Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Akame ga Kill franchise and this fanfiction has not been written for profit!

A/N: Aaaaannnd we've once once again made our way to another new chapter! Not just ANY chapter, but THE final chapter. Brace yourselves as this is the END of the fic. Here we go!

Before we get started, just a few points to note:

#1. You have my sincerest apologies for the one month delay. I know I said I would have the final chapter out by December, but I had a jury trial set for the beginning of the January and thus had very little time to do anything besides prepare for that. As soon as I was done with that business (btw, if you live in America, just know that our criminal justice is corrupt as hell and that there are cops out there who are corrupt enough to hide surveillance camera footage if doing so is sure to get you convicted), I went straight back to finishing up this fic. I had meant to commission some custom art for the final chapter, but I didn't get the chance on such short notice. Maybe next time.

#2. As always, MASSIVE shoutout to the reviewers! I appreciate all the feedback, both positive and constructive. I'd particularly like to make note of grither55's recent constructive review expressing disappointment with my decision to use elements of one of the battles in Rurouni Kenshin (which I made note of when I had published the chapter). Particularly, the means by which I had Esdeath develop as a character. Although I see where he is coming from, I'd have to respectfully disagree. Paying homage and using borrowing elements from another series' is pretty common in fiction. Great characters like Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass (see Reinhard von Lohengramm from Legend of Galactic Heroes and Char Aznable from Gundam) and Luffy from One Piece (see Goku from Dragon Ball [Z/Super]) are the result of borrowing elements from prior series. But I digress. Some of us will end up having to agree to disagree here! ;-)

#3. I make a plethora of deviations from the canon storyline here and you'll see that in this chapter. None of it violates the rules I established in chapter 1 (everything prior to the key pivotal moment in episode 14 is still 100% canon as far as this fic is concerned), but anyway who has read the manga (both AKG and AKG Zero) is going to notice some big changes. Changes I believe work a lot better for this fic, but you're welcome to decide for yourself!

#4. I finally got a chance to read the ending to the AKG manga and I'm a little confused. It says Tatsumi and Mine had CHILDREN (plural). This makes no sense to me since it says Mine was pregnant with Tatsumi's CHILD when she first finds out about him being a dragon. So if I'm reading between the lines correctly, Mine got it on with Tatsumi in his dragon form. :(

Beyond that, I don't really have much to say that I haven't already said before. There are a lot of great ideas in this series (many which I didn't get to address in this rewrite) that were never used to their full potential. I think that had the author sat back and taken a couple of months to draft out a summary of the entire series PRIOR to writing it, it could've been a whole lot better. There were so many things that felt like they were just made up on the spot. On the other hand, I'll be the first to admit that I could never draw and write one chapter per month for 78 months straight. Absolutely never. Especially on a mangaka's salary. So kudos to the author for his years of hard work.

Anyways, without further ado, onto the finale!

Episode 31: Kill the Epilogue - Updated on 6/30/18 to adjust grammar/spelling/narrative.

It had been a total of one month since the appointment of the Grand Empire's new Prime Minister, Najenda. Naturally, people all throughout the capital were skeptical that a general who had been branded as a traitor and known to publicly be the leader of Night Raid would be selected for anything besides a public execution. But as a mere 30 days alone was already demonstrating, the capital was changing. Not just the capital, but even the country. Oppressive taxes were being lifted, harsh laws were being repealed and corrupt state officials were being replaced. Such was change of the like that no one had ever imagined after so many years of the former Prime Minister's influence.

It was late in the afternoon and Emperor Makoto was sitting on his throne handling what appeared to be the last of his daily affairs. And next to the young emperor stood his new and loyal prime minister. She was sporting a gray commander coat just like the one she wore when she was a general. And unlike Honest, she appeared to treat her job a lot more professionally, evidenced by the lack of snacks in her possession as official business was being conducted. What's more, her presence alone appeared to evoke a constant atmosphere of seriousness.

A public official was standing before the emperor, reading off the remainder of the items on the daily agenda. "Lastly, your majesty, the Durellione family is in violation of another zoning violation. This time 45-2893. However, they've paid their monthly tribute, thus I would assume you would like to-"

"Just a moment", Najenda demanded. "Before you say another word, I believe his majesty should receive a little background on this matter. First, tell the emperor what zoning violations the Durellione's are currently violating and how they are violating them. Second, inform the emperor about these so-called tributes they've been paying."

