Here is the fortieth-fifth chapter in this story released in accordance with the release schedule. Sorry it's been so long; I had hoped to get something out in early April before I went abroad for a few weeks but IRL stuff came up and prevented that. Hopefully, I will be able to get another chapter out before the end of May as there is only really one major thing that will get in the way but anything can happen so bear with me. Anyway, the battle with Vetto the Despair is well underway and while Luck, Magna, and Gio have all fallen it's far from over as Akame, Tatsumi, Asta, and Wave have reached the cavern with the first of them now between Vetto and her squadmates. It's time for the next stage of this battle as Akame takes point but will she do so alone or will she get aid as the Black Bulls continue to surpass their limits as they try to defend the Undersea Temple That is all that I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all but there is a guest review that posed a question and as such needs a response, and a notification to make regarding the current issue affecting this site and a partial way around it. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate and onto the review response.
To KingKam (guest), they're going to have a side adventure. The Witches Forest arc is about finding a cure for Asta's arms during which the members of the Black Bulls split up into teams to find said cure in various different areas so Tatsumi and Akame will be a team trying to find a cure elsewhere as Akame will have a potential lead/idea of where there might be a cure and in the process they'll have an interesting adventure that will have wider implications for the story. For the most part the Witches Forest arc will go as canon and anything that ends up being different due to this being a crossover will be mentioned when Tatsumi and Akame return from their adventure and are told the full story of what happened. I hope that answers your question, do keep reading and enjoying my work.
The notice is that once again the email alerts have gone down on the website so to avoid the issue I recommend getting the app if you don't have it and downloading your favorite stories on it as the notification system there is still working. You can also PM on the app and it will have notifications as well though it's separate from the PMs on the website which at the moment you have to manually check due to the email situation. This will eventually be resolved, it always is, but it's happened before so the app is the best way around it especially for stories like mine which are not cross posted anywhere else.
That is it for this pre-chapter note so it is time to sit back and enjoy the forty-fifth chapter in Akame ga Clover.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 45: Beast
"No words?" Vetto asked with a chuckle as Akame glared at him, her internal switch flipped and in full kill mode, the lethality of her aura palpable to all around her as she remained in her crouch from her failed attack. "Fine by me, I've heard the stories of you from Kurome, of what you were and did both for and against that Empire, I see that they were true. In one move you cut me, would have bisected me if I'd not gotten away in time, but that katana isn't that same as its namesake so I'm in no danger of death. Still, in one instance you did more than that combo spell those two insects did. Not bad and since you're here I can repay you for all the pain you caused Licht."
"Your boss was lucky that he didn't die that day." Akame said cooly her eyes never leaving Vetto as she planned her next course of action. "And as for my sister, when I'm done with you and the threat your group poses is neutralized I will save her. It won't be like last time; I don't have to kill her. Asta showed me that I'm more than that now. This won't end like it did before."
"No you won't because you will just end up like the bugs at my feet, dead." Vetto said just as Tatsumi landed several feet behind Akame, picked up Luck and Magna and hauled them over to a far wall to rest them safely against it and administer first aid to them and the unconscious Temple Mage that they'd been fighting before Vetto showed up. "And the despair that your death will cause will be oh so delicious."
"Better people than you have tried to kill me, almost all failed to do so." Akame said simply as she settled on her attack plan and prepared her spell. "I won't end up like my superiors in the Squad. They were tasked with taking you down and they gave it their all, but even surpassing their limits wasn't enough. Still, that's inspiring to see and now I will take up that mantle and I won't hesitate to kill you. Scimitar Slice!"
With that Akame's blade flashed with magic and she sliced it upwards in the reverse of her downward slash she'd used when she arrived. This time, however, it was a projected slash of Blade Magic as sharp as Murasame with the slight curve that her katana had. The projected Blade Magic tore from her blade and right at Vetto. Akame was too close to him to dodge it but he still reacted instantly by getting his arms up and coating them with Beast Magic to block the strike on his forearms just before it hit him with a boom.
There wasn't an explosion but he was forced to slide backwards over the ground a few inches as he blocked the attack though the sharpness of Murasame ensured that the projected slash cut through the Beast Magic and drew blood on Vetto's forearms. Due to the angle he'd blocked at it left a long cut down his left forearm from the back of his hand to his elbow that then moved onto his right forearm hallway down it and extended to the back of his right hand from the lower half of the block. His blood began to ooze out but it wasn't deep and would stop soon.
For the first time since Akame's mental block had been broken and she'd regained her memories of her past life she wished she had something that had long ago been broken back when she defected from the Empire. It hadn't been as strong or useful as Murasame had been back when it was an Imperial Arms, kinda hard to beat Murasame's one strike kill ability after all, but Kiriichimonji's ability as a Shingu would have come in handy against a foe like Vetto.
Oh well, Akame didn't have it's ability or Murasame's, not that she ever expected the latter to return given that it was a poisonous curse so likely would be a different magical attribute to her own Blade Magic. That was fine though, all it meant was that she'd just have to do this the hard way.
