Here is the fortieth-third chapter in this story released in accordance with the release schedule. They may be where they need to be but the trials of the Black Bulls aren't over and if they want the Magic Stone then they'll have to play Gifso's game. Well, this is their mission and Yami accepted so it's time for a game of Temple Battle Royale, just a fun little game to see who will win. What could possibly go wrong? That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and there are no guest reviews that need a response, though I thank you for your support of my work, or questions to answer so I will end this here. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate. That is it for this pre-chapter note so it is time to sit back and enjoy the forty-third chapter in Akame ga Clover.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 43: Game
Gifso's cackles were still ringing in their ears as the Black Bulls were transported to 11 random spots in the Underwater Temple's game zone wherever that was. It wasn't the smoothest right, they were underwater and completely disorientated after all, but it only lasted a few seconds before they were spat out with some appearing in cave tunnels, some in cave chambers, some on the banks of underground lagoons, rivers, or marsh-like areas, and in Magna's case ending up underwater in a lake. The only commonality was that they were all wet from it, something that the Temple Mages would be as well.
For Akame, she was one of the ones who ended up in a corridor, well really a natural passageway carved into the rocks so she guessed it was better to call it a tunnel. This was nothing for her and she'd easily gotten herself under control while underwater so that she was able to land on her feet when her water path took her spat her out of the ceiling of the tunnel.
As such Akame was able to land with legs wide, knees bent, and body low. Instantly her senses on high alert as she read the ki around her to determine if there were people within her ki sensing range, where they were and whether or not they were friend or foe. It wasn't a hard thing given her mastery over ki and how she'd long ago memorized the ki signatures of her squadmates.
Remaining in her crouch with her senses alert, Akame's grimoire glowed, floated up, and opened so that the handle of Murasame came out and she drew it in a swift, smooth, motion holding it one handed in her right hand, while keeping the katana low and across her body. At the same time, and a little reluctantly, she placed the fingers of her left hand on the flat of the blade and blunted it so that it wouldn't kill.
After all, this was a game and they had to play to win and get the Magic Stone that the Wizard King had sent them her to retrieve. That was their mission and Akame would see it through to the end, she just needed to know the rules and where she was so that she could complete said mission and the former was about to be announced.
"Hello? Testing, can you lot hear me down there?" Gifso's voice said seeming to come from everywhere around her and Akame presumed that he was using his magic to project his voice into the area which meant that this was all within his magic's control, an impressive display indeed. "As you may have noticed, you've been split up and sent to various different spots throughout the Temple."
"Figured that we were still in it." Akame muttered to herself as she continued to assess the area and quickly found ki signature that wasn't familiar to her approaching her location. "So, his magic allows him to basically dictate things within the Temple. Makes sense seeing as he's the High Priest though the specifics are beyond me."
"You saw the Temple Mages a short while ago." Gifso continued so Akame shut herself up to listen to what he was saying as there might be something useful in his words. "Now you will face them in a no holds barred, 11 on 11 battle of magic and wits!"
"Wait a sec, 11?" Akame asked voicing her confusion as she stood up from her crouch her senses still alert and katana still at the ready in front of her but a bit taken aback by that. "But there are 12 of us and 12 of them, well including the High Priest that is, so why only 11 in the battle?"
"The rules of this are straightforward." Gifso said and again Akame shut up to listen, she'd deduce which of them wasn't present in a bit as it would be easy to identify which of the 11 Black Bull ki signatures wasn't present once she located them. "You win by knocking your opponent out or making them surrender but no killing, I, er, get the sense that a few of you are more than capable of it."
"Yeah it's what I'm trained for though it's not like I like or enjoy it." Akame pointed out not that the High Priest could hear her. "This will be a bit like the fighting pits, just some combat sports fun. Well, so long as they're a challenge that is."
"The winning side is the one who either knocks out all of the other side's mages or the one with the most players left at the end of the game, whichever comes first." Gifso continued revealing a time limit but not how long said limit was. "You may play the game anyway that you like be it one on one, hiding to hopefully outlast the others, finding your friends to band together and swarm your enemies with superior numbers, whatever you desire. The choice is yours."
"Yeah I'm going to find my love, together nothing will stop us." Akame said. "And any of these Temple Mages who stands between me and Tatsumi, well, the tough part is not killing them really but that's why I've blunted Murasame."
"Oh and make sure you keep an eye out for my nuisance spells that are lying around the place." Gifso said and Akame had a feeling she knew what those would be and groaned, not because they'd be a nuisance or dangerous to her but because they looked tasty and she wanted to eat them. "I can't remember where all of them are and they can be a bit surprising."
"He could at least make them edible." Akame grumbled as Gifso cackled. "Well, whatever, let's get this over with so that we can enjoy that feast your promised us old man."
"Begin!" Gifso announced.
Right as he said it Akame sensed the unfamiliar ki that she'd been keeping an eye on while the High Priest had been talking appear behind her as it rounded a bend in the tunnel. However, Akame didn't move to face him, deciding to see what the guy did and make it look like she wasn't aware of the presence. Better to lull the guy into a false sense of security and then strike with her katana that she made sure he couldn't see from his approach as she bought Murasame up and across her chest. This wouldn't be too hard given the pride and condescension she felt in the man's ki.