"At once, Prime Minister", the official responded with a reverent nod of his head. "Since February, the Durellione family has intentionally been diverting the groundwater from public farmlands to its own property for what appears to be luxury purposes."

"Aren't those farmlands designated to the peasants?", the emperor asked with the raise of an eyebrow.

"Yes, your majesty. However, the Durellione family has been making use of them. The former Prime Minister said not to pay their zoning violations any heed provided they paid a monthly tribute to the royal treasury. The Durellione's sent their latest tribute yesterday, thus I would assume you-"

"Absolutely not!", he asserted in response. "Inform the Durelliones that their disregard for our laws will no longer be tolerated. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, your majesty! I will go draft up the order at once!"

With that, the official departed from the throne room, signifying the end of the day's affairs. Sensing that his work for the day was finished, the emperor stood up from his throne and averted his gaze to his chief advisor, his eyes visibly fishing for feedback. "Well . . . how was that?"

"Not bad, Makoto", Najenda replied, smirking with approval. "With this, the rest of the noble families should get the message that you're no longer going to put up with their antics."

"Not just that, but this goes a long way towards our long term goal."

"You mean doing away with the nobility entirely?"

He nodded his head fervently. "Honest may have been the source of most of the corruption here, but the nobles are still part of the problem. Take that Aria girl you told me about for example. Her and her family had been getting away with torturing and killing peasants from outside the Capital. They used their wealth and social status to do as they pleased. There will be no more of that."

"I'm impressed, Makoto. I never expected you to mature this quickly. It would seem Honest was holding you back. You certainly have a knack for leadership."

Unused to receiving such sincere compliments, the emperor's cheeks blushed and he bashfully began scratching the back of his head. "You . . . really think so?"

She turned away and began walking towards one of the room's exit. "Yes, but don't let it go to your head. You still have lots more to learn and much to improve upon."

"Y-yes ma'am!", he replied much like an obedient child addressing his mother, quickly walking alongside his new prime minister in lockstep.

"Speaking of which, there's some more literature I'd like for you to read. You'll find all nine books on your desk in your chambers. Have them all read by Monday."

"Only nine books this time?"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I find much of the literature in the royal library rather lacking for educational purposes, so there's not much else I intend to have you read out of there. But don't worry. I've already arranged for a full shipment of educational literature to be delivered. Once we have that, we can really get to work. For the time being, however, let's mix things up. At its current level, your deductive reasoning skills leave much to be desired. Care for a game of chess?"

"I would love to, but . . . I don't know how to play."

"Not to worry. I'll teach you."

[ . . . It all starts with a book. . . ]

Roughly at about the same time, Lubbock was sitting behind the cash register at his bookstore. Surprisingly, however, he wasn't slacking off or lazily pouring his eyes through the pages of some magazine; he was diligently hard at work and had a store full of customers to show for it. In fact, he was even dealing with a long line of patrons at the moment.

"Shounen Hop, eh?" he said, pushing some buttons on the cash register while glancing upon the magazine the customer at the front of the line wanted to purchase. "That'll be 3 gold pieces Make sure to check out the latest chapter of Two Piece. It's getting really interesting."

The customer happily handed over three pieces of gold before walking away. And as he walked away, another customer took his place at the front of the line before putting his book on the checkout counter.

"Ah, The Pitcher 3: Wild Hit. A very solid choice", Lubbock noted, his eyes glancing upon the book alone and not the actual person in line. "That'll be 7 gold pieces."

"I don't suppose I could talk you into putting it on my tab", the customer responded.

"Sorry buddy. Store policy. No discounts and . . .", Lubbock replied, pausing upon seeing the person who was standing in line. ". . . no tabs. What are YOU doing here?"

It was his Jaegar rival, Run, standing before him. And he appeared to be in eager spirits. "It's been a while, Lubbock. Haven't heard from you since our little game in the palace. I was hoping we could chat."

"Maybe some other time. If you haven't noticed, business is booming."

"It's a matter of the utmost importance regarding Prime Minister Najenda."

Lubbock's eyes tensed and his arms stiffened as he heard that last word. "Alright. Let's talk."

"And your customers?"

To which Lubbock responded, turning his attention towards every single patron in the store, both in line and browsing. "Attention everyone not named Run, we're having a special sale that only lasts 10 seconds so listen up! I'm closing the shop in 10 seconds so anyone who gets out within 10 seconds can keep whatever item they currently have in their hands free of charge!"

