Here is the fortieth-fourth chapter in this story released in accordance with the release schedule. Something certainly went wrong and the fun Temple Battle Royale has been invaded by the Eye of the Midnight Sun who are also after the Magic Stone. That means that rules have changed and it's time to deal with this interruption and deal with the invaders to the Underwater Temple. 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-fourth chapter in Akame ga Clover.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 44: Interruption
"Well what do we have here?" Vetto asked his voice dripping with malice as he stepped out of the smoke cloud created by his arrival and grinned at Luck and Magna as it continued to dissipate revealing the 5 members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun that he'd brough with him. "It looks like you folks are having quite the get together down here. Rude of you to not to invite me to this so how about it? Want to let me in on this little gathering?"
Vetto just grinned as all the smoke finished clearing. This was one of the locations of the remaining 4 remaining Magic Stones that Licht needed for the ritual and with the currents around the Underwater Temple they had to come today to get the one that was here. With his magic, Vetto was the ideal member of the Third Eye to send just as Fana would be sent to retrieve the other Magic Stone that they knew the location of but they had to wait for the opening presented itself and it wasn't there yet as the Diamond Kingdom had to make its move first.
The remaining 2 Magic Stones they needed weren't known to them as Heath had failed to retrieve the one in Saussy Village and the final one was unknown entirely. Licht had a pretty good idea as to where the Saussy Village Magic Stone was but not the other one, not that it mattered as it wasn't necessary for the first ritual so they could focus on the other three for now.
As such, and due to the nature of this Strong Magic Region, it was time to get the one down here and have a little fun at the despair of the Black Bulls who'd no doubt been sent here to get the stone after the mental blocks on Catherine and Geork were broken. Vetto was looking forward to this, he'd already had a nice meal of despair on the beach before coming when he'd taken care of the Magic Knights there so it had been a nice appetizer for the upcoming main course.
Naturally, Magna and Luck didn't see it that way as they stared at Vetto and the 5 hooded mages with him. They'd not met the Beast Mage having not been in the cave in Nean but they'd heard of him from Yami, Asta, Tatsumi, and Akame and neither of them were feeling any despair at his presence.
"What does this bozo think he's doing crashing our battle?" Magna asked. "And why's he so hairy? The Captain and the others didn't tell us that. It's a little disturbing."
"Yeah he's no fair in this fight." Luck said noting that the shark masked Temple Mage, the strongest one down here who they'd been fighting, was slumped in against a wall sitting in shallow water having been blasted there when Vetto's magic landed on top of him. "Shark man belonged to me; I was going to beat him all by myself. That said, this is an upgrade, he's got more magic power than Captain Yami so this is going to be a lot of fun."
"That's not good but there's no way I'm backing down either." Magna said grinning as the lightning sparked around Luck. "Can't let you have all the fun after all."
"So you made it through the ocean currents and forced your way into the Underwater Temple." Gio, the shark masked Temple Mage and Gifso's son, said as he rose his mask falling away from the damage he'd taken in Vetto's initial attack. "That means that your magic is formidable but this is our home and you invaded it with hostile intent. I will not let that stand."
"Oh you can still move." Vetto said with a side glance at the man noting he had long black hair tied in a ponytail with three strands falling over his face and a well groomed black chinstrap beard. "Good, that means you've got some strength to you which will season your despair nicely when you realize you can't beat me."
"That hurt." Gio said more to himself than anyone else as he patted himself down, not despairing at all as he assessed the new arrivals. "Gotta admit, you and your buddies there don't look like Magic Knights. I know why they're here and we were having a fun game to decide it so that my kids can achieve their dreams but what are you lot doing here? What do you want with the Underwater Temple?"
"They should have mentioned us because we're here for the same thing that they are." Vetto said his focus on Luck and Magna now but making it clear that the Black Bulls were aware of the reason and clearly hadn't divulged that the Eye of the Midnight Sun would likely attack because of it. "We're here for the Magic Stone as well."