"Not bad, the sharpness of your blade can cut through my raw magic." Vetto said as his mana flared around him as Akame shifted into a high opening stance, Murasame in a two handed grip and pointing at Vetto with the blade to the side as she held it at shoulder height. "This is going to be fun, the despair that you will have when I beat you will be so delicious. A good appetizer for the other servings of despair your death will bring."
"Shut up and die, you'll pay for hurting my friends!" Akame shouted and pushed off the ground with enough force to crack it. "I don't care what you have to say!"
"Fine by me." Vetto said as he leapt back to give himself space to counter Akame's charge. "Beast Magic: Bear Claw!"
With that Beast Magic coated Vetto's forearms and took the form of claws that he got up with plenty of time to intercept Akame's blade as she reached him. He may have blocked it but Akame's attack was still a brutal slash that put Vetto on the back foot for a second.
That second was all that Akame needed to land on the ground and press the Beast Mage as she unleashed a flurry of slashes with Murasame though they weren't wild by any means. Far to the contrary, they were controlled, precise, and well timed as she unloaded Vetto, her considerable sword skills on full display as she dueled the larger man. However, all Vetto did was laugh as he easily intercepted each slash with his claws and returned the favor full force enjoying the duel Akame was giving him.
"Come on, we need to get to the others." Asta said quietly the moment that Akame leapt into the battle and put herself between Vetto and Luck and Magna. "They may need our help."
"Is it ok to leave her on her own?" Kiato asked as Asta began to move around his normal sword out just in case while Akame and Vetto exchanged words. "That beast man took out my dad and he's the strongest person down here. His power reserves are off the charts, they're unlike anything that I've seen before. If she wasn't using a sword that has some physical presence she'd not have gotten through the waves of magic that are constantly guarding his body."
"Yeah we can help her in a bit if need be." Asta said as they moved around as quickly as they could while Tatsumi got Magna and Luck to safety, well as safe as can be in the cavern. "She's one of the strongest in the Squad, possibly second only to the Captain in terms of talent though Noelle has more magic than Akame does, so she's fine."
"Alright then." Kiato said and he didn't doubt Asta's assessment, the magic he was sensing coming from Akame was considerable, potentially greater than even his father's but nowhere close to the Beast Mage's magic power levels. "But I can't stand idle, my family and friends live here and this monster is threatening them so we have to fight regardless of how strong he is."
"For now I'd say hold back as you'd only get in the way, Wave."
The voice was Tatsumi's and he'd spoken as soon as Kiato was done because he and Asta had reached Tatsumi while they were talking and Tatsumi was looking over Luck, Magna and Gio. The name threw Kiato a bit but the tone held him up as Tatsumi rose and looked at them.
"What do you mean?" Kiato asked. "And my name's Kiato, not Wave. I think you made that mistake before."
"Sorry, you sound like a guy I once knew so it just slipped out and unlike Vetto, who also sounds like a guy I knew, you're not an evil bastard." Tatsumi said and the reaction was all he needed to confirm that this wasn't Wave at all, not that he expected Wave to be around as all indications were that Wave had survived the final battle. "Anyway just watch, you're about to see a true swordswoman in action. There are few in this nation, if any really, that can match Akame's skills with a blade. Well, maybe the Captain can but that's it."
Kiato couldn't sense ki so he all he had to go off was Tatsumi's tone as the brown haired kid spoke but the seriousness in it was enough to tell him that he meant it. Asta of course could sense ki and could feel the faith that Tatsumi had in Akame and her sword skills. This wasn't because he was her boyfriend, no this was a deep trust and respect born from personal experience.
"Watch closely Asta." Tatsumi said as he turned to look at the combatants just as Akame charged at Vetto to start their duel. "You saw her fight Kurome not too long ago, this will be similar."
Asta just nodded knowing that watching would give him the perspective he needed while Kiato did the same. There was so much that he could learn from Akame that Asta would never turn down an opportunity to watch her in action so focused just as Akame landed and unleashed a flurry of blows on Vetto.
It was unreal and Asta's eyes went wide and filled with stars as Akame's katana flashed through the air. He couldn't even track it with his eyes, all it was, was a blur of gray steel that seemed to come in from several angles at once as she moved it with a precision and control that Asta had never seen before. Asta had seen part of Akame's duel with her sister in the cave near Nean and that had shown him just how good she was but this was different to that. Asta wasn't sure why it was different but it was.
When Akame faced Kurome she'd been fighting katana to katana and using long strokes while moving her body around to keep up with Kurome's movements. Now, though, Akame didn't even move her lower body; it was all her upper body as she attacked Vetto with all she had though she wasn't moving because Vetto wasn't being forced back by the blows. No, he was standing tall and unmoving as he towered over Akame matching her blows with his Bear Claws and returning the favor in kind.
The speeds both combatants were operating at made it almost impossible to tell who was attacking and defending at any moment. All they could make out were the flashes of gray and burnt orange that clashed and sparked as Akame's created katana and Vetto's Beast Claws clashed over and over again.
"I can't even follow it." Asta said his eyes still stars. "It's unreal."
"Don't rely on your eyes Asta, a duel of this magnitude is much more than eyesight." Tatsumi explained using this as a good moment to teach Asta a little. "Focus on reading their ki, on how they fight and what they do. Akame is using her skills with a sword, her years of training that have honed her into who she is, and ability to sense ki to fight Vetto while he's using his power and mana sense to defend and counter her. Only someone with his level of magical power could counter this assault."