Like a group of cockroaches fleeing upon someone turning the lights, every single patron ran outside with absolutely no delay.

"A bit unnecessary, don't think?", Run noted, scratching his chin. That's easily 200 gold pieces worth of merchandise."

"338 pieces", Lubbock replied while flipping the 'We're Open' sign to 'We're Closed.' And I'm putting it all on your tab."

To which Run smirked, "I thought you didn't do tabs."

"I do now. Now get to your point. What's wrong with Miss Najenda?"

"It's not Prime Minister Najenda specifically, but rather her father."

"What's happened to him? Has his condition gotten worse?"

"No, but it hasn't exactly improved either in spite of a full month of the best imperial medical treatment the Grand Empire has to offer."

"Sounds like your old boss really did a number on him."

"The commander's skill with torture was unparalleled. Given enough time, there was no one she couldn't break. With the Prime Minister's father, she used a form of psychological torture that has left him broken beyond repair."

"What does any of that have to do with you? Miss Najenda could have told me that herself . . . when she had the time anyway. Don't tell me they've demoted you to being a mere messenger boy."

"Quite the contrary. I've been promoted to his majesty's new intelligence gathering division: Night Watch."

"Sounds catchy."

"Prime Minister Najenda's idea. For our first assignment, his majesty would like for me to inquire into a means of curing his new Prime Minister's father's ailment."

"If you were hoping to get some information out of me regarding a cure, you're out of luck. None of the literature here is medicinal."

"No, as far as my investigation is concerned, I'm more interested in what you know than what I can find in your catalogue. Specifically, I'm here to inquire into the whereabouts of three people."

Lubbock rubbed his chin, inquisitively wondering who the former Jaegar could have in mind. "Okay, who?"

"Let's start with Wave. My sources indicate that he was last seen entering your shop prior to leaving the capital."

"I had no idea he left the capital. What does he have to do with finding a cure for Miss Najenda's old man? And if anyone would know anything about where he was at, it'd be his teammate."

"The last time I saw Wave was the day after you all raided the imperial palace. He said he was going to find a way to cure Kurome of her own psychological ailment and he had no idea when he'd be returning to the capital. He also told me to make sure that the remainder of his military stipend was advanced to Bols' widow. I suspect he may have inadvertently stumbled upon a potential lead."

"He did come into my shop, but he wasn't here long. I guess he was under the impression that I might have had a book that could help him."

"Did you?"

"Like I already said: None of my books are medicinal. And from the sounds of it, whatever is wrong with Kurome, I doubt finding the cure will be as simple as going to your local bookstore."

"Did he say anything? Every piece of information helps."

Lubbock continued rubbing his chin, patiently trying to recall every detail of Wave's visit. "Hmm . . . well now that you mention it, he didn't say much, but he did purchase something. Not that I see how it would help him or you in your search, but he did buy a copy of 'A Tour of the Four Kingdoms'."

"'A Tour of the Four Kingdoms'? Never heard of it. What is it about?"

"It's basically an encyclopedia version of a tourist magazine for anyone who wants to visit the Grand Empire, Ali Jinnah, Reispan or Bestimmung. Landmarks, sight seeing, shopping areas, cuisine, that sort of thing. Again, I don't see how it would be of any help."

"Perhaps, but it's a start. May I have a copy?"

"Not without paying that tab first, buddy boy!"

To which Run sighed. "You're . . . 'involved' with the Prime Minister. I'm sure you could just ask her for-"

"Oh no!", Lubbock retorted, dismissively and fretfully waiving his hand. "Being 'involved' with her does not mean what you think it means. And that's really all I'm gonna say on that subject. Why do you think I'm still running this bookstore and not living the life of luxury in the palace?"

"And here I thought you simply shared my taste for good literature."

"I delve here and there. But enough about that. Who are the other two people you'd like to know about?"

"Your fellow assassin, Tatsumi: Where is he?"

"Hell if I know. I don't even know if he's still alive. You heard what Syura did to him and your old boss."

"He teleported them to another location. Problem is that we don't know where. I'd like to find him. There's a very good chance he'd be able to tell me where the commander is located. It's even more likely that they are working in tandem and that finding Tatsumi would lead me right to her."

"Don't be ridiculous. I mean sure, she's obsessed with him, but still: You saw the state they left the courtyard in. They had been fighting tooth and nail. There's no way Tatsumi would ever be dumb enough to-"

To which Run interrupted, the smirk on his lips returning, "Lets just say I have a certain hypothesis I've been kicking around for a few days now. Regardless, if you do hear from him, inform me immediately. It's only a hunch, but if we can find the commander, she might be of use in healing Prime Minister Najenda's father."

