Here is the twenty-sixth chapter in this story released when I wanted it to be released based of my release process for this series. Snow is falling on Nean and its out of season which is suspicious so what's up? Well, Akame and Tatsumi just so happened to still be in Nean when this happened so they quickly turned back to help out. What's going on? Who's responsible? Well the Black Bulls are one the case and are going to get to the bottom of it though they may not like, or expect, what they are about to find when they jump down this rabbit hole. That is all I have for the administrative stuff I have for y'all and there are no guest reviews that need a response, though I thank you for your support of my work, or questions to answer so I will end this here. Do keep them coming as your support is the best motivation for me to keep producing chapters at this kind of rate. That is it for this pre-chapter note so it is time to sit back and enjoy the twenty-sixth chapter in Akame ga Clover.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to these two great animes.
Chapter 26: Abduction
Tatsumi and Akame hurried through Nean as the snow really began to fall around them and was swiftly settling on the ground. This did not look good at all; it was clearly not natural snowfall, the time of year and the very nature of it told them as much, but for the life of them they had no clue what was going on other than that this had to be an attack of some sort. Why Nean was being attacked was a mystery to them, there was no logical reason for it to happen but it was so they had to learn why Nean was under attack and see if they could help.
As they ran they kept sensing the ki around them but there really wasn't anything out, just a sense of sleepiness for the most part with a few still awake or in the process of waking up. The latter was a little odd but not uncommon in the night however, there was a spike in the center of town showing that there were some people that were wide awake there and worried. They were heading in that direction anyway so this worked well for them as they ran harder heading towards it.
Only a few moments later, and about half an hour after the snow began to fall give or take, the couple burst into the square to look around and found only three people, all female, there though as they did both sensed the ki in the surrounding area begin to pick up and start to panic showing that something was definitely going down. That wasn't their concern now as they'd reached the square which would give them an update on what was going on so the couple turned to the three women present in it.
The only one who they knew was Noelle, who was to be expected as they knew her ki signature though she was now back in her normal clothes with her Magic Knight robe on so she'd clearly discarded her disguise. The other two were the redhead that Asta had come to see who was in a night dress with a shall around her shoulders, and young nun who was likely a trainee or a junior nun at the church here.
For their part all three were shocked when two Magic Knights suddenly burst into the square though for different reasons. Noelle was shocked that Akame and Tatsumi were around, she had no idea they were even near Nean as they usually spent their days off in Kikka in the fighting pit and then getting dinner together afterwards so they shouldn't be here. The redhead was shocked that two of Asta's squadmates were here and had no clue who they were or why they were in Nean. Meanwhile the nun was just confused by it but she recovered fastest and quickly spoke to them as they were Magic Knights.
"Magic Knights, are you here to help?" The nun asked a note of hope in her voice.
"That's the plan." Tatsumi said as he slowed down now that he and Akame had reached the square and they both approached the trio of women while ignoring a hole in the top floor of a nearby house that had to be the source of the crashing sound that they'd heard back when the snow started to fall. "What's the situation? We were in the area when the snow started to fall and between that and a suspicious noise we came to investigate."
"You're in Asta's squad, aren't you?" The redhead asked as she looked at the brown haired boy who had a similar vibe to Asta but was clearly a few years older and the raven haired girl that gave off a serious vibe to her. "I know that robe."
"Yup, you're the redhead he came here to see, right?" Akame asked her voice softer than the redhead was expecting though she was more startled by how the Black Bull girl knew Asta had come to see her as Noelle yelped. "He spent the night if I recall."
"How, how did you know?" The redhead asked as she nodded. "He was staying in the spare room when his squadmate, Marie's brother, attacked him for some reason that's what caused the noise you heard."
"That answers that question at least." Tatsumi said not answering the redhead's question. "But clearly it's not the only issue or else your ki would have calmed down by now which it hasn't."
"I'm still confused as to why you know Asta came to see me." The redhead said. "Or who I am."
