Just as Yosif have warned them, on their way back to town the Elite Seven were ambushed by a group of mercenaries. Being already on guard with superior skills, none of them even have a scratch from the fight. But they still haven't spotted the assassins from Oarburgh yet which was quite worrying. Nevertheless they carried on as normal with the team heading to the hot spring and things proceeded according to the manga with Akame eavesdropping on Green's confession and Cornelia befriending Taeko. Taeko of course tried to lure Cornelia away but this time Cornelia is suspicious of her. When they were alone, Taeko tried to sucker punch Cornelia at the start of the fight but being aware of possible threats, Cornelia managed to dodge it. Though Cornelia had the advantage of a shingu, Taeko still overpowered her utilizing agility and techniques. Luckily, Crushing King didn't break like in the manga and instad is only fractured and can be repaired given time. Now Cornelia is lying in a pool of her own blood on a smashed boulder as Taeko closes in to finish her off. Despite losing consciousness, Cornelia was able to see a glint of light and heard the sounds of metal clashing before she passed out. That glint of course was Yosif intervening, blocking Taeko's strike with his sword.
Me: Taeko isn't it, nice weather for fight ain't it?
Taeko: How? How do you know about me!
Me: I've been keeping an eye on you lot before you even arrived in town and i gotta say... i don't approve of your actions.
Taeko: My targets WILL be eliminated!
Me: HAVE AT THEE!
Before i can register her movements, the air around was cut as Taeko flashes in front of me striking at my side. Of course the attack caught me off guard but luckily the strike was poorly orchestrated and only managed to scrape my armor. I attempt to go for her heels but Taeko recover way quicker than i anticipated, no wonder she's on par with Akame and Cornelia. She does several backflips to distance herself before charging in again. Pondering the fact that she's an assassin, i thought she would have gone for a flank but instead the psycho ran head first into me. The impact from the strike chips the edge of my sword but otherwise i was able to hold her back. Still pushing her sword forward, Taeko leans in and spits her hidden needle at my helmet which i still instinctively deflect using my pauldrons but it wasn't like the poison could hurt me. I was foolish to think that i saw an opening where in reality, Taeko was waiting for my hit to use scattering breeze to counterattack. The retaliation flings my sword into a tree with Taeko immediately using Mountain Gale to close the distance. She thought i was defenseless but oh boy was she wrong. When the blade was about to hit me, i encased my left hand in ice and block it while using my right hand now holding a fireball, i slam it hard into her abdomen sending Taeko 10 feet back with 1st degree burns. Disoriented but Taeko was clearly far from done. Lacking a blade in a swordfight would do no good for me so i have to make due with a somewhat sturdy ice straight sword. I channel wind energy into my feet for a brief speed boost as i go on the offensive. Taeko uses Zephyr and i was blinded by the white light coming from it making it ridiculously easy for her to parry my attack. I was too staggered by the hit and was unable to do anything as Taeko drives her sword into my shoulder before leaping away with a smug grin on her face. Little did she know that the infamous Oarburgh poison can't do shit to me since i was an undead.
Taeko: *huff* *huff* You're strong, i will give you that, but it's over now.
Me: I wouldn't be so sure about that Taeko.
Taeko: Oarburgh's poison rivals Murasame, none has survived it.
Me: Who told you that i got cut, why don't you take another look at your sword?
Taeko was confused when she saw me still standing without any problems and was even more perplexed when she saw that her sword only has Cornelia's dried blood on it even though she cut directly into where my shoulders would have been. The distraction was all i need as i lunge at her delivering a flaming fist to her gut. Taeko was an all out offensive fighter and her endurance in terms of toughness isn't as impressive as her strength so the hit should finish her off. I thought that as i forgot that her trump card was limit removal. Her eyes enlarge and her pupils become invisible as she rushes me using Twister. But what i didn't expect is that she abruptly throws a summit gust right after which doesn't seem to be directed at me... AND WAS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR CORNELIA! I can't let all of my efforts in saving the elite seven goes to waste so i did the first thing that came to mind. Which also happens to be the dumbest thing possible as i attempt to tank the hit. *BOOOMM* Huh... Why didn't i feel any pain? Oh wait no it's kicking in OH SON OF BITCH THAT FUCKING STINGS! I would've said my arm hurts like hell but given the fact that my right arm has been cut clean off... Fortunately, by the collision managed to steer the attack away from Cornelia and into a tree which it bifurcated with ease. Taeko collapses to her knees having had used all of her stamina on the last attack in a last attempt to finish the job. She doesn't even have enough energy left to stand as the smoke clears revealing me remaining there one arm less cursing on the inside but still standing.
Taeko: *cough* Im *cough* possible.
Me: You were already destined to lose when you faced me.