"That's a joke right?!", Lubbock replied, barely able to contain his laughter. "You want to find Esdeath and bring her back to the capital so she can help us?! We are talking about Esdeath, right?! Not someone from some made up fanfiction?!"

"Very funny. Now there's just one last person I'm looking for. I understand you associate with this person on a regular basis, so I'm sure you can tell me where she is at."

[ . . . Enter Gozuki the Black Wolf. . . ]

Elsewhere, within the city of Ayatollah, the very city in Ali Jinnah where Lubbock and Akame had assassinated a diplomat nearly two months earlier, a peculiar scene was playing out as two men entered a rather lively tavern; lively in the sense that the tavern had its own stage band and dancing girls for entertainment. The taverns patrons, almost exclusively men, were having a merry good time drinking and gambling.

Everything came to a sudden halt, however, the moment these two people walked inside. Everyone within the tavern gazed upon these two men, as if they were completely out of place. One of the men had a beard with pointy brown hair and was dressed in red and white robes and a large white hat with the Path of Peace insignia adorned on it. The other one was a lean, muscular swordsman with a black hair styled triangular bob-like cut and small light-colored eyes; he wore a black outfit, which revealed his chest and light-colored pants with a sash; he also appeared to have a long tongue, noticeable in that he was sticking it out without rhyme or determinable reason.

A series of whispers flushed throughout the tavern as these two men waltzed in and had a seat at a table. "What is HE doing here?", voiced one whisper. "What the heck is someone from the Path of Peace doing HERE? Does he want to die?", voice another whisper. "I recognize the other one from the wanted posters. That's Dread Pirate Enshin!" voiced another whisper. "I once heard he killed someone just for sneezing!", quietly muttered someone else.

The swordsman briefly looked around the room, scowling as he noticed all the whispering. "What the fuck kind of piss-ass shit-hole tavern is this? I came here to have a good time. Don't you know it's RUDE to gossip? This is a tavern, goddamnit, so fucking act like it before I get up and entertain myself the old fashioned way!"

As if having been given the cue to continue what they were doing, everyone in the tavern did just that; they all acted as if nothing had ever happened.

"It looks like your reputation precedes you, Mr. Enshin", said the man in red and white robes. "The way the savages in this country treat Path of Peace clergyman like myself, I thought for certain you'd have to make an example of a few of them."

"You just worry about getting the 100,000 gold pieces you owe and leave the blood and mayhem to me, father Bolic", the swordsman replied, practically salivating as he uttered the words 'blood' and 'mayhem'.

"All in good time, Mr. Enshin. Once you've gotten me out of this filthy country unharmed, the gold is as good as yours."

"I can't believe you're still running scared from the Grand Empire. Your bounty is 2 years old. Word is that they have a new Prime Minister now and that they locked away the old one and threw away the key."

"I'd rather not take any chances. There's a Path of Peace congregation right off the coast. I'll go there, lay low for a little while; see if the rumors are true and if anyone is still after my head. Once I'm sure no one is still interested in my whereabouts, I can start fresh and maybe use the Lord's sudden absence to my advantage. With a few well-placed bribes here and there, they'll make me the new leader of the Path of Peace. And when that happens, if you play your cards right, I might have use for a full-time bodyguard."

"I dunno, father Bolic. Bodyguard duty alone can get pretty dull, even if the pay is good. Not much sex and blood when you're stuck working for religious nutjobs."

"Stick with me, Mr. Enshin. You'd be amazed at how many gullible idiots seeking enlightenment are succulent nubile virgins ripe for the picking. And if it's blood you're looking for, you can be in charge of making inconvenient infidels disappear."

"Tempting. I've got another job out in Reispan to get to once you're squared away. Something about a 'wild hunt.' Once that business is taken care of, I'll get back to you and we can negotiate the terms of a more permanent contract."

"I look forward to it", Bolic replied while gesturing for a waitress.

A young short and petite tanned skinned pigtailed blonde girl walked up their table; she was sporting long leggings and a shirt, which she left open, displaying a bikini/swimsuit top. Taken in by what she was wearing, both Bolic and Enshin's eyes wandered up and down her figure in an overtly lecherous fashion. And yet despite their overt perversions, the girl appeared to maintain an easygoing demeanor. "Hello!", she jovially exclaimed.