"Even down here we've heard of the Black Bulls; you're supposed to be the weakest of the Magic Knight Squads." The Temple Mage taunted as he approached Akame from behind and she had to restrain herself as her grimoire moved in front of her and quietly flipped to the necessary page before glowing and causing Murasame to glow as well while noting that the man's tactical blunder was staggering. "You seem strong but you're no match for my Coral Magic. Why…"
"Blade Magic: Scimitar Slice!"
Akame shout sliced through the man's monologue as she spun on her heel and slashed upwards in a diagonal slash sending the projected blade out the moment she finished invoking her spell. Thanks to blunting Murasame, her Scimitar Slice spell was also blunted as the slice was only as sharp as the blade she was using to generate it and thus it wasn't sharp at all. Still, it was a powerful blunt projection, her version of the Captain's Dark Magic slashes, and easily caught the startled Temple Mage, who Akame idly noted was wearing a barracuda mask, in the chest.
The blunt attack took him from his right hip to his left shoulder and he let out a gasp of pain that could be heard over the cracking of his ribs as he was blasted back by the force of the blow his body bent around the attack. He flew several feet before he slammed back first into the wall of the tunnel with enough force to crack it and as he did his head snapped back to hit it with a sickening thud. He remained there for a moment as he let out a long groan of pain before his body pitched forward and he slammed face first into the rocky ground with enough force to shatter his mask.
Akame just turned back to where she'd been facing before the man arrived and walked way, she could tell from his ki that he was out cold and didn't need to see the white eyes or blood stained mouth as he lay there to know that. She'd easily beaten him and that was one down which put the Black Bulls into the lead. As she moved and began scanning for Tatsumi's ki, Akame wasn't aware that she was just one of 6 Black Bulls who'd KO'd a Temple Mage in the opening seconds of the Battle Royal much to the High Priest's utter shock.
"The High Priest told us of the ranking system for you Magic Knights and how we compare to them." A squid masked Temple Mage said to Tatsumi as he walked towards Tatsumi in the chamber that Tatsumi had ended up in while Tatsumi looked at his side on a cool look in his eyes as water from the pool in the corner that he'd been spat out of slowly dripped off his body. "And do you know what? We're all easily Intermediate Class if not better than that while we hear that you lot are the worst of the worst. That means that you've got to be Junior Class Magic Nights so you stand no chance against us."
"No matter the meaning of the word, class means nothing and I knew that before becoming a Magic Knight and Asta reinforced that when he joined." Tatsumi said his voice as cool as his look while not making a move as the man approached waiting for the right moment to suddenly attack. "Besides, I don't need magic to beat a weakling like you."
"Why you little brat." The Temple Mage said as Gifso began the Battle Royale and he raise his hands palms out. "I'll show you. Tentacle Magic: B…"
Before the man could finish his spell as his tentacle sucker covered three leaf grimoire floated up next to him and slimy, squid-like tentacles began to shoot from his palms, Tatsumi pushed of the ground and at him with enough force to crack the ground and flew at the man. Within seconds he was past the still emerging tentacles and his fist cocked back so that all the Temple Mage could do was stare wide eyed under his mask as Tatsumi reached him and punched him so hard in the face that his mask shattered.
The blow passed the mask and continued to the man's cheek as he instinctively tried to turn his head to get out of the way of the inevitable blow. There was a cracking sound as Tatsumi's punch connected and broke the man's jaw, left cheekbone, and knocked out several teeth while air blasted around from the impact and for a split second the man was almost frozen there with Tatsumi's fist in his cheek before Tatsumi pushed through it and blasted him back and towards the single entrance to the chamber.
His body flew through the air several feet before he slammed into the ground and slid on his back several feet until it finally came to a stop and his legs flopped limply down to the ground. Tatsumi let out the breath he was holding and noted that the man's ki indicated that he was still alive just unconscious. That was good, Tatsumi had pulled the punch somewhat as he didn't want to kill the man, just knock him out and help the Black Bulls take the lead.
"Told you I didn't need magic." Tatsumi said as he walked forward and stepped over the unconscious man without looking down at him before he left the chamber. "Oh and by the way, I'm an Intermediate Class Magic Knight and not the strongest in the Squad despite being the only one above Junior Class so as I said class means nothing. Now to find Akame and then the rest of the Squad. If the Temple Mages are as tough as that guy was then this will be a piece of cake though I guess some will be better than that guy so better not underestimate them based on one weakling."
With that Tatsumi left chamber behind him and focused on the ki signatures that were strewn across the battlefield. It only took a moment to count how many in range but as he did he smiled at the familiar and comforting signature of Akame, and right by an unfamiliar, unconscious, one, and noted that she was relatively close by so he began to set off towards her. They were already up by at least two so things were going well for the Black Bulls to start the Temple Battle Royale.
"Out of curiosity, how are the mages in your Squad ranked?" Gifso asked Yami in the special separate room the pair were in to watch the Battle Royale. "I want to get a sense for the challenge that my Temple Mages are facing."
Yami hadn't been pleased at not being allowed to participate in the Battle Royale but the High Priest had told him that he was too strong for it. That assuaged Yami's annoyance, the old man clearly had a good eye for talent, and so he'd sat down on the stone bench and shared a cup of booze with the High Priest as they sat back to watch the game.
