Here is the fifteenth chapter in this story released when I wanted it to be released based of my release process for this series. The Black Bulls have been paid for the month and now they have a day off so what better way than to spend it in the castle town of Kikka and do a little shopping. With Vanessa as their guide how can Asta and Noelle go wrong as they enjoy their day off and see a different side to Kikka. That is all I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and there are no guest reviews that need a response 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 fifteenth chapter in Akame ga Clover.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 15: Kikka
"Have either of you been to Kikka before?" Vanessa asked as they flew through the countryside on her broom.
It was the next day, the day that the Black Bulls had off after they got paid for the month, and Asta and Noelle were with Vanessa as they headed to Kikka to spend the day there with her. As neither could fly they were all crammed on her broom together which slowed it down but Vanessa could easily fly it despite the added passengers. It wasn't as in your face as Magna's Crazy Cyclone broom, he was the only person either had met with a personalized broom, but they all fit which was the important thing.
The night before, during their debrief following their first mission as Magic Knights, a successful one in Saussy Village that had supposed to be a magic boar extermination as a favor to the village chief that he'd won from Yami and Magna in a hand of poker, had turned unexpectedly dark and deadly. A quartet of terrorists had attacked the village for as of yet unknown reasons and killed the chief, Seihi, who a close friend of Magna and Yami, when he tried to stop them and were going to kill all the villagers had the Black Bulls not appeared and intervened.
That intervention had saved the village, led to Noelle learning a new defensive spell while accepting that she was a Black Bull, and initially captured the 4 terrorists. Alas the leader was more committed to the cause than anyone expected and committed suicide along with two of his subordinates while the final terrorist escaped in the confusion so they really had nothing to go on. Still, they'd saved the village but learned the extent of what it meant to be a Magic Knight in the process.
It had been an experience that they'd always remember and the Wizard King had even given them a star for it though as they were in the negative when it came to stars, it didn't make a dent in the gap between them and the Golden Dawn who were leading it. It was something though and the Wizard King had even requested that they go on another mission, the follow up to the one that Akame and Tatsumi had returned from and which they'd join the couple on the next day.
Asta and Noelle weren't sure what to make of that but for the moment they didn't dwell on it as they had the day off and Vanessa had offered to show them the Castle Town of Kikka, so they were joining her. Mercifully, she was dressed in her burgundy dress with a matching witch's hat on though the dress was still revealing, for the day.
Vanessa had her own plans of course, she'd reveal those in time, and hoped to be able to help the newbies as well as she knew a place where Noelle could get a good item to help her control her magic and Asta needed to learn to spend a little on himself as well. All that would come in the same place as her final plans for the day, so it was going to be an interesting trip for sure.
"Other than the Colosseum there, and I only saw that for a moment before my brother sent me away, I haven't." Noelle said simply. "I never needed to go there."
"You are royalty so that makes sense." Vanessa said. "Your kind rarely spend time with us regular people unless you have to. What about you Asta?"
"Yeah, I took the Entrance Exam there, so I passed through it on the way to take it." Asta said as Noelle couldn't deny Vanessa's words but after seeing Saussy Village and helping there she was slowly starting to realize the need to broaden her world view but that would take a while. "It was a cool place."
"Oh you don't know the half of it so let's make the most of our visit today." Vanessa said. "It's going to be a lot of fun and we may see what the rest of the Squad is up to on their day off while we're there as most of them either spend the whole day there or at least stop by before heading elsewhere."
"On that." Noelle began as she didn't know how to ask it so she just went for it as it was something she'd been wanting to know for the last few days. "Um, what's the deal with Akame? I can't get a read on that girl. Same with Grey and Gordon for that matter but she's the one that is really unnerving in a way that goes beyond just being antisocial."
"Yeah Akame has that aura to her and it's well earned." Vanessa said with a chuckle. "She's really come out of her shell with us after we helped her move on from her past by destroying what made her and being with Tatsumi, who I know she loves dearly and he her, has helped even more than that but she's still got her past that she carries. Many in the Black Bulls, yourselves included, have pasts that shaped us but hers is probably the worst and that's saying something seeing as my mother locked me in a cage suspended in darkness in her house to force me to learn a spell."
"Er what?" Asta asked.
"Never mind, the Captain saved me from that life by accident, and I followed him leaving that part of my life behind me." Vanessa said. "I'll never go back, that woman may technically be my mother but she's not family."
"Ok." Asta said not sure what to make of that but deciding not to ask Vanessa about her past as it seemed to be something she wanted to remain there.
"Back to Akame." Noelle said. "She did say she was sold to be trained as an assassin and sent to kill the Captain which is how she ended up a Black Bull, that's actually true? There was an assassination attempt on a Magic Knight Captain? I never heard of one being reported."
"Actually it was 3 attacks all at basically the same time targeting Yami, Jack the Ripper, and Dorothy Unsworth." Vanessa said. "The three non-noble Magic Knight Captains, the latter two of which had nobles in their Vice-Captain slots and were set to take over."
"Oh." Noelle said. "Something like that should be newsworthy though, right?"
"The Wizard King didn't want it to be released to avoid a panic." Vanessa said. "And besides, Akame was the only one of them to survive it and she wanted out. She gave the evidence and got her sentence that she told you about. She's been with us ever since and has found her home with the Black Bulls."
"So what happened to this assassin school thing?" Asta asked curious.
"Akame's evidence helped track down those bastards and we were sent to deal with them, must have been about 20 months or so I'd say." Vanessa said. "Really saw Akame in action then and trust me that girl is scary in battle and she has no hesitation when she fights. Her history is accurate, she's really a trained assassin who tried to kill the Captain but failed because she didn't realize that the Captain has tricks that no one else here has, until he taught that trick to Akame and Tatsumi a while back, that is. Now she's free of that life. She uses her training from that but for the good of the Clover Kingdom now and not the greedy whims of corrupt nobles who lacked the power or prestige to advance on their own merits."