"Why hello, young lady", Bolic said before grabbing one of the girl's hands and kissing it. "Pray tell, what is your name?"

To which the girl giggled, "The name's Mez."

"Mez huh", Enshin said, before libidinously sliding one of his hands up her legs. "Let 'mez' take you upstairs so 'wez' can have some fun, heheheh. Whadda'ya say?"

To which the girl replied, "I'd love to have some fun, but first I have a question for the priest here."

Still holding her hand, Bolic planted another kiss on it, "The answer is yes."

"Oh? So then you ARE Bishop Bolic of the Path of Peace?", she asked, her eyes full of eagerness.

Overcome with caution and concern, the bishop immediately released the girl's hand. "Wh-who told you that?"

Mez couldn't help but let out an innocent chuckle."You just did, silly! I've gotta say though. It's kind of stupid to go around dressed in your bishop clothes when you've got a dead or alive bounty on your head. Kind of a dead giveaway."

Unwilling to allow even another moment to pass, Enshin instantly unsheathed the sword that had been resting at his hip; he suddenly brandished a curved blade unlike any other and swung it with the intent of decapitating this mysterious girl. But not only did Mez avoid the swing, she avoided it in an unnatural fashion; to Enshin's shock and confusion, she had quite literally bent over backwards with one swift movement and without bending her legs.

She readily stood back upright. "Dread Pirate Enshin. We didn't come here to collect your bounty, but since you're here, we may as well."

"Collect my bounty?", Enshin noted rhetorically. "One lucky dodge and the bitch thinks she's somebody." He fired out a series of additional slashes, but none of them came close to tagging any flesh and Mez continued to dodge his swings by maneuvering her body into unnatural, if not outright impossible, positions.

"Are you really Dread Pirate Enshin?", Mez asked before letting out a bored sigh. "There's no way a pirate with a 40,000 gold piece bounty can be this weak."

"I'll show you weak!", the swordsman snarled; his curve sword emitted a light glow all of the sudden. "Aerial blade!"

A visible piercing energy wave roughly 10 feet wide came flying out of the dread pirate's sword. Being so close to him already, Mez was able to evade to wave's radius without incident, but the people at the tables behind her were not so lucky. Within a flash, multiple people were bisected and even more were seriously injured. Amongst the remaining patrons in the tavern, seeing this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Total pandemonium followed suit as they all started making a run for the exit.

Not wishing to get caught in the crossfire, Bolic himself got up and joined everyone else in making a frantic run for the exit. But just as he got outside, he immediately bumped into another young woman. This one was wearing clothes similar to those of a shrine maiden; she had on a loose kimono shirt exposing her cleavage held by a single breast guard on her right breast; her hair was jet black and she also had a horizontal scar on her face.

"You have a 100,000 gold piece bounty on your head and you only bother to hire one bodyguard? Ugh. This job is turning into a huge letdown."

Bolic paced himself back a few stops, fretfully gesturing for this young woman to stay away, "N-now wait just a minute! This doesn't have to end in violence. My bodyguard in there is a dangerous man. If you lay a finger on me, y-you'll regret it!"

"Like this?", she said before laying an index finger on the bishop's panic ridden forehead. "So when does the regret part begin? I'm not feeling any."

"J-just you wait. He'll come marching right out here. Y-you'll see!"

"Yeah . . . if he can't even handle Mez, he'll never make it out here alive."

"Y-you're after my bounty, r-r-r-right? W-well then maybe we can negotiate something. H-how's about I pay you double what I'm worth? Get me out of this country and to my congregation off the coast and I'll pay you 100,000 gold pieces!"

"Sorry", the woman said as the fingernails on her left hand suddenly grew out by three inches and became razor sharp. "Master Gozuki's number 1 rule: Never negotiate with the target."

"G-g-g-gozuki?! Then that means you're . . ."

With but one quick swipe from the girl's left hand, Bolic's throat was slit wide open and the bishop met his untimely demise. "The Four Rakshasa Demons. Well, three of us anyway."

Back inside the tavern, Mez was still evading Enshin's attacks. His aeriel blades were bisecting ample pieces of furniture, but his speed and accuracy came nowhere close enough to what was needed to even graze her.

All the while, Mez was ogling the dread pirate's weapon with the utmost curiosity. "Wow! Is that an imperial arm you've got there? I've never see one up close."

