Akame ga Kill: Starting with Dual Kamui

There was no clear right or wrong in these matters.

If Esdeath didn't show cruelty to the foreign tribes, those same tribes would turn around and massacre innocent civilians along the Empire's borders.

Unless complete unification was achieved, this endless cycle of blood feuds would never stop.

This world had yet to reach the level of civilization that Blayn had known before his transmigration. It was just as unreasonable to judge ancient feudal dynasties by modern moral standards.

During the feudal era, treating enemy soldiers and civilians with kindness was nearly impossible, and armies were far from being highly disciplined.

One could only say that General Najenda was simply too kind-hearted.

Of course, Esdeath's army's brutality was just a catalyst. The real reason for Najenda's defection lay in the Empire's deep-seated corruption and darkness—something a general like her could not have been unaware of.

"Najenda has now joined the Revolutionary Army. No, she shouldn't even be called a general anymore—she's a rebel," Seryu said. "But for now, the most dangerous threat is still Night Raid. They've been wreaking havoc in the capital, and from what I've heard, every member of Night Raid is a Teigu user."

"For now, let's just observe," Blayn said calmly. "Unless they start indiscriminately killing innocents or come looking for trouble, there's no need to consider them enemies just yet."

As long as Night Raid was truly targeting corrupt officials and criminals, Blayn had no reason to oppose them.

The darkness of the Empire was caused by those very people—Blayn wouldn't mind seeing them all eliminated.

…

That day, someone arrived at the palace, requesting an audience with the Prime Minister.

Inside the grand hall, the current Prime Minister was feasting greedily.

His name was Honest, the true mastermind behind the Empire's corruption and decline.

He appeared obese, but beneath the fat was a powerful physique. In his youth, he had undergone strict training, which allowed him to maintain his health despite his excessive drinking and gluttony.

"Lord Honest, Ogre, the captain of the Imperial Capital Security Force, has been killed. The ones responsible were Vice Captain Blayn and a Teigu user named Seryu. Judging by Blayn's actions, it doesn't seem like he's on our side..."

The man kneeling before Honest was a high-ranking official, clearly someone who had been associated with Ogre. He was also one of the many corrupt bureaucrats in Honest's faction.

"I already heard about it. Ogre's death is truly heartbreaking. It's made my appetite surge—I had to eat two extra sausages just to cope with the grief," Honest said, eyes glistening with crocodile tears as he spoke nonsense, never once pausing from his feast.

The official, long accustomed to Honest's bizarre behavior, remained unfazed.

"But don't concern yourself with Blayn—he was personally recommended by General Esdeath," Honest said, his expression shifting in an instant, faster than flipping a page in a book. "I also heard that Ogre hired three masters from the Imperial Fist Temple to assassinate Blayn, only for all of them to be slaughtered instead. No wonder Esdeath values him so highly. He's probably quite the capable killer."

Honest and Esdeath had a mutually beneficial relationship.

Honest knew that Esdeath cared only for war and had no interest in politics, which made her trustworthy in his eyes.

He needed Esdeath to defend the Empire from external threats and to solidify its rule. At the same time, he saw her as a counterbalance to Great General Budo.

Great General Budo was the highest-ranking commander of the Empire's military. Before Esdeath rose to power, Budo had been known as the Empire's strongest warrior. Even after Esdeath's rise, they were still considered equals in strength.

This made Honest wary of Budo's influence.

Meanwhile, Esdeath had no interest in politics—she only cared about power and combat. Honest had given her full military authority, even granting her a Teigu, allowing her to indulge in battle and bloodshed.

Esdeath had always been interested in fighting Budo, which made her more than willing to cooperate with Honest.

Blayn, as someone personally recruited by Esdeath, naturally had Honest's favor—certainly more than someone like Ogre.

In fact, Honest hoped that the people under Esdeath's command would become even stronger, making it easier to counter Budo's influence.

"I-Is that so..."

The official immediately panicked. "I was foolish—I didn't realize he was someone General Esdeath valued."

He knew all too well how unpredictable Honest was. One wrong word, and he could lose his life.

But Honest barely spared him a glance. Instead, he muttered to himself, "Let's have him transferred to the assassination unit. Expand their numbers to deal with Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army."

"Understood!"

The official dared not say another word, fearing he might accidentally offend Honest.

As he left the palace, tail between his legs, Esdeath walked in from outside.

She didn't even spare the fleeing man a glance.

"Esdeath, just in time. That Blayn you recommended has been making things rather interesting lately," Honest said, welcoming her with a grin.

"Oh? Let's hear it," Esdeath replied, intrigued.

Unlike the other officials who had to kneel before Honest, Esdeath stood as his equal.

"The former captain of the Imperial Capital Security Force, Ogre, was killed a few days ago. That fool hired three experts from the Imperial Fist Temple to assassinate Blayn, only to end up dead himself. Your recommendation was clearly well-placed," Honest said.

"Of course. Those three alone never stood a chance against him," Esdeath said, showing not the slightest surprise. She had already known Blayn was powerful.

"Also, it seems he's taken on an apprentice—someone named Seryu. This apprentice of his is quite interesting as well, having successfully bonded with the Teigu Hekatonkheires," Honest added, half speaking to Esdeath, half musing to himself. "Now that I think about it, this Teigu user might be a good fit for the assassination unit as well."

"Seryu?"

Esdeath had no idea who that was, but the name sounded feminine.

Her gaze grew sharp. "A woman?"

"Seems like it. I don't know much, but from what I've heard, she's a little girl who never stops talking about 'justice,'" Honest said, waving dismissively.

As someone who almost never left the palace, Honest only knew about Blayn and Seryu through his subordinates.

"I see. I'll pay a visit to the Imperial Capital Security Force," Esdeath said.

With that, she turned and left.

Honest watched her go, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.

"Huh? Why does it feel like Esdeath is in a bad mood today? Maybe it's just my imagination..."

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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