Chapter 28: Scattered Mirage

Brawnz Ni daydreamed about his death. It scares him and he couldn't make sense of it. It was only darkness and screams. The fourteen-year-old teen didn't understand why he was seeing it now the closer he walked to the meeting room.

Is it a bad omen?

He shook his head at the thought of it. Being born in Vacuo is a risk on its own. Brawnz knows spying on the Academy triples the risk of death. But joining the tribe means getting back at the other kingdoms.

The recruiter increased his enlistment priority when they found out he wanted to enroll in an Academy. He assumes this is what the meeting is about.

He calms his nerves and gently opens the door.

Brawnz thought he was staring at death herself. The girl's red eyes shine brightly in the dimly lit room; reading him like a book. She's the only one he could see at the end of the table. Even if there are other people in the room.

The teen's heart beat rapidly and black spots appeared in his vision. Until it was the only thing he saw.

He can hear a few voices before his consciousness slips.

"Please get him back up, Mr. Wicker," the girl ordered his boss," Time is at a premium."

"What did you do to him, Akame?" Vernal? Vernal asked.

'Akame?! No freakin way!' Brawnz thought to himself.

"I don't know…"

Akame PoV

I planned out the seating arrangement before we started. Leaf will be standing behind me. Umber and Miltia to my right-hand sides. Vernal will be closest to the interviewee since she tried befriending him. While the Happy Huntresses are on the left with Robyn closest to the interviewee to use her semblance. She insisted her people are in the room with her.

Leaf Wicker is the head commander of the tribe Vacuo branch. He is a massive man with a long blonde beard and a bald head. Leaf could strangle an Ursa with his arms. I'm not even overestimating him. Vernal watched him wrestle an Ursa major when she dared him to.

There is even more proof the man is immensely strong. He shook the entire conference room just by dropping to his knees and cracking the concrete floor as a result. Leaf vowed loyalty to me on sight.

Now Vernal and Leaf are trying to wake up Brawnz.

"Boy, Wake the hell up!" Leaf grabbed the teen by the collar," You're embarrassing us in front of her."

Vernal grabbed a water bottle and motioned Leaf to turn his head toward her. She discreetly used her maiden power to chill the bottle and pour it directly on his face.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" He jumped and screamed.

Brawnz looked around the room.

"You can have a seat," I nodded to him and he did exactly that. Robyn reached out a hand to him and I told him to grab it. Leaf stepped away from him and walked behind me.

"You're Akame Branwen," he uttered," You're my hero."

"Thank you," I smiled. My actions in Mistral were viewed by the people of Vacuo in two categories. He could admire how many Atlesian, Valish, and Mistranese I allegedly killed or see the impossible number of Grimm I killed. It could even be both. Regardless, A lot of deaths happened whether it was by my hands or rumors.

"I will be direct with you, Brawnz Ni. Your role in the tribe depends on your honesty to me," I explained," There is a place of interest I've been investigating and I need all the information I can get."

"Anything for you, boss," He awkwardly nodded.

"Good, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Mirage," I ordered," Robyn will know if you are lying or not."

He looked over to the woman holding his hand.

"I'm a lie detector, kid," Robyn explained," But you look like an honest person."

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I'm at your service," he said.

I'm glad this is going to be an easy mission. But if it isn't.

I will use all the strings I can pull to ensure a successful mission.

Brawnz has filled us in on what he remembered. He has a surprisingly good memory of the place. The fact he is planning to be a spy in the academy is a bonus. I thanked Brawnz for his help and dismissed him.

The password is 'For Crown and Kingdom'. There's a policy of no camera or weapon on the club floor. They all need to be deposited at a designated location. Anyone can walk into the fight pit to become part of the entertainment. And loud techno music plays throughout the night.

I revealed the blueprint for the Mirage to everyone who hasn't already seen it.

"How did you get this?" Robyn asked," It has to be from someone within the Mistral government or the MTC."