"Are you now?" Gio said. "Well that's too bad for you then. We can't just hand it over you know. You'll have to fight us for it."
"Oh I know and I wouldn't want it to be effortless anyway." Vetto said. "There's no fun in not earning it and I'd much rather plunge this whole civilization into the pits of despair as I destroy this Temple of yours and take the stone myself!"
"You what!" Gio exclaimed his eyes wide at the declaration. "You won't get away with that! Not while I'm here!"
"The rest of you go!" Vetto said holding out his arms. "Spread out through the Temple and take care of anyone you find as you see fit. You have your orders."
"Sir!" They all said as they began to leap away and headed down 5 different entrances to the chamber they were all in with one of them on a specific mission and the others going to cause death and chaos within the Temple.
"It's rude to just drop into a place uninvited and then threaten to destroy it and its people." Gio said calming down as he prepared for the inevitable fight to come. "So I'll have to ask you to leave."
"Silence peon, I don't take orders from a lowly human." Vetto said pointing at Gio. "You don't get to boss me around especially right before I enjoy your delicious despair."
"You really do need to work on your manners." Gio said getting serious. "I asked nicely, now I'll force you out."
"Ha it will take far more powerful magic than you possess to force me out of this place without claiming the Magic Stone." Vetto said now turning to the man challenging him. "But go ahead and try, I will relish in your despair. It will be a light snack before I start on the multi course feast that is about to come."
"And you clearly don't understand who you're dealing with." Gio said in return not intimidated by the attacker at all. "Of all the Underwater Temple Mages, I am the strongest by far and on par with a Grand Magic Knight."
"Enough chitchat, this bores me." Vetto said as his orange colored magic coated him. "Let's have our magic do the talking shall we?"
"Very well, mine has plenty to say about this." Gio replied as his grimoire flipped open. "Water Creation Magic: Poseidon's Hammer!"
With that Gio created a massive hammer of water and brought it around on Vetto. With that the second stage of the Underwater Temple Battle began with a bang.
"No, this, this shouldn't be possible." Gifso said from the observation room as he and Yami watched the opening salvo which showed Gio's attack being blocked without do anything to Vetto before he, Luck, and Magna were blasted back in a swift counter attack from the Beast Mage that was almost too fast for the eye to see. "Gio is the strongest that we have down here, he's on the same level as a standard Magic Knight Captain, and yet he was beaten so easily. I've never seen such power and I've seen a lot in my time."
"Listen old man the game is over." Yami said getting serious as he rose, this was a situation that demanded his personal attention as Vetto was too strong for the Black Bulls at their current level, even Akame and Tatsumi would struggle against him so he had to be there to help take the Beast Mage down. "Get me out of here and to my Squad and do it right away."
"This must be serious if you're like this." Gifso said the sudden change in Yami showing just how dire the situation had suddenly become before he turned to the screens and looked at the beefy, hairy man who'd arrived his grimoire open before him the claw marks on down the front and back covers making it impossible to tell if it was a three or four leaf grimoire though the presumption was that it was the former. "Who is that man? He looks more like beast really."
"His name is Vetto the Despair and he's a high ranking member of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, the group I told you was also after the Magic Stone." Yami said knowing the man well especially as he was the one who'd broken Yami's first katana and put him in even more debt for his new one so the Beast Mage would pay for that. "And more beast than man is accurate. He uses Beast Magic and is easily as strong as I am."
"Eye of the Midnight Sun?" Gifso asked. "You mention them but didn't have time to elaborate."
"And there's still no time to explain who they are though we really don't know much more than that they're a terrorist group who wants to overthrow the Clover Kingdom." Yami said giving the High Priest the basic overview of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. "Just get me out of here and to my Squad."
"I'm sorry Captain but I can't." Gifso said and he meant it because he really did want to let the Captain of the Black Bulls out but his magic didn't work like that. "It's not possible. We are stuck in here until the game is finished and I can't break the spell either. That's the way it is unfortunately, we'll just have to wait and see."