It wasn't just the two leaders who were watching; all the denizens of the Underwater Temple were watching from outside thanks to Gifso's magic, but they were the ones with good food and booze. It was as they watched and the game began that Gifso had posed Yami this question regarding the ranks of his squad members.
"All but one are still at Junior Class Magic Knights ranging from 1st to 5th class." Yami said giving Gifso a sideways glance not showing his surprise at the man knowing what the ranks were. "Only Tatsumi, the brown haired guy with the sword who's girlfriend was going to cut off your hands, is ranked as an Intermediate Class Magic Knight, 3rd if I recall but he should be promoted to 1st when this is over. Gotta admit, I'm surprised that you know about the ranks living all the way down here."
"You'd be surprised at what I know." Gifso said with a laugh as he looked at Yami and gave the Black Bull Captain his usual toothy grin. "And this is going to be good because all my Temple Mages are more powerful than Intermediate Class Magic Knights. A bunch of Juniors and one single Intermediate don't stand a chance in a battle against them. The poor shmucks."
"Wow, that's pretty bad for us, guess we're in big trouble against your Temple Mages then." Yami said without emotion as he turned to look at the magical screens before him and saw Asta, Magna, Gauche, Luck, Akame, and Tatsumi all one-shot their opponents in the opening seconds of the battle with Tatsumi not even using a spell or Anti-Magic, well he couldn't use the latter, and just punching the Temple Mage in the face. "Course those poor shmucks could be stronger than their ranks suggest and I just failed to mention that."
"They're losing?" Gifso said shock his eyes wide and panic in his voice as he saw the results. "That's impossible! How!"
"Well two of those 6 are convicted felons who can't advance past the junior level until they're pardoned and one of those is at least Senior 5th Class at this point." Yami said as all but Akame spoke to or about their opponents. "Three of the others haven't advanced much for various reasons and the one who just used his fist is Tatsumi and if I'm being honest he's probably Senior level as well. Just wait until you see his magic. You'll get one shot at him and if you fail it's over, especially if Akame is with him."
"I don't get it?" Gifso said as an 11:11 counter made of water before them turned to 11:5. "Which ones are the felons?"
"The guy with the mirror and the girl, Akame, she's a real danger and the one who's definitely Senior level if it wasn't for the whole trying to kill me thing when we first met." Yami said as he let out a laugh and shouted his support at the screens. "Come on! Beat the crap out of those fish! Show them what bulls are made of!"
"I should have seen that coming given her reaction earlier and the violence I felt from her." Gifso said as he growled at what he was seeing. "Still, they're idiots! How could they let their opponents get the drop on them right at the start?"
"Hey, how about we bet on who's team is going to win this little game." Yami said still laughing and not answering Gifso's rhetorical question as he slapped the man on the back. "I'm going to by 100,000 yul on the Bulls. I've got that and more from the last bets in the fighting pit and I know that my guys are going to win this."
"Please, this is only the beginning of the battle and those who lost were some of the weaker Temple Mages who will need some more training after this." Gifso said not taking the bet but getting into the competition of the game as he calmed down and his grin returning to his face at who was left. "The Temple Mages still in this are stronger than the others, they won't go down easy. In fact my three great mages are still standing and they rival Senior Class Magic Knights in terms of power."
"Whatever you say old man, my money's on the bulls." Yami said as he took a drag of his cigarette. "And besides, power doesn't transition into skill and at least three of my guys are, skill wise, can beat a Senior Class Magic Knight with a fourth at that level in terms of raw power. That's not to mention the others, who knows how strong they really are."
Gifso just smirked at that. Sure things hadn't gone well to start off for him but he knew that his son and grandkids would turn it around for him, and make the game really interesting to watch. This was just the beginning, there was still plenty more game to enjoy and he and Yami would surely do that as they settled in to watch and chat about the Battle Royale now that the opening salvo was over.
Just as Tatsumi had sensed hers, Akame quickly sensed Tatsumi's ki signature as well and quickly they locked towards the other within moments of them leaving their initial battles. It didn't take too long, they were pretty close to each other within the winding tunnels of the Underwater Temple and not near any river, lake, other large body of water, or odd marshland like Noelle, Luck, Gauche, Magna, Grey and Vanessa were to start so all they had to do was quickly navigate the tunnels to find each other.
Tatsumi did pass an unconscious Temple Mage with an octopus mask as he moved through the tunnels but that was the only thing that he passed as he moved deeper into the Temple heading towards Akame's ki signature. There were other signatures within his range that he noted but only two others were close enough to be within striking distance as he neared Akame who he could tell was coming towards him.
One the other ki signature's was Finral's, he could tell that easily and there was fear in it meaning that he was hiding from something. Said something was no doubt the other ki signature which was unfamiliar to Tatsumi indicating that it was a Temple Mage and the man walking calmly through the tunnels indicating a target for Akame and himself once they met up.
Akame sensed this too but ignored it for the moment as she wanted to reunite with Tatsumi so that they could deal with anything together. Thankfully, that was seconds away as she turned right down a separate tunnel and smiled as she saw Tatsumi walking down it towards her. Had she continued down the tunnel which she'd been on Akame would have come across the unfamiliar ki near Finral that was coming towards their position but that could be dealt with from this tunnel as she jogged forward to Tatsumi.
