Survival in Akame ga kill.

The dimly lit sewer echoed with the sound of gushing water and the ragged breathing of the barely conscious rebels.

The mad imperial guard Seryu stood over Tatsumi with a twisted grin which was etched across her face. She raised her sickle to begin her twisted work.

But before the blade could make contact, a sudden sound echoed through the tunnel.

*Crack!*

The lone flickering bulb that had bathed the sewer in a sickly yellow light shattered without warning.

Darkness engulfed everything.

Seryu froze, her breath catching in her throat. The oppressive, pitch-black void swallowed her surroundings, the damp air thick with a suffocating stillness.

Then, the sound came.

*TAP. TAP. TAP.*

The eerie, rhythmic tapping echoed from every direction, bouncing off the stone walls in an erratic pattern.

Seryu's pulse quickened. Her grip on the sickle tightened as she took an instinctive step back. The water beneath her feet rippled unnervingly, and she realized something else—

The water level was rising!

The slow but steady ascent of the murky liquid crawled higher, seeping over her boots.

Her heart pounded in her chest as panic threatened to creep in, but she inhaled sharply, forcing herself to steady her breathing.

"Tch… Trickery," she spat, her voice slicing through the darkness. "You pathetic worm, you think you can outwit me?"

A sneer curled her lips as she clenched her fists. "Of course, the cowardly criminals would try something like this."

She turned her head toward where she last saw Kuro and barked, "Kuro!"

The biological beast who can still see let out a deep, guttural growl from the darkness, and moments later, a wet squelching sound followed.

Within the darkness, Seryu reached into the creature's open maw, rummaging through its slimy contents with ease, and pulled out a set of night vision goggles.

Kuro had the amazing ability to store anything in its slimy stomach, much like spatial storage.

Seryu slides the goggles onto her face, and the world snapped into sharp green focus. The outlines of the sewer came into view, and her confidence returned with it.

But then—

Her gaze darted toward where Tatsumi and Sheele should have been.

Only empty chains dangled from the walls, swaying slightly in the rising water.

Her nostrils flared, eyes narrowing as she stormed forward. She grabbed the severed chains, scrutinizing them under the green tint of her goggles. The cuts were too clean and precise.

"They were cut…by that same teigu, I am sure of it," she muttered, her knuckles turning white.

Her chest tightened with the realization. "Damn it," she hissed under her breath.

"Kuro!" she snapped, spinning toward the beast, who loomed nearby in the dark tunnel.

"Empty your stomach, and see if you still have that purple-haired woman's Teigu."

"Grrr," Kuro let out a low growl before its jaws stretched wide, a disgusting mix of saliva and half-digested materials spilling onto the flooded floor with a sickening squelch.

As the slimy contents emerged among the mess of objects, a large, curved blade appeared.

"I knew it. That bastard is using something else." Seryu snatched it up instantly, turning it in her hands with a scrutinizing glare. Her mind worked through the details, but suddenly, she remembered the shape of the weapon-

"That woman… she had split her weapon in half!"

Her grip on the large blade tightened as the weight of her mistake sank in.

Pressed for time and consumed by cruel desires, she'd been too focused on their slow demise to notice a vital detail.

Her lips curled into a snarl. "I should've checked thoroughly!"

Frustration boiled over.

"Argh!" Seryu let out an enraged scream, her voice echoing through the tunnel as she stomped the water beneath her feet, sending a violent splash cascading around her.

She clenched her fists, shaking in rage, but soon her breathing steadied. Steady contemplation replaced her frustration.

"They won't go far," she roared. "Kuro, we're hunting them down. Now."

The massive beast let out a low growl and lunged forward, but just as they reached the entrance of the tunnel, Seryu's steps faltered.

A figure stood in their path.

Small, hunched, and motionless.

The dim outline of a person emerged from the shadows, illuminated faintly by the hazy glow of the rising water. The figure's clothing was torn and soaked, clinging to their body in tattered rags. Blood seeped from multiple wounds, washing away slowly in the filthy current.

The air grew thick with something unplausible—something that made even Kuro hesitate for a brief moment.

Seryu's eyes adjusted behind her goggles, and recognition struck.

It was him.

The source of all her troubles.

His head drooped slightly, while his shoulders heaved with shallow, labored breaths. Coiling around his neck and torso, a serpent inched its way forward, its slit beady black eyes locking onto Seryu with an eerie stillness.

The snake raised its head, positioning itself in front of Bane's pale, battered face, its stare unblinking and firmly fixed on her.

Seryu's lips twisted into a smirk, which then expanded into a wild grin.

She released a piercing laugh, her eyes shining with frenzied delight. "Oh, really?" she taunted mockingly. "You're going to throw yourself away for your comrades? How disgusting."

Her grin stretched further. "And what's this? Trying to see in the dark with that pathetic little snake?" She giggled, tapping her night vision goggles with a finger. "Is that your teigu's ability? How useless."

But her laughter died in an instant.

Her gaze shifted, and a sudden realization dawned upon her.