"Right, good point." Asta said as he focused on Akame and Vetto's ki and almost staggered at what he felt, the intensity was beyond what he'd felt before though he'd not really been able to read ki in the cave when Akame faced Licht, not that he could see most of those sword exchanges given Licht's speed, but now he could follow it properly and already he was absorbing all he could from the battle. "I've never seen her move her katana like that. The flow of her movements is unreal, it's like she's one with her sword."
"Her katana is an extension of herself so that is a good way to see it but this particular style is in part due to the nature of the opponent and how he's fighting." Tatsumi said recalling his first mission with Akame and how she'd fought Zank the Beheader. "I've seen Akame fight like this once before when she came in and saved me from a murderous serial killer called Zank. If this was say Kurome it would be different due to the weapons involved but it's not."
"How'd she win that fight?" Asta asked absorbing what Tatsumi was saying just as much as he was absorbing all he could from Akame's duel with Vetto. "I presume she did win it."
"She did but that was because she didn't fall for the man's tricks that he could pull off with his Eye Magic, that and she had the stronger weapon." Tatsumi said altering the story a bit so that Asta's new friend could follow as well while also not divulging their secret to a stranger. "She broke his blades during their second exchange and then cut his throat. This is different though."
"Yeah his magic isn't going anywhere and it's protecting him, for the most part." Kiato noted as he focused on sensing the mana at play. "But not entirely, no one can keep this up forever."
"True." Tatsumi nodded as he sensed two new ki signatures approaching from a nearby tunnel and recognized one instantly which was good as it was one of the ones he really needed to show up so that he could act as well. "Akame won't break through Vetto this way but she'll know that by now and is just holding out until the right moment which is coming."
Tatsumi didn't let the worry creep into his voice but it was there in his ki and Asta could see why. Even with the flurry of blows that Akame and Vetto were raining down on each other, it was clear that this level of speed and offense would soon take its toll and after only a few moments of this blows had started to get through.
They were superficial, similar to how Akame let a few of Licht's Light Swords of Conviction graze her arms and legs when he sent them at her but some of Vetto's claws were getting past her defenses and cutting her biceps and sides while ripping her shirt. Still, they were nothing to Akame and wouldn't slow her down. Tatsumi promised her that soon she'd be able to change things up in this duel.
For her part Akame too was getting through a bit. It wasn't as much as Vetto, he had the height and raw power on her though she had the close combat skills and a slight reach advantage thanks to Murasame's length, so she did occasionally land a glancing blow on his biceps. It wasn't much but in a battle like this anything could add up.
Tatsumi knew that in a battle against an opponent like Vetto that they had to chip away at him anyway that they could. It was why he needed to help Akame but he couldn't until the time was right. Thankfully, that was almost on them as two more people burst into the area near them.
"Don't interrupt!" Tatsumi shouted as he sensed the unfamiliar ki was about to unleash a spell the moment that the person entered the cavern and came to a halt. "You'll get in her way."
"Huh I was going to give a boost with my Song Magic though." The new voice said and Tatsumi turned to see standing in one of the entrances on their level was Noelle and a girl with long, dark red hair swept into a flowing ponytail and wearing a white and pink Temple Mage robe. "She could use it."
"And Akame will get the help she needs but not from someone she doesn't know and hasn't fought with." Tatsumi said as the girls moved to them. "I agree that she needs backup and now with Noelle here to take over on defense and shielding I can provide that."
"Kahono, Tatsumi's right." Noelle said as she led her friend and brief opponent to the others. "This really isn't something we should get involved in, not yet at least."
"Really?" Kahono asked. "But he's attacking our Temple and people."
The girls had hurried over the moment that the battle changed from a fun Battle Royale with prizes on the line for the winning team to a serious battle with the survival of the Temple and its people at stake but the pair had been further away than the others so they'd just gotten here. At least they weren't being held up like Vanessa, Charmy, Gauche, and Grey were being but they were all doing their own part and would in time defeat their opponents and capture the 3 still alive members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun before they could be a threat.
It would even result in Grey's true form being revealed but all that was happening elsewhere and hadn't crossed Noelle and Kahono's path on their way here. As such they'd reached the cavern without any distractions or interruptions.
Now though they arrived as Akame and Vetto were still duking it out and Tatsumi had told them to hold up rather than get involved in the ongoing duel. He may be a commoner but he was still Noelle's senior and she'd seen his skills; she knew better than to defy him or the trust that he had in his girlfriend. That and, well, they could see that there was no opening to help Akame at the moment and for the first time Noelle was truly seeing just how skilled the older girl was with a sword.
"I get that." Tatsumi said to Kahono as the girls reached him, Asta, and Kiato. "And if we fail you'll get that chance but we're Magic Knights, this is what we do."
"I've never actually seen her fight before, just training." Noelle admitted as she watched Akame fight. "It's amazing the way she moves it."
"Right!" Asta said the stars still in his eyes. "I'm learning so much from this."