"Is that so, well nothing's impossible you just have to push past your limits to accomplish it." Yami said as he took the handle of his katana and looked to the wall. "So I'll just have to let myself out then."
"What are…" Gifso began but Yami had already drawn his blade and coated it in Dark Magic.
"Dark Magic: Lightless Slash."
With three quick slashes Yami cut a triangle into the wall with his magic and it fell away. The old man might not be able to break his own spell but Yami was going to cut his way out of it if he could.
However he couldn't as he looked out of the hole he made and blinked in surprise at what he saw. The viewing room was in the top bulb of the Temple it seemed so he should have been able to just leap down and then cut his way to his Squad however there was a bubble around the whole Temple, one that wasn't natural and clearly wasn't made by the High Priest's magic. Rather it looked like Spatial Magic if Yami had to guess.
"Hey! What happened to my Temple!" Gifso explained as he got up at Yami cutting a triangle into the Temple wall. "What did you do?"
"Nothing, this is Spatial Magic." Yami said as he looked out. "Someone's trapped us in here with it which means that it's being cast by someone with a fair amount of magic power."
Indeed they had been trapped as one of the Eye of the Midnight Sun members had done just that. He'd come on this mission for this explicit purpose so that they could trap the people in the Temple while they got the Magic Stone and Vetto did his thing in there which meant that now they were ensnared in the man's Different Dimension Sphere. There was no way to escape it unless the Spatial Mage released it he wasn't going to do that. You'd have to cut through dimensions to break free and as far as anyone knew no one had the power to do that. Therefore, providing that Anti-Magic wasn't at play, they were trapped.
"Dark swordsman from a foreign land."
The voice interrupted Yami's musing on the situation and how to get out of it as he recognized the voice calling to him as Vetto's. That got his attention and Yami turned to the screen that showed where Vetto currently was.
"That's right, I can tell that you're here by your mana." Vetto continued clearly trying to rile Yami up but Yami wasn't going to rise to it. "I can't have you interfering right now, especially not after that little reminder of you that you left on me thanks to Kurome's sister's katana so for now watch from the sidelines. You will be my main dish today and be steeped in the most delicious despair I have tasted so far thanks to having seen the deaths of your entire Squad."
At the end Vetto turned to look directly at the screen though how he knew where it was Yami didn't know. Still it was impressive and a good attempt at intimidation but Yami didn't feel intimidated or any despair for that matter and when he was done the Beast Mage would be left with more than the scar on his forearm that Yami had inflicted with Akame's katana in the cave, he was certain of that.
"We must do something to stop that beast." Gifso said. "If we don't the Temple will be destroyed along with all those who call this place home and I don't doubt that he can and will do that."
"Ok geezer." Yami said. "We will do that and here's the deal."
"What is it?" Gifso asked looking at Yami.
"We may not be able to get in there, at least not yet, but can we still talk to those in the Temple?" Yami asked. "Like before or has that been cut off as well?"
"No the internal speaker system is controlled by magic so we can still send messages from here." Gifso said holding up his hand and magic flared above his palm. "But how will this help?"
"Just let me handle it." Yami said as he prepared what he needed to say.
"You sense that ki, right." Tatsumi said to Akame as they stood where they had stopped in the tunnel the moment the invaders arrived as they noted the new arrivals. "The worst of the bunch I mean."
"Yeah hard not to miss it as it's almost unnaturally strong." Akame said with a nod. "Usually takes a bit to get a lock on a ki signature but the raw beastly malevolence in that particular source of ki, there's only one person with that kind of ki. That Beast Mage from the cave, Vetto the Despair. He's here for sure."
"Yeah we knew that the Eye of the Midnight Sun might make a move and I guess they decided to send one of their top dogs to ensure that they got into the Temple and secured the Magic Stone." Tatsumi said. "Not that that's an issue for us, all it means is that they're about to lose one of their strongest fighters."
"His magic is considerable, greater than ours but that's all that we're up against." Akame said with a nod. "Anyone can be slain and this is nothing compared to fighting Esdeath or that massive Imperial Arms."