"So, she's telling the truth?" Noelle asked for confirmation. "She's really a trained assassin."
"Certainly is, right little killer as well so good thing she's on our side." Vanessa said. "It helps that her magic is lethal and as far as we know purely offensive. Tatsumi is defense and a great balance to her though he's actually a village boy like Asta is."
"Really but I got a sense that he was dangerous." Asta said. "Like he's a good guy and all but in battle he's pure business if that makes sense."
"Oh, he is, as much as Akame is for that matter and he won't hesitate to do what is right even if it's against a former friend though thankfully that's never happened." Vanessa said. "And you'll learn about them soon enough seeing as your mission with them will tell you all you need to know and then some. I won't go into more, it's for them to tell you when they're ready."
"I guess that's the most we can hope for." Noelle said with a sigh. "But why is she so neutral around us. Gordon is creepy and Grey is impossible to read seeing as he, I think, is always blowing smoke but they're not like her."
"Akame has her reasons and she's warming up after your successful mission to Saussy Village but give her time, she'll open up once your mission is over and you understand what they do." Vanessa said though she didn't add if they could stomach what they learned on that mission. "And when she does she'll be a loyal sister to you guys. She'll even share her meat and she's like Charmy in that regard, she only shares her food with her friends."
"Alright, sounds good." Asta said. "And I hope Tatsumi can teach me some sword tricks, I need to learn more on that front."
"He can as can others here though he's probably the best one to start with." Vanessa said but left it at that.
Asta was going to follow up with that, but suddenly he felt a little unsteady on the broom and instinctively tried to support himself and accidentally touched Noelle in the process. She felt it and blushed, she was for some reason really attuned to his presence after Saussy Village but she still had her pride as a royal to deal with.
"I could do with less touching insect." Noelle said and Vanessa smiled at the tone in the other girl's voice, the denial was clear as day so it looked like young Asta had made quite an impression on their reserved royal during their first mission. "I am royalty, you shouldn't touch me."
"Come on there's hardly any room on this thing." Asta pointed out. "So, I can't help it. Do you want me to fall off it?"
Noelle just huffed at that and tried to ignore how tuned into his touch she was and how much she didn't actually mind it because she was royalty so she shouldn't want that, not from a commoner like Asta. Of course just as she thought that they wobbled more noticeably and Asta instinctively grabbed her around the waist, though gently, and she reacted just as instinctively. Of course for Noelle just as instinctively meant pushing Asta off the broom and into the trees, again as she'd done the same from Magna's broom when they'd ridden it as well.
Vanessa just chuckled at that as she banked the broom around and down to go and pick up Asta who's fall had been broken by the trees. It was clear that Noelle had a definite soft spot for Asta that would only grow over time but she had some extreme insecurities to work out before she could acknowledge it and Vanessa was sure that in time Noelle would be able accept how she felt and admit it to herself, that just might take a while to happen.
That rest of the journey after that was peaceful and uneventful as they flew to Kikka. Still, Vanessa could feel the war that was raging in Noelle while Asta was clearly dense to it but density when it came to women seemed to come with the territory for the men of the Black Bulls.
Thankfully it didn't happen again as they finished the trip to the Kikka without incident. Once they got there, Vanessa landed on the outskirts, stored her broom in a special building reserved for them, and they walked into the town. It was just as amazing as Asta had remembered and he was stary eyed as he walked through the lively town and he wished he could bring the kids from the orphanage, along with Sister Lily, here to see it one day.
As they walked through the town they quickly saw a few of their fellow Black Bulls enjoying their day off doing, well, what they loved to do back in the hideout just differently now that they were in public. Frankly, it was disturbing on several different levels.
There was Gauche flying on a broom, he could fly standing which Asta didn't realize until that moment, carrying a pile of girl's clothes for his sister as he flew away from the town with a nosebleed. Then they saw Charmy in a restaurant eating an obscene amount of food at a speed that caused them to be nauseous and feel heartburn from watching it. Lastly in town they saw Finral try to pick up a tall, attractive redhead out with her younger siblings, who he mistook for her children, and fail spectacularly but that was nothing new for Finral.
It was the standard affair from those members of the Squad though as they walked at one point Asta thought he felt the presence of another member though he wasn't sure what that feeling was and turned to see if he was right. All he caught a glimpse of was a bob of blue hair with a strange cowlick of sorts on top and the back of a black robe that could have been one of theirs going into a building. It was inconclusive so Asta just chalked it up to seeing other members and moved on through the town.
As they walked they got a lot of murmurs over their robes given the Black Bulls' reputation and plenty were noting Vanessa's personal reputation as a heavy drinker as well. She didn't mind though and pointed it out to Noelle that they were a crime deterrent so the people liked having them around and perhaps some men would talk to them though that didn't appeal to Noelle at all, because she was royalty of course and not for anything else, certainly not Asta related reasons.
Still, it was a fun excursion and in short order they'd gotten the important stuff that Vanessa needed to get done in town sorted out before she took them a little quieter. By quieter, which she didn't tell them what it was but to trust her, she meant a back alley with a dead end, or so they thought. In reality it was actually an illusion spell and she walked through the fake stone and then stuck her head back out to get them so they followed her into the black market of Kikka.
It was certainly quieter and darker as it was covered or underground, Asta and Noelle couldn't tell, with a few stalls and people just on the floor selling questionable wares as they walked into it. Vanessa acknowledged to them that it was a little on the dangerous side but it was the best place to find high quality magical items and she knew just the woman to take Noelle to for what she needed. She told Noelle as much as there were items here that suppressed magic power which she might find useful in helping her to get control it which definitely got Noelle's attention.
