Akame ga Kill: Starting with Dual Kamui-Chapter 111: Reunion with Esdeath

"With General Esdeath here, the Imperial Capital will remain as steady as a mountain. That puts my mind at ease!"

The young Emperor let out a sigh of relief.

He had always believed that as long as he followed Prime Minister Honest's advice, he could safeguard the empire built by his predecessors.

His intention had always been to govern properly, but little did he realize that this approach would only plunge the empire further into darkness—until the entire structure inevitably collapsed.

"General Esdeath is truly a loyal subject!"

Honest chimed in, echoing the sentiment.

But what truly reassured him wasn't Esdeath's loyalty—it was the matter of Blayn.

He had successfully shifted all the blame onto Saikyuu, which meant there shouldn't be any further complications.

At worst, they would sacrifice Saikyuu. The Teigu "The Complete Book of the World" could always be handed over to someone else—no great loss.

But Esdeath was different.

A powerhouse like her, who had no interest in politics or power, was the ideal ally.

Even when the Emperor had attempted to reward her with noble titles or land, she had refused without hesitation.

Unlike Great General Budo, who also adhered to the ancestral tradition of avoiding politics, Honest saw Budo as a potential threat—someone he feared would eventually turn against him.

Esdeath, however, was his trump card against Budo.

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And her strength was irreplaceable.

No one besides Esdeath had ever been able to withstand the full power of the "Demon's Extract." Those who had attempted even a single sip had all failed.

In the end, Saikyuu was nothing more than a discarded pawn.

...

After leaving the palace, Esdeath spoke with Prime Minister Honest for a while.

"I regret that I wasn't able to stop Saikyuu in time regarding the matter of Blayn."

Honest continued to emphasize his supposed regret.

He was desperate to distance himself from Saikyuu entirely.

Not that he was worried about what Saikyuu might say to Esdeath—as long as he denied everything, there was no way Esdeath would take Saikyuu's words at face value.

Even now, Honest still felt uneasy. He had never imagined that Esdeath's interest in Blayn had reached the point where she wanted him as a lover.

If he had known, he would never have allowed Saikyuu to lay a finger on Blayn.

Esdeath may not have shown any outward anger, but knowing her as well as he did, he could only imagine how miserable Saikyuu's fate would be...

"It doesn't matter. I will personally investigate this matter thoroughly."

Esdeath's voice was calm and detached.

"Mm-hmm, do as you wish."

Honest nodded before suddenly changing the topic. "But really, I find it quite unbelievable. I never thought you'd take an interest in anything beyond battle and slaughter. When I heard you say those things earlier, I was truly shocked."

"Yes..."

Esdeath sighed. "Even I don't fully understand why... why I suddenly started thinking about love."

"From a biological perspective, it's perfectly natural to seek out the opposite sex. You probably just realized it a little later than most," Honest said.

That being said, he still felt that Esdeath and the idea of love simply didn't belong in the same sentence.

"I see... So this is just an instinctual drive, like that of a beast?"

Esdeath nodded slightly, her interpretation as blunt as ever.

"By the way, requesting six Teigu Users all at once is barely within the realm of possibility. Finding people for you won't be easy."

Honest suddenly flashed a sly grin. "As a condition... I'd like a few people to disappear from this world—permanently."

"Resorting to schemes again? You really do whatever you please, Prime Minister."

Esdeath let out a cold chuckle, clearly accepting his terms. "I'll leave it to the Three Beasts."

As for herself, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

...

Outside the royal palace, the Three Beasts had been waiting for some time.

As soon as Esdeath arrived, they knelt on one knee before her.

"I have a new mission for you," Esdeath said coolly, "but it's different from your previous assignments..."

She then relayed the details to them.

...

Not long after Esdeath returned to the Imperial Capital, Blayn received word of it.

The Akatsuki Organization had informants stationed in the capital, and in recent days, their sole focus had been tracking Esdeath's movements.

As soon as they spotted her and the Three Beasts on the streets, they immediately reported back to Blayn.

Upon hearing that Esdeath had returned, Blayn set out for the Imperial Capital alone.

This time, he didn't inform Kurome or Seryu, not wanting to cause them unnecessary worry.

Using Kamui, he teleported directly from his room to the capital.

However, he wasn't sure where exactly Esdeath was at the moment—only that she had gone straight to the royal palace upon her return.

So, he decided to check the area around the palace first. That would give him the best chance of finding her.

Today, he neither wore a mask nor the Akatsuki's red cloud cloak. Instead, he dressed in casual clothes.

But the moment he arrived near the palace, he felt it again—someone was tailing him.

His first thought was that it had to be Saikyuu's men. Ever since he took the Empire's assassination unit, Saikyuu had likely been searching for him all over the city.

A high-security area like the royal palace made it even easier for him to be discovered.

There was no helping it. Blayn decided to pretend he hadn't noticed them and focus on finding Esdeath first.

Unless, of course, his pursuers lost patience and attacked him—at which point, he'd have no choice but to "return the favor."

Unfortunately for them, their patience was lacking.

Before long, they surrounded him from all directions, clearly preparing to take him down.

Blayn stopped in his tracks and spoke flatly. "Since you're so eager, why not just come out already?"

He needed to finish this quickly and continue his search for Esdeath.

At his words, several dark figures emerged from the shadows. A glance was enough to tell they were assassins.

"You brat, after offending Lord Saikyuu, you still dare to roam around near the palace? You clearly don't take us seriously."

One of the masked men sneered coldly.

"Enough with the chatter. Just attack all at once—I'm in a hurry."

Blayn's tone remained indifferent.

"You're asking for death!"

His words immediately enraged the assassins, and they charged at him with murderous intent.

Few people passed near the palace, and those who were on the street quickly fled, afraid of getting caught in the battle.

Just as Blayn prepared to take them all out in one swift strike, something unexpected happened.

A sharp icicle shot past his ear at high speed, piercing straight through the body of the nearest assassin.

Blayn's pupils shrank in surprise.

He turned his head—and there she was.

Esdeath had appeared behind him, without him even realizing when.

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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