"Well those killed us so yeah this is nothing." Tatsumi pointed out. "That said, my binding spell won't work on Vetto as those with more mana than I have tend to be able to break it, but I can still adapt to defend against his magic. Luck and Magna are good but they're going to need backup. We can do that and together nothing can beat us."
"Agreed." Akame said as she prepped herself. "Let's head…
"Er, testing one two, test, test." Captain Yami's voice said through the Temple's magic the way he and the High Priest had done so before. "Is this thing on? Yes? Good."
"We should have seen that coming." Tatsumi said and Akame nodded. "It's good that the Captain has a tactical view. His power would be great but no doubt they've got brought someone to deal with the High Priest which has ensnared Yami as well as he's with that old pervert."
"Plus he'll find a way to break out, it's the Captain." Akame said. "So…
"Alright listen up ya morons." Yami said interrupting Akame again, not that he knew that, and forcing them all to focus on him once more. "As you might have felt, some nasty characters have just crashed the nice little party that we were having and interrupted the game the old man and I were enjoying and which I was about to win big on thanks to you guys killing it. Anyway, the new arrival is one of the Midnight Sun's high ranking members that I told ya about and a real wild looking son of a bitch who's as strong as a Magic Knight Captain."
"Well that confirms it." Akame said. "The ki was clear but I trust the Captain's description to confirm what we felt, that's Vetto the Despair."
"Not that we're despairing at his arrival." Tatsumi said with a grin. "We can handle that beast."
"Yeah we've killed worst beast than him." Akame said with a nod. "This is just the biggest test we've faced in this life so far."
"Plus he's got five minions with him that he's released into the Temple tunnels." Yami continued just as Akame finished her comment while all the Black Bulls listened to him wherever they were in the Temple. "However some inconveniences have come up because of one of those minions who I will personal beat up when I can but as of right now I can't come and get them."
"Read he's been trapped by a sneak attack and is too proud to admit it." Tatsumi said and Akame nodded at that. "Though that does mean that that mage is in for a serious ass kicking once the Captain is free."
"No doubt about it." Akame agreed.
"As such you block heads are going to have to deal with it in my stead." Yami continued as his voice got serious. "This is a time to get your heads in the game for real because these bastards mean business so do that and push past your limits just like I know you can."
"Captain, is lethal force authorized!" Akame called out looking around and brandishing Murasame in one hand above her head to try and get his attention. "This seems like a case for it and I'd really like to not have to hold back."
"Don't hold back and for those it applies to, lethal force is officially authorized just try to keep one of them alive for interrogation." Yami said though whether or not it was because he heard Akame neither she nor Tatsumi knew. "Die and I'll kill ya myself. Out."
"Well that answers my question." Akame said bringing Murasame down and turning to Tatsumi. "Tatsumi, hold out your sword."
"Right." Tatsumi said as he held out his sword horizontal to Akame allowing her to place her left hand on it, her magic glowing its steel gray color as she worked the blade. "Thanks babe."
"Of course my love, we need everything to be at peak strength if we're going to win this." Akame said as she finished before turning to Murasame just to make sure as Tatsumi brought the sword back to his side. "That's as sharp and as strong as I can possibly make it with my magic so nothing will stand in our way."
"Leave the living captures to the others." Tatsumi said his voice hardening. "We'll make sure any who cross our path won't cross it or the Clover Kingdom again. They'll pay for this attack."
"That they will." Akame said her voice just as hard. "I like this place, they offered us food after the game and have been nice to use even if the Hight Priest is a creep, so I don't want it destroyed. Plus the Eye of the Midnight Sun are enemies of the Kingdom, it is our duty to protect it and defeat them. Now…"
"Time for a rule change!" Gifso's voice called out through the Temple as he took over the system and got their attention the way Yami just had. "Knights and Mages. In order to win the game, you must now defeat Team Eye of the Midnight Sun of which there are 6 members. All those who contribute to this victory will have their wishes granted! Well insofar as I can do that within my authority as the High Priest of this Temple that is."