"Akame has her ways of finding things out." Noelle said looking to her friend. "Part of her training that makes her invaluable as a Magic Knight."
"You're not the only one who can spy, I'm just better at not being noticed than you are." Akame said with a smirk. "And this time I wasn't even trying unlike during the mixer. You lot were just so oblivious that you didn't notice two squadmates in their robes sitting in the same restaurant. We'll be working on spatial awareness Noelle."
"Yes Akame." Noelle said deciding it was better to just agree than deal with the fact that she'd spied on Asta eating in Rebecca's restaurant and calling her an ideal wife because that had not been good to her and she didn't know why. "I can understanding missing you if you're being subtle, though I should be able to sense your magic, but if you're not being subtle then that is inexcusable for a royal to miss."
"Wait you were at the mixer?" The redhead asked as she now stared at the red eyed girl who was apparently called Akame. "The one where I met Asta?"
"We decided to have a date there the same night, figured it would be fun to watch it when we learned that Finral and Asta were going to a mixer there." Tatsumi said. "Plus, we were backup just in case something went wrong. Turns out we were needed."
"It was a good show." Akame said. "Worth the trip for sure and not the colossal disaster we were expecting. Asta's influence is really showing even in social settings."
"Is this normal for them?" The redhead asked looking to Noelle. "Or your Squad in general. I know you guys don't have a great reputation but this is just weird."
"I think so but at least we don't have to worry about Akame." Noelle said completely missing that she used the word we not you but Rebecca didn't and her already established suspicions regarding Noelle's feelings for Asta went up a notch and got one step closer to confirmation. "She and Tatsumi are a couple and very much in love. They were looking out for the boys the other day as our Squad has a reputation and they wanted to make sure that they behaved themselves. In the end most of the destruction was caused by Tatsumi but that was after Asta threw that drunk into the table."
"I see well I really liked that mixer." The redhead said missing that Noelle had just given away that she was there as she was smiling at the memory of Asta helping her. "I hadn't wanted to go but Asta made it worthwhile in the end."
"We can tell." Tatsumi said with a smirk that Noelle didn't like because she was already seeing Rebecca as a rival though why she saw Rebecca as a rival she didn't know nor what they were rivals for and she had to focus on the situation at hand to avoid devolving into a flustered mess that had Asta at the center of it. "What's your name by the way?"
"Rebecca." Rebecca said. "And you're Tatsumi, right? That's what Noelle called you at least."
"Correct." Tatsumi said and then gestured to Akame. "And this is my girlfriend Akame."
"Good to officially meet Asta's, um…" Akame said as her eyes gleamed in a way that Noelle really didn't like and she'd seen the look in Akame's eye right after the girl killed someone. "Girlfriend?"
"What, oh my no I'm not." Rebecca said with a flush. "He's, just…"
"She's not Asta's girlfriend, just a friend." Noelle said quickly. "Nothing more."
"Like you." Rebecca shot back, not backing down to the threat she was seeing Noelle as.
"Don't poke them right now Akame." Tatsumi whispered. "Later you can but for now we should focus on finding out what's going on here."
"True something sinister is going on and we need to deal with it." Akame said as she got serious and looked to the girls who were now glaring at each other, which given that Noelle was a royal and Rebecca a commoner made Akame's estimation of the latter go up as she wasn't afraid of Noelle's status, that or she didn't know it which was more likely. "So what is it? What's happening in Nean?"
"Oh yeah, Asta's taking care of it." Rebecca said turning back to them as she suddenly got sad. "See, this snow isn't natural, obviously. Sister Theresa, the old nun who runs the orphanage here, she knows magic and deduced that the snow can control people but only those who's magic is not yet developed."
"Children." Akame said suddenly getting very deadly her eyes hardening in a way Noelle knew meant that the older girl was likely going to remove someone's head before the night was up. "They went after children?"