"Pay close attention, this is what Akame can truly do." Tatsumi said. "And at these speeds, only myself of Captain Yami can keep up with her without getting in her way. In time I'm sure that Asta will be able to as well but right now only I can help and she needs it. Noelle, protect the wounded, I can't divert my magic to lend aid right now."
"Right." Noelle said understanding what Tatsumi wanted as her grimoire flipped to the right page as she pointed her wand at the three unconscious men. "Water Creation Magic, Sea Dragon's Lair!"
The water flowed from her wand and in moments formed a dome of water that around them and connected to the wall. The whirlpools swirled and Tatsumi nodded at it knowing that it would protect the injured while Kiato looked amazed at the Water Magic on display.
"Good right you lot stay here and protect them." Tatsumi said as his grimoire flipped open to the first page and glowed as it hovered up so that it was floating next to him. "If Akame and I go down, then you can step in and we won't go down without landing a few blows. Now, Armor Creation Magic: Incursio!"
With that the armor formed around Tatsumi and quickly took the form of his familiar suit of armor without the occasional fanfare his transformation had. Asta and Noelle knew the armor well, they'd seen it a few times but Kahono and Kiato didn't. It was an impressive spell and the siblings could feel the magic coming from it as Tatsumi stood there. It felt protective but deadly at the same time with something else running through it that neither sibling could place. It was almost as if it was alive in some way and could adapt to any situation.
"Time to join my love." Tatsumi said as he held out his hand and the spear formed in the air which he grabbed. "And slay this beast."
With that Tatsumi took off, his speed enhanced by Incursio and looped around the cavern as he entered the fray. This was a truly terrifying opponent but Tatsumi didn't despair and he could tell that no one else was either because together they'd take him down. That was what a Magic Knight Squad did after all.
As this was happening Akame was still exchanging blows with Vetto. She had to admit, the Beast Mage was strong, stronger than anyone who she'd faced before in this life, and there was no way past his defense. He was just too fast and his mana pool greater than Akame's so she couldn't break through to land a critical blow.
Of course it didn't stop her from trying to do so and pushing past her limits to land that critical blow but this wasn't like her duel with Zank where she had the superior blade and broke his to win, along with being the one person who could avoid falling for Spectator's Illusion Sight, this was about pure magic power and right now she couldn't break through beyond inflicting a few superficial wounds where Vetto's magic wasn't actively coating his arms.
That was fine though as she knew that if she held out long enough, and minimized her own superficial wounds, then Tatsumi would find a way to back her up. Right now he was their best shield so he had to stay back to protect the wounded but if that could be replaced then things would change. Thankfully Akame sensed one of the two necessary ki signatures that could do just that and that gave her a boost of adrenaline that allowed her to press forward and almost land a slice to Vetto's neck that would have opened his carotid artery just as she sensed Tatsumi's change.
Alas Vetto was still too fast for her and was able to shift his head down so that the tip of Murasame sliced along his cheek and not through his neck though it was deeper than any cut since they'd started this exchange. Still, Akame's slice had missed it's mark and as it was a slight overextension from Akame, Vetto capitalized on it with a roar and slashed hard. Akame predicted it and got Murasame up in time, along with a few last second blades she materialized with her raw magic, to intercept the blow.
It was still a damned powerful one and Akame was blasted back several yards over the ground by it, her shoes cutting grooves into the ground as she slid. Additionally, she'd not had the best blocking position and two of Vetto's claws had sliced into her left bicep deeper than before and blood ran freely down her left arm as she slid back. Still, it wasn't nearly enough to dissuade Akame or really impede her in anyway, she'd had much worst in the past, so she ignored it as her grimoire flipped to the right page.
"Blade Creation Magic: Dagger Swarm!" Akame shouted as Tatsumi cut hard behind Vetto and shot right at his back.
"Not bad but all this will do is skewer your lover which is fine with me as that will be some delicious despair." Vetto said with a laugh as the swarm of daggers appeared around Akame before pointing in so that all were aimed at Vetto's chest and shooting towards him at high speed. "Or did you really think that I didn't notice his magic flaring? It's a strong spell and I'm beloved by the mana so I knew the moment he used it that he was about to join this fight."
"Oh I knew that you knew, your ki gave it away the moment you figured it out." Akame said with a grin as Vetto tensed and then leapt high into that air as the daggers closed in so that Akame couldn't change their directions in time. "That's why I did it, needed you up there. Teamwork is a bitch, isn't it?"
"Well played but still not enough." Vetto said as he turned to see Tatsumi in the air in front of him. "You've got skills but you're still insects compared to me."
"Let's see, I've taken down something that makes even you look like an insect and faced down a true monster." Tatsumi said already thrusting his spear forward as Vetto spoke. "So you don't scare me in the slightest."
Tatsumi had sensed Akame's ki and knew that she was going to attack as he closed in to forced Vetto into the air where his mobility might be lessened as they'd not seen him use Mana Zone and thus give Tatsumi an opening to attack him. That was because he could use Akame's attack as cover to leap up a split second before Vetto did and then strike the moment that he had the chance to do so. That was just what he did and even with Vetto turning to him the Beast Mage wasn't going to have the time to avoid the thrust from Tatsumi's spear.
Despite that Vetto just chuckled as his magic flared and there was a boom as Tatsumi's spear neared him. That boom was the sound of two hard objects colliding and not the expected sound of metal rending flesh so it showed it didn't reach's gut as intended.