"Hmph. You like my sword, do you?", Enshin asked, appearing as if he were about to use another technique. "Well then take a good look at this! Double-Pronged Att-"

Though to the dread pirate's misfortune, those were the last words he had ever uttered. In the blink of an eye, the upper half of his head was messily blown off and his blood had splattered the immediate area. Mez sighed in open frustration. "Awe c'mon. He was about to show me another one of his attacks. It was bound to look cool."

"Toy with your prey on your own time", said a male voice nearby. "Only a moron stands around and shouts the name of his attack before using it. And only an even bigger moron stands around waiting to see what the attack does."

At that very moment, the young woman that had killed Bolic came walking inside with a trophy of sorts in her hands; she was holding the late bishop's severed head, no doubt to show as proof of his death upon collecting his bounty. "Should've let me fight Enshin and let Mez take care of this loser."

"Bullcrap, Suzuka!", Mez retorted. "You would've sat there and let him cut you just so you could get off!"

"You heard master Gozuki. The guy was a complete moron! I have standards unlike some people!"

"Both of you: Shut the hell up! I'm trying to read!"

Like two obedient children, both women immediately ceased their bickering before simultaneously turning their attention to the only other person in the room. "Sorry master.", they both said in reverent unison.

At the other end of the tavern sat a middle-aged looking man with blond hair, a small beard and green eyes; he was sporting a black wild western coat, black wild western boots and a red scarf. His was leaning back in his chair with his feet kicked up on the table. He had a shotgun in his right hand and smoke was still leaving the barrel; he presumable hadn't moved a muscle since blowing a chunk of Enshin's head off. More curious, however, was that it was as if his attention were entirely focused on what was in his left hand: A folded newspaper. "Girls, it seems a lot has happened since our last trip to the Grand Empire."

To which Mez inquired, "Wasn't there some kind of rebel uprising or something going on over there?"

"Still can't believe Sten tried to talk us into getting into the middle of that", Suzuka added.

Gozuki promptly ceased reading the paper, opting instead to toss it over in Mez's direction. "The Revolutionary Army was obliterated, but they have a new Prime Minister nonetheless. From the sound of the policies they've been implementing for the past 30 days alone, it's almost as if there little rebellion had been successful."

"Suzuka, you're not gonna believe this!", said Mez, her eyes glaring intently at the very page her master had been scrutinizing moments earlier. "Check out the latest person to be added to the bounty section!"

The other girl leaned next to her companion to get a good look at what she was referring to, only to be visibly astonished. There, she saw the picture of a woman donned in high ranking military apparel with long blue hair. "Well I'll be. Someone is actually stupid enough to put a bounty on General Esdeath's head."

"There have been a few others over the years. Families of her many victims, bitter commanders of armies she's crushed, that sort of thing", Gozuki noted. "Didn't matter who it was; they always ended up learning the hard way why putting a hit on someone like her is no different than smacking a beehive."

"It's real shame", Mez added. "5 billion gold pieces dead, 10 billion alive. The things we could do with that kind of money."

To which Gozuki smirked haughtily, "My dear Mez. What you mean to say is 'the things we WILL do with that money."

"What?!", Suzuka shrieked. "Forgive me master, but THAT's General Esdeath we're talking about. You know her reputation. And what about your rule against getting in the middle of another country's politics? I thought we didn't do political jobs. She's a general of the Grand Empire, so-"

"Read the entire article, Suzuka. She WAS a general; not anymore. The Grand Empire itself is the one to have placed the bounty on her head, so now she's just a criminal on the run. As to her reputation . . . heh . . . I kind of have a reputation myself, so we'll just have to see if she lives up to hers, won't we?"

[ . . . The unlikely duo . . . ]

At that very hour, Night Raid's feral assassin was at her favorite bar; she was sitting at a barstool, leaning forward against the bar table with her left elbow and was smackdab in the middle of her favorite pastime. "Barkeep! There's something wrong with my glass!", she said, her face flushing, her cheeks reddening from the steady stream of alcohol entering her system.

The barkeeper, a bald and muscular middle aged gentleman, appeared to be getting dangerously close to stretching the limits of his patience. "There's nothing wrong with your glass", he responded with growing hints of irritation.

Leone, however, was too oblivious and inebriated to take a hint. She picked up her glass, noticeably empty, and flipped it upside down, acting as if she were trying to shake the remaining ketchup out of a ketchup bottle. "But there is something wrong! My Teigu special! It's gone! Bandits! Marauders! They must've taken it while I wasn't looking!"