"Yeah they took them including two of my siblings and your squadmate's sister Marie as well." Rebecca said a little put off by the deadly vibe coming from Akame, the girl had just gone from normal, or as normal as a Black Bull can be, to someone she did not want to cross because she was sure this girl could, and would, kill if need be. "Noelle saw them leaving the village and heading to the mountains."
"Controlled by a spell, that would be like sleepwalking." Tatsumi said getting serious as well. "It would register as such with ki, or at least this did. No wonder we didn't notice that something was off."
"We should have been better, we hurried here rather than actual focus on the sleeping ki." Akame said. "Children, that's unforgivable. Where did they go?"
"To the mountains over there." Noelle said pointing to the mountains that surrounded Nean. "Asta, Gauche, and the head nun at the church, Sister Theresa, have already headed to them. They've gone to rescue the children and learn what is going on."
"There's a network of tunnels in that mountain leading to a large cave." The nun said. "It's unused but that's likely where they are if they are in the mountains."
"Thanks, Tatsumi, stay for a moment to wrap this up." Akame said as she turned and ran towards the mountains. "Then come aid and take charge of the children, they shouldn't see what I'm about to do to those who took them. This is worse than we expected and I'm invoking our authority from the Wizard King and sanctioning lethal force."
"Try to keep at least one alive for questioning." Tatsumi said as Akame ran. "We need to know if this is just an isolated incident or something deeper because if it's the latter we'll need to follow it back to its source."
Akame didn't respond, she just leapt up into the air getting some serious height with Reinforcement Magic in her lower legs to get above the buildings. The as she fell a blade appeared in the air, her usual flying one, and she landed on it in a crouch before she blasted off with enough force to move the snow around it in a midair flurry and headed to the mountains.
"I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to wrap up here, you basically covered everything that we have to do." Tatsumi said as he leapt up and created a shield to stand on that lifted him into the air. "And I really should make sure that Akame doesn't kill them, at least not in front of the children, so I should act quickly."
"Can you take me with you?" Noelle asked while Rebecca tried to process what she was hearing and the fact that given the aura of that Akame girl, Rebecca was certain she meant what she said about killing the abductors. "I should be there as well but the others didn't take me."
"No, stay, you've got the best ranged defense in the Squad Noelle, better than mine, and the most magic of anyone here." Tatsumi said seriously. "So stay and protect Nean. Don't worry, with everyone else there they'll need someone who can be a shield while our swords strike them down. I'll make sure of that. Oh and contact the hideout and Magic Knight Headquarters right away. I don't trust this not to get worse and regardless they need to know as a crime has occurred here."
"Fine." Noelle said with a pout as Gauche had said the same to her and it wasn't bad orders she just wished she was being more helpful, and with Asta though she wouldn't admit that part aloud. "I'll do that."
"Good, your role in this is vital Noelle don't forget that." Tatsumi said before he turned and flew off after Akame.
"You're squadmates are…interesting." Rebecca said to Noelle as Tatsumi disappeared over the tops of the houses heading to the mountain as well. "And rather, er, serious."
"They are but things are in good hands now." Noelle said looking out to where Akame had gone. "I fully trust them to get the job done and to rescue all the children."
"I have faith in Asta." Rebecca said. "He can do it."
"No question but its more than that." Noelle said knowing that she couldn't give too much away, not that Akame hadn't given away more than she should have, but wanting to reassure Rebecca even if she saw the girl as a rival though she still didn't know why she did and the small voice telling her what the reason was was quickly shut up. "It's who's with them that ensures it. They're all strong but Akame and Tatsumi, they're different, if they are going then it will be completed no matter what. Them combined with Asta is going to be something else."
"They're that good?" Rebecca asked. "I did get a deadly vibe from the girl and that was before she started talking about killing the people responsible."
"She's not good at hiding that at times, especially with kids as her past is one that I can't even begin to imagine." Noelle said. "Because of that Akame has a certain set of skills and she won't hesitate when it comes to doing what needs to be done. That said, Tatsumi is just as deadly he just hides it better. They'll get this done."