That was because just before Tatsumi's spear hit home, Vetto's orange magical aura had coalesced around him taking the shape of a rhinoceros that easily stopped the point of the spear dead in its tracks. It did crack the armor right where the mouth of the rhinoceros was as that was where the thrust had been but it didn't break through the Beast Magic and even if it had there was now too much space between the mouth and Vetto's gut for Tatsumi to have reached it with the loss of momentum from the block.
"Nothing can get through my Rhinoceros Armor." Vetto said with a laugh as he looked at Tatsumi presuming that the boy was wide eyed behind the faceplate of his helm. "Too bad, you'd think an Armor Mage would get that."
"Oh I do get that; I know armor better than anyone else." Tatsumi said grinning under his helm showing that while he'd been momentarily surprised by the block he'd already recovered because after all it wasn't like this was their only plan while Vetto was in the air, that would have been foolish against a mage as powerful as Vetto. "So I know what it takes to cut my armor and this is nothing compared to it."
"Huh…" Vetto began before his animal instincts sensed it as he began to fall back to the ground so all he could do was twist before he let out a hiss of pain as he'd not gotten fully out of the way in time.
That was because Akame hadn't been idle either as only seconds after Vetto had leapt and turned to Tatsumi thus putting his back to her, she too had leapt into the air and then kicked off it with Mana Zone to get above Vetto and to the high ceiling of the cavern just as Tatsumi's thrust was blocked. As soon as Akame knew that she'd crash into the ceiling she flipped forward, planted her feet on the rocky ceiling and pushed off it so hard that she sent cracks along it that dislodged a stalactite as she rocketed down towards Vetto's back.
As she did, Akame briefly touched her blade to make it as sharp as she could manage, pushing past her limits to do so, and repairing any knicks in it from her exchange with Vetto in the process. It took a split second and she just managed to do so before she flipped as she fell to add to her momentum and slashed down right at the top of the Rhinoceros Armor's ass as she flipped.
It may have been made of magic, and very strong magic at that, but it was nothing compared to the shields that Tatsumi could create and which he and Akame used to train their respective skills. It was a simple regime where Tatsumi made shields that Akame would then slice in two until Tatsumi's magic adapted to hers and forced her to sharpen Murasame even more to overcome it.
It may have been simply but it ensured that Akame was always surpassing her limits when it came to how sharp she could make her blades while also toughening Tatsumi's magic at the same time. It was only because of the adaptive nature of Tatsumi's magic that she could do this and right now that training paid off in spades.
That's because Murasame cut through Vetto's Rhinoceros Armor like it was paper and had the reach to hit his spine. Akame was going for a complete neutralization though she didn't think she had the reach for Murasame to kill Vetto as only the tip of the blade would reach his body. Still, it would go in deep enough to paralyze him and by going the whole length of his spine there'd be no way he'd be getting up from that.
Alas Vetto had sensed the attack coming in time thanks to his animalistic nature and twisted so that rather than run down his spine, the tip of Murasame and hit the back of his left shoulder blade and cut him in a straight line down his back before slicing through his left buttock and out in a spray of blood that splattered the ground below as Akame passed her downward velocity greater than Vetto's. It wasn't the crippling blow that she'd hoped for but it was a significant blow that got a painful reaction from Vetto as he fell to the ground, blood running down his back, which was good enough for now.
"I guess there is still something that can cut through my Rhinoceros Armor that isn't Anti-Magic but I felt the magic in that sword." Vetto said as fell and Akame landed in a crouch with a slight boom, her speed such that she had to use Reinforcement Magic on her legs to protect them when she landed though her whole body trembled from the impact. "You pushed it too far to cut through and now it's back to normal sharpness. That was a one off attempt and it failed."
"And?" Akame said as the armor fell away from Vetto as he landed. "It still hit you and all we need to do is slow you down until you make a mistake so a good hit like that will help."
"Not likely." Vetto said as Tatsumi flipped on his way down and slashed his spear at Vetto while Vetto was looking at Akame. "You're still too slow for me."
With that Vetto lightly leapt back away from the swing and clear of Tatsumi's reach as Tatsumi landed but as he did Akame pushed off the ground, once again cracking it, and shot at him on an intercept course so that he couldn't avoid her this time. Vetto just howled with laughter as he formed his Bear Claws again and pivoted to slash at Akame as she slashed at him, intercepting her sword with a clang, and forcing her to flip in the air to preserve her momentum before she landed on her feet behind him and slid a few paces over it as she crouched low.
That wasn't all though as Vetto used his momentum to finish his pivot and bring down his right hand Bear Claw in a strong overhand slash at Tatsumi who'd lunged for him while he was knocking Akame away. He had after all sensed Tatsumi's mana so knew that the attack was coming.
However, Tatsumi had expected Vetto's move as well and read the Beast Mage's ki to predicted it before Vetto's hand began to come down. As such a shield appeared out of thin air and intercepted the claw to block with a boom which crumpled the shield but slowed the attack long enough to allow Tatsumi to finish his thrust forward with his spear. Alas even with the latest wound Vetto was still too fast for Tatsumi even with Tatsumi's own speed boosted by Incursio and got his left arm down to intercept the point of Tatsumi's spear on the Beast Magic that was still coating his forearm.