It helped that Vanessa was known here, some vendor proved that by calling out to her by name, so Noelle decided to trust her on that front. They were about to go looking for the stall that Vanessa wanted to take Noelle to when Asta noticed a back room with tables in it and more people than anywhere else so far and he had to comment on it as they passed it.
"Huh, there are a fair amount of people back there." Asta said as Vanessa and Noelle came up to him. "Wonder why that is."
"Don't bother, neither of you are ready for that just yet and it's certainly no place for royalty." Vanessa said with a smile. "Amateurs can be taken for all they've got in there, gotta be careful with that stuff. I'm fine there but I also only really play with men who can't help but fall for my womanly ways."
"Do I want to know?" Noelle asked.
"In time I'll tell you though I do have a bigger advantage than you." Vanessa said. "Well two bigger ones but you get my point."
"Huh?" Noelle asked.
"Never mind." Vanessa said, clearly Noelle had a lot to learn about the whiles and advantages of being an attractive woman and how to use it to your advantage in a space where men needed to focus or they'd lose the game. "When you're ready I'll teach you, I'm still trying to teach Akame, for Tatsumi's eyes only of course, but she's taking some time. Just know that we as women have advantages we can use in games like those. Works on plenty of men but some are too stupid for it to work on. They're amateurs who lose their money regardless though."
"Alright!" A familiar voice yelled, and they turned to see a grinning Magna heading straight for said gambling den with a grin on his face. "Let's get this party started! It's time to turn this payday into 100 paydays."
"And right on cue Magna is here to prove my point perfectly, I wouldn't need my womanly ways to get all of his money." Vanessa said with a chuckle as Asta and Noelle stared at their superior in shock as it was clear that he didn't learn from only a few days ago. "He may have been there a few times but he's still an amateur. Come on lets…"
Before Vanessa could finish there was a dull gong to the side and deeper in the black market followed by a cheer of a noticeable amount of people. That really got Vanessa's attention and she grinned at the sound and turned to it.
"On second thought, let's go there as I've got some money to pick up soon and it is what I personally wanted to do in the black market today." Vanessa said her grin rather unsettling and she led them to it so that they didn't notice a green robed figure losing the last of his coin to an old woman and being forced to get back to work and find his superior and fellow new member who he'd ditched to gamble here. "Plus there should be someone there who can help you find the right place Noelle."
"Really?" Noelle asked as they walked to the sound that now had shouting as well as cheering coming from it.
"Oh yes, I've got a contact there that uses a wand to aid her magic like I do only she uses it pretty much all the time so she's the one to talk to about it." Vanessa said as they approached the noise. "It's actually prudent that she uses a wand."
"Does she have control issues as well?" Noelle asked. "Like I have."
"I'd say that she is a bit like you in some ways but she needs a wand because her magic is strange, and it gives her the focus and directionality she needs to maximize her potential." Vanessa said as they reached what appeared to be a curved stone barrier to a wide circle. "But more on that in moment, let's watch the show. It's always good here."
"Show?" Asta asked as they found a spot in the crowd to look down as the sounds of fighting came to them. "Oh…"
"That's…" Noelle began her eyes wide as she looked down and into the wide, circular, pit that was a good 20 yards in diameter below them with sand on the bottom and given the dark patches of scarlet soaking into it the sand made sense. "Not what I expected to see here. Is it even legal?"
"It is so long as it is in this particular pit though it is something for royal eyes and as Squad mates we can't bet but still." Vanessa said as she scanned the crowd to note that they were here and then looked down into the pit to cheer on the combatants in it. "Pay close attention, this is just a taste of what they can do."
All Asta and Noelle could do was nod as they looked down and into the pit to see Tatsumi and Akame were in the center of it, back-to-back, and in fighting stances with fists raised as a dozen or so hard men surrounded them with a good half dozen more out cold on the ground around them or moaning as they crawled to tap out. All around the pit people, some in Magic Knight robes, were cheering and yelling with slips of paper in their hands while a table off to the side that had a few well-dressed people at it took bets and kept track of what bets had been made as boards with rules on them were set up nest to them.
That alone was strange but what was stranger was that both teens were topless, Tatsumi showing off a strong masculine chest that wasn't as muscular as Asta's but certainly showed that he worked on it unlike most people in a Magic Knight Squad, while Akame at least had the decency to wrap her breasts in white bindings though they didn't hide that she was well above average in that department and damn did the girl have some muscle to her as well though she still looked feminine despite it.
As for attire that they actually did wear, Tatsumi had on a pair of simple black shorts and Akame her black skirt but that was it as both were also barefoot as well. Their hands and feet were wrapped in white taped that protected their wrists and ankles but that, Akame's breast wrap, and their bodies, were stained with blood and it was clearly not their own blood.
"Well?" Tatsumi called out to the dozen men still standing a grin on his face. "Come on then, you lot decided to put a lot of money on an 18 on two battle against the tag team champions of the pit so put it were your mouths are."
"I'd rather take it to them, that's our style my love." Akame said a smile on her face that Noelle and Asta hadn't seen before as while there was love there, there was also something deeper that showed she was really enjoying this, which they both were because unlike the tournament where Tatsumi was kidnapped by Esdeath there was no fear of exposure in this fight just some good fun and money at the end. "Now, let's do this."
At that Tatsumi lent forward and Akame rolled over his back but as she was doing so he rose to push her up into the air as he turned to where she'd been standing and stepped forward at a charging man who'd taken his challenged and tried to rush Tatsumi. The man had his fist raised and punched out at Tatsumi but Tatsumi clearly saw it and deflected it away with his left forearm as if it was nothing before he punched then man hard in the jaw with an audible crack and he went down like a sack of non-potatoes. Tatsumi just stepped over him as he took the fight to the others on his side of the pit.
