I'd rather walk back myself if it's not a problem. It's so nice outside."

The lead guard nodded as he replied to Akane.

"Very well, my Lady. But please be prompt."

Akane began making her way toward the castle. After the guards had disappeared from her sight, she crossed a stone bridge and approached a narrow street. As she passed this alley, two eager hands shot out from the darkness and quickly dragged her between the buildings. With one arm locked around her squirming waist and a hand cupped over her mouth to muffle her struggles, she was soon led to a secluded corner in the alleyway. Her captor continued to hold her in place against a wall with his hand now roughly around her throat, and she could soon see she was being held hostage by three young men close to her age under the dim city light. One of her captor's colleagues spoke first.

"So this is Windbloom's invincible defender, huh? She's just a little girl."

The boy holding the frightened Akane in place ran his hand through her short bob cut hair, then glided his fingers across one of his prey's bare shoulders and down the long silky white glove of her formal dress as he spoke.

"She's pretty cute, though, and she's got a great body. I wish she was wearing that slutty combat suit of hers for this, but beggars can't be choosers."

The third accomplice spoke last after a hearty chuckle.

"I don't mind that. She looks like she's going to be a lot more fun than that Arika girl would have been either way."

After fighting off a sudden sting of regret from hearing her fallen peer's name, Akane resumed her struggle and spoke through grit teeth.

"Who are you people?! Let me go!"

The three young men laughed in unison, then one spoke.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Lady Soir. We've been paid quite handsomely by a certain third party to make sure you'll be removed as a threat tonight."

Akane gasped softly before resuming her angered tone.

"Aswad sent you?!"

Another one of the boys answered with a mischievous grin.

"Hmm. Maybe, maybe not. We promised not to tell. What we can tell you, though, is that your candidacy as an Otome is now forfeit."

Akane's face filled with terror before she thrashed out in response. In retaliation, the two young men with free hands locked her gloved arms against the wall the same way the third attacker pinned her neck. If she had been Materialized, she easily could have thrown the three off with her nanomachines' augmented strength or summoned her mechanical partner to safely scare the attackers away. Without a current link to her king, however, she was unable to use any of her GEM's features. She continued to question the thugs as she struggled desperately.

"You mean you're going to... ?"

As Akane's soft voice faded in fear, the men chuckled again and the leader of the trio spoke.

"That's right, sweetie. We're going have a good time with you so you lose your Otome powers."

Beg to be let go: Go to Chapter 38

Use aggressive measures: Go to Chapter 39