"Lil' Ms. Malachite and Ironwood aren't the only ones with contacts," I answered," That's why I'll entrust my lieutenants."

I nodded to Wicker.

"And the one who will lead you all."

Vernal smiles happily.

"But…She still needs a lot of work before I consider you the rightful heir to the position of the tribal leader," I pointed out," I expect her to learn to be a proper leader and I'm hoping she isn't someone's puppet. Understood Wicker? And don't make me regret my decision, Vernal."

"Yes, ma'am!" Wicker and Vernal shouted.

"Good, I want you to spread the news to other leaders that Vernal has my blessing to run it in my stead and I'll be handling missions in secret," I ordered," I also would like to get connected to more friendly factions. I need intel on people who are on our side."

I look over to Robyn Hill.

"Thank you for your help," I smiled.

"I want you to hold up your end of the bargain," She looked at me," I'll contact you if Mantle needs help but I won't extend my support further beyond diplomatic ties and our involvement will be limited here."

"Those are agreeable terms," I affirmed," And I'll repay the damage my people have done to Mantle when I can."

"It's fine," she raised a hand," Atlas footing the bill to prevent another full-scale riot."

She looked disdainfully at Vernal, who looked down.

I cleared my throat.

"I would like to get the matter with the Mirage settled tonight," I stood up," My main reason for this operation is an oddity when I fought some of their people."

"You want me to kill them, boss?" Wicker spoke up quickly," We'll raze that nightclub to the ground."

"No," I mentally facepalmed," There will be no killing. Listen, this will sound crazy but some of them have the same aura color and are talking about the restoration of the monarchy."

My eyes temporarily shift to Vernal.

"What proof do you have?" Robyn criticized.

"For starters, I won that fight. It's because my aura sensing is excellent and I notice the same colorations among several combatants," I listed out," I began my investigations on a hunch and uncovered an organization scheming to overthrow the Vacuo government. I'll find out the truth tonight and deal with them accordingly."

"In that case, Unless they're connected to even worse crimes, The Happy Huntress isn't interested," She was about to stand up and leave.

"But can you help us plan it out? I want as little collateral damage as possible and I need you to protect Umber and Miltia," I motioned to my friends," Please?"

"Sure kid," She sighed," You are proving yourself to be less reckless and destructive than Vernal."

"She got a point," Militia spoke to Vernal.

"I'm not even mad," Vernal groaned.

And thus, We begin preparations for tonight's operation.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.

A team of four tribe members, A squadron of eight Ana's with no connection to Vacuo, Gamma is the small army of several dozen, and Delta is guard duty.

Alpha is going to be led by Wicker. They shall be the first to enter and scout. Leaf's team is the best and most trustworthy of the Vacuo branch. I trust they can handle themselves even without their weapons. Alpha is given the most detail about the operation. They didn't question Leaf nor did they know about me.

Beta Squadron is a cover for Vernal to enter and be our doorbuster if needed. She will also be the one to help recover the confiscated weapons if things go south. Team Beta knows it's a diplomatic mission with the Mirage. The team is ready to back up Alpha if it ends badly.

Gamma is the bulk of tribal forces that are rapidly mobilized. They are in their vehicles, wearing all black with red armbands, and ready to swoop at the moment they hear a loud explosion. Their goal is to escort Alpha and Beta. That's the extent of what they are told.

Gamma is the most at risk of having traitors hence they all have their scrolls confiscated for OPSEC (operational security).

Team Delta are the Happy Huntresses keeping watch over Militia and Umber back at the compound.

Meanwhile, I will use the blueprint to my advantage. I'm going to break into a vent at the top of the refinery. I even told Alpha and Beta the emergency exists if they need another way to escape.

I massage my head at the speed of all this. I'm not leading a squad anymore. I'm pulling the strings for a whole army. I'm glad I didn't do it all along. Wicker, Robyn, and even Militia, surprisingly, give helpful input on the planning, logistics, and mobilization.

Total forces at the front line including myself: 38

The occupancy of the Mirage is in the hundreds.