Meanwhile Akame wasn't idle at all as she used the push up, that got her a fair bit of height, to roll in the air and twist, her right leg out and slamming into side of the head of one of the guys coming for her that had clearly thought that she was going to be easier to deal with while in the air. That was a big mistake as he swiftly learned the error of his attack as Akame kicked him.
The man was thrown a little to the side and collapsed but Akame wasn't fazed as she landed and rolled forward on the sand to avoid an attack from another man and get past him before popping up into a crouch and right in front of a third man who had been behind the second to back him up. All he could do was look down before Akame kicked his legs out from under him.
He was clearly shocked by that and lifted into the air as Akame stood up the moment he was airborne. She didn't give him more time to process his fate than that as she set her feet before launching a savage kick directly up and into his gut that spun him around in the air before he crashed down to hit the sand on his back moaning in pain.
Asta was staring wide eyed at that and his eyes got wider and both he and Noelle got worried as the guy Akame had avoided with her roll had now turned and was going for a punch to the back of her head that looked like it had the force to drive her face first into the ground. Her move had been smart, but it seemed like she had left herself wide open for an attack from behind.
They wanted to call out to her, but they couldn't seeing as it was a fight and that rule was clearly listed on rules boards around the pit but before they could have done so Akame suddenly ducked down so that the punch passed over her head without her even looking over her shoulder at him. The guy had a comically wide eyed stare at that that turned to one of pain as Akame elbowed him in the gut from her position, hard, and doubled him over. As he did, Akame rose, grabbed his head in her hands, and kneed him in the face with a level of force that caused both Asta and Noelle to wince.
There was a sickening crunch as she flattened his nose, and he was thrown back with a spray, and a few teeth, to land on his back with his arms spread and out cold. However, Akame wasn't being given a moment of rest as two of the remained men in her part of the pit were charging at her from both sides going for a sandwich attack now that she wasn't moving.
They watched as Akame just grinned at that and bent down before leaping high into the air, seriously the girl had some hops in her leg muscles as she got clear of them with ease and they couldn't pull up or pull their punches in time. As such, they proceeded to punch each other in the face and stagger from it but Akame wasn't done with their pain as she spread her legs in the air in a near perfect split before bringing them together hard to slam the sides of her feet into the backs of each of the men's heads and drive their heads together a second time knocking them out and they collapsed into a heap on top of each other.
Akame used that to land on one of their backs as she fell and leaped off it as he was falling to the ground and launch herself at the final guy, running towards him at a full sprint as he set himself up ready to kick her. Clearly she knew this was coming an at the last moment dove forward in a feet first slide across the sand, leaning back as she did so that the kick passed harmlessly over her head though close enough to ruffle her long hair with the wind from it.
That shocked him but not as much as what came next as Akame pushed herself off the ground hard with her hands and used them to backflipped high into the air, her skirt somehow staying in place, and arms wide as she flipped up and laned with both feet on the back of the man's head as he was bringing his leg back. The force of the blow drove him head first into the sand and stone beneath it knocking him out and defeating the 6th person in Akame's area which cleared it and she just stood on his head for a moment before hopping off to turn and see Tatsumi dispatch his last opponent.
Naturally during Akame's onslaught, Tatsumi hadn't been idle as he stepped over his first downed opponent and walked forward as three of the remaining 5 men in his area of the pit closed on him from both sides. His grin had fallen as he'd gotten into his combat zone, his face was set but he stopped as the men neared and then he leapt into the air and avoided all their strikes,
Unlike when Akame did, the men didn't hit each other as he'd leapt early enough so they were able to pull up short but they did looked confused by Tatsumi's actions before looking up as Tatsumi turned in the air so that his back was to them as he brough his leg up. Then, as he fell he twisted back to face them and kicked his leg out and down at one of his opponents.
The man had some skill, he got his arms up to block the blow that was aimed at his head but Tatsumi had strength and gravity on his side and the kick shattered the man's arms and pushed them back into his face as that was followed by Tatsumi's foot though his arms had taken most of the momentum out of Tatsumi's foot. That was fine with Tatsumi as he followed it up with a second kick to the man's chest that audibly broke some ribs as he rode him down to the ground and stood on his moaning body as the other two recovered from their surprise and punched at Tatsumi from both sides.
Tatsumi knew that he couldn't dodge the attacks so he just got his arms up and blocked them with his forearms at the same time and held them there for a moment as the men tried to push past the block. They couldn't and as soon as Tatsumi knew that they wouldn't he pushed back against them, hard, causing the attackers to stagger back a bit as he leapt up and twisted sideways to be parallel to the ground, kicking out to the side to strike one of them in the side of the head with the top of his foot while he hit the other one in the neck with his forearm.
Both went down, hard. The neck blow guy just crumpled, Tatsumi had hit a pressure point there that knocked him clean out without doing any serious damage, while the guy he hit with his foot was tossed to the side to land in a heap a few feet away. Tatsumi finished the move by landing on the first guy of the three he'd taken down's gut as he moaned there and caused more damage to his broken ribs that finally knocked him out from the pain.
That just left two more attackers. One was a massive bull of a man who was holding back while a smaller but still strong guy who was already moving, his body low and going for a tackle the moment Tatsumi appeared open and on uneven footing as he was still standing on the man he'd landed on.
Tatsumi didn't bother making an expression as he stepped off the guy and turned to the charger. He waited and then almost as if he knew it was coming and with a grace he'd not really shown yet, he slid to the side as the man tried to tackle him to easily avoid it and then as the man passed him Tatsumi chopped his hand on the back of the man's neck to knock him out with a gasp just like Esdeath had once done to him. The man went limp he fell forward and over his unconscious ally.