"Let's do this." Akame said as the speech ended and she sensed Vetto's ki shift towards where Luck and Magna were. "Come on Tatsumi, we've got a beast to slay."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Tatsumi said as they rushed off down the corridor. "And it won't be the last."
Akame nodded as they hurried off. They were already pretty close to the battle at hand, closer than anyone else though Asta and his opponent were pretty close as well, so it shouldn't take too long to reach it. The others could handle the grunts, they were better suited to dealing with someone like Vetto though if a grunt did show up they'd deal with him or her in a way that ensured that that grunt wasn't going to be a problem going forward and move on without stopping. It turned out that this would be the case.
It happened only a few minutes after they started running towards the batt, the couple had rounded a corner and into a straight tunnel that would take them to another bend and then the final stretch to where Luck and Magna were still fighting Vetto right as a hooded and robed member od the Eye of the Midnight Sun arrived. The person came to a halt as Tatsumi and Akame rounded the bend and in the process the hood fell off to reveal a woman with close cropped auburn hair that had been shaved to a buzz at one side and streaked with a garish mix of green, blue, purple, and yellow.
The woman had a distinctive look as she had multiple piercings on her face, at least three in each eyebrow, one in each nostril and a septum piercing, numerous in her ears included gages in her earlobes that left no earlobe visible and extended them well past the edges of her ears, a large stud in the center of each cheek, a handful in her lips ending in a final stud in her chin. Judging by the metal in her face, which went well beyond the kinds of piercings that Clover Kingdom society would consider acceptable, there were a lot more elsewhere on her body.
To add to it she had a long, red scar that ran from her forehead, over her right eye, and down her cheek to her jaw before extending to her neck and below the collar of her robe. By contrast, an intricate, abstract black tattoo that looked like a single unbroken line snaked up the left side of her neck and onto her cheek before ending on her temple as if there was more to add to it at a later date.
There was no doubt that she was into an alternative lifestyle, something she was entitled to, but not exactly something that the highborn of the Clover Kingdom would accept and for which she'd likely been shunned from society. From what they'd learned the Eye of the Midnight Sun attracted those who lived on the fringes, those who didn't conform to the morals, norms, and expectations of the Clover Kingdom for various reasons, and those who'd experienced the discrimination of the class system so it wasn't a surprise that someone like this was part of them.
However, regardless of whatever she'd experienced in life that had caused her to join the Eye of the Midnight Sun, she did and that made her a traitor to the Clover Kingdom. Therefore, as a terrorist and criminal, Akame and Tatsumi wouldn't hesitate to cut her down especially as she was in between them and their friends who might need their help.
"I see I have two of you already, good I was hoping to kill some Magic Knights who no doubt view me as a horrible freak." The woman said in a cold voice and showing that she also had her tongue pierced as she raised her right hand that was covered in esoteric and arcane looking tattoos as her grimoire, a steel gray thing covered in studs and had rings around the borders that matched the ones in her ears, flipped open. "Rivet Magic: Stud Stream!"
"You go high this time." Tatsumi said ignoring the woman's words as he held out his left hand and a small shield appeared before him to intercept the stream of metal studs that slammed into it with a pinging sound but didn't even scratch, let alone dent, Tatsumi's shield. "I'll go low."
"Got it." Akame said as the neared and she leapt up and onto the right hand wall, Murasame low and across her body.
"Damn well…" The woman began as her spell ended but it was already too late as Akame and Tatsumi reached her.
The moment her spell was over Tatsumi dismissed his shield and rushed past the woman to her right with a simple slash of his sword. As he did Akame passed her to the left while running along the right hand wall to her and Tatsumi and slashing Murasame as she past the mage. Their blades struck at the same time with the distinctive sound of sharp metal rending flesh as the swung in perfect unison with each other. They never once broke stride as Akame leapt off the wall in a cartwheel to land on Tatsumi's left as he moved his sword back to his right, flicking the blood off it in the process as they ran.