The total number of enemy forces is unknown.

I don't even know the quality of the enemies.

I'm going in with the assumption they're all well-trained fighters who can hold us off on their home turf. The majority of team Gamma are untrained recruits. Alpha and Beta are my best pieces if we can reclaim their weapons. This is where we come in.

Vernal and I have no issues defeating them if we go all out. I can weaken their numbers before the battle starts and Vernal can cause a lot of panics. We need to make it quick. We likely have many advantages but that means nothing if Headmaster Theodore gets wind of this.

So no matter what, if talks fail and we aren't able to pacify them quickly, We will retreat. I don't want Shade Academy to notice us.

I got an idea. A dust refinery will have emergency lights if the primary ones go down.

I sat near the vent with my Shūsen ready. I just need the beat to drop and the crowd to make a lot of noise before I make my noises.

Vernal sent me a text. She is inside. I got ready to enter.

The music helped mask my intrusion. The benefit of all the light shown below is no one expects someone overhead. I still need to be careful and keep a low profile.

The room is large and has nearly a hundred people inside. There is a golden cage in the middle of the room with aura boards and a raised platform for the announcer. There are plenty of chairs and tables surrounding the cage. And the walls have a large assortment of weapons serving as decor.

I located team Alpha and Beta with ease. Wicker stands several heads above the crowd.

Vernal and I were relaying intel via text. I can't tell where she is even with my aura sensing. I'm looking at the exact spot she's standing but It's like looking at a foggy horizon. Vernal in a crowd this large is particularly invisible. Meanwhile, she is struggling to locate me even if I told her to look up.

Back to the mission.

They call themselves the Crown.

There were eighteen of them on the floor and five more in the backroom. Vernal somehow sneaked into a restricted area and started taking pictures.

I'm beyond impressed by Vernal intrusion skills. Of course, the semblance helps a lot. But she is doing too much. I need her on the floor to break down those doors.

Damn it, Vernal! She isn't even answering my text.

I made my way to her location.

Normal PoV

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" A young man yelled. He wore a blue linen duster embroidered with spirals and a diadem headpiece.

In front of him are two of his lieutenants. A pig faunus named Argento Pocoron and a young woman named Carmine Esclados.

"I told you he'll take the news badly," Carmine shrugged.

"We can't kick them out without a good reason my king," Argento reasoned," They're customers and the people have no issues with them."

"They're outsiders," he explained.

"I can't see why we should hate them," Carmine pointed out," We both hate the kingdoms. I had a bit of fun helping them string up some Atlesians."

"And are you still loyal to us?" Jax accused," These bandits don't have Vacuo's self-interest at heart. They are using my people to fight and die in their war!"

'Aren't we doing that, too?' The faunus thought to himself.

"I'm loyal," she defended," You're the one that sent me to spy on them. I did my job and now I'm back. The Crown can't fight them and even if we win, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. I'm not even counting their mysterious new leader. I can't even get a reading on her and neither can her people."

"She's right," the pig faunus said," Gods forbid we run into that monster."

Argento could have sworn he heard giggling directly behind him. He turned around and saw nothing. He thought it could be some partygoers getting too close to the door. But he has two crowns stationed outside to keep watch.

Carmine shivers at the thought of fighting Akame and that new leader.

She has seen the tribal leader in person but can't remember any details besides being a young teenage girl with eyes in a different shade of blue. It's like her own mind is refusing to see the girl or acknowledge her existence. She doubts if that girl even existed.

Yet, the leader is in the room like a ghostly apparition.

She took a deep breath and discarded the possibility. She made sure only Argento, herself, and that third person entered the room.

—Something is wrong. Carmine felt a chill run up her spine. She scanned the room and saw nothing but them.

Where can they even hide? The vents or in plain sight?

"You two are acting weird," Jax narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry/my bad."

Jax closed his eyes and covered his mouth with his hand. He brainstormed a solution to the problem and came up with a solution.

"I got an idea," he said," The big guy is the head of the branch? I want you to bring him to me. I'm going to convince him to join us."

