Akame ga KILL!: Vanity's Final Virtue

Chapter 7: Kill the Resignation

Aw man, thought Lubbock, taking a second to absorb the situation. Not only had the infiltration failed, it appeared somebody anticipated them coming to the palace. Also, there were the two hooded figures in front of them. I can tell these guys are good at killing—really good.

"W-what do you mean you're ordered to kill us?" stammered Seryu, desperately trying to understand what was going on. "I am a soldier of the Empire!"

"You still don't get it, Ubiquitous?" asked the cloaked female. "It doesn't matter. Like I said—our orders are to kill you."

"Who ordered you to kill us!" yelled Mine, holding Pumpkin in position.

"Actually, I've had a change of heart," said the cloaked female, ignoring Mine's question while facing Seryu. "Your body has been altered by Dr. Stylish, right?"

Seryu flinched at hearing her now deceased comrade's name before asking, "What do you know about the doctor?"

"He's someone I always wanted to meet. Unfortunately, he died before I could. I've seen some of your records, and he made quite the modifications to your body. After we kill those assassins, I'm going to dissect you—piece by piece."

"...Why are you interested in my body?" Seryu felt a chill crawl up her spine while she took a few steps back.

"It's because—" The cloaked female suddenly lunged for Seryu so fast, Mine couldn't get a proper shot off in time.

Seryu put up her guard while the cloaked figure threw a punch. Seryu gasped before the intense force sent her flying out the room and colliding with the wall. She felt the wind get knocked out of her body before hitting the floor. Such mighty strength from someone so small in stature!

"—I'm the greatest alchemist!" exclaimed Dorothea, her hood coming off.

Seryu sat there in befuddlement when the culprit of the grievous hit was a young girl.

"Why wouldn't I want to test my own modified body against some of Dr. Stylish's best work?"

"Shit!" grunted Lubbock, releasing some thread from Cross Tail to assist Seryu. He stopped when his senses suddenly alerted him. The other figure was right above with a sword in hand. Fortunately, a well-timed shot from Mine disrupted the attack and allowed Lubbock to escape. "Thanks, Mine!"

"No problem! Let's get the hell out of here!" Mine closed her eyes and focused on the current situation. She fired a powerful blast directly at the hooded figure. Mine cursed when she saw her initial attack get dodged, but the resulting blast made a great smokescreen.

"Perfect!" said Lubbock, using strings to trap Dorothea.

"Ugh, they're trying to get away! Izou!"

Izou took a stance and swung his sword with such force, the surrounding smoke dissipated. After their visibility was restored, Mine, Lubbock, and Seryu had already fled.

"They've escaped," passively said Izou.

"If they're trying to get away, they have to go through the courtyard!" Dorothea cracked her knuckles. "I hope Honest doesn't mind renovating a few walls."

VVV

The trio was running as fast as they could to the secret passage. Just when they were approaching the hallway, a whole group of soldiers was waiting. Mine didn't waste any time blowing up the roof, which made a good blockade. Seryu grimaced since she had no choice now but to take the front exit.

"What the hell is all this!" yelled Mine, running to keep up with Lubbock while Seryu was leading.

"It's a trap," answered Lubbock. "They were ready for us."