"Seems like that spear isn't as sharp as your girlfriend's katana." Vetto laughed as he pushed through the shield and slashed down. "And your shields won't stop me. You're nothing compared to me."
"For now but thanks for the taste." Tatsumi said as he used his spear to push off Vetto's arm and leap back out of the way of the slash though he barely managed to avoid it. "A little more and it will be good."
Vetto just laughed more as he turned and used his momentum to slash up at Akame who'd rushed in from behind the moment that she could with Murasame in a two handed grip low and to the side and slashed at her. However, this time Akame was on the ground and with reflexed honed from two lifetimes of training and battles she planted her left foot on the ground and flipped to the side with a cartwheel in the air to avoid the slash and then landed on the ground and brought Murasame around trying to bisect Vetto at the waist though she wasn't sure that she'd get all the way through given the man's bulk.
Again Vetto was too fast and his left arm was still low from blocking Tatsumi so he just swiped it up and intercepted Akame's blade with his forearm and batted the katana away. As he did he brought his right arm down and around to do the same to Tatsumi's latest spear slice that was coming for his neck this time.
"Is that the best you got!" Vetto roared. "Come one, show me what you can do so that I can revel in your despair and that of your friends when I beat you!"
Tatsumi and Akame didn't say anything, they just pressed and took the fight to Vetto. For the next few moments, the fight devolved into a fast paced, near impossible to track, close combat duel as Tatsumi spun, slashed, and thrust his spear at Vetto using his strength and speed, both his raw abilities and the boost that he got from Incursio, to press into Vetto as Vetto counter with slashes from his Bear Claws.
At the same time, Akame switched up her style to one that favored her mobility and lither frame as she spun and flipped around playing off Tatsumi's strength and the deep trust and bond they had to fill in the gaps in the duel just as Tatsumi did for her thus turning them into a near single unit as they fought. All the while Tatsumi would create shields when he could to intercept Vetto's slashes to try and create openings and adapt to Vetto's magic. It was taking longer than he would have liked, likely due to how much magic Vetto had, he was slowly adapting to Vetto's Beast Magic so that he could truly block it.
All of this was only possible because Tatsumi and Akame had trained and fought together so many times that trusted each other implicitly in battle. Neither let their love for the other sway their actions knowing that that would be a disaster, instead they had faith in each other's abilities and knew that they'd do what was needed in this battle. As such they relied on their experience and skills, including their ability to read ki, to never once get in each other's way as they all but danced around Vetto pressing him as he countered them with his enhanced speed and reflexes.
It was truly a sight to behold and Asta, Noelle, Kahono, and Kiato could only stare in open mouthed surprise as the couple pressed Vetto in the center of the cavern, harassing him and even cutting him in a few places, though none of the cuts were that serious, as they moved almost as one to keep the pressure up and break through his defenses. Even Yami was impressed at their teamwork and coordination as he watched from the observation room while Gifso gaped as the couple worked.
Of course it couldn't last and Vetto was managing to twist, turn, and slash in time with the couple's attacks. Regardless, it was still a lot and would take a fair bit out of the Beast Mage if nothing else and that could lead to an opening that either teen would exploit the moment that it appeared.
Unfortunately, that would not be the case. Vetto was enjoying the dance and even he could admit that together the pair had talent both alone and together but they were still not enough for him. They were humans after all so inferior to him when it came to mana and already Vetto knew that Akame's sword wouldn't cut his armor again if he made it.
However, he didn't need to as at last his own opening came, he'd been waiting to see if there would be a chance to use his Rhinoceros Armor, but in the end it seemed like this would be the best course of action as the chance was too good to pass up the moment that he sensed it. It would also be the last thing that the pair expected him to do.
With a roar, Vetto sent a powerful slash at Akame with his right Bear Claw and this time he put a lot more power and magic into the slash so that his Bear Claw grew and sharpened giving him more range and reach than before. This forced Akame to pull up short and leap back to avoid it so that the longer claw slammed into the ground with a boom that created a small crater and caused Vetto to lean forward slightly as if he was off balanced. This was exactly what he wanted, however, and used that to bait Tatsumi in from behind.
Even if it was a feint, Vetto was legitimately off balance so it was too good of an opportunity to pass up and in the thralls and flow of battle Tatsumi went for it. The Armor Mage used his position behind Vetto and within striking distance to thrust his spear forward expecting Vetto to at least turn a bit but with the angle there was no way that Vetto would avoid it entirely.
That was true and even with his speed, the slight over extension meant that Vetto didn't have the time to fully turn to avoid it, so he didn't. Instead he kept his back to Tatsumi and rose to his full height while sliding to the left instead of twisting so that the tip of Tatsumi's spear would miss impaling him but so that the side of it would still slice pretty deeply into his right side.
That's exactly what happened and the sharp spear neatly cut through Vetto's flesh and drew blood that welled up and began to flow down the outside of his right calf but the lack of resistance which Tatsumi had been expecting to come from jamming a spear into Vetto's back threw him and caused him to stagger forward slightly. That slight stagger was all Vetto needed to move his right arm down hard and fast and pin the haft of the spear to his bloody side.