That just left the final guy and Tatsumi turned to him and began walking towards him. The final man was clearly pissed at how all his allies had fallen and with a bellow he rushed Tatsumi before unleashing a flurry of fast and powerful punches that showed more training than anyone else Tatsumi had faced today. It was still pitiful to him as Tatsumi easily blocked and parried the flurry that was so fast Asta and Noelle couldn't track it so they were really confused as to how Tatsumi seemed to be able to predict the blows without a problem before his opening appeared and when it did Tatsumi didn't hesitate.
It came as he blocked away another punch that was a hair slower than the rest causing the man's gut to be open so Tatsumi stepped forward and punched him hard right below his diaphragm with his left fist. That winded the man and he stopped his attack, but Tatsumi wasn't done as he hit him a second time right in the same spot with his right fist. However the man didn't go down or even double over, which was impressive, he just roared and raised both fists into the air for a hard, downwards strike.
It was an all or nothing move that left him wide open and Tatsumi was more than ready for it as he crouched down while the man reared up, placed his hands on the ground and shifted them fast so that he twisted around them and kicked the big man's legs from under him. The man roared as he was thrown into the air and Tatsumi pushed off the ground with just his hands to get up to head height with his opponent before he twist and kicked him in the head. The man was out cold and spun around before crashing to the ground on his back.
Tatsumi looked around as he landed on his feet and turned to see Akame there smiling at him. She'd beaten him in taking down her opponents but Tatsumi couldn't help but smile broadly, the smile she loved and which had been the same that had secured Esdeath's heart, not that Tatsumi had wanted that, in their past life. They'd done it again and beaten 18 opponents together which was a new record for them.
"Looks like you beat me." Tatsumi said as he and Akame walked to each other, walking over wounded and unconscious men in the process as attendants came out from one of the gates that led into the pit, which Asta and Noelle hadn't noticed until that point, to get the injured men to a healer. "Again."
"I have speed to your power and seeing as we can't use magic my gender has a few natural disadvantages in strength so I fight hard and fast to avoid them." Akame said as Tatsumi pulled her close. "But together, we're unstoppable."
At that she leant up and kissed him right in the middle of the pit, a kiss that Tatsumi returned passionately, as the cheering crowd looked on and some even whistled or cheered louder at that which clearly caused Akame's cheeks to flush but she didn't let it stop her. Asta stared in disbelief at that, he knew they were together but to see the proof so publicly was a lot while Noelle was blushing at the publicness of it.
Vanessa for her part just looked up to the crowd as the announcer declared Akame and Tatsumi the winners of the tag battle brawl for the 8th month in a row and saw the two girls opposite, she was looking for. Both wore Coral Peacock robes, one an attractive ginger girl with a lollipop in her mouth who was smiling at the scene though there was a hint of jealousy in her eyes, the other an irate flat chested pink haired girl who's hair was on end as she seethed with jealousy at the display she wished she could have.
It was the ginger who looked up and saw Vanessa across the arena. Their eyes locked and she gave the busty woman a slight, almost imperceptible, nod before grabbing her teammate and taking her away as she started growling. Vanessa smiled at that and waited for a moment.
"What did we just see?" Noelle asked as Tatsumi and Akame finally broke apart, but they were still holding hands and raised them to the crowd which cheered even louder at that as an attendant came out pushing a cart with several large bags of coins on them for the couple. "And did they get money for it?"
"That's a lot of money." Asta said though to Noelle it was about what she'd call pocket change. "No wonder Tatsumi increases his monthly wages."
"Come on, I'll explain somewhere more private." Vanessa said turning and leading the pair away from the area and deeper into the black market to where there was a space that they could chat in private as it was her designated meeting spot with the two Coral Peacocks. "That was faster than I expected, they're getting better and better the more they do and that's them without magic by the way. Odds won't be want the were this month next time."
As they turned and left while Asta and Noelle tried to process what they'd seen neither the Black Bulls nor the Coral Peacocks who'd already left noticed a pair of hooded Green Praying Mantises standing a bit back as they watched the fight and the groups leave. They'd come for the same reason but hidden their identities as neither were ready to reveal themselves yet.
"Well, that was as expected." The shorter of the two hooded figures said her voice clearly that of a teen girl's though her build and noticeable chest also gave away her gender. "They're as strong as ever and that was in unarmed combat. Thanks for taking me here, I needed to see it."
"I'd heard of them participating in the pits every month after wage day for but until you arrived at the hideout last month I'd never come." The other person who's voice indicated that he was male and in his late teens, which he was, said. "Would have changed things sooner if I had, would have made more money than I did today off them. That ending though, I was surprised."
"I could tell she liked him like that early on." The girl, she was 15 and one of her Squad's two new recruits though she'd chopper her hair short upon joining because she knew the man with her liked it like that way and the shortness symbolized her new life direction as a Magic Knight. "Just as I knew how you felt from the moment you followed me after I defected."
"Wish you'd told me that back then." The man said as they turned to get their winnings before they walked away from the fighting pit and going towards where the other new recruit to the Green Praying Mantis Squad, Sekke Bronzazza, likely was as it was the man's job to mentor and look after both of them. "Would have saved some problems."
"Meh, I wanted you to tell me first because I could tell that it was important to you, a girl does like to be chased a bit after all." The girl said before her tone got serious and exceeded her youth. "And because I knew that we all might fall at any moment given what we were doing so I wanted to make sure that we both survived. The pain after that mission was a lot for me but I ploughed on because I knew that it was our duty and Tatsumi was still alive so he had to be rescued. When I was all that was left, I just kept your memories with me, I just wasn't expecting what happened only a year into the new nation I was building."
"It should have been obvious and at least there's a silver lining." The man said. "You're here and a lot has been explained by just seeing you again."