Tatsumi grinned at seeing Akame, her ki was clear as day so none of the Temple Mages were trying to use Transformation Magic to impersonate her, not that that would work as ki could see through Transformation Magic the was being used by someone as skilled as Chelsea, so there was no need to worry as they reunited. Akame knew the same as they reach each other.
"Any problems?" Tatsumi asked as they came to a stop facing each other and resisted embracing each other given the whole Battle Royale game that was going on. "I sensed an unconscious Temple Mage near you when I found your ki signature. You're doing I presume."
"Yup and it wasn't a problem for me at all." Akame said as she held up Murasame which she was still carrying so her grimoire was still floating open by her side. "I drew and blunted Murasame before the Hight Priest's first announcement and then sensed a Temple Mage approaching. The guy was clearly confident he had the drop on me so I let him get near without facing him before I turned and used Scimitar Slice, blunted naturally, to blast him back into a wall mid rant. That's all it took to defeat him. You?"
"I was in some chamber with one way in, well two counting some pool in a corner where I was blasted out from, so I just had to wait for my opponent to come to me." Tatsumi said. "The guy was nearby and clearly knew I was there as arrived during the High Priest's spiel. he was arrogant, looked down on us, so I punched him in the face before he could finish getting his spell off. He couldn't take more than a punch."
"Man, these guys are weak." Akame noted, her statement heard by Gifso in the observation room causing him to grumble and Yami to laugh. "None are so strong that we can sense magic over a focus on ki."
"Yeah, about a mid-tier Squad I'd say so not match for the Black Bulls." Tatsumi said with a nod of agreement at Akame's assessment. "But I feel like they have some strong people. 5 are left after all so they're either strong or were smart enough to not try and surprise us at the start."
"Well that's soon to be 4." Akame corrected as she sensed the guy nearing while Finral's ki rapidly left the area though it didn't disappear entirely as would be expected from the Spatial Mage. "Let's take care of that guy and then assess what to do next."
"Agreed." Tatsumi said. "High or low?"
"Low, I've got a better turning radius than you do in close confines." Akame said. "Draw your sword, I'll blunt it and then follow my lead my love."
"A shame but I understand." Tatsumi said as he reached up to his right shoulder and drew his sword in a smooth motion and held it out horizontally in front of Akame. "Do your thing Akame."
"This is just a game after all." Akame said as she took her left hand off Murasame's handle and laid it on the flat of Tatsumi's blade before putting her magic into the steel and blunting it so that it was no sharper than Asta's swords. "If the Eye of the Midnight Sun arrive as we believe they will I can revert our blades back to normal in seconds."
"Let's hope we end this before then." Tatsumi said as the Temple Mage neared the turning. "Shall we?"
"One moment." Akame said as she turned and waited a few heartbeats for the guy to pass the point of no return. "Now!"
With that she pushed off the ground and sprinted to the end of the tunnel where she'd turned into it, Murasame low and across her body in a two handed grip, her hair streaming out behind her. Tatsumi pushed off only a few seconds later and moved to the side of the tunnel to prepare his own run, his sword in his right hand and to the side.
Akame reached the end of the tunnel first and burst from it, her left foot landing on the ground in the middle of the perpendicular tunnel and she turned on it, right leg swinging to the side, hair billowing behind her as she lent low and pushed off the ground her eyes hard as she glared at the Temple Mage that was a few feet in front of her. He'd clearly not expected her to burst from the tunnel, his mana sense clearly wasn't that good, and he let out a gasp of surprise.
That was all that he managed before Akame pushed off from her left foot, her right still in the air, and flew at the Temple Mage. She was past him in a split second, Murasame a blur of steel as she slashed him across the gut with it, the blunt blade causing him to gasp and double over as the air was blasted from his lungs by the force of the slash. If he had any sense he'd have tried to use his grimoire but by then it was too late as Tatsumi had reached him.
That was because Tatsumi had arched his run to leap up and onto the wall of the tunnel that was opposite the side the Temple Mage was walking down in the perpendicular tunnel and pushed off it with his right foot to burst into the Temple Mage's tunnel at a high elevation and compensate for his lower mobility compared to Akame. This way he could change directions faster and get into position quicker than he could if he tried to turn like Akame had as he twisted his body and ran along the wall of the other tunnel a few paces as the Temple Mage double over below him.
It was a precarious run and only sustainable for a few paces but thanks to his training Tatsumi managed it and lent down, sword still in his right hand and across his body so that he could slash up and across his body into the Temple Mage's mask. His blunted sword shattered the mask and slammed into the man's face, breaking his nose, and sending him flipping back from the impact. He crashed down onto his chest and lay still, breathing but unconscious, as Tatsumi cartwheeled off the wall and landed on the ground of the tunnel just passed him while Akame came to a stop a little further along the tunnel.
"Well that was easy." Tatsumi said as he walked up to be by Akame's side before the pair continued leaving the unconscious Temple Mage where he lay. "One more down. How many do you think are down?"
"Let's see." Akame said as she opened up her senses pushed then to her maximum range while they walked. "We've taken down three between us and I sensed another two that were leaving my range in as I walked but ignored them as they were a bit too far to deal with. They're probably the stronger and smarter ones who are searching for an advantageous location to set up in and await us, if I had to guess at least. It's the smart thing to do, they know this place and we don't so they've no doubt holed up in a place that they know."