"Bandits huh?", said the barkeeper as he rolled his eyes. "These wouldn't by chance be the same bandits that stole every other glass I've poured you?"

"No, they're all different! Bandits come in all shapes and sizes! They could be hiding anywhere . . . or maybe everywhere! You just don't know it yet!"

"Mmhmm."

"Say, I've got a great idea! I know how to stop the bandits!"

"You do?", the barkeeper asked rhetorically, his words practically drenched in sarcasm.

"How about this? If you pour me another glass, I'll keep a look out for the bandits. And when they return . . . BAM . . . BOOM . . . POW . . . they'll never know what hit 'em. Whadd'ya say?"

"I say you've had enough and that you'd better pay the balance of your tab right this instant before I call the guards."

"Hey now! That's no way to talk to the Prime Minister's bestest bestest bestest buddy in the whole wide world! We're like . . . pals, yah know!"

"I'm sure you are. Now pay up!"

"Okay okay", she said, finally yielding to the seriousness of the barkeeper's demeanor. "Lemme just make a withdrawal out of the First Bank of Leone." She reached into her pockets, only to just then notice that they were empty. As she noticed this, she innocently looked back up to the barkeeper and shrugged her shoulders.

At this point, the barkeeper's patience was worn out; he had folded his arms and was impatiently tapping his index finger on his elbow. "Let me guess. The bandits took all of your gold pieces too."

Leone began rubbing the back of her head, giggling at the situation she had landed herself in. "Had you just poured me another glass, I could've spotted them before they made off with the money. Hey, wait a minute . . . they . . . made off . . . made out . . . they made out like bandits! Hahaha, get it?"

"That's it. I'm calling the guards."

"That won't be necessary", said the voice of an approaching young man entering the bar.

The barkeeper turned to his head to see who it was that was willing to interject on behalf of the drunken and impetuous louse before him. One look, however, changed his demeanor entirely. "Ah, Jaegar Lieutenant Run, I didn't know you were stopping by today. Here, let me fix you a drink. On the house!"

"Perhaps another time", Run said with the utmost politeness. "Right now, I have some business to tend to with this woman here."

"Yes, I was just about to call the guards on her thieving arse. She's built up quite a sizable tab and has not a single gold piece to her name."

"As I said, that won't be necessary. His majesty will reimburse you for the bill."

"See?", Leone chimed. "I told you I was bestest buddies with the Prime Minister. Now how about another glass of your Teigu special?"

Not wasting another moment, Run grabbed the feral assassin by the arm and began making his way towards the exit. "As I said, perhaps another time!"

Leone protested: "H-hey, just one more glass!", but Run would hear none of it, essentially dragging her out the bar. Though there was no doubt that she could have easily broken free by summoning the powers of her imperial arm, the thought never even entered her mind; perhaps she knew she was in no immediate danger or perhaps this was the effect of the alcohol.

Run released her from his grip as soon as they got outside. "How strange. We've been trying to kill one another for months now . . . indirectly anyway. And yet this is the first time we've formally met. My name is Run."

"Oh hey, I know you. You're that Jaegar who got his ass handed to him by Lubbock!"

"I got my what handed to me by who?"

"Must've been pretty embarrassing to have to get on your knees and beg Lubbock to spare you. Not the way I would have done things, but at least you're alive, right?" Despite the provocative nature of her words, the feral assassin spoke as if what she was saying was the undisputed truth.

"Heh. Seems Lubbock is spending far too much time delving into fiction. The way I remember it, that fight was a draw."

"Hmm. Now that I think about it . . .", she expressed, intriguingly rubbing her chin. "The part about him princess-carrying the boss-lady away from danger doesn't sound all that credible."

"Regardless . . .", said Run as he politely extended his hand out. "Leone . . . is it?"

"Nice to meet yah!" She immediately grabbed his hand and reciprocated the greeting, albeit in a manner completely devoid of manners; she rapidly shook it up and down. "Say, now that the emperor is footing the bill, why don't we go to a different bar and get acquainted with each other the way two up and coming buddies are supposed to get acquainted?"

"Footing the bill? I think you're a little confused. You'll be the one footing the bill."

"What? First Wave and now you. It's as if none of you Jaegars have a clue when it comes to knowing how to treat a lady."

"You'll be footing the bill on all of the unpaid bar tabs you've accumulated within the last thirty days. You'll also be footing the bill on the property damage you've caused to nearly every tavern in the city."