"You caught all that?"Argento nudged Carmine while she spaced out.

"Of course I did," She smiled," How is Queenie doing?"

"She's preparing for the worst-case scenario and changing our tactics," Jax revealed," My sister and I have focused our effort on the countryside. Our recruitment for the foot soldiers and batteries reached a new high."

"Lemme guess? You lied to them about being a part of the Branwen's?" Carmine snapped her finger.

"Works all the time!" Jax chuckled," Fools and traitors! All of them. I merely showed them I'm the absolute king."

He shows a crown-shaped birthmark on his wrist.

Meanwhile, In the vent directly above Jax. Akame shook her head at the delusion.

'That isn't a birthmark. The skin appears damaged from intense heat.'

Directly behind Carmine and Argento, Vernal nodded happily.

'Wow, That's amazing. I have a crown, too!'

"I don't know why but I want to slap Vernal right now," Umber deadpanned.

"Bad Umber," Militia sprayed her friend with a spray bottle.

"Hey! Where did you even fucking find that?!" She lifted her arms to block it.

"Akame gave me one for disciplinary reasons," Militia sprayed even more," Language."

"I'm not a dog!"

Jax relaxed once Carmine and Argento left the room.

He didn't know why they were acting so weird. Jax could mind control them but he would rather keep a close eye on those two for now. He takes out his scroll, dials in the passcode, and views another message from his sister. He looked up when he sensed someone nearby.

A green figment started to form the more Jax stared at the door. He felt his heartbeat rabidly. There is an intruder in this room.

"Who-who are you?" He pointed and turned around to reach for his sword. The man reacted too late. The vent popped open and a red shadow descended on him.

Akame PoV

I stood over the unconscious man and reached for his scroll. I speed-read through it starting with the texts and any pictures he took.

I glance over to Vernal moving his sleeve back to stare at the crown marking on his wrist. She looked at it and shook her head.

"What's so special about a birthmark?" She asked me.

I dodged the question by not answering it. Instead, I talked to her about what she did wrong.

"This entire operation is close to being ruined," I stared at her intensely and she stepped back," There is such a thing as doing too much."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to waste your time, again," She said with teary eyes.

"You did great," I softened my tone," His scroll is a treasure trove of intel. He's trying to build an army to overthrow the current government. Luckily, he just started. There are only 40 loyalists and more than half of them are here. The rest are either at this spot marked on the map or running operations outside the city."

I turned the scroll over to Vernal. The spot marked is near a small CCT relay further away from Vacuo.

"By the gods, What is all this?"She looked horrified. She is at that part now.

People were strapped in bed and kept in a comatose state. There are a dozen of them on screen but there could be more that I'm unaware of. They are labeled as 'batteries'.

This looks like a 1 million lien-worthy operation.

Kidnapping.

Trafficking.

Human experimentation?

Imprisonment.

Conspiring to a coup.

There is also gambling and extortion on the side but they aren't worth one million liens.

This whole operation has changed. I'm no longer here to negotiate an alliance with the Crown. They need to be taken down, now.

"We could crawl toward the vent but will leave a body and your men behind," I look at the unconscious form of…Jax Asturias? I recalled the name from the scroll.

I'm going to need some intel on this guy.

"And there is nowhere for us to hide the body," Vernal realized.

I can faintly hear footsteps approaching the door. I recognized one of them belonged to Wicker with how heavy it is.

"We have to fight them," Vernal and I said at the same time.

"I know you have mastery over the destructive aspect of your maiden powers but keep it discreet," I lectured.

"Discreet is how I fight Atlas, Aka," She bought out Veritas and checked her magazine.

"That's going to be loud," I said.

" I can disperse the air around my gun and the target," she explained," It would be silent beside the bullet impact and the click of the trigger."

You can do that? How?

She noticed my confused expression.

"It's…space stuff that no one knows about besides scientists in Atlas."

"Okay," I blinked. I have so many questions about how that works.