"Yeah I saw another downed Temple Mage as I walked but didn't sense any others." Tatsumi said. "So at least four of the 11 are down with 2 almost certainly still in it. I say we find some central chamber to get a better sense of what is going on."
"Agreed." Akame said as they kept walking. "I think we're on the outskirts of the game zone or whatever this is called at the moment so we're likely away from any action."
"Right it would help if…" Tatsumi began.
"Oh yes, there is something that I forgot to mention about the game." Gifso's voice said once again ringing out through the Temple and interpreting Akame and Tatsumi walked though there was a hint of frustration in it. "You can't leave the area until the game is over. Only my magic can transport you two and from where you are so you're stuck there."
"I get the feeling that we're being watched." Tatsumi said as they walked and he looked around but couldn't see anything that could be considered surveillance, which given the nature of magic made sense. "That was clearly directed at Finral, he's the only one who has the power to quickly leave a place."
"No doubt." Akame said. "And what's to bet that…"
"Hey Finral, quit hiding around and fleeing with your magic and fight someone instead of letting the others fight for you." Yami's voice suddenly barged in via the same system that Gifso's was coming from. "Stop being a wuss. There are only 4 left, Akame and Tatsumi just took out the one you were fleeing from, let's win this without losing anyone."
"…the Captain is with him." Akame said with a sigh. "Once it was 11 on 11 I had a feeling that it might be Yami who wasn't with us but I wasn't certain."
"Would make sense, he is a Grand Magic Knight, this is too easy for him." Tatsumi said as no doubt Finral complained from wherever he was. "Still, what's he doing…"
"The High Priest and I are having a feast with your fights as the entertainment." Yami continued clearly responding to Finral's expected complaint. "It's like watching Akame and Tatsumi in the fighting pit only with magic and more suspense so don't let me down. Surpass your limits and win this."
"Somehow I'm more surprised that I'm surprised by this." Tatsumi said with a sigh. "I should have seen this coming and I'm sure that the Captain is having fun and betting a lot on us."
"Well yeah Finral, the brutal part's what makes the game fun and we're winning it." Yami said clearly, not caring that he was talking to Finral in a way that they could all hear his responses with no context as to what Finral was complaining about. "People love a good bit of combat sports."
"I couldn't have said the first part better." Gifso added. "And just wait, we'll get back into it so this is far from over."
"And now they're friends." Akame said with a sigh of her own. "Why do I get the feeling that we'll see the High Priest the next time we enter the pit. Clearly he too enjoys watching mages engage in combat."
"It's a new avenue for Yami to bet through." Tatsumi pointed out. "If we're allowed back in that is as no one will fight us anymore."
"A shame but I get it." Akame said as they walked. "We could try…"
"Game Magic: Monster Toy!"
The spell from Gifso interrupted Akame's suggestion and was shortly punctuated by a scream from behind them that could only be Finral which meant that he was the prime target of the High Priest's magic. It would appear that a new challenge had been added to the Battle Royale.
"Wonder what that was." Tatsumi mused as they walked, a familiar ki signature cropping up ahead and off to the side so they'd need to find a passage first. "With Finral it's hard to say what was terrifying him."
"Probably something like the fake monster that we dealt with, the High Priest's nuisance spells as he called them." Akame said idly running her fingers along the flat of Murasame's blade to sharpen it again just in case. "We'll deal with those annoyances that we can't eat if we see them and then make the High Priest provide actual fish monster meat as payment for dealing with his magic. First though, that ki that I know you're sensing as well is Charmy's and she's both happy and not moving so she's no doubt got something to eat. Let's go."
Tatsumi just sighed again as Akame began to jog along the corridor and picked up the pace to match her as he fell in behind Akame so that they weren't running side by side. There was no doubt that Charmy was eating and so it wouldn't be a bad thing to catch up to her, grow their attack group, and have a snack that could replenish some energy as it had been a while since they'd last eaten.
Plus it seemed like there was another ki source, one unfamiliar to them, that was approaching Charmy from a different direction and while it would reach Charmy before they would, they could take it out with Charmy so long as she held it off long enough for them to arrive, which if the Temple Mage attacked her food would be easy. Well, it would be so long as they didn't meet any distractions along the way that was.
Said distraction occurred as they entered the tunnel that branched off from the one they were currently in and headed towards where Charmy was. It was what they should have expected after the High Priest's spell and they came to a stop to study what they were facing.
Filling the passageway before them was a large, snarling, monstrous fish with deep pink scales, a long spikey crest down it's back and a may of uneven, razor sharp, teeth sticking out of its gaping may. Even if Tatsumi and Akame didn't know that it was made of magic and part of the Hight Priest's Monster Toy spell, it wouldn't have stopped them as Akame raised Murasame above her head in a two handed grip just like Yami sometimes did and Tatsumi took a step back to give her room.
"Blade Magic: Scimitar Slice!" Akame said as she brought the katana down in a swift, violent, downward strike as the magic monster fish snarled and lunged at them.
As expected, a vertical slash of gray colored magic shot from Murasame and at the fish, the top and bottom of it just reaching the ceiling and floor of the tunnel thus cutting lines into it showing that the attack was razor sharp this time around That was of course what Akame was going for the moment that she heard Gifso's spell.
