𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 | 🄰🄺🄰🄼🄴 🄶🄰 🄺🄸🄻🄻! 🅉🄴🅁🄾【×】 🄾🄲

26| Captured

Sorry if this chapter is much shorter. The manga chapter I was basing it off of had some scenes that weren't directly related to the Elite Seven, so I decided to ultimately cut those parts out and just focus on the ones that mostly include Akame and the others.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Having escaped the Gappi Marshes and found nothing but a pile of Danger Beast carcasses, the Elite Seven were lounging in the meeting room.

Gozuki: "Nothing worthy of mention...nothing's happened. It's the picture of peace and quiet out there."

Poney: (grin) "Then it's just as we thought. The enemy abandoned the saltworks and fled. That's all."

Akira: (sigh) "Don't be so optimistic, dumbass."

Green: "He's right. We can't afford to be so optimistic."

Akira: "What's got me thinking is who killed all those Danger Beasts."

Green: "Me, too. Whoever killed all those Danger Beasts in Gappi is on the enemy's side. Probably."

Gozuki: "We'll be on extra lookout for at least the next two weeks. If nothing happens, we'll resume our regular activities."

Timeskip-Three Weeks

Three weeks had passed and as instructed, they were on high alert. But nothing seemed to be catching them out of the ordinary. During those two weeks, Esdeath happened to be close by and would often call out Akira for some more training.

Having improved his stamina, Esdeath had noted that Akira could launch more high-scaled attacks, now able to launch five of them instead of two at full stamina. He was able to make his ice weapons much more sharper and much more durable, able to withstand quite a few of Esdeath's strong attacks before they were ultimately shattered. On the last day of the second week, Esdeath was called back to the Empire for her to receive new instructions, so their training was put to an end there.

And during the third week in Sweun, nothing out of the ordinary happened, so they went about their daily business. However, they were unaware of the enemy's movements already. In an alleyway, Merraid Oarburgh was talking to her head butler, Daniel.

Daniel: "The results of our investigation have given us the whole picture surrounding Suekuni Trade Firm. It changed hands five years ago..."

Merraid: "Just give me the bottom line, Daniel. Virgins are so long-winded."

Daniel: "Everyone working in the firm is an agent of the Empire on some kind of mission. As such, I don't see any problem treating everyone working there as a target."

Merraid: "That means we can launch an attack without worrying about holding back."

Daniel: "But I'd like to take a few of them alive to extract information."

Merraid: "All right, then we'll pull back until we've at least secured a few for questioning. Then we can kill anyone who's left."

Daniel: "Yes. Any day now, I expect they'll be lulled into letting down their guard and resuming activities again."

Elsewhere

The current team up was Akame, Kurome, and Natala. The tree were currently walking around the city, seemingly on patrol and attempting to find trails by making their rounds on negotiations.

Kurome: (pouts) "Aww, we have to start our search all over again from scratch..."

Akame: "We have no choice. Let's be thorough and take things one step at a time."

Natala: "For now, we just have to decide which towns to do our trading in. I think--"

Natala then froze. Looking down, he sees a hand intruding through his stomach. The two sisters had turned in shock, seeing a woman behind Natala, who's hand belonged to hers. With a sadistic grin, she lowered her face down to Natala's ear, the umbrella she was holding creating a menacing shadow over her face.

Merraid: "Sorry. I'm tough on boys."

Akame: "Natala!"

The two girls unsheathe their swords and prepare for battle. Merraid's grin widens even more as she extends her arms out to the sides, wasps flying out from her clothes.

Akame and Kurome swiftly slash their air, cutting down as many bugs as they could. While distracted, Merraid's butler, Daniel, had come from behind, attempting for a sneak attack. Merraid had rushed forward at the same time, the two aiming for Akame. Quickly turning around, she spun her body, Akame aimed for a killing blow.

But her slash did little damage to Daniel, the older man only having a cut on his arm. Akame was shocked as she looked to her blade, Merraid's bugs had attached themselves onto the blade to make it dull. However, this little vulnerability had left her open, Merraid coming in and jabbing her hand into Akame's side. Akame then falls to the ground, unconscious. Merraid then looks to where Kurome was, the black-eyed girl having been knocked unconscious by one of Merraid's maids, Gilberda, who had shown up on the scene.

Merraid: "Capture complete."

Gilberda: "I'm finished over here, too. This is a first for me. We out-numbered and ambushed them, and still our targets counterattacked us."

Daniel: (examines wound) "I've lived a long time, but I've never seen this happen before either."

Merraid: "They did kill Barbara and the others, after all."

Gilberda: "Shall we torture them for information?"

Merraid: "That won't be necessary. When these kids are late getting back, their allies will sound the alarm. That's when we swoop in to attack. Besides..." (looks to Akame) "If I can, I don't want to torture this one. She reminds me of myself. We fellow assassins need to get along."