Taeko: Before i die... do you know if Babara would be ok?
Me: It depends on her really, if she is wise enough to retreat instead of trying to face Gozuki then yes.
Taeko: I'm in no position to judge your morals but... why serve the empire?
Me: You assassins do it for the money and fame while i do it just for the satisfaction of doing what's right. Just because the government is corrupt doesn't mean the entirety of the empire is to blame, i have faith in the people to stay on the right path despite these dark times.
Taeko: Hehe, has anybody told you how naive that sounded?
Me: I get that a lot.
Taeko: Well... end me already.
Me: Act-
I didn't get to finish my sentence as someone leaps from the trees latching on my back and stabbing a needle into my neck. Chelsea? So all that talking earlier was just Taeko stalling. Well i'm still immune to poison but i'm going to let them figure that out any seconds now...
Chelsea: Oh god Taeko, he really messed you up didn't he?
Taeko: Never would i imagine that i would be saved by you off all people.
Chelsea: Hey! I'm not THAT weak.
Taeko: Wait... CHELSEA GET AWAY FROM HIM!
Chelsea: Huh?
Chelsea couldn't react in time as i grab her by the throat and lift her off the ground with my left arm. She kicks and squirms but couldn't do much as i throw her on the ground next to Taeko. She was dumbfounded as i grab the needle jabbed between my cervical and snap it in half.
Me: That was unexpected regardless, you already lost this battle.
Chelsea: How could you have survived that!
Me: That's for me to know and for you to figure out.
Taeko: Chelsea, there's another knife in my right pocket. Kill me and then yourself, we cannot let ourselves be interrogated or the clan would be endangered.
Chelsea: W-what? B-but Taeko i...
Me: You're that shameful of your defeat that you would throw away your lives?
Taeko: What life do i have left if i get captured by you imperial bastards?
Me: No... i'm not capturing you or killing you.
Chelsea/Taeko: What?
Me: The reason i'm here is to stop you from killing Cornelia. Now that's dealt with, there's no reasons for me to turn you in. Not to mention that i have to treat her soon or she would bleed out.
Taeko: I'm not believing that bluff, you already have spies waiting to track us back to our base to kill of the rest of us don't you?
Me: Believe what you will but i would find a way to call Babara as soon as possible. Maybe if she knows it's you the stubborn woman wouldn't try to challenge Gozuki and search for you instead, time is ticking. Oh and one last thing... Tell that bitch Merraid that if she even tries anything remotely inappropriate with the children, i'm going to show her a fate worse than death and torture combined.
I then try to heal Cornelia's wound but with the healing power of a skeleton knight, the only thing i did was stop the bleeding. That was good enough anyway. I awkwardly try to grab Cornelia with one arm before carefully putting her in a fireman's carry as i look for wherever the others might be. Before i leave the clearing i heard Taeko frantically asks Chelsea to do something as i hear a small bang in the sky. Though i haven't met the supposedly scary old lady, i do hope that she sees the flare and not try to suicide bomb.
[elsewhere]
Babara was not faring well in the slightest. She herself was starting to tire fighting Najasho, Green and Guy. They were all heavily wounded and it would be easy to finish them off if it wasn't for Gozuki showing up before she has a chance. The odds are against her but she knows that she must pull through for Taeko and the clan. Just as she prepares herself to challenge the leader of the Elite Seven, a red flare went off in the distance. Her stomach drops as she recognizes the light in the sky not far away from her position. It was the emergency flare she gave Taeko. Babara wasn't thinking straight anymore, her experience as an assassin screams that it's a trap but her motherly side screeches louder at her to help Taeko. Babara drops several smoke bombs before disappearing into the trees following the direction of the distress signal. She was glad that Gozuki chooses to tend to the others' wounds instead of pursuing her. Walking into the clearing, Babara's logical side snaps back to reality as she looks around for any ambush. The only thing there were shattered trees, smashed boulders, a pile of blood on the ground next to a pile of dust, Taeko and Chelsea with the latter wrapping bandages around the former's wounds.
Babara: TAEKO! What happened here?
Chelsea: Babara, you're alive?
Babara: Of course, i'm alive brat!
Chelsea: But how did you beat Gozuki?
Babara: Gozuki? He showed up unexpectedly and i fled towards your signal before he even makes a move... wait how did you know Gozuki was there?
Taeko: So what he said was true, you would've died if you fought Gozuki.
Babara: Who?
Taeko: The enemy had an unknown ally that showed himself right before i could eliminate my target. He wore heavy armor with a design i'm not familiar with and uses a normal sword. He didn't look intimidating much but he was so skillful that i had to use limit removal.
Babara: You used limit removal! I told you that was a dangerous technique brat why would you use it? No matter, at least you won the gamble and got rid of him.
