---Taeko's side---
*Clang* *Bang*
The numerous sounds of weapons clashing and gunfire could be heard within very quick intervals and 3 figures could be seen quickly changing positions without stopping.
'This is an annoying situation, Cornelia is strong and even though she is weakened by the poison, she can still defend herself very well. She by herself wouldn't be a problem but this other woman is the major problem here. Her bullets can change trajectory which is extremely difficult to defend against.' Taeko thought with narrowed eyes while slashing the incoming bullet in half but this gave Cornelia chance to attack and she kicked Taeko to the stomach, making her slide on the ground for a few seconds before stopping.
'Their teamwork is almost perfect and Cornelia is good at protecting that girl so I can't carelessly approach her...Looks like I will have to remove my limiters. I have to end it quickly, I don't know how strong are Akashi's opponents.' Taeko was slightly concerned about Akashi but she didn't let it be seen in her expression.
Taeko suddenly closed her eyes and after a quick moment she once again opened them, her pupils became much larger which alarmed Cornelia and Tsukushi, making them stick close together.
Taeko suddenly disappeared from her spot and appeared behind them, slashing her katana at Tsukushi's wide open back.
*Clang* Her katana was intercepted by Cornelia's weapon while she threw a punch with her other hand towards Taeko's face.
Taeko already disappeared from that position, however, when she reappeared some distance away from them, she had to already dodge another incoming bullet.
'Is that girl guessing where I will appear next?' Taeko thought while looking at Tsukushi who was aiming her gun at her.
Taeko started a series of relentless and vicious attacks at both Cornelia and Tsukushi with her newly enhanced speed and strength.
Taeko was able to injure Cornelia a few more times but all of them were shallow cuts and the poison in her body was already spread out so more small cuts won't help Taeko in any way.
She intended to cause at least one cut to Tsukushi but Cornelia defended her very well even at the price of attaining those cuts herself which were logical decision since she already had the poison within her body unlike Tsukushi who could cover her really efficiently
'?! My limit removal already wore off...I can't even use my strongest stance because long-range attacks are its nemesis. I would have fared off much better against 2 melee assassins, maybe even 3 wouldn't be such a problem...' Taeko dodged the bullet with her unbelievable speed for the last time before she felt that her strengthening wore off. She started to glare and observe two of them with a cautious expression while thinking about her next moves.
"HAA!" Cornelia drew her fist with the gauntlet and punched out the empty space, creating wind vortex attacking Taeko.
"?! Summit gust!" Taeko was surprised by this kind of attack but she quickly recovered and performed her own attack. Her vertical slash tore the air in front of her and sent an extremely sharp blade of wind of her own to meet Cornelia's wind vortex.
*Bang* *Bang* Their attacks met each other and created another vortex in the place of impact and completely destroying the ground. However, someone's attack was still superior.
"Aggh!" Cornelia groaned when her body was sent flying to the wall with a not too deep or too shallow cut across her entire torso.
"Cora?!!" Tsukushi shouted while looking at where Cornelia flew off.
However, even Taeko didn't end up in that exchange without any injure, she noticed a bullet too late and her left shoulder was pierced by it.
'...She must have used the chance when our attacks collided with each other to catch me off-guard." Taeko thought while looking at her injured shoulder with a calm expression.
---Akashi's side---
After a while of dodging Akame's strikes and blocking Poney's kicks while occasionally striking back, I was finally forced to draw my provisional sword to start blocking even Akame's relentless attacks.
She is becoming faster and faster, she is also adopting to my movements and changing her own movements to be able to match me while Poney assists her. She is really talented, Kurome is also able to do something like that but definitely not after battling me only for a few minutes.
I thought while parrying her vertical slash to the side and kicking approaching Poney into her stomach but instead of flying away, she actually took hold of my leg.
"Hm?" This move quite surprised me so I glanced at my Poney to see her doing her best clinging to my leg with her entire body.
?! I instinctively moved my head to the side but a small cut still appeared on my cheek.
---
[- 10 Health. Critical hit! You have received a critical hit instead of gaining debuff to your regeneration.]
[Health: 730/750]
[+ 2 SXP for your special class] x12
Special Class: Yato (Lv. 4, +13 Str, +13 Const, +13 Agi, +4 Int) 46/80 SXP
---
Akame was already preparing for another attack with her emotionless eyes but I kicked out with my leg with Poney clinging to it to meet Akame's katana.
"!!" She immediately stopped her attack, not wanting to hurt her friend and received my kick into her stomach, making both Poney and Akame fly a few meters away from me while Poney landed on top of Akame who landed on the ground.
---
'Ugh...Why does it feel like he is playing with us?! Anyway, I was able to land one hit on him, no matter how shallow it is, he will keep bleeding until he will be weakened enough for us to kill him.' Akame thought with a slightly pained expression while helping Poney get back on her legs.
'?! Why isn't he bleeding?! The wound has yet to close but he isn't bleeding at all! Kiriichimonji never failed me and once I cut someone either he bled out or he had to live the entire life with an open wound.' Akame thought with wide-open eyes once she saw that Katsura's wound was no longer bleeding, only from time to time, a few drops of blood poured down from the wound on his cheek.
