Akame ga Kill: Starting with Dual Kamui-Chapter 102: Falling in Love

Only four people returned from the northern fortress city to the Imperial Capital: Esdeath and her Three Beasts.

The rest of the soldiers remained stationed at the fortress, ensuring that any remnants of the Northern Tribes outside the Empire would not attempt another invasion.

With the Northern Tribes' main force—led by Numa Seika, the Hero of the North—completely crushed by Esdeath, the remaining troops at the fortress were more than capable of handling any stragglers.

"It's rare to see such an expression on Lady Esdeath's face. Even the mighty General Esdeath has fallen in love after all..."

Noticing Esdeath's faint blush, Liver, one of the Three Beasts, couldn't help but sigh.

"Yeah... Before this, I never would've imagined that Lady Esdeath had this side to her."

Even now, Nyau found it hard to believe.

The Three Beasts knew Esdeath well—after all, they had followed her through countless battles.

They had always assumed that someone as battle-crazed as Esdeath wouldn't be interested in any man.

Daidara, on the other hand, had no interest in this conversation. His mind was preoccupied with finding ways to gain more "experience points."

"I really want to meet the man Lady Esdeath likes," Nyau said, his tone filled with curiosity rather than expectation.

He was simply wondering—what kind of person could possibly catch Esdeath's eye?

"No rush. Once Lady Esdeath returns to the capital, that man will become our superior," Liver replied calmly.

Esdeath had already informed them that before long, Blayn would not only serve as a deputy general in the army but also as their direct superior in the Three Beasts.

The sudden addition of a new commanding officer didn't bother them in the slightest. This was Esdeath's decision, and they obeyed her without question.

Liver, for instance, owed his very freedom to Esdeath. If she hadn't chosen him as a member of the Three Beasts, he would have rotted away in a dungeon for the rest of his life.

He knew firsthand how dark the Empire truly was—he had been one of its victims. But now, he didn't serve the Empire. He served Esdeath. Her orders were the only ones that mattered.

Esdeath's authority within the Empire was absolute. If she refused to do something, not even the Emperor or Prime Minister Honest could force her.

Honest, for his part, never interfered with Esdeath's decisions. He understood her personality well enough to know that letting her do as she pleased was the safest course of action.

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Nyau stretched, placing his hands behind his head. "Right, he'll be our boss soon. I'm getting excited."

Little did he know, the chances of Blayn actually becoming Esdeath's deputy were slim to none.

...

During the time before Esdeath's return, Blayn and the others were far from idle.

Blayn planned to initiate contact between his Akatsuki members and Night Raid.

While their ideals clashed somewhat with the Revolutionary Army, Blayn's deeper interactions with Night Raid had shown him that they weren't entirely unreasonable.

For instance, despite Mine's short temper, she at least listened to what he had to say, which meant there was room for negotiation.

At the same time, Blayn intended to gradually expand Akatsuki's influence.

His goal wasn't to recreate the elite, small-scale Akatsuki of Nagato's era but rather the larger organization from Yahiko's time—though back then, most of its members had ultimately perished.

To expand Akatsuki, they had to start making moves.

Blayn had already dispatched several members to the Imperial Capital to gather intelligence.

These operatives, formerly of the Empire's Assassination Unit, remained unknown in the capital, meaning they weren't subject to wanted notices like Akame.

Even Saikyuu, despite overseeing the Assassination Unit, had never seen their faces. He viewed assassins as disposable tools—used and discarded once they had served their purpose. Only top-tier killers like Akame and Kurome ever warranted his attention.

In his eyes, no matter how skilled, a workhorse was still just a workhorse.

That made it all the more ideal to send everyone except Kurome to infiltrate the capital.

Of course, they couldn't just wander around in matching red-cloud robes. Strolling through the streets in identical outfits would be as good as announcing, "Hey, we're a secret organization!"

...

"After these past days of investigation, we've witnessed countless crimes firsthand. The Imperial Capital Security Force barely reacts to any of it. Their patrols have become more frequent and strict, but it's obvious they're focused entirely on Night Raid."

The intelligence agents regularly reported back to Blayn, and this time was no different.

"We only intervene when we're absolutely sure we won't be detected by the security force. If the risk is too high, we can't do anything..."

The female operative delivering the report had a hint of guilt on her face.

To avoid exposing themselves, they had to act with extreme caution—even if it meant watching helplessly at times.

"It's alright, you've done your best," Blayn reassured her. "I'll handle the rest."

"Understood..."

Blayn then received two critical pieces of information.

First, some merchants were secretly smuggling drugs, using deception to trap women in addiction and ruin their lives. It was suspected that a powerful figure was shielding them from consequences.

Second, Esdeath had successfully crushed the Northern Tribes and executed hundreds of thousands, burying them alive. She had been recalled to the capital, and the news had already spread. Strangely enough, the public's reaction wasn't fear but admiration—many citizens now revered her even more.

"Oh, and one other thing," the operative added. "We haven't seen any wanted notices for you, Kurome, or Commander Seryu anywhere in the capital. By all logic, Saikyuu should have been aware of what happened at the Assassination Unit's base by now, so why hasn't he taken any action?"

"Hm... No idea what Saikyuu is up to, but if there's no bounty on us, that's only to our advantage."

That meant Blayn's movements in the capital would be much easier.

Out of everything in the report, what concerned him most was Esdeath's imminent return.

As she had boldly claimed before departing, it hadn't taken her long to subjugate the Northern Tribes.

Blayn decided that he needed to take care of certain matters before Esdeath arrived—especially dealing with the drug smuggling operation.

After that, he would focus entirely on the real threat—Esdeath herself...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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