Taeko: I didn't win.
Babara: Huh?
Taeko: He took the strike and head on and just...
by my
Babara: Spit it out!
Taeko: He's either wielding a powerful teigu or he isn't human. The Oarburgh poison and chelsea's needle couldn't do anything to him. There was no blood even when i clearly stabbed him and his arm turned to dust after it was cut off by my limit removal summit gust. He can also controls the elements of fire, wind and ice.
Babara: Such thing is unheard of, there's no teigu that could grant the user that much abilities. If he defeated you then how are you here and where is he right now?
Taeko: He left after patching up my target, Cornelia. He spared because he claimed that he was only here to protect her. But what's even more disturbing is that he knew everything from the start. From our names, our faces and our timetable to our plans and moves, there is nothing that he was unaware of about us before we even set foot in this town.
Chelsea: He also left a message threatening Merraid herself that she would face a fate worse than death and torture combined should she... you know, with the children.
Babara: Our assassination attempt was a total faliure. We lost the mercenaries and couldn't even kill a single one of them.
Chelsea: What do we do now?
Babara: For now... we retreat. There's no use trying to kill them at this point when we have already suffered heavy losses. And we have to inform our employer that the empire has another powerful pawn.
[Elite Seven's rendezvous point]
Gozuki is currently treating the boy's wounds that they received from Babara. Although that Babara was well known assassins, they couldn't help but feel shameful being beaten by an old lady with kitchen knives while they have shingus. Akame, Poney and Tsukushi rushes over as soon as they heard fighting in the woods. They felt a burden lifted when Gozuki told them that no one died or gotten hurt too much. That is until Akame notices someone missing.
Akame: WHERE IS CORNELIA!
Me: Sleeping beauty is right here.
Everybody who was starting to panic from the absence of Cornelia, turns to me. It takes about 15 seconds for them to register seeing me carry a heavily injured Cornelia with parts of my armor stained with her blood. I carefully set her down on the ground as Poney tackles Cornelia shaking her violently to wake her up.
Cornelia: Ugghhh... My head... Poney?
Poney: OH MY GOD CORNELIA WE THOUGH YOU WERE A GONER!
Gozuki: You had me worried kiddo, what happened?
Cornelia: I remember being lured out to the woods by Taeko, an assassin. Then... we fought, she had me cornered and Crushing King was nearly destroyed... After that all i could recall was laying in a pool of blood before... WHERE'S YOSIF!
Me: That's kinda rude of you to assume that i died.
Everybody's attention was drawn to me again as they notice my missing arm, damaged armor and chipped sword. Green, Najasho and Guy were now happy that they didn't suffer such severe damage, Poney gawks at me disbelievingly, Akame and Gozuki has atcual shock painted on their faces while Tsukushi and Cornelia were on the verge of tears looking at me.
Me: You guys owe me an arm by the
Tsukushi: Y-Yosif doesn't that h-hurt?
Me: Oh yes, very much so. I'm in unfathomable agony right now and the only thing keeping me calm is me distracting myself with this conversation so please stop mentioning it.
Akame: B-but your a-
Me: AH AH! I just told you NOT to mention it.
Gozuki: Yosif... how did you...
Me: Well it was either me losing an arm or Cornelia getting split in half. At least now i can brag about getting hit by a gale of wind at the speed of sound.
Cornelia: Y-you did that for m-me? But why?
Me: You're all still people of the empire you know. Do you really think that i would be able to sleep at night knowing that i let any of you died?
Gozuki: On behalf of the Elite Seven... Thank you for your sacrifice Yosif.
Me: Bah don't mention it. I just need to learn left handed swordsmanship is all, i can still cook just fine so it's not much really.
Green: Still... how could we repay you, it doesn't sit well with us if we don't.
Me: Well there's nothing much i want other than cooking and helping the empire i guess. Maybe i could join you along your missions, I can still fight with like this you know. That is if Gozuki agrees.
I can tell that Gozuki would have already agreed though he seems a bit hesitant. That hesitance however was wiped from existence as the entirety of the elite seven gives him their puppy eyes that can make an atheist confess their sins at church. Safe to say, his serious facade crumbles within seconds of the psychological assault.
Gozuki: Well... You did contribute a lot to our mission, i'm sure i can convinve the superiors if i request it. Welcome to the Elite Seven Yosif though with you around it would be the Elite Eight now.
(the total inventory will not be used until Yosif regains his original body)
Total inventory:
Ascended Wraith set
Primordial's wrath: Damascus
Diadem of supreme arcane might
15 copper 53 silver 38998 gold
Current familiars:
- Sergei the Armor Demon
- Victor the Soul Of Cinder