"I know they will." Rebecca said as she shivered and parents who's kids were missing began to arrive in the square with worried looks on their faces. "But they told you to contact headquarters so why not come inside and do it, it's too cold out here."
"Yeah, sure, that's the right thing to do." Noelle said as Rebecca led her inside the restaurant and Noelle got out her communication device to contact both the hideout and Magic Knight headquarters as Nero flew in behind them to roost in the rafters and watch this like she always did while the nun began to coordinate the parents outside. "I'll get right on this."
Things weren't good in Nean but the Black Bulls were on the case and while Noelle wished that she was with them she held it in as she began trying to get in contact with Headquarters. They needed to know so that backup could be sent. Until then she just had to have faith in her Squad and Sister Theresa to get things done. She did because Asta was with them so she'd do her part from here while they did their part there. It may not be helping at the front but Noelle's role would be vital in the long run as she finally got through to Headquarters and began reporting it in to the ha-ha guy.
Akame sped through the air as fast as she could heading out of town and to the mountains that Noelle had pointed out, her senses on high alert and ready for whatever might come her way as she powered towards the mountains. Thanks to her training Akame was deadly calm as she flew but she was more than ready for what came and to end those who took the children of Nean.
She knew more than anyone what it was like to be taken from your home, well in her case sold but the same thing, and to have her childhood ended far too early for it to end. She didn't know if this was the same as what happened to her but regardless she was going to save those kids so that they didn't face the same horrors that she did in both her lives.
Thankfully Asta and the head nun, that was something Akame wasn't sure about but she'd heard back when she was in that assassin school that one of the past Wizard Kings had once been a priest so if the nun had gone she had to have some power, and Gauche were already there. Her squadmates were strong, albeit creepy in Gauche's case, and with her at Tatsumi coming to back up along with anyone else that Noelle managed to get to come aid them, so they were going to save the children. Then they could make the bastards who took them pay with their blood.
As Akame flew towards the mountains she wasn't aware of the fact that Noelle had managed to get in contact with the ha-ha guy who was on duty at Magic Knight's Headquarters and report the situation to him. She'd managed to get the guy to head to the Black Bull hideout to get backup, alone, but he was running into Yami as she flew so that part was getting covered just not right away.
As for the village, the families had realized something was up so they were gathering in the church to wait under the guidance of the nun while Noelle and Rebecca did what they could from the restaurant and the hole in the wall that Gauche had made while attacking Asta was being patched up. They're rear guard was sorted so Akame didn't need to worry about that as she found the mountains and a series of caves going into it.
She noted that there was the ki of a few kids outside, one of which belonged to a redhead in what had to be Asta's robe, but Akame left them as she flew in so fast that they didn't notice. She trusted that if need be Tatsumi would sort them out when he got here and before he headed in to join any fight that might still be going on. Right now Akame needed to get into the tunnel system and help out right away and that meant flying into the tunnels and finding that cave.
That was where ki came in handy as almost as soon as Akame flew in she sensed the ki of Asta, Gauche, and several others, many children, one an old woman in a nun's habit but despite the age there was a noble strength to it, and the ki of three other people who were neither ally nor child. Two were negative, a mix of cruel, malicious, and unstable, while the final one was odd. It was older than the children but still childlike at the same time, that made no sense to Akame but she ignored it as she neared the ki and saw the opening to the cave.
With the kids there Akame knew that she shouldn't just fly in and start slashing the enemies with Murasame so she dismissed her flying blade as she flew and fell to the rock ground of the tunnel and slid over it in a controlled slide until she reached the end in time to see a pinkish substance grab Asta and yank him up, disarming him in the process and ensuring that the few stones Akame knocked off the ledge and into the cave went unnoticed.