Despite the all-consuming darkness, the belt strapped to rebel's waist was shining faintly.

Seryu's eyes widened as it clicked in her mind.

His Teigu.

Her fingers twitched on the handle of her sickle, but before she could react, Bane's bloodied lips curled into a slow, mocking smile.

His voice, sweet and weak but laced with biting sarcasm, cut through the silence like a blade.

"Sorry… could you say that again?" he rasped. His grin widened despite the pain etched across his face.

"Miss Fool, who just willingly revealed my Teigu's location and handed it out to me."

Seryu's eyes burned with rage, her teeth grinding together as she realized her blunder.

"You…!" she hissed, her grip tightening.

Bane's tired but smug smile didn't fade.

In the tense moment of silence, the water continued to rise, swirling around their feet as the sewer seemed to grow darker, colder.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly charged, a low hum resonated through the surroundings.

Dark, jagged arcs of black and green energy danced along Bane's battered arms, wrapping around his skin like serpents before solidifying into a pair of gauntlets. The unsettling glow illuminated the murky waters of the sewer, casting flickering shadows against the damp walls.

Once the gauntlets had fully formed, Bane rolled his shoulders and assumed a combat-ready stance, his muscles taut beneath his tattered clothing. His icy eyes fixed on Seryu with renewed intensity.

One gauntleted hand rose, fingers flexing into a clawed gesture as he smirked, despite the blood trickling down his chin.

"Come here, bitch," he rasped, his voice dripping with defiance. Then, with a grin, he added, "Or should I say… bitches?"

Seryu's expression darkened instantly. Her manic glee melted into something far more sinister—an expression of pure, unfiltered rage.

"You insolent worm!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the sewer like a banshee's wail.

In a flash, her hands shot to the twin holsters on her belt, drawing a pair of sleek silver pistols. "Kuro!" she screamed, eyes blazing with fury. "Tear him apart! Not even his pieces should be left behind!"

"Guahhhh!" Kuro let out an ear-piercing roar, his massive frame launching forward with terrifying speed, the water splashing violently as he charged.

Bane didn't wait. The moment Kuro lunged, he darted to the side, narrowly evading the monstrous beast's crushing blow. The impact sent waves of water crashing against the walls, and the tunnel trembled under the sheer force.

Seryu wasted no time either. She raised her guns, the muzzles flashing as she unleashed a relentless hail of bullets.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Bane didn't wait as he twisted and weaved through the onslaught, his gauntlets flashing as he deflected some rounds in mid-air with sharp and precise swipes. Sparks flew with every deflection, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge them all.

*CRACK!*

A bullet tore through his ankle, sending a sharp jolt of pain ripping through his leg. He gritted his teeth, his step faltering for a fraction of a second.

Seryu's lips curled in sadistic satisfaction, but Bane didn't allow himself to dwell on the pain.

Ignoring Kuro momentarily, he charged directly at Seryu, zigzagging through the remaining bullets, his gauntlets absorbing the brunt of the damage.

Her eyes widened in alarm as Bane closed the distance with terrifying speed.

The relentless gunfire stopped as Seryu's magazines clicked empty. She barely had time to react before Bane's gauntlet, claws gleaming with ominous energy, slashed toward her chest, aiming for her heart.

But instead of panic, a sharp, almost crazed grin split Seryu's face.

Just as his claws were inches from piercing her, her mouth parted to reveal a gun.

*BANG!*

A deafening gunshot rang out, the muzzle flash igniting in the dim tunnel.

Bane's world twisted in a split second as something hot and searing ripped through his face.

*CRACK!*

His head snapped back violently as the bullet tore through his cheek, ripping flesh apart and sending a spray of blood across the tunnel wall.

For a moment, everything spun.

Pain exploded across his face as he staggered back, his vision blurring with shock and confusion. His breath hitched, and he stumbled, struggling to keep his footing as his gauntlet-covered hand instinctively shot up to clutch his ruined cheek.

"How...?!"

The pain was sharp and immediate, blood seeping between his fingers as he reeled from the unexpected blow.

In that split second of vulnerability, a shadow loomed over him.

A low, menacing growl rumbled through the air.

Before Bane could recover, Kuro's massive claws clamped around his gauntlets with crushing force.

*THUD!*

The monstrous beast hurled him backward like a rag doll.

Bane barely had time to brace before his body collided with the tunnel wall with a sickening crack.

*CRACK!*

His back hit first, the impact knocking the air from his lungs, followed swiftly by his head slamming against the stone. A fresh wave of blood spewed from his mouth as he slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap, gasping for breath.

Seryu retracted the gun back in her mouth as she looked at her victim.

She smiled mischievously as she said, "It really never fails."

A/N:

Yep, I'm back with a new chapter after a hiatus! And no, I didn't leave this novel because of criticisms (how Mine died, though it hurts me). I actually have at least *100 chapters* stored in my mind (which I have yet to write and edit, lol). While I won't promise regular updates, I'll do my best to upload at least four to five chapters per week.

Thanks for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy what's coming next!