The result was that the monster fish flew right into the slash and kept going as Akame's magic cleanly, and neatly cut it in twain from face to the end of its flat tail causing the fish to crash to the ground in two halves that slid past Akame as Tatsumi shifted to stand behind her unphased by the attack. it was actually a good thing that the fish was magic and not real as the gore of such a kill would have been intense.
Neither of them focused on that thought though as Akame's spell continued, which showed how little resistance Gifso's magic gave, and cut through a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling before it slammed into the far wall and ended with a boom and a cloud of dust. When the cloud died down a clean, vertical, line was cut deep into the rock and gave Akame a good sense for the sharpness and strength of her projected slash spell.
"I'll give it to that perverted old man." Akame said as she began to move again while the fish puffed out existence and Tatsumi moved to be to her side and just behind her as they ran. "That is a nuisance so he's right in calling it Nuisance Magic. I mean come on, that looked so tasty."
"True, they're no real challenge to us as they go down quick though they are solid enough to be hit in the first place so they could pack a punch if you don't deal with them quickly." Tatsumi said. "Though your blade is abnormally sharp thanks to your magic my love, so you're not the best comparison."
"I guess, but it's still a hassle to deal with as they get in the way." Akame said as the faint scent of cooked seafood reached her nostrils and her mouth began to water knowing that Charmy had just had a feast and was no doubt going to make more as it seemed that the little Cotton Mage was by a water source that was teeming with seafood. "The least they could do is let us eat them."
"Magic can't be eaten unfortunately, well unless something like Food Magic exists and allows you to create food but as far as I know that doesn't exist." Tatsumi said as he focused Charmy and the presence approaching her as the Temple Mage, the woman judging by her ki, finally reached Charmy's location. "But soon we can eat because Charmy should have food and is about to have a battle over it, well at least she'll perceive it as such."
"Right so let's hurry." Akame said as she broke into a sprint just as Charmy's ki shifted to engage in battle with the newcomer. "We need to get to her to help her and then we can feast. Oh I can't wait to…damn that was quick."
"What happened?" Tatsumi asked running after Akame, his focus on his girlfriend's sudden sprint had distracted him for a moment and he'd not noticed what she'd noticed.
"Charmy went down." Akame said as they ran. "The female Temple Mage approached her from behind and caught Charmy's attention. Charmy then tried to engage her but was beaten quickly. The Temple Mage didn't move and Charmy just collapsed but her ki indicates that she's unconscious, or sleeping it's hard to tell."
"Regardless we have to assume that she's out of the game." Tatsumi said as another monster appeared before them but Akame sent a Scimitar Slice at it that took its head off and it fell down and began to dissolve without breaking stride. "So we're down one but they're down at least 7 based on what Yami said about them having 4 left."
"Yes, a shame as I'd hoped that Charmy would last longer, she's a lot stronger than she looks, but it would seem that we won't sweep this battle." Akame said as she leapt over the still dissolving fish with Tatsumi only a few feet behind her. "And that there is at least one strong Temple Mage as Charmy isn't easy to beat, especially when she has food to defend."
"Likely more than one strong mage as there's been no major announcement since the start other than that stuff with Finral." Tatsumi said as he noticed that there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. "And it looks like we'll find out at least some of what is going on soon."
Akame just nodded, there was no need to respond before she burst out of the tunnel and onto the banks of an underground lake though given that there was the remnants of a feast on the side of it, completely devoid of food Akame noted sadly, it had to have some source underwater. That wasn't all though and as Tatsumi followed Akame out they both noticed the downed, small, form of Charmy on the bank lying on her back, her head facing another tunnel that had no doubt been where the attack had come from, snoring, and mumbling as she slept with a snot bubble forming from one nostril.
"Mhm, so many good fishies." Charmy muttered happily in her sleep. "All for me and my Prince."
"Well she certainly ate rather than trying to participate in the game." Tatsumi noted as they came to a stop by Charmy and looked down at her. "And I don't think that sleep is natural as Charmy isn't one to sleep when there is food to be eaten."
"No, it's not." Akame said shaking her head. "Though let's test it. Hey Charmy, someone's trying to steal your food."
"No, my food, go away." Charmy mumbled moving her arms and letting out a snore but not doing more. "All mine, well other than what my Prince can eat off me."
"Yeah that's not natural." Akame said deciding to ignore the more adult aspect of Charmy's dream or who this Prince of hers might be. "Likely only a major food related shock, one we can't produce right now as we don't have any actual food to stimulate her senses, would work but that should have worked if it wasn't for a spell. Some kind of hypnosis or sleep spell did this. I wonder what attribute is behind it. Chelsea and Mine said that they're Captain uses Dream Magic so that could be it."
"Dream or Sleep Magic I'd wager and no doubt this will be seen as a knockout and rightly so." Tatsumi agreed before he turned and looked down the tunnel that Akame was facing. "I take it that that's the direction the enemy ran off in."
"Yeah though she just walked off as I can sense a ki signature deeper in there, two in fact." Akame said gripping Murasame. "The other is Noelle and she's about to run into the person there as she's come to a stop. Come on, let's go aid Noelle and make that girl pay for knocking Charmy out and denying me a meal."