That confused Akame but she'd seen that kind of substance before, back in the capital attack. It was Gel Magic, a strong and rare attribute that if controlled right could be a real problem to deal with, which in this instance was the case despite the instability of the Gel Mage in question.
This was confirmed by a glance around showed that Gauche was pinned to the wall by the gel immobilizing him while Asta too was in it without access to his swords. The elderly nun was in front of a group of kids who were surrounded by candles, likely some kind of warmth or healing magic and allowing Akame to deduce that the woman had Flame Magic. Lastly there was a pale haired and skinned young man in white on the ground with a hole in the back of his shirt that had to have come from Gauche's mirrors and an older man with lank, greasy black hair tied up with a flame binding spell.
Everything Akame saw told her right away what was going on. Asta and Gauche had come with the nun, managed to subdue the abductors who were the men that were either captured or downed, and that the Eye of the Midnight Sun was behind this given that it was the crazy gel woman who was now on a gel salamander with gel on her body as she looked down on a captured Asta. Why they were here, and why there was what looked like scientific equipment in the cave was beyond Akame's knowledge, she didn't know but she did know that they were the ones behind this and so they would pay.
That payment would come right away as the crazy girl suddenly straddled Asta, that would not be told to Noelle especially because it was clearly that Asta didn't want this, and cackled about him being her pretty one. That was really creepy and Akame's grimoire floated up and opened, the handle of Murasame appearing in it while the girl got even creepier by licking Asta's neck while calling him special and then biting the other side of his neck as Akame's hand closed around Murasame's handle.
This was seriously wrong and Akame drew Murasame ready to act, and cursing that she didn't have a ranged slashing spell that she could project from her katana like how the Captain could with his Dark Magic. A spell like that would be really useful right about now because her ranged attacks like Dagger Swarm and Guillotine Rain might hit Asta otherwise.
Therefore, Akame crouched in an attack pose. She deduced that a quick slash to the back in the form of a sudden surprise attack that was deep enough to paralyze while shallow enough not to kill, would do the trick. It helped that the girl was so obsessed with Asta, now trying to pry a fingernail off, that she'd not notice the attack before it was too late, or she would if she wasn't beaten to the punch by a series of fire explosions within the gel.
"Flame Magic: Brilliant Flame Cross!"
The spell was clearly powerful and created a cross of fire within the salamander itself, that alone required skill to manage, burning the gel away and freeing Asta as the terrorist girl, Sally though no one knew her name yet, leapt away from the attack to avoid getting hit by it. At the same time, and again before Akame could act, the old nun leapt at Sally with fire on her fist to punch her with what looked like just raw Flame Magic but Sally evaded it and they landed on the ground with the nun, who had to be Sister Theresa, standing before Asta protecting him.
Akame had to give it to the old lady, she was really something else despite her advanced age. Clearly the woman had power and was likely of noble birth who'd given it up to become a sister of the cloth. Akame couldn't help but respect her and as she looked she noticed a scar on the woman's face over her left eye, the kind one only got from combat. Just who was this nun?
That was answered a moment later as Akame set herself for an attack on the girl to follow the nun's but paused as Sister Theresa declared herself Theresa the Crimson She-Leopard. Well, that answered it, the woman was a former Magic Knight and by the sounds of it she'd been a Crimson Lion King or whatever that Squad was called in her day.
All that made sense with that title and power but still, Akame's respect for the woman went up even more. She was a great ally to have though her sudden argument with Gauche, who was still trapped, showed that despite being a nun the woman's blood was a hot as fire and her tongue was a sharp as a whip.
Akame just gave a grim smile as she shifted Murasame onto her shoulder and watched the scene below her. It was three on one now, once Gauche was freed by Sister Theresa that is, and all three were strong. They had this but Akame was going to play it safe and watch just in case so that she could act if need be.
After all, it was better to be in wait for when needed rather than tip her hand too soon and ruin any good surprise attack she might launch that could win this for them in an instance if things got out of hand. Plus Tatsumi was going to be near, likely outside by now and sorting out the children there, so she may as well watch and wait to see if she was needed and if not help out once these criminals were hauled off to face justice for their crimes, and in the case of the girl pumped for intel on the Eye of the Midnight Sun.