Why doesn't she knock out the whole room by removing the air?

The two of us prepare for the fight.

"Boss!" All four people minus Leaf yelled upon entering the room.

The two that recently talked to Jax immediately rushed to his aid.

A third one steps forward in front of Wicker while the fourth watches the door.

"Now!" I yelled and Vernal slammed the door shut getting the two crowns' attention. From everyone's perspective, It looked as if the door closed by itself and froze over.

Wicker knows what to do without being commanded and immediately puts the closest crown near the door in a chokehold. The other man almost stabbed Wicker in the back but was interrupted by Vernal appearing out of thin air.

Vernal took the man by surprise with her semi-automatic sniper rifle. She fired five times in rapid succession; One hit his chest, one hit his windpipe, and three were headshots. She broke his aura in a single second and knocked him out with the stock of her rifle.

The pig faunus reacted by reaching for his weapon.

My turn.

I burst out of the vent like a bullet. I smashed my scabbard on top of his head and kicked him in the jaw when I landed to make sure he was knocked out. He didn't even know what hit him.

It only took us seven seconds from closing the door to taking out the last guy.

Wicker choked out his opponent and let him fall to the floor. Vernal checked the man's pulse on his neck and sighs in relief. The faunus goan in pain. I kicked him across the jaw again.

He's finally unconscious.

I must be getting out of practice if I didn't knock him out on the first or second hit.

I didn't bother following up with my attack on the woman. She didn't attempt to reach for her Sai during the takedown.

"How about you surrender and accept the offer to join us, Carmine?" Wicker stepped forward," Instead of these startups."

She looked around the room and knew what she must do.

Carmine raised her hands in the air and surrendered.

"How are my benefits looking if I join?" She joked.

I didn't trust her.

"You will start from the lowest rank," Vernal explained," You were a little too quick to switch sides. Unless you tell us everything you know about the Crown and prove your loyalty to me."

Great work, Vernal. It seems you can become the leader you're meant to be with enough work.

"What she said."

"And who are you two?" She pointed at us. Carmine seems suspicious of Vernal and me.

"Step behind me, girls," He gently pushed us behind his huge frame.

"The blonde girl, Vernal, is my leader," He cracked his knuckles," And I won't stand for any disrespect toward her."

Carmine leaned over to get a better look at Vernal who looked surprised and happy.

"Ah," She hummed in agreement," You do seem familiar but what about the black hair girl?"

"A trustworthy ally," he nodded to me," Now tell us everything about the Crown."

She cleared her throat and smiled.

"There's some rope and handcuffs in the corner. Hmm, where should I start? Hmmm….I'll start with my boss, Jax," She explained everything for the next ten minutes.

Team Alpha and Beta were able to reduce the remaining eighteen Crownman to seven without them noticing. Carmine helped by handing team Beta wear spare uniforms to blend in while rotating some out for their last break.

Team Alpha, Vernal, Wicker, Carmine, and I proceed to ambush them and dwindle their numbers until a skeleton crew is left.

Team Beta will wait for Team Gamma, the bulk of my forces, to arrive before opening the door for them.

The operation has gone better than expected and it's all because Vernal went off script. It could have gone badly if the odds weren't heavily in our favor from the start.

I have over-prepared against the Crown.

The lack of scrolls or communication devices made it too easy. The Crowns are foolish for thinking swords, bows, and arrows can fight Atlas machinery. They would be crushed on an open battlefield.

Wicker gives me the truth about the war against the kingdoms. The tribe sustained a casualty rate of six to one before the ceasefire was negotiated. A single strong offense against the holdout in South Anima would have ended the tribe if it wasn't for Vernal action.

The Crown is a pebble compared to the threats after me. But it is always better to overestimate an opponent than underestimate them. An insect could have the most potent poison or a small child can hide a (training) dagger during a sparring session.

I didn't even know Ruby had it in her for a sneak attack.

I'm proud of her for landing a hit on me.

Carmine led a young woman to the plumbing room where I waited in the shadows.