"Somehow I feel like the latter is the most important thing right now." Tatsumi noted as they set off and into the corridor leaving Charmy to her sweet dreams of food, Yuno, feeding food to Yuno, and some more adult dreams of Yuno that also involved food that thankfully no one would know about beyond what Charmy had just mumbled. "But I agree, we have a lock on the person so let's move."
Akame nodded at that as they ran. She was focused solely on the other person, the female Temple Mage who'd denied her a meal of delicious fish that she'd never taste on the surface and which would have been cooked by a top chief in Charmy, so Akame wasn't as focused as she would have been as a streak of shock went through Noelle's ki.
In fact it was more than shock; it was recognition and Tatsumi picked up on it which confused him. Somehow Noelle knew her attack but he had no idea how she could have it even if the girl had removed her mask, which she had only moments after Noelle arrived to face her. It was peculiar but it gave Tatsumi something to dwell on.
It was because of that dwelling that he was able to notice the battle more as it started with Noelle's hesitance to fight, more so than usual, and the Temple Mage attacking but not with any animosity, just the kind of fighting a good competitive game would have. It was a strong attack and Noelle did start to defend but was still hesitant to fight back. So much so that the fighting paused before finally resuming just as Tatsumi and Akame reached a small chamber with several tunnels leading off it. It was as the fighting resumed, and Noelle missed, that it all hit Tatsumi.
"Akame, hold up!" Tatsumi said forcefully enough to get through to her and his tone caused her to come to a skidding stop and she turned to him her focus still on avenging her missed meal.
"What?" Akame asked, her trust in Tatsumi such that she wasn't upset at being suddenly stopped by him. "Is someone nearby and coming for us? If they are then we can quickly deal with them before aiding Noelle."
"There are more ki signatures around but I'm only just noticing them because we've come to a halt." Tatsumi said shaking his head while noticing the other ki signatures in the area. "No, it's what I sensed in Noelle's ki that has be concerned. That's why I want you to stop."
"Huh but we're going to go and help her." Akame pointed out. "And avenge Charmy and my missed meal."
"We can do that if you still want to but first focus on Noelle's ki and that of the girl she's facing for a moment just like back at the tavern during that mixer we monitored." Tatsumi said. "We're focused on the game right now and not any deeper meaning to it but as I was focusing on Noelle right now I noticed it. She knows that Temple Mage girl, how I can't say but the only possibility is Raquey though even that is odd as it indicates that the people here have some way of visiting that town, and they're friendly with each other. It's caused Noelle to be hesitant but now she's fighting. However she's still hesitant."
"Huh…so she is, wait no it's more than just hesitance to fight a friend." Akame said as she took a moment to do as Tatsumi said, he'd do the same for her if she'd asked and she admitted that her empty stomach and missed meal may have caused some minor blindness but now Akame's mind was clear and she was right, it was more than hesitation. "It's fear. She, she doesn't want to hurt the other girl. It's familiar to Noelle's ki signature though which means…"
"Which means that her accuracy issues aren't tied to her control issues, at least not entirely." Tatsumi said realizing it as well. "I'd never thought of it before in part because of how similar Noelle can be to Mine in many ways which no doubt clouded my assessment of her but deep down, deep within her on a level that Noelle herself probably doesn't know but which can be seen by others either visually or with ki, she's a good person who doesn't want to hurt anyone."
"Yeah, she's got a kind and good heart and that's holding her back." Akame said as she recalled Noelle's reaction to the bodies at the Highball Estate. "Come to think of it, she really showed that back on the special mission when she lost her stomach at what she saw."
"It's not something that we're used to." Tatsumi admitted. "Especially from someone with her background. We know she's good from her ki but this is a new level."
"I agree and I wish I'd seen it sooner." Akame said with a sigh at failing to notice the depths of Noelle's subconscious turmoil. "Unfortunately, I don't know if I'm someone who can help, not with all the blood on my hands, but she's my friend and squadmate so I want to help her. Noelle is a good person who deep down wants to make things better, that's why she can't hit people with her magic because she can't hurt them. Well, other than Asta and Magna but the former makes sense. If she can overcome this then her potential would be through the roof."
"And it doesn't have to be to by killing." Tatsumi pointed out. "Just to understand that it's ok to hurt someone be it in this combat game like this where we're having fun or in actual combat when dealing with someone trying to do something bad so it's ok to stop them to save innocents. Somehow I get the feeling that the girl she's facing knows this as well, or has realized what's causing Noelle's accuracy issues, and is trying to get Noelle to realize it as well."
"Huh, it does seem that her ki is a bit over the place." Akame said as she focused on it. "So that means…"
"That we shouldn't help Noelle." Tatsumi said. "This is something that she needs to realize on her own. Whether it is during her current battle or some other time, we can't come to her rescue and interfere. Asta might be able to but we certainly can't."
"Even he shouldn't beyond being there for moral support, which would work as she does listen to him." Akame said shaking her head. "But I see your point. We'll leave Noelle but if she falls then that girl is mine."
"Fair enough." Tatsumi said as he stopped focusing on Noelle. "Now, there are 5 other ki signatures within my range so I know you'll be able to sense them as well. Two are down that tunnel and three down that one."