As Akame watched, and Sister Theresa finally freed Gauche from his bindings, the girl began to chat to the tied up man. Akame couldn't hear what they were saying but she felt the ki in them and it was strange to say the least so she shifted her focus to them.
The guy wasn't a fanatic or crazy like the girl was, he just some crook likely in it for some quick cash which meant that he was almost certainly planning on running as soon as possible while the girl was just insane but gleeful at what he was saying to her. Akame deduced that he was begging for freedom and willing to help, but would just cut and run like the scum he was, Akame knew that type well and would stop him from doing so if he tried it, while the girl had something up her sleeve.
That turned out to be literal in a sense as she happily agreed to help him it seemed, ignoring a shout from Asta about what they were doing, and pulled out a comically oversized syringe filled with gel. Oddly there were stylings on the syringe that were similar to the robes of the Eye of the Midnight Sun like what Sally was wearing only hers was open showing a revealing red outfit underneath.
Where on earth the girl was hiding the syringe was anyone's guess and Akame didn't want an answer to that question. She just knew that this wasn't good but before she could act the girl stuck the syringe into the man's neck and depressed the plunger with a really creepy giggle before pulling the syringe out as a dibble of blood ran down the man's neck.
The man went stiff for a moment and Akame's eyes went wide as she sensed his pain and shock before he suddenly screamed as everyone watched, including the other, younger, male criminal who was on his knees now his ki one of horror and worry for the other man showing that the two were close. No one knew what was going on but as the man screamed Akame sensed his ki change right before the mud, likely his magical attribute, burst from his eyes and mouth as his magic exploded outwards, destroying the restraints and turning him into a giant mud monster that was overflowing with magic.
There was no question as the mud monster was no longer human, as the girl pointed out with a laugh claiming that it had failed and showing her complete lack of regard for human life which only added to Akame's desire to either kill or at least capture the crazy girl. Regardless, Akame could confirm that the man was dead, or at least no longer what he once was, as the ki was now totally different. Whatever he had been before had now been replaced by this pumped up mud monster.
Instantly Akame was on edge and ready to attack while Sister Theresa and Asta got between it and the children. Gauche meanwhile leapt on his broom, ignoring his duty as a Magic Knight, and flew to grab a blonde girl out of the group of children who had to be his sister, and fly off with just her.
Well that was just wrong and he flew off into a different exit than the one Akame was one but she'd punish him for that later, if Tatsumi didn't intercept him as he left, as she had bigger fish to fry so to speak as the mud monster sent Asta flying backwards. Thankfully Asta managed to land on his feet and used his sword as an anchor by slamming it into the ground as he slid over it so that he was able to come to a stop several feet back from the mud monster.
This was it, Akame knew that the time for waiting was over and the time for action was now as Asta came to a stop and Sister Theresa appeared next to him. This was why she'd waited to see if she was needed as now she had to act now and while she would have liked to deal with the crazy girl, this mud monster was a bigger problem so with a burst of magic in her legs, Akame leapt off the ledge she was on and at the mud monster's back with Murasame ready to slash it the moment that she could.
"We need to get out of her first." Sister Theresa said as the mud monster roared as she assessed the situation next to Asta, she'd punish Gauche for his cowardice later though she felt that Marie might help him see the error of his ways and get him to come back and help them. "Then we can deal with it but something that big, how do we…"
Before the old nun could finish, and as Asta was looking at it his sword at the ready so that he could use it to nullify the Mud Magic before him, they all heard a series of slashing sounds that could only be made by a sword slicing through the air. A second later several lines appeared on the mud monster across its chest and upper arms.