I slammed her head into the pipes once she passed me. She was knocked unconscious instantly.

Carmine walked up to her and kicked the spear away.

"Sorry, Iris," She handcuffed the girl.

"That should be enough," I relaxed and texted Vernal to begin the next phrase.

"I think I know who you are," Carmine examined my reaction. I kept a straight face," You're Akame, aren't you?"

"Proof?" I grip Shūsen tightly.

"Proof? Your combat skill is way above what a twelve-year-old can pull off. And I'm not blind or deaf. Plus, You only change your voice tone and your eye color," She observed," By the way, That sword is a dead giveaway when unsheathed."

"And do you know I can kill you and no one would care? You can't escape either. My entire force is in the nightclub," I stared at her. I could hear the commotion above us.

"Going for death threats? I like you, Shinigami."

"Please, Keep quiet about my identity," I said," I don't trust you, and leaking my existence in Vacuo would attract the whole world here. Theodore is my enemy, too. I only told a select few of my existence for security reasons."

"Chill Lil' Ms. Shinigami," She raised her hands," I have no intention of working with the government. You and the tribe are ten times stronger than the twins. They didn't even last two years while your people fought on even after the Great War, countless purges, and the War on Crime."

"Thank you," I nodded," I need you to do me a favor."

"What do you want?"

"How likely is Jax going to turn on us?"

"He is a king who cares about himself and his ambition. You want me to kill him?" She asked.

"I want you to make it an accident or make it seem like the tribe isn't at fault," I ordered," And in exchange for your service, You will earn a promotion and better pay."

"You want me to kill him now?"

"When there is a good chance to do it," I told her," You have this month to plan it out and execute it in any way you see fit. I'll let Wicker know."

"I am honored, your highness," She bowed.

"What?"

"Weren't you called a criminal princess back in the day? Or is it Bandit Queen and Vernal is the regent?" Carmine teased.

"Vernal is the one you should be following and never associate me with the monarchy. I don't like it," I walked away from her," Let's go. You will be directing us to the bunker."

I pulled Vernal aside before we left the Mirage.

"I need an explanation on how removing air works," I asked her.

"In space, no one can hear you scream," She announced," Basically outer space is a vacuum and a vacuum can't transmit sounds. Sounds can be transmitted via gasses, plasma, and liquids. A vacuum lacks most of it."

I was in space during a weird out-of-body experience but that may as well be a dream. I'm not counting that one due to the Gods screwing with physics and reality whenever they please.

"That makes sense," I nodded," But why don't you erase air from the room?"

"I can't erase air and you would suffocate, too," she lectured," I push it aside. I don't force it out of the room because that requires too much focus for little gain. It takes time for people to suffocate. It is easier to make and maintain a vacuum tunnel. The air outside would keep pushing in all directions to normalize it again."

"You are very creative with your maiden powers," I smiled.

"Thank you! That means a lot to me," She laughed. She snapped her finger and a blue fireball the size of an apple appeared at her fingertip," This can go through any heavy armor. The size is smaller compared to my larger fireballs but it burns much higher."

"Vernal," I looked at it in awe," That's impressive."

I could feel the intense heat radiating from it while Ver seemed unbothered. The flame disappeared with a flick of her wrist.

She snapped her finger again and a pale blue orb hovered about her fingertips.

"I solidify oxygen," She revealed," The relic taught me the upper limits of my maiden powers and other creative avenues to use it. I can create a fireball the size of a bullhead by myself. In a forest fire, I can gather up all the flames and make a second sun in the sky."

I need to keep Ver on my side. The ideals of Vacuo and the tribe would send her down the wrong path. It will create an Esdeath in this world. Except I would be fighting all the elements instead of just ice. She may lack melee proficiency but will make up for it in raw power and creativity with it.

She won't underestimate me either.

"What other examples?"

"I can turn the kingdom of Vacuo into a paradise again. It's a slow and tedious process. I would need a lot of dust and material to restore this kingdom. Especially plant dust," She smiled," Is it true? The birthmark?"