"Hey, I was 13 when I saw you around Kikka, that wasn't easy to deal with let me tell you." The girl said. "At least you had me there to help you through whatever it was that we go through when we remember."
"Yeah, that was nice, but now I'm older and our ages aren't appropriate at the moment." The man said. "Plus, I'm your superior now which feels strange after everything."
"I like a man that takes charge and when we're older we can actually act on our feelings but you're right, we need to wait for a few years at least which is annoying but it will make things better when it happens." The girl said coyly with plenty of tease in her voice. "And as the youngest I can be more a teen again, didn't get to do that last time. If you want, I can be a bit more serious like I used to be but that would look strange and we're currently avoiding that."
"I know, we have to act the part until we locate all of them and then start gathering them together to decide on what to do next." The man said with a sigh. "We've found at least 4 and I've heard of two more through the years with magic attributes that fit what we'd expect. Hell, one has the same magic as Tatsumi has apparently so it has to be him, but thanks to how little the Squads interact I haven't been able to confirm anything yet. The issue is one is completely lost, there's been no hint of a report about her and the attribute she most likely has is exceedingly rare which just adds to everything."
"And she was the last to fall as Akame was already down before she said her goodbye to me." The girl said. "So, they don't know that she is here as well, or me for that matter. We need everyone together before it happens, that's what is best. Besides, we are all in different Squads it seems with our own lives so best to let things play out as we discussed."
"It is clear that those 4 have their memories back like we do though and that they are at least in contact." The man said. "But we don't know what their Squads know which is why we can't approach them. We can't tell the Captain or the others, I guess it was a good thing you insisted on me as your mentor though it also meant getting Sekke as well."
"I think he'll end up being Jack's bitch boy and stuck on dull duties, hell I don't think Jack remembers who he is half the time." The girl said. "He knows me though."
"Well yeah it's hard to miss the only girl in the entire Squad." The man said. "None wanted to join in the past, not that Jack recruited many to begin with as he has a habit of only focusing on those with magic he wants to try and sever so yours made sense. Still, you caused a huge shitstorm when you turned down the Blue Rose Knights and Coral Peacocks for us. I hear that Charlotte is pissed at it which only makes Jack laugh more."
"Let her be, I wanted to be in your Squad that's why I made sure that Jack could see how interesting and unique my magic was." The girl said though her joining had caused a fair bit of commotion when she and Sekke arrived at the base and Jack had been forced to close off a whole corridor just for her so that she could have some privacy not that people wanted to mess with her magic other than Jack who really wanted to see if he could sever her creations. "The moment he raised his hand I was so happy because I had the offer I really wanted. Shame that guy got 9 offers or else I'd have been the best in a while."
"You're still the best to me." The man said almost reflexively as now that he'd finally confessed, and it had been returned albeit with a forced wait he was a little more open about his feelings when he could be. "And I am glad you joined, it's helped a lot. Once the others are confirmed we can decide our next move. Hopefully, it's just our group though."
"Hard to say, two were with me when it happened and they'd reformed by then so they might be here and worth checking into though they may not be in Clover." The girl said as she fought back a blush, she may have once been the oldest and in charge but now she was the youngest and a girl in the middle of her teens so she was dealing with the standard emotions that came with puberty, plus she kinda liked not being the boss this time around. "And if they are…"
"Then she's here somewhere and we know what magic she'd have." The man said darkly. "The others are harder to gage, well most are as one would definitely have fire magic, and one might have the same as yours though given what our magics seem to be based off to some extent. That said we only know Tatsumi's for certain besides our own magic because Jack really wants to see if he can slice Armor Magic, but we have theories."
"Which we can confirm in time though as you said some are going to be easier than others." The girl said. "But at least we know those four are safe and happy, well I think there's some jealousy but that's to be expected."
"Damn Tatsumi, you were quite the player it seems." The man said with a chuckle. "Impressive my man."
"Coming from the man who was a fake sleaze to hid his real feelings." The girl said teasingly. "Aw, are you jealous Lub?"
"Of course not but all in good time and we need to get back to work so come on, let's go and find Sekke, wherever he's disappeared off to, and get back to the base providing he's not causing any issues I have to clean up." Lubbock said looking to the woman by his side and adding. "Najenda."
"What do you mean?" Asta asked Vanessa as they turned down a side alley and headed to a small square of sorts at the end that could be accessed from multiple ways but was totally deserted at the moment, Vanessa trailing a fine thread as she did to make sure they weren't followed which they weren't. "I don't get what I just saw."
"That was the fighting pit." Vanessa said. "Some nobles a while back got a taste for watching commoners fight without magic or weapons for their entertainment as that was all that commoners were good for to them, so they created a fighting pit here to do that. Down on their luck commoners participated because the winners got a lot of coin, the losers got some compensation and free healing, and the nobles made bank on the bets. Over time it became more acceptable to partake in it, even a few nobles joined in for the thrill of it, and now it's basically just merchants and commoners who run it. There's a fight day every week or so but the monthly ones where those two participate are the big ones."
"What do you mean?" Noelle asked as they reached the square and Vanessa pulled them up short to wait and turned to them her senses alert for magic in the nearby area just to be safe. "This happens every week?"
"Every week there is a set day for fights were people volunteer to get in the pit and fight without magic." Vanessa explained. "There are of course set rules like no killing, no weapons, no assistance from the crowd, etc. but for the most part it's just bare knuckle brawling. Depending on the fighter's reputation, victories, and the size of the fight the amount the winners can get changes with the money put up by the fight's organizer with money added to it from the entrance fees to participate in specific fights so all 18 of those people paid to try and take down Akame and Tatsumi and if they did they'd have been in for a big payout."
"I still don't get it." Asta said trying to understand the economics of the fighting pit and failing. "Or why those two are participating in it."