Those lines only lasted a moment before they burst and through the gap created in the monster a short, clearly female, figure flew, black hair streaming behind her and a katana to her side, red eyes set and serious as the mud fell down behind her. As soon as she was through she turned in the air to face the monster and landed the ground to slide a little before coming to a stop just before Sister Theresa and Asta, sword low and to her side and a few droplets of mud on her Black Bulls robe and in her hair.
"Akame?" Asta asked shocked at the arrival of his squadmate as she rose and shifted the sword to a different position by her side so that it was at the ready as the head and shoulders of the mud monster crashed down onto the lower portion shortening it for a moment as it roared. "You're here? How? Did Noelle get through to you?"
"No, I was in Nean on a date and about to leave when the snow fell." Akame said seriously as Sister Theresa analyzed the sudden arrival of another of the Black Bulls though this was one that she'd never seen before. "No time to explain, we need to deal with that."
"One of your Squad?" Sister Theresa asked.
"Yeah, and offensively probably the strongest." Asta said with a grin. "Well, second to our Captain but I've never actually seen him fight so I can't confirm that."
"I see, yes I sense her power and determination, it's just like Mereoleona's only calmer and more collected and significantly more dangerous like a snake coiled and ready to strike with deadly intent." Sister Theresa said as her grimoire flipped a page and a fire leopard was created while noting that the girl before her was without a doubt a true killer, it was a good thing she was on their side. "Children get on his back and he'll take you to safety."
"You can keep that up I take it." Akame said as the mud monster began to reform what she'd cut away and she grunted at that, she'd hoped some slashes would work but this thing needed more damage it seemed as Sally cackled at her creation behind it. "And fight at the same time. You're a Magic Knight as well so I presume so but still…"
"Don't worry about me, I can fight with the best but it will take a while for the leopard to get the children clear so we have to hold this mud monster off until then." Sister Theresa said as the kids climbed onto the back and commented on how warm it was before the leopard took off. "We'll protect them until then."
"Good thing our shield is on his way." Akame said with a grin and Asta couldn't help but join her in grinning as he'd presumed that Tatsumi was here and with his aid they could really cut lose as he was one of the best defensive mages out there. "He'll miss this fun but whatever, he's better at protecting anyway. We'll hold this beast off and beat it while the kids are saved. Then I'm going to run that chick through."
"Akame, it's good that he's here as well, I presumed as much, but we need her alive to answer for her crimes and tell us about her associates." Asta said. "Might be best not to kill her if it can be helped."
"Alright, I'll non fatally run her through." Akame said which wasn't much better but Sally just laughed at that from where she was.
"Come and try, you're that Blade Magic user from the Capital, the one who killed one of my comrades." Sally laughed. "I recognize that sword of yours even if you wore a magic cloak that hid your face back then. I've got instructions to take you in alive, that magic of yours is rare and I can actually experiment on it now. This will be fun, I get two for the price of one, the magic the brats would have given us is nothing compared to being able to capture and experiment on you two."
"Ignore her." Akame said as the mud monster took a step forward now that it was reformed and roared. "We need to beat this thing first. We're Magic Knights, all of us, it's our duty."
"Well said girl." Sister Theresa said though she really wanted to learn more about whoever she was and see her in action especially because Blade Magic wasn't something you heard about often. "Focus on this thing and protecting the children."
"I won't let you harm any of them!" Asta roared as the mud monster replied in kind and the battle against it began in earnest.
Ah a nice little cliffhanger to end the chapter on, I can't resist a good cliffhanger and this is but the first of what will be several in this arc because it's too good not to and trust me they're going to be good cliffhangers over the course of this arc. There really isn't much more to say about this chapter, it was the set up for the battle in the cave to come and first Akame, and then when he arrives Tatsumi's, role in this arc as unlike the dungeon arc they're going to be very active in this one with a lot to do as this is a very important arc for what I have planned for this story. Next up is the battle with the Baro Mud Monster so just the start of the action to come. Anyway, that is all that I have for y'all so I will leave this chapter off here. 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