"Got you." Vetto said triumphantly as pinned the spear and then, before Tatsumi could let go or react, Vetto turned and used his immense strength and speed, upping it to a level he'd not yet shown in the battle to that point, to bring his left arm around as he pumped even more magic into his left Bear Claw while condensing it at the same time thus thickening it rather than extending it. "Taste your despair!"
Tatsumi's reactions were good, there was no denying that, and he even managed to create a shield in the air to intercept the Bear Claw but even with several tastes of Vetto's magic to this point it still wasn't enough to stop the now enhanced Bear Claw as it hit and shattered the shield while the haft of spear broke form the force of Vetto's spin as Tatsumi hadn't had time to let go of it. It did at least slow down the attack enough to save Tatsumi, well that and Incursio helped a lot, so that some of the force was taken out of the blow as Vetto's Bear Claw slammed into the side of Tatsumi's helm.
That was still relative, however, as the force was more than enough to shatter the face plate and cause Tatsumi to spit blood as he was driven hard into the ground by the blow and bounced off it. Vetto wasn't done, however, and laughed as he brought his right hand Bear Claw back and up and slammed it into Tatsumi's chest as he was bounced into the air. Again he was saved by the strength of Incursio and what his magic had managed to adapt to when it came to Vetto's Beast Magic as there was a boom and Tatsumi was blasted back from the impact, the chest plate caved in and cracked but still holding together.
"Tatsumi!" Akame yelled from where she was as Tatsumi slammed back first into the far wall of the cavern with an explosion of dust and debris, her emotions at what she'd seen coupled with her early desire and how much she'd surpassed her limits to that point caused her grimoire to flip to the nearest blank page and began to fill in with a new spell. "You bastard!"
"Yes give me your despair!" Vetto roared as he turned to Akame as she leapt up and at him her katana in a two handed grip and held high over her head as she became aware of the new spell in her grimoire. "It's delicious!"
Akame wasn't despairing, she knew that Tatsumi was alive thanks to his ki and after he'd broken his word in their last life he wouldn't again, he would survive. No, she was just furious at Vetto for almost killing her beloved as she flipped in the air and brought her katana down onto Vetto who didn't move as this was what he'd wanted as well. Instead he just raised his hand and waited grinning knowing that he'd won this battle.
As he did that, Incursio fell from Tatsumi's body the damage too great to sustain itself anymore and he tumbled from the hole in the wall to land on his chest on the ground at the base of it. Blood was running down his face and as he coughed more blood spewed from his mouth.
It was bad, there was no doubt about it, and he was sure that he'd broken a few bones but thanks to Incursio and the nature of his magic Tatsumi was still alive and in this fight. He just had to push himself past his limits, get up, and keep fighting. He managed that as he got to his hands and knees, more blood coming out of his mouth as he coughed and turned just in time to see what happened to Akame.
That was because Vetto had grabbed Akame's katana in his right hand and held it there. Even as sharp as it was, after all the exchanges and pushing more magic into it than it could normally handle it wasn't sharp enough to cut through all the way through his Bear Claw.
Akame had managed to cut through enough of it to press the blade against the skin of his palm but it wasn't enough to cut it and Vetto just grinned as he held the magical blade in his hand, his arm above his head and thus keeping Akame off the ground with ease. She should have let go and rolled away but she hadn't and that had provided the opening he needed to impale her with his left hand Bear Claw.
"Got you too." Vetto said his grin broadening. "Now die and show me the despair your death brings."
However, as with his own feint to get Tatsumi, this had been what Akame had hoped for. She'd sensed the new spell as she'd attacked and as Vetto caught Murasame her grimoire moved around to show it to her. That was why she'd not let go and the moment that she was held fast she cast it.
"Blade Alteration Magic: Kiriichimonji!"
As soon as Akame shouted the words there was a ripple along Murasame's blade and the katana changed. It shrank a few inches to a shorter but still full length katana while the handle became rectangular, the guard fell away, and a tassel appeared out of the base that held a ribbon which now dangled there. Just like Murasame, Kiriichimonji was exactly the same as it had been in Akame's old life only the difference now was, well, Akame was about to show Vetto that.
With a yell, Akame swung her legs in as Vetto pulled back his left arm, his fingers together so that he could thrust forward and impale her, and slammed her soles into Vetto's broad chest. Akame then kicked off it as she pulled back Kiriichimonji with all her strength making sure to slice the blade along Vetto's palm as she did. It cut deep into it and forced Vetto to let go with a howl of pain and as he did Akame swung her legs back and used Mana Zone to kick off the air to flip over Vetto, twisting in the air to slash him in the head in the process.
Vetto, however, was still just as fast as before and he wasn't going to let this surprise get to him so he roared and spun on his heel, blood flying from his palm as he brought his right hand Bear Claw around as Akame finished her twisting flip to face him and began to lash out with her katana. However, Vetto had the advantage of solid ground, as well as speed and strength, on Akame and she was force to abort the attack and pivot in the air so that she could bring up Kiriichimonji to intercept the bow, making sure to keep the blade out and away from her body.