Tatsumi indicated the two tunnels in question as he spoke and Akame shifted her focus to them as well. Three were easy to pick out as they were Asta, Magna, and Luck but the other two were not known to the couple marking them as Temple Mages. One was engaging Asta and was an oddly hard ki to pin down, it was flowing like water and striking Asta who was defending but something seemed a bit different there. The other one was engaging Luck and Magna in a two on one fight and easily holding his own against them.
"Which one?" Akame asked after both of them had had a moment to assess the fights that were going on. "Asta's is the easier of the two I'd say, I'm actually felling mana coming from the other which indicates that the guy has a lot of power, but that's not an issue to us so we could go either way."
"Asta's feels almost like a duel." Tatsumi said focusing on it and closing his eyes to really get a better sense without visual distractions. "The guy is holding something in each hand, something physical it seems and is moving like a dancer. His movements are fluid but strong and his ki is hard to read as if he's not there mentally. It's almost like he's in some kind of trance. That could…"
"He's fighting with swords or something similar enough to them to make him a swordsman of sort." Akame said before Tatsumi could finish noting what he was saying and zeroing in on it. "It's not a style I'd use but some of the best swordfighters are almost like dancers in their movements and they can enter into a trance-like state while fighting though this seems more, almost magic induced in a way. It's more useful one on one duels and certainly lacks real world experience but technique wise it's really good. I wouldn't mind crossing blades with him at some point to test his skills."
"Yeah now that you mention it, he has to be utilizing some kind of weapon combat." Tatsumi said nodding. "And Asta needs experience there. Best to leave him for the moment."
"Right and this is Asta we're talking about, he's going to pick up some tips from the fight if he hasn't already." Akame said. "I've seen him duel you in practice, he's gained some of your skills and incorporated them into his own unique style but it's not just you. I've seen him use some of my moves, adapted to his body and the nature of his swords, and even some of the Captain's."
"Now that you mention it yeah he does use some of your moves, they're easy for me to deal with but only because I know you so well and he's not at your level." Tatsumi said not adding that Akame's swordplay, at least the kind that Asta had seen, was tailored to a katana so there was only so much Asta could adapt from it. "Asta's a sponge. He's constantly absorbing, adapting, and improving from what he sees and experiences. It's part of why Asta is so strong."
"Yup and it's why I want to train him with a katana once he's strong enough to at least handle light sparring with me." Akame said. "I think he'd really benefit from learning how to wield one even if he never actually uses a katana. That and he'll learn even more from facing me in training than he will from watching me spar with you."
"Agreed." Tatsumi said. "So we leave Asta as well."
"Leave him and we'll see what he's learned next time you spar with him." Akame said turning to the tunnel leading to Luck and Magna. "So by process of deduction we go this way."
"Yes but let's only get involved if they're defeated." Tatsumi said as they began to run. "We're up by a lot and they're having fun, no point ruining it and you never know what kind of revelations they might have by fighting together."
"True, alright that makes sense." Akame said with a nod as they entered the tunnel that would take them to the chamber where Luck and Magna were dueling Gifso's son and the strongest of the Temple Mages, Gio. "There are only 4 left and whoever the fourth is, I trust that one of the others will deal with him."
Tatsumi nodded at that not knowing that only seconds before they set off said 4th remaining Temple Mage had tried to lay a trap for Vanessa and failed leading to his own capture by her and thus reducing the number to 3 Temple Mages, the so called 3 great mages, and annoying Gifso even more despite his admiration of Vanessa's chest. As such things were looking really good for the Black Bulls, they were killing it, and victory was theirs.
That was of course the moment that everything suddenly changed when there was a massive boom from directly ahead of Tatsumi and Akame, right where Luck, Magna, and Gio though they didn't know that they were fighting the High Priest's son. The boom drew them up short and caused the couple to come to a dead stop as the Temple shook.
"That is not good." Akame said her instincts flaring at the reaction and her gut telling her that this wasn't part of the game. "The Hight Priest said that only he could let people in and out of here so if someone crashed in then they have the power to bypass that."
"Yeah, no way that this is part of his game." Tatsumi agreed as Gifso confirmed that to Yami in their watching room. "What could it…"
Tatsumi fell silent as he felt the ki of 6 new arrivals all with clear malevolent intent. However, one of the 6 new arrivals was familiar to the couple and it was dripping with more malevolence than the other 5 combined.
They'd only felt it once before, back in the cave near Nean a little more than a week ago, but they'd felt the ki there so much during the conflict that they could recognize the four main signatures. This one belonged to the Beast Mage, Vetto the Despair, and it made one thing clear, the Eye of the Midnight Sun had arrived and suddenly the game had changed as the stakes raised and the true battle began.
I think this is a good place to end this chapter on, a nice little tease for the real battle to come. The Battle Royale has been fun and the Black Bulls done well but there was always the threat of the Eye of the Midnight Sun and now it's here and joining the fray. Well, all that means is that the rules will change and the Black Bulls will once again step up to deal with the threat only now they have Akame and Tatsumi so it's time to see how their presence alters this battle. There isn't much more to say about this straightforward chapter so that's all that I have for y'all and will leave it off here. As always, if you like my story then please follow, favorite, review, PM, etc. it is all appreciated and helps me get better and stay motivated to keep producing more content and any questions asked I will do my best to answer both privately and at the start of the next chapter. Until next time.
Stringdog