No one's POV
After receiving their intel and the location on the whereabouts of their enemies, the Elite Seven along with Gozuki all went to Gappi Marsh, the home of multiple strong Danger Beast. They stop at a nearby lakeside in order to go over their plan once again.
Gozuki: We've identified the locations of two separate saltworks.
Akame: They probably have two so that if anything happens to one, they'll still have income from the other.
Gozuki: Not if we can help it. We're going to attack both at the same time and take them out. Yeah. We'll split into teams.
At the crossroads as to where it splits, leading to the saltworks, the Elite Seven had now been divided into two teams. Ryu, Akame, Kurome, and Green on one team with Natala, Gin, Gozuki, and Poney in the other.
Akame: Poney! You're not fully recovered, so don't overdo it.
Poney: (grin) I know. I promise I won't drag down my team!
Ryu: -_- Your confidence will be your undoing if you don't stay sharp.
Poney: Hey!
Poney frown when Ryu said that, but the latter just shrug. Though he said that, his faith in his team was absolute, especially since they had Gozuki going with them. Heading into their respective directions, they begin heading towards the saltworks they were assigned to take out.
(Timeskip)
With Gozuki's group, Poney and Gozuki went inside the warehouse, Poney opened the door to the saltwork they were assigned to take out. Peering her head in, she took around. There was no one inside, though the equipment had clearly been used recently.
Poney: There's nobody here, Daddy.
Gozuki: Though evident it was a functioning saltworks not too long ago. They may have fled just before we got here.
Gozuki(mind): They're hiding themselves pretty well. These guys are tough...
Outside the warehouse, Gin and Natala were patrolling the perimeter. Gin rested her sword on her shoulder, a look of irritation was on her face as they kept walking. Since there isn't a single enemy or Danger Beast.
Gin: Not even a Danger Beast to be seen. What a disappointment. All I seem to have lately are disappointments.
Natala: Gh..!..Listen, Gin. I'm sorry. But I've also steeled my resolve! Now I'm...'m ready to answer your feelings!
Gin: No, no. I'm not interested anymore, see?
Gin immediately dismiss the conversation while waving her hand. This confused and surprises Natala for a bit since he had resolve himself to correspond her feelings.
Natala:....Huh?
Gin: Timing's important too. Remember that you, sillyhead.
Natala: I..I'll try hard not to mess it up next time.
Gin: Hmph... Well, whenever you feel up for it, give it a go.
With a smirk on her face, she continue walking with Natal following her in a hurry. Unknown to them, the enemy was close to them, all this time. In fact, their enemy was the leader of the Oarburgh Association, Merraid Oarburgh. The woman had a sadistic grin as she was closely behind the two assassins, her umbrella looming over the two.
Merraid(mind): My, my. Such intimate confidants. Could they be couple...? If, how sad.
Merraid looks to Gin
Merraid(mind): She's just my type. Girls really ought to go out with only girls. Don't charge down the wrong path.
Gin: ?!
Sensing someone gaze was upon her, Gin quickly turning around with clear wary. She tried to find that shivering gaze that she had felt a moment ago, but there wasn't anyone there. Natala looks at her confused.
Natala: What is it?
Gin: I sensed another presence just now...
From around the corner they were just heading, Gozuki turns towards them. He had a grim look on his face, easily shown that something was up.
Gozuki: There's a huge pile of Danger Beast carcasses just up ahead.
The two were confused as to what he meant. Going up ahead just a bit more, their eyes widened. Just as they were told, at the bottom of the overlook up ahead, there were loads of Danger Beast carcasses, the things that were left were mostly their bones.
Gozuki: This is bad. There's a good chance we've walked into a trap. We're getting out of here!
The three begin to take off, heading to Poney so they can take off with her as well. But from the grass, something had hitched onto Natala's pants. Looking at it closely, it was a small bug.
(Elsewhere)
With Akame's group... Ryu, Akame, Kurome and Green went to the other salt work where their enemies might be hiding. They plan for a raid, but it turns out, the place was abandoned like with Gozuki's group.
Akame: There's no one around...was everyone devoured by Danger Beasts?
Ryu: I doubt it. We haven't even seen a Danger Beast since stepping into this wasteland.
The four of them went to search the place in and out.
Kurome: It seems like this place was functional not too long ago...maybe they all ran.
Green: Should we check out the neighboring villages? They might be sheltering them here.
Ryu: There aren't any neighboring villages. The closest one is pretty far from where we are now.
Akame: You think the village might aid the dissidents? I don't want to consider it as a possibility. It's really only a small portion of the population that's thriving...life's tough wherever you go.
Kurome: Sooner or later, the good guys will do something about it.
Ryu:...
Akame:...Do you really think they will..? We visited all sorts of town as we've gone about our trade, but everywhere we went, people complained about the Empire.
Kurome: We've been told that that's not something we should worry about. We only need to focus on the mission.
Akame: That's true, but...I don't know if it's really the right thing to do...to leave it at, 'we don't have to worry about it.' After all, our efforts are meant to bring smiles to the faces of the people.