Behind them the woman didn't make as sound, she couldn't as she was dead where she stood, blood staining her robes as if flowed out of the two cuts that had bisected her body. Then, as Akame and Tatsumi ran on, she toppled back, well her top half did as Tatsumi had bisected her at the waist so her legs fell forward a few seconds after her top half fell back and hit the floor. Meanwhile, as she fell, the top part of her head slide to the side and off showing that Akame had cut through her face from her right jaw, over her mouth, and across her right cheek to the middle of her ear just above the gage in it.
It was a grisly sight, one that Gifso had to look away from in the observation room as the three parts of the woman hit the ground, her entrails spilled out, and the stench of blood and shit filled the tunnel but Akame and Tatsumi didn't look back as they rounded the corner and continued on. They had a battle to reach, squadmates to help and a Temple to save.
"This way! They're up ahead!"
The cry came from Asta as he led the guy he had been battling before the interruption, and who turned out to be Kahono's brother Kiato, through the tunnels and towards where Vetto was. They'd had an intense duel, one that Asta was slowly gaining the upper hand in when the Eye of the Midnight Sun arrived, in large part thanks to Kiato being a rare swordsman and now they were united as they rushed to where Vetto was.
What had made things really interesting was that Kiato used two actual swords, well sword like implements, in his fighting style and incorporated them into his Dance Magic which combined had held Asta at bay. Add in that Kiato could make his ki like water and it had been tough for Asta at the start.
However, Asta had adapted and even incorporated Kiato's style into his own during their duel which allowed him to dodge his blades much to Kiato's surprise as the Temple Mage hadn't expected Asta to be able to do that or overcome his lack of magic. Asta showed him wrong and was about to push Kiato onto the back foot as he began to incorporate more of Tatsumi's sword style into his own to further throw Kiato, Akame and Captain Yami's styles were harder when duel wielding and tailored to their use of katanas, and was preparing to use one of Tatsumi's fast finishing moves when the interruption had occurred.
That had changed everything and with that Asta and Kiato, who by this point Asta considered a friend, had teamed up and began rushing to where Vetto was. The others could handle the Temple Mages, hell with Akame and Tatsumi here there was a good chance a few were already dead, but their target was Vetto and Asta had led the charge towards him. He knew exactly where the scary Beast Mage was thanks to his ki and that surprised Kiato.
"How do you know where to go down here when you can't sense mana?" Kiato asked as they ran. "This place is a maze, trying to find someone without being able to sense mana shouldn't be possible."
"I can't sense mana, that's true, but I can sense ki." Asta said. "Captain Yami taught me it and it's how I was able to fight you. All the swordsmen and the swordswoman in the Black Bulls can read it, it's a great tool in our fighting styles."
"Ki?" Kiato asked unfamiliar with the term but leaving it at that as Asta was going towards the fight. "Well you're right regardless of what you're doing to navigate down here. Still, you should know that I sense a lot of magic power up ahead. I've never felt anything like this before but this is a battle that is worth fighting so I'm with you."
"I'm glad to have you by my side and speaking of ki, I was trying to read yours earlier but I came across a problem." Asta said looking over at Kiato not slowing down at all as he addressed the Temple Mage. "It was almost impossible to pin you down. How do you do that? Not even Akame does that when she fights and she's on a whole other level in swordplay. I can read her ki when she uses her katana but she's so fast at times that it exceeds my ability to predict her strikes and I've only seen her go all out once."
"Huh, that?" Kiato asked wondering about this swordswoman Asta mentioned as it had not come up in their brief duel but deciding not to ask further as Asta had asked a question that deserved an answer. "Well my dancing actually puts me into a kind of trance which helps me when I fight."
"How does it work?" Asta asked, this wasn't something he could actually do as it was magic based but as he'd proven earlier he could mimic it to some degree and the fluidity of Kiato's movements were something the three swordsmen, well two and a swordswoman, who Asta studied the most lacked. "I've never seen a style like yours before."