"How it works isn't important, I barely understand it as I just bet on fights but it makes a lot of money hence why it exists." Vanessa said. "As for those two in particular, they came across the fighting pit a while back while they were on a date in Kikka on their day off and decided to give it a try for the prize money. It was a special tag battle event that they entered and won it as outsiders together so they raked it in. Add in that these things are male dominated and so Akame stepping in got a ton of bets because few women enter the pit."
"I can see that." Noelle said. "That thing just reeked of masculine pride."
"It's certainly something that some men do for pride though most do so for the money." Vanessa said. "Tatsumi was no exception and that's how he turns his wages into riches every month. He then sends most of it home to his village it's why they're prospering so much."
"That's so cool of him." Asta said with stars in his eyes. "And clearly they are really good."
"We knew they were talented, but the pits showed us a side of them that we didn't expect." Vanessa said. "It helped that in their opening fight they bested the reigning tag battle champions and then began to just take on any challengers as a pair once a month making their monthly appearances in the pit special."
"We did just see them take on 18 people." Asta said forgetting that they'd only actually seen 12 as 6 were down before they arrived. "So, I can understand that."
"It' become their thing to taken on groups that have gotten bigger and bigger each month as the more fights our couple wins the more there are who want to dethrone them." Vanessa said. "Despite this they've still not been bested and get a lot of coin for their wins because so many come to their fights these days and the more they fight the greater pot payout for beating them is massive so larger groups get together for it regularly but none can best them. Naturally Akame and Tatsumi make a lot out of it and the bets against them are so numerous that the runners love having them back."
"I don't doubt that." Noelle said. "Still, it all comes off as barbaric to me."
"It is to a point, certainly not something a royal would like though I've heard that Mereoleona Vermillion was banned from the pit a few years ago after winning too many battles, but the rules ensure that things don't get out of hand." Vanessa said. "They have special detectors for magic, and you will be stopped if you use magic or a weapon, that's also why most fight in that kind of outfit as it's hard to hide a weapon when you barely wear anything. That said women must cover their breasts, apparently Mereoleona once fought bare breasted and it was a massacre, and almost caused a scandal, thus implementing that rule."
"And Magic Knights can participate?" Asta asked, he had some raw strength so he might be able to do it if it meant more money for Hage and as such he'd been focused on seeing if he could try it and had missed most of what Vanessa had said though Noelle hadn't been too surprised by the stuff about Mereoleona as she'd heard of that woman's reputation. "So I could give it a go if I wanted?"
"They can but with those two no other Black Bull can enter." Vanessa said dashing Asta's hopes. "They kinda forced that rule and the rules are always subject to change to keep the pit fair and balanced to some extent. Also, no Magic Knight Captains and we can't bet on our own Squad."
"I mean the last one makes sense." Noelle said as Vanessa detected two sources of magic approaching and turned to them. "You do know them and there could be some collusion I guess."
"Which is why we should be allowed to bet on them, but we can't." Vanessa said as she saw the two girls she was waiting for appear from one of the other entrances to the square and both carrying a large bag of coins. "So we have intermediaries for that purpose."
"What?" Asta asked confused. "What are intermediaries?"
"People who bet for those who can't." A voice said and the pair turned to see two girls, one in an offensive amount of light pink that clashed with her darker pink hair that was in a larger style of twin pigtails than Noelle's and the other a ginger girl in some strange get up they'd never seen before, approached them. "Hey Vanessa, here are yours and your Captain's take from the bets, minus our commission of course."
It had been the oddly dressed ginger girl who was sucking on something that had spoken and she handed her bag to Vanessa while the other girl just thrust hers at Asta without a word to him though her glare told him that it wasn't for him which he understood as the ginger girl had said that they were for the Captain. It was then that Asta and Noelle noticed that the girls were Magic Knights and members of, of all Squads, the Coral Peacocks.
"I still hate how they end that fight." The pink haired girl said with a pout and was giving Asta some Noelle vibes though not as extreme as his friend had. "Do they have to always make out, it's rude to those who have to watch it."
"It's cute." The ginger girl said with a chuckle that Noelle noted didn't fully reach her eyes though she was still amused. "Just because you've still not let him go doesn't mean that he and Akame can't be happy."
"It's hard to let it go alright, it was hard just to accept that I love him and then, when I do tell him, he turns me down." The pink haired girl said. "So yeah, I know I can't have him but it's not something you turn off ok."
"Er…" Asta said as Noelle at least picked up that this strange girl seemed to have strong romantic feelings for Tatsumi but she had no idea how they knew him or Akame.
"Oh, you have new members." The ginger said looking over at them as if just noticing them for the first time "Hello, I'm Chelsea and my Squad mate is Mine, we're old friends of Akame and Tatsumi."
"Yup these are our new recruits this year, Asta and Noelle." Vanessa said introducing them. "Guys, these are Chelsea and Mine. They're friends of Akame and Tatsumi who are in the Coral Peacocks and are our intermediaries for when anyone in the Squad wants to bet on our couple. Good haul this time."
"18 on 2 produces good odds even against them especially as last month it was only 10 on two." Chelsea, the ginger girl apparently, said with a shrug. "But it will be less next month unless they face 30 and the pit won't hold that many people I feel."
"Figured." Vanessa said with a sigh as finally one of the names rang a bell with Noelle. "Oh well, they were going to reach a limit eventually and this isn't one you can surpass."
"Wait, Mine?" Noelle asked before the Coral Peacock girls could respond to Vanessa. "I think Tatsumi mentioned you the other day."
"He did?" Mine said a slight blush on her cheeks that Chelsea laughed at.
"Yeah, just in passing though." Noelle said though she left it at that because if she recalled Tatsumi had compared her to this Mine girl and she was nothing like her because Noelle was royalty so couldn't be like a commoner.