Kurome: Big sis? What's the matter? It's a little strange for you to be talking like this, don't you think? You're always so serious. You tend to read too much into things. Don'cha think?
Green: Akame...I understand what you are saying.
Akame: Green...
Green: But Father would be mad if he heard you talking this way.
Akame:...!
Green: Ryu, you've been quiet this whole time. Do you have anything to say to Akame?
Akame, Kurome, and Green all look at Ryu who was silent the whole time. He had heard what Akame had said about the Empire. He could sense her doubt, her uncertainty, and her anger. And just like Akame, Ryu had doubts about the Empire's background too. It all started the day Cornelia had died, Ryu had been seeing vision. He saw boy with white hair, alongside two unconscious girls. The first was a girl with consecrate colored hair that stops around at her shoulders. The other was a young girl with amber eyes and short light brown hair.
???: Sooner or later, those girls will regain their awareness that they're Kin, and there's no guarantee they won't attack humans.
Ryu: If they do. I'll be the one to stop her.
Ryu didn't remember what those vision was. But at the same time, he found those vision to be reassuring.
Akame: Ryu...?
Akame called out to him when Ryu was silent. He once again looked at her and sigh.
Ryu: It doesn't matter to me what kind of doubt you have for the Empire. Just do on what you think is right. After all, we are our own person. We decide our fate and what we wanted to be. We are not toys to be dispose of. So just don't dwell on it too much. What better is to survive and see what the future holds when the corruption does end.
Green: I agree. Just focus on staying alive. It's for your little sister's sake, too.
The red-eyed girl begins to ponder both Green's and Ryu's words, especially Ryu. Ever since they started the Elite Seven, Ryu was devoted to the Empire. Unlike herself, Akame was simply doing this for helping the country, but also the possibility of being reunited with her sister. The ravenette looked to her partner, his eyes showing a different resolute in them.
Akame(mind): We decide our own fate and what we wanted to be, huh?
Unlike her, Ryu had seen evidence about the Empire's dark side. But he was still unwilling to leave them. And his reason was the Elite Seven themselves. To Ryu who didn't remember his family. The Elite Seven is his family, so he couldn't just abandon them, yet. But at the same time, Ryu was willing to abandon the Empire and have all of them leave for the sake of their protection. He doesn't care if he makes Gozuki or the Empire his enemy. Though his eyes was covered by a perfect poke face, Akame could see that. She then looks to Kurome, who was happily munching on her cookies near the doorway.
Akame:...You're right.
(Timeskip)
Having escaped the Gappi Marsh and found nothing but a pile of Danger Beast carcasses, the Elite Seven were lounging in the meeting room back at the town of Swuen.
Gozuki: Nothing worthy of mention...nothing's happened. It's the picture of peace and quiet out there.
Poney: Then it's just as we thought. The enemy abandoned the saltworks and fled. That's all.
Green: We can't afford to be so optimistic. 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 had passed and as instructed, they were on high alert. But nothing seemed to be catching them out of the ordinary. The Elite Seven did their trading firm while also looking out for clues for their enemies. However, they just couldn't find any lead to their enemies. On the contrary, out of the Elite Seven's noticed, their enemies had already step inside their territory. 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)
Akame, Kurome, and Natala were currently teaming up to do their trades. The three were currently walking around the city, seemingly on patrol and attempting to find trails by making their rounds on negotiations.
Kurome: 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—
*Stab*
Before Natala could process what happened, he felt a sting of pain on his belly. 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.
Merraid: Go, my wrigglers.
Mosquito larvae, called "wrigglers," are aquatic, with a large head and thorax and narrow, wormlike abdomen; they typically hang just below the water surface, breathing air through tubes at the end of the abdomen. When disturbed, they wriggle downward. Those wrigglers all flew towards Akame and Kurome.
Akame: What are they...?! Bugs...?!
The two sister 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.
Akame: Kuh...!
She duck her entire body avoiding a deadly punch from Daniel and claw strike from Merraid. Then with her quick wits, she turned around, spinning her body, Akame aimed for a killing blow towards Daniel.
Akame: Rest in Pieces!
Attempting to guard himself, Daniel raised his hand as Akame did her slash towards Daniel's right hand. However her slash did little damage to Daniel, the older man only having a cut on his arm.
Akame: Wha...?!
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 cough up before Marraid did the finishing blow by punching Akame in the head. Akame then falls to the ground, unconscious.
Merraid: Capture complete.
Gilberda: I'm finished over here too.
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.
Gilberda: This is a first for me. We out-numbered and ambushed them, and still our targets counterattacked us.
Daniel: I've lived a long time, but I've never seen this happen before either.
Daniel felt the same way as he examines the wound he received by Akame.
Merraid: They did kill Barbara and the others, after all.
Cassandra: 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...
Merraid look at the unconscious Akame and smile lustfully.
Merraid: If I can, I don't want top torture this one. She reminds me of myself. We fellow assassins need to get along.