---
Critical hit? That's new, it looks like her weapon can stop the regeneration of cuts created by it. So instead of receiving debuff, I received critical hit...I wonder if it will work even on other weapons of similar type.
I will have to be more careful around that katana, I don't want to receive bigger wound if I lost 10 health just from a little nick on my cheek. I should also make it look more believable, until now, I was just playing around with them.
"Akame, that was a good attack. I will also make a few moves from now on, please defend yourselves, both of you" I said with a small smile and closed eyes while wiping away the blood on my cheek with my thumb before a sinister smile appeared on my face.
"?!" Both of them widened their eyes in horror and gulped down their saliva when they saw my change in expression.
---Babara's side---
"Attacking little kids is not very honorable" Gozuki said to Babara with a smile after he saved 3 guys that were slightly panting.
"Funny that you talk about honorable things." Babara replied with a smile.
"Father..." One of the guys with a blond short hair called out to Gozuki. They had no similar features so they weren't biological son and father.
"You did well to hold on for so long, leave everything here to me. Go look for others, I still have a bad feeling, Najasho. Oarburgh tends to work in pairs or more people." Gozuki said with a serious expression without even tearing his eyes away from Babara.
"...Understood!" Najasho wanted to stay and help but he accepted Gozuki's order without any complaining.
"Let's go shrimps, we need to look for others." Najasho said to the other 2 guys and started running towards the town. The other 2 guys looked at each other and nodded with a serious expression. They followed right after Najasho.
"I won't let you!" Babara shouted and rushed towards them just to be intercepted by Gozuki.
"You aren't going anywhere." Gozuki said with a smile when he stopped Babara's attack with his own katana. He then extended his nails, attacking Babara's eyes from close range.
"?!" She immediately jumped back and while she was still in the air she slashed the nails pursuing her.
'This is bad, I don't know the situation on the other side and if Taeko and Akashi are already fighting with more targets at the same time, it will be impossible for them to defeat them with additional reinforcements. ?! Wait, he said that once I start losing, it will inform him. I don't know how much truth is there to his words but that sensation I felt in my heart...It must be related to Heart rate, I have to increase it as best as I can to inform them, this mission is already a failure. They are far stronger than we expected.' Babara thought and started fighting with Gozuki while doing her best to speed up her Heart rate.
.
.
.
"Where should we look? This town isn't exactly small." A guy with short brown hair and scar on his left cheek asked while running towards the town.
"The inn should be our first stop, of course, Guy." Another guy with black hair and glasses answered while looking at Guy as if it was obvious.
"No, Green, you go take a look in the inn and I will look elsewhere together with Guy." Najasho answered with a calm expression while coldly looking towards the abandoned and ruined part of the town.
.
.
---Akashi's side---
*pant* "Haah, what's up with this guy?!" Poney muttered with a pained expression while holding her shoulder that was pierced by my provisional sword.
"Haah" Akame, on the other hand, wasn't speaking and only was supporting her body with her katana stuck in the ground while glaring at me.
She had numerous cuts on her body but none of them were deep but her clothes were completely ruined.
---
[+ 2 SXP to your special class] x11
[+ 3 SXP to your special class] x5
Special Class: Yato (Lv. 5, +16 Str, +16 Const, +16 Agi, +5 Int) 3/160 SXP
[Health: 708/780]
[Energy: 1265/1265]
---
Akame is really monster, she is becoming stronger and stronger each second she fights longer. It almost makes me think that she was born with my passive [Insatiable Hunger].
"So, girls, have you finally gave up?" I asked with a smile.
"Why are you doing this when you aren't even trying to kill us?! Why are you trying to kill just Cora?!" Poney suddenly shouted at me.
"Hm? I am not trying to kill anyone, as a faithful husband, I am just here to assist my wife." I replied with a calm smile.
I glanced behind me and saw that Cornelia was already full of wounds and was already close to dying, the only thing that kept her alive was Tsukushi's annoying bullets that Taeko had to take care of. Taeko herself also looked quite exhausted but not enough to lose against those two.
It seems that we will be able to kill only 1 of them before we will have to retreat.
I thought with a smile but that smile suddenly disappeared and I frowned down.
Looks like Babara is in trouble which means that Gozuki arrived. I came here to kill at least one of these assassins but...it looks like we will have to retreat. I still owe Babara and I still have plans for her. Not to mention that I am quite fond of Taeko and Babara is like a real grandmother to her.
Alright...I have decided.
I thought with closed eyes.
"Shrimps! Are you alright?!" A guy with long hair and vertical slit pupils rushed next to panting Akame and Poney. Another guy fully covered in some kind of armor which definitely was another strong weapon, most likely parasite type of weapon, arrived next to the first guy.
"Najasho?!" Poney exclaimed with a pleasantly surprised expression.
I don't have time to deal with more of them, I need to take Taeko and retreat so we can regroup with Babara. Anyway, that guy must be the blond guy from Chelsea's drawing. I can feel that he is really strong, it must be his weapon's special ability to change his appearance like that.