"Typical Tatsumi." Mine grumbled. "He could have said something nice about me."
"Vanessa." Chelsea said ignoring Mine and looking at the witch her tone serious for a moment. "Do they know?"
"Not yet." Vanessa said with a shake of her head. "They have a special mission with our couple tomorrow night where they will learn more about what those two do for the Magic Knights."
"Ah one of those missions, I get it." Chelsea said before looking over at them and smiling. "We do them as well, a little differently due to our skill set of course, but it's part of how we know Akame and Tatsumi, so you'll learn soon enough."
"No need to say more." Vanessa said. "They need to see it for themselves."
"Of course." Chelsea said as she began to turn to leave but as they did Noelle saw something on Mine's belt that had been pretty camouflaged due to it also being pink. "We'll see you around, hopefully we can talk more next time."
"Wait, er, Mine, was it?" Noelle asked as Mine turned around and Noelle pointed at the item she wanted to know about. "What's that?"
"Oh this." Mine said as she pulled off her pink wand and holding it in her hand as she got a smug look on her face and an arrogant note in her tone. "It's a wand. With it I can ensure I'm the badass sniper genius that I am."
"Humble much." Chelsea said.
"I'm the best there is at long range so it's not arrogance when you're stating a fact." Mine countered clearly annoyed at Chelsea's comment. "And this wand is the key to a lot of my sniping success."
"It does?" Noelle asked and she realized that this had to be Vanessa's contact though the girl was clearly extremely arrogant about her skills. "Like with your magic control?"
"Control not so much, this wand isn't designed for that, but Code has wands and other items that are capable of doing that, she's got a versatile range in her item." Mine said shaking her head. "My wand is specially designed to help me focus and channel my magic to its fullest."
"It does?" Noelle asked a little confused. "Why do you need that?"
"Because I'm as unique as I am attractive." Mine said her arrogance clear as day as she spoke. "I have a strange type of Mental Magic that allows me to fire off mana blasts of varying intensity depending on my situation and how much danger I perceive myself to be in so I needed a wand to focus it. Came here one day with Chelsea and got it from Code, she's the best for items in the whole market. Pricey and the woman is one pushy saleswoman but worth it."
"Money's not an issue." Noelle said dismissively before she looked to Vanessa. "Is this Code worth it?"
"Mine may be arrogant at times but she speaks the truth; Code is by far the best out there for magic items." Vanessa said and that wasn't just her bias as Code's technical sister due to both being witches but the honest truth as there wasn't a magic item maker like Code. "And yes she is a pushy saleswoman, but you can't beat her items. She's the vendor I wanted to take you to, she's always here hawking her wares."
"Thank you." Noelle said with a smile.
"Alright well then we'll be seeing you." Chelsea said as it was clear that there wasn't anything more to say at the moment. "Enjoy your mission, it will be one you won't forget. Vanessa, couple hundred yul on one of them throwing up? I got yes. Double it if it's the guy."
"Sure, I bet they hold their dinner." Vanessa said in a way that worried the rookies before the Coral Peacocks left without another word and Vanessa turned to them. "Don't let me down kiddos. Whatever happens and whatever you see keep your dinner inside you."
"Er what was that all about?" Noelle asked now even more worried about this mystery mission than before.
"You'll learn and when you do those two will make a whole lot more sense." Vanessa said as she turned to leave carrying her bag of coins. "Come on, let's go."
It was a little cryptic, but they just left with her and continued their day off. The rest of the day wasn't uneventful because while they were able to find Noelle a broach and wand to help with her magic from the Code woman, a bubble saleswoman that was constantly pushing household conveniences and offering deals on them, and Asta bought some stupid strange thing, they did have a purse snatcher to catch. Some dude had tried to rob an old lady, who was actually the Wizard King in disguise, but no one knew that, and make off with her massive gambling winnings.
Asta helped stop him with the aid of ha-ha guy who he didn't remember the name of but just that he went ha-ha and recalled him from the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. It hadn't been a tough challenge and as Asta was able to handle him with some aid from ha-ha at the end and his sword was really useful in catching the criminal.
Ha-ha did get stabbed in the foot by a poisoned blade. It wasn't deadly as he the criminal had made it out to be, just an irritant, so they left him after Vanessa put some ointment on it and he then took the now bound criminal to HQ for processing on the back of his ride, which he made with his magic and that Asta liked but Vanessa and Noelle didn't.
After that it was just a matter of giving the old lady her coin bag, wishing her a good day, and then leaving. They never knew that the old lady was the Wizard King or that his observation of Asta had been big as he'd never seen a sword like that before.
Julius knew then that Asta was one to keep an eye on for sure and with his mission with Akame and Tatsumi he'd grow even more, he was certain of it. Things were certainly changing in the Clover Kingdom and the Wizard King knew one thing after today, the Black Bulls would be at the center of that change.
Well there it is, a fun day in Kikka with what Akame and Tatsumi are up to thrown in for good measure and a way for Asta and Noelle to see a little of what they can do before the mission that they are about to go on, as well as meeting Chelsea and Mine who are back. I know that there is a bit of a bombshell in this chapter that I teased in another one and I'd actually planned on ending this chapter on the cliffhanger of her name (those who've read my other works know I love a good cliffhanger) but it didn't fit so I put it where it did. Don't worry, I have more plans for that and in a few chapters time more will be revealed especially because I'd not initially planned on her being here but after a review I thought that it would be cool to work in her and did so but as I said more will be revealed and she'll be a little different due to being the youngest now and having to both act her age and deal with being a teenager again. Anyway, that is all that I have for this chapter and the only thing I will say before signing off is that the next chapter is where this story really earns its M rating and that will be all the warning I'll give for that and anything else of that nature going forward. 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