Akame managed to block most of the strike though Vetto had reinforced his magic as he struck so she didn't cut through it. Still, Akame saved herself from being impaled but the claws too badly but alas she didn't stop it entirely as two of the claws slashed her across her abdomen ripping open her dress there and inflicting the deepest cuts that she'd had so far while the right index claw punctured her in the center of her sternum right above her breasts though the puncture wasn't too deep. All of this was in a split second before Akame was blasted backwards and towards the ground of the cavern.
She didn't have time to reposition herself so Akame went limp to prevent more damage and hit the ground back first and bouncing off it and into the air. The moment she was in the air she twisted and pivoted her body, blood flying from her wounds and splattering the ground around her as she managed to get her feet under her and land in a crouch on the ground, Reinforcement Magic coating her legs to protect them as she began to slide, Kiriichimonji in her right hand and out to her side with its back to Vetto and his blood dripping from it.
Finally Akame came to a stop a few feet from the wall and fell to one knee, her left hand going to the ground to stabilize her as blood began to leak out of the corner of her mouth and run down her chin. Despite this she smiled as she looked at Vetto, the pain negligible thanks to the adrenaline coursing through her though she still panted from the exertion that she'd been through.
"How's the hand?" Akame asked her smile never faltering. "I finally got you with that last blow. Thank you for making me surpass my limits and learn that spell. Now both are back and this one is exactly as it was before. I only wish that I'd managed to learn it for your boss as well."
"What do you mean, you just…" Vetto began before as he looked at Akame ready to pounce when he noticed it. "Huh, why isn't it healing? Normally my cuts clot pretty quickly."
"You know all about my past but I bet Kurome never told you what a Shingu was, especially as she never had one though I'm sure she knew about them." Akame said her exhaustion making it hard to move and as the adrenaline left her the pain began to catch up to her but she pressed on. "Murasame was an Imperial Arms so one of the greatest weapons out there but Kiriichimonji was a Shingu, an inferior weapon that was still better than normal because it had an ability as well."
Vetto just growled as Akame panted for breath and paused. His other wounds had either fully clotted or were getting there but the one on his hand wasn't. It was like the curses that Rades's magic could cause only it had been caused by the edge of the katana that Kurome's sister held to her side not raw blasts of magic.
"Now, because I learned it by surpassing my limits and after I'd already got stronger it's potentially better than Murasame as her power never transitioned." Akame continued using the moment to catch as much breath as she could and mentally minimizing the pain that she was in. "That wound will never heal, that's the power of Kiriichimonji. I'm sure it can be healed in this world by powerful magic but right now it can't be and I doubt you have the time to try."
"My, my that was unexpected." Vetto said as he stopped caring about the injury as he had a feeling that there was something in the cavern that could heal it, it was a magical wound after all, and it wasn't severe enough to impact him just yet, at least not before he took down this pesky mouse. "But you're at the end of your limits, just give up and die."
"Never." Akame said as she felt it and her smile broadened. "And you won't kill me."
"Fine, have it your way." Vetto said with a grin as he tensed his legs ready to pounce on her. "I'll…"
Before Vetto could finish his statement a metal clad fist slammed into the side of his face with an audible crack that hopefully broke the man's jaw. It held there for a split second before it was followed through and the punch finished, Vetto's face wobbling as it did, and he was tossed to the side by the force of the blow. Everyone stared in stunned amazement at the punch as Vetto's body flew through the air and hit the ground hard before bouncing off it and then hitting again as he rolled several more feet over it.
However, as with what he'd just done to Akame and her reaction to it, Vetto was able to quickly adapt and twist in the air after a bounce so that he landed on his feet in a crouch and slide over the ground. Finally he came to a stop and rose to his full height grinning at the sight before him, blood running down his chin as he did.
"Well this is a new development." Vetto said as he spat out a gob of blood along with a tooth that had been broken off by the punch and which clattered on the ground as he stared at his latest opponent. "You lot are full of surprises I see. Not quite there yet but this is good. Come on then, bring on round two!"
With that Vetto let out a laugh looking forward to another battle where he'd win and increase the despair of the Black Bulls and the people of the Undersea Temple because the more they struggled the greater their hope for victory would be and thus the greater despair would be when he crushed them all and extinguished that hope. Everyone else present, including Yami and Gifso in the observation room, just looked on as they tried to process what they were seeing as the Black Bulls's battle with Vetto the Despair kicked into the next gear.
A slight cliffhanger but I couldn't resist ending the chapter like this with a tease for the next phase of the battle. Initially I had planned on this being the battle all the way up to when Vanessa and Finral arrive and backup Asta before the final push but it was already getting too long so instead I opted to focus on the next stage, and naturally the first point of the new stuff due to this being a crossover, of the battle with Akame and Tatsumi taking the fight to Vetto. Already Akame has surpassed her limits and learned a new spell, an alteration to change Murasame into her Shingu from Akame ga Kill: Zero complete with its ability but she's been injured in the process. This won't hold her down of course but she's not able to fight. Thankfully, she can take a rest as the battle moves to its next stage and don't worry soon Asta, Noelle, Kahono and Kiato will also enter the fray and all this will be covered so all developments will be met in this battle. That is all that I have for y'all, however, so I will leave this chapter 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