I knew this question would come up eventually.

"I can't tell if your birthmark is legitimate. It could be a tattoo or branding," I explained," I don't believe the story to be true either. But we need to keep this a secret between us. If we reveal it now it will make an even bigger mess."

"I think I should rule!" She raised her voice," I want to create a place where I belong and feel safe. Whether it's with the tribe or here."

"Are you certain you could handle the responsibility and failure that come with it?" I asked and she remained silent," Your combat ability is average without your powers, and sitting on a throne will have people coming for it. Ruling through strength alone isn't enough to guarantee success."

"But-"

"You can't even control the tribe. They are an even smaller group compared to a whole kingdom. You aren't ready, yet."

I told her the truth that also applies to me.

I'm building a force of my own and it's going to be far too much work for me alone. My whole network is doomed if I don't have competent people in charge.

"What happened to your dream of wanting to escape it all?" I remarked.

"Because your mom is right," She sighed," I have the power to change the world, yet, I run away. I will keep running until there is nowhere left for me to escape. No one to rely on. I can't go on like this forever and that scares me more than fighting the world itself."

I thought about her answer. From the perspective of a warrior, it's better to fight and die with your comrades than a coward in the middle of nowhere. I prefer the former too. Except I want to pass away peacefully and with memories of a battlefield far behind me.

"Then you understand the situation perfectly," I hugged her," Never lose yourself to the ideals of others. You'll earn the ascension to becoming a Queen when you understand what it means to rule."

"Does this mean I can order you around?"She hugged back.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," I gently pushed her back," Let's go. You will lead us to victory against the Crown before dawn breaks."

Operation: Scattered Mirage

Tribe Headcount: 38

Leadership: Akame/Vernal

Alpha: 4 members

Beta: 8 members

Gamma: 24 members

New member: 1

No casualties.

Team Beta will stay behind to keep watch on the incarcerated and will be reinforced by more tribe members from the compound.

Crown Headcount: 23

Leadership: Jax

Loyalists: 22

All captured.

Carmine switched sides.

The Mirage is now under new management.

Next operation: Crown Fall

Tribe Headcount: 31

Leadership Vernal and Akame

Alpha: 4

Gamma: 24

Carmine: 1

Crown Headcount (According to Carmine): 51

Leadership: Gillian Asturias

Loyalists: 10

Mind-controlled individuals: 40

Advice from Carmine: They don't know we are coming. We should do the same thing in the Mirage and dwindle their numbers down before shit hits the fan.

Advice from Leaf Wicker: They lack heavy weaponry. We can fight them with superior firepower and range.

Advice from Ver: It's cloudy tonight. Lightning?

Advice for myself: I need to avoid harming the people under Jax Semblance. Vernal and Wicker's methods are too risky but can be used to soften up their dense aura. I'll use my aura sensing to locate and take down the loyalists and disrupt the command structure.

A/N: I want to write a bit more but the ring finger on my left hand is hurting a lot. I can't type as fast.

The hypocrisy isn't lost on me with how Akame acts. She learns and adapts mannerisms and tactics from her enemies. Death threats and assassination are one of them. At least, Akame is consistent in preventing as little collateral damage as possible and being level-headed.

The next chapter is going to be fun to write the tactical side of the story. The Crown is the tutorial-level enemy. It will be an uphill battle from now on. Even in the book, the Crown is successful because everything aligns for them to succeed. Theodore didn't take them seriously until the last chapters. They are lucky the CCT tower is offline because I can't see them being able to fight an organized military with bows and arrows. Jax was already near his limit maintaining the people he had under his control in the book.

Slight spoilers for volume 9.

I wanted to keep quiet about it for people who haven't watched it. Since there is a theme of reincarnation and purpose in my fanfic. I hope CRWBY doesn't drop the ball on it since episode 8 was amazing and episode 9 is…eh? RT making [*******] seems like a good thing. Episode 10 better wrap it up in a good way.