"It's hard to explain it but my body sorta just moves on its own when I'm like that, there's no conscious thought on my part." Kiato explained. "That's why it's hard to predict what I'll do because it's like flowing water in a sense."
"I get it that's really cool!" Asta said with a grin as the explanation explained why Kiato's ki had been so hard to pin down before he tried it out himself and cleared his mind as they ran.
"Er, what are you doing?" Kiato asked as he noticed the change in Asta.
"Trying to put myself into a trance." Asta said monotonously but it wasn't working.
"Hey! I can see the magic up ahead really clearly now." Kiato said as he got the clear picture of what he was sensing which snapped Asta out of his attempts to put himself into a trance. "It's Flame Magic mixed with Lightning Magic and they're battling together. The wielders clearly know and trust each other as it's really well harmonized."
"That means that Magna and Luck are up there, they use Flame and Lightning Magic respectively." Asta said. "That means…"
"Yeah, they're fighting a massive amount of power, it's something that I've never felt before." Kiato said as he deciphered what he was feeling and how alien it was to him especially given where he was from. "It's like hundreds of wild animals snarling and running crazy! What attribute causes that?"
"Beast Magic, it's what Vetto uses." Asta said Kiato's words only confirming what Asta already knew was ahead. "Wait how on earth are you picking up on this?"
"Those who call the Underwater Temple home are particularly skilled at reading magic and the various forms that it can take." Kiato answered. "However if that's what we're up against then I'm worried because not even my father has that much power and he's the strongest mage down here. It's like…wait I just got a picture of two more types of magic that are almost there, both active and will be there before us."
"It's fine regarding Magna and Luck, they're a little crazy but you can always count on them when things get tough." Asta said his unwavering faith for his squadmates and friends clear in his voice. "Now who are the others you're sensing. If they're Black Bulls we've got more allies."
"One moment let me check but given how many of the Temple Mages have been defeated I'm pretty sure that they're from your Squad." Kiato said as he shifted his focus to the other two surprisingly reassured by Asta's words and the confidence he had in his friends. "One feels protective like a suit of armor that is strong and durable like nothing can get through it. The other…ow that hurt."
"Huh what hurt?" Asta asked confused and worried as Kiato hissed in pain.
"The magic I sensed, it felt like a razor sharp blade running over my skin." Kiato said still wincing from the sensation. "In fact it's like there is a storm of blades all sharper than possible without magic. What kind of magic is that and why doesn't it feel sinister?"
"The only magic that that can be is Blade Magic, it's Akame's attribute." Asta said and finally it clicked in Kiato's mind who she was, she was the black haired Black Bull who's boyfriend had thought that he was someone called Wave that he knew so he now had a face to go with the swordswoman who Asta had praised. "As for the protection you felt, that's got to be Tatsumi's magic. He uses Armor Magic and he's almost always by Akame's side."
"So basically they're a sword and a shield." Kiato said as they ran and closed in on the fight. "A good pairing."
"It's more than that, they're a couple and have a long history of fighting and working together." Asta said. "Their bond is unbreakable and unmatched in the Squad though it's what I would like to have with all of my squadmates one day. Also the lethal force that Captain Yami sanctioned, they're the ones it applies to. They won't hesitate to kill the intruders and they're the strongest in the Squad after the Captain. They're also both skilled with swords and use them in combat, I even used some of Tatsumi's techniques against you, so if they're near then we've got this. We will come out alive!"
Kiato just nodded at that, Asta had a way of inspiring people and he was already feeling it from their conversation as they ran towards the fight. If he said that they could do this then they could and so he focused on what was to come as they hurried through the tunnels and neared the battle that was raging ahead of them.
Akame and Tatsumi had handled the Eye of the Midnight Sun attacker with ease and moved on without a glance back at their handiwork. Their priority was the battle that they were sensing that was raging ahead of them and were moving as fast as they could towards it. They managed to get to the chamber as it was going on, arriving above the battle via a tunnel that led to an overlooking ledge, but they weren't in time before a massive explosion of lightning and fire filled the chamber just before the reached it.