"Leader go! Cora is in danger!" Akame shouted at him and both guys looked behind me just to see Tsukushi and Cornelia struggling against Taeko while Cornelia was fully covered in wounds.
"!!! CORA!!!" The guy in armor immediately rushed towards the building without any thinking which slightly surprised but I still went to intercept him.
"Guy, wait!!! He is strong!!" Akame immediately shouted at Guy to warn him but...
"I DON'T CARE!!!" He shouted and instead of stopping, he became even faster.
There must be a special relationship between those two, for him to rush forward like that.
"What a hot-blooded youth, you are" I said with a small smile while blocking his path, but I suddenly felt something on my left side.
?! By instinct, I struck my sword there without even looking there.
*Clang*
"Your opponent is me" Najasho said with a stoic expression when our weapons clashed.
However, during the clash, he overpowered me and pushed me back while making a small cut on my right shoulder.
[Health: 703/780]
Guy on the other hand completely ignored me and dug with his armor underground completely disappearing from my sight.
?! This is bad, if Taeko will be ambushed by someone who is feeling so much rage, she will definitely lose if she gets hit by him.
I thought while glancing at Taeko who was fully focused on dodging the bullets while occasionally attacking Cornelia.
"...I am sorry but I don't have time for you, dragon boy" I suddenly said in a cold tone.
"Leader, look out!" Akame immediately warned him and he narrowed his eyes while vigilantly looking at me.
I took the sword into both hands.
[Phantom Strike]
[Overwhelm]
[Energy: 1215/1265]
I appeared in front of him without any motion before I moved and used both of my hands together with my skill to slash diagonally in upwards motion.
He widened his eyes and he had no time to parry my slash or dodge so he just put his sword in front of my attack to block it.
*Clang* When out weapons met each other, he flew numerous meters away from me, even past the girls who were recovering their energy.
"Najasho?!!"
"Leader?!!"
Both Akame and Poney shouted while looking in the direction where he flew.
I might have won this exchange but my sword didn't survive the exchange and crumbled into pieces. It might have been made from the material able to resist Teigu but it was still far inferior to Teigu.
I no longer cared about those girls and Najasho guy, I turned around and sprinted towards Taeko.
Make it in time!
I narrowed my eyes and used all my strength and agility into 1 leap so I could appear in front of Taeko in a second.
The ground next to Taeko suddenly opened and Guy attacked Taeko from the side making her totally vulnerable.
"DIE YOU BITCH!!!" Guy shouted while putting all his strength, rage and hate he felt towards Taeko in one punch.
---
'Reinforcements?!! I can't dodge that!' Taeko thought with wide-open eyes and strengthened her muscles to prepare for the impact but...
---
When Guy was about to hit her I suddenly appeared in front of Taeko with crossed arms to receive his punch.
*Bang* The floor around the impact cracked open and since I had yet to regain my balance after rushing in front of Taeko so fast, I was blown away while taking Taeko with me.
?! I glanced behind me just to see numerous pillars and walls. I quickly changed positions with Taeko in mid-air and wrapped my arms around her head.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* We started breaking one wall after another until that entire part of the building was no longer stable and has fallen down on us. Creating an extremely high curtain of dust everywhere.
----
"Cora! Are you alright?!" Guy immediately rushed towards Cora who was no longer able to stand on her legs.
Akame, Poney, and Najasho quickly joined them, Najasho quickly started treating Cornelia's wounds.
"Are they dead?" Poney asked while looking at the hill created by debris of the ruined building.
"Should be." Guy replied with a voice full of hate while looking at Cornelia's condition.
----
*cough* I coughed out a bit of blood. I was currently lying on top of Taeko, carrying all of the debris on my back.
[Health: 580/780] So much damage yet it cost me only 123 Health. I guess my constitution is really making miracles here.
"?! Why?" Taeko asked me while looking at me with her shaking eyes full of confusion.
"Heh, because I promised to keep you safe to your granny, didn't I? Plus we are friends, aren't we?" I said with a wide grin as if I wasn't carrying numerous tons of debris on my back.
Not to mention that you wouldn't survive it while I did so why not take a hit for you?
A drop of blood has fallen from my cheek at Taeko's cheek and she raised her hand to touch my face but there was too little space for her to move so freely.
"How about we get out of here, first?" I asked with a grin.
"How?" Taeko asked while looking at me being already on my knees and hands
"Just watch and learn" I said with a smirk.
[Insatiable Hunger]
[Overwhelm]
[Overwhelm]
[Overwhelm]
.
.
I started spamming my skill while always trying to get on my legs.
[Energy: 905/1265]
---Outside---
Najasho was still treating Cornelia when he suddenly snapped his head at slowly moving debris with a shocked expression and wide-open shaking eyes.
"?!" Everyone was surprised to see their leader act like that and they were slightly confused until...
"HAAAA!" They heard a muffled shout and when they turned their head to its direction, they saw the hill of debris being blown away.
"I-Impossible..." Poney muttered with a shocked expression while looking at the two standing figures in the curtain of dust.
----