Despite this Akame didn't hesitate as she rushed ahead of Tatsumi and leapt off the edge and right at the epicenter of the explosion as it was going off while Tatsumi activated his Incursio spell. She'd sensed the ki and knew that she had to be there and knew that Tatsumi would do what he had to do as well. She trusted him as he trusted her and it was time they entered the fray.
"Combo Spell: Flame Lightning Exploding Canon!"
The battle between Vetto and Luck and Magna had reached this point. He was clearly stronger than the pair and both were at their limits, badly wounded and covered in blood but neither of them were despairing in the slightest nor were they giving up. In fact they were surpassing their limits as they unleashed a combo spell at point blank range right into Vetto's chest. This was the moment they had, the one that Luck had deduced was the right time to strike the Beast Mage and so they took it as they yelled through the attack.
It appeared to land right in Vetto's gut and blast through him, a tongue of flame and a flare of lightning shooting out of his back and through the chamber towards where Asta and Kiato where as they reached the battle. It went past them as they watched the attack in amazement and commented it as the attack pushed through. This could be it for Vetto and no one else had yet to leap into the battle.
Alas it was not as Vetto had just managed to get his Beast Magic cloaked arms up and in front of him to block the attack which they could all see as the smoke cleared, the flames died down, and the lightning dissipated. The Beast Mage just let out a chuckle as they fell forward. They were pathetic and soon they'd die.
However, before Vetto could deliver the finishing blow, and as Asta was pulling his great sword from his grimoire to leap to Luck and Magna's defense, the next attack came. Yami had seen it and grinned as he noted who was now up while Gifso commented on how powerful the combo spell was but still didn't put a scratch on Vetto. It might not have but it was a real manly effort and besides Vetto was about to get a scratch on him and probably worse.
Well it would have been worse had Vetto's animal instincts kicked in and for the first time since his reincarnation he felt like he was the prey and not the predator that he actually was. It was only for a flash but as a predator himself he sensed the arrival of another predator, one who hunted the greatest game of all, sentients.
It was that animalistic sense that allowed Vetto to use his immense speed to leap back just as the mice before him hit the ground and get out of the way of the vicious, diagonal, downward slash that cut through the air right where he'd been standing. Had he not leapt back then he'd have been bisected from his left shoulder to his right hip but the razor sharp steel that cut through the air with a loud swish.
Instead, and even with his instincts and speed, he let out a gasp of pain as the tip of the blade sliced him across the chest from hip to shoulder and going between his outstretched arms that he'd held out to block the combo attack thus missing the magic he'd used to block the attack as Akame brought Murasame down as she landed in a crouch before him, her hair falling down as she did. Instantly she knew that it had not been a killing blow but she had landed it which was a start as Vetto began to chuckle again.
"Well what do we have here? It looks like a new mouse has entered the fight though you're more a snake than a mouse aren't you." Vetto said as the blood began to run down his chest from his wound and he grinned. "This will be fun and Kurome's despair when I kill her little sister instead of her doing it, well that's going to be delicious."
Akame didn't say anything but her eyes hardened as she looked up from her crouch and at the massive man before her. Her hair finished falling into place from her landing and blood dripped from Murasame's tip as she held her katana low and to the side but her entire focus was on Vetto. She'd come in time for Tatsumi to save Magna and Luck while Asta and a Temple Mage were nearby as emergency backup. The Black Bulls were far from out of this fight and no despair had taken hold of them as the next round began.
I feel like this is a nice little cliffhanger to end the chapter on. I short interruption chapter that sets up the battle with Vetto nicely, the other takedowns will occur as canon minus the Temple Mage that Zuta captures, but Akame and Tatsumi got to show off their skills and reach the fight. Now it is time to see how they affect it as the next round with Vetto begins. There really isn't much more to add to this simple chapter, sorry it's heavy on the canon stuff but sometimes it goes like that, so I 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