"Okay, the second one isn't even fair. They know I have no control over myself when I'm extra hammered but kept refilling my glass anyway!"

"Voluntary intoxication is not a defense. And based on the reports, in each of these incidences, the barkeepers acted under duress."

"Oh c'mon, who are you gonna believe? Some random barkeepers or the Prime Minister's best bosom buddy in the whole world?"

"Frankly, the Prime Minister has grown tired of you using her name to do whatever you please. And so she has ordered that you either pay off the tabs and the damages you owe or spend two years behind bars."

"Two years behind bars? Geez, talk about ruling with an iron fist. Look, as much as I'd love to pay, the First Bank of Leone has been licked clean", she said, revealing her empty pockets. "Can't I just give you an IOU or something?"

"Not to worry. The Prime Minister anticipated that you would have wasted all of your money and so she's giving you a third option."

To which Leone sighed. "At this point, anything beats going to jail."

"I've been put in charge of his majesty's new intelligence gathering taskforce: Night Watch. The Prime Minister has given me the discretion to conscript you into joining it. Once you've done enough satisfactory work, you can go back to your civilian life."

"So it's basically Night Raid all over again, except you're the boss?"

"In a way, yes. But don't get the wrong idea; Night Watch's primary purpose is not to conduct assassinations, but to gather information. Even so, your prior background and the skills you've accumulated during your time with Night Raid are noted; I'm sure you'll be an exceptional asset."

To which the feral assassin playfully batted an eyelash, "Heheheh. Coming on a little strong there, boss. You sure you don't wanna go get a drink?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. At the rate of your excessive drinking habits, you'll just end up indebting yourself to Night Watch for a lifetime. Honestly, I'm surprised you still even have a functioning liver."

Leone chuckled boastfully, "One of the many perks to having a healing factor!"

"That explains a lot."

"So where's the rest of the team?"

"Aside from some administrative staff members, it's just you and me for now. I had planned to get Wave, but he's M.I.A at the moment. So is Kurome."

"What about Akame? This kind of work is right up her ally."

To which Run shook his head. "She's M.I.A as well. No one has heard from her since the day your old team infiltrated the palace."

"Knowing her, she probably has her reasons", Leone replied before the last obvious potential candidate occurred to her. And as it did, a deeply amused grin appeared on her lips. "And I take it Lubbock is automatically off limits. Can't have the Prime Minister's main squeeze putting himself in danger, am I right?"

"Lubbock outright refused me. He says he was content with running his bookstore, but I suspect it has more to do with me being the one in charge of this taskforce."

"Guess that just leaves you and me!", Leone exclaimed, her eagerness made clear as she punched her right fist into her left palm. "So boss, what's the first order of business?"

And with a knowing smirk on his lips, Run asked the following insipidly vague and ambiguous question: "When was the last time you went on vacation?"

[ . . . The Wild Hunt . . . ]

On the western coast of Reispan's borders, there was a city by the name of Dondempezó. A large and prosperous city, if the dense population, street traffic and ample markets were of any indication. Just like Sin Esperanza, however, the city still appeared to be governed very much like a police state. Armed soldiers marching up and down the streets, standing at every corner and proprietorship and keeping a very close eye on the people who entered and exited the city via the city gates or the port.

And at the very center of the city was a place where everyone, civilian or otherwise, could go to forgo all of their troubles: A coliseum. A coliseum unlike any other in that in regularly showcased a wide range of carnage; man vs man, man vs danger beast, danger beast vs danger beast and basically any kind of chaos one could imagine on the battlefield. No one appeared to understand why, but just watching the gratuitous violence somehow made the serious issues of the day less important.

On that very day, as a battle in the coliseum was taking place, a lone hooded man was standing inside one of the coliseum's fancy luxury boxes. There, he watched onward from behind a wall sized glass panel; he was in the middle of watching a giant scorpion like danger beast face off against a group of Reispanian prisoners. Not so much a 'face off' as it was a slaughter; the prisoners never stood a chance.

Several knocks could be heard on the door to the hooded man's room. Hearing this, he said "Cosmina, it looks like my other guests have finally arrived. Be a dear and show them in."

He was referring to the other person in the room; a young pink haired woman with a bob-styled haircut and a bunny ears accessory on her head; she was wearing a mini dress, a collar and matching wrist bands, boots and a pair of glasses; most noteworthy was how chipper she appeared to be and her upbeat personality. "Right away!", she said. As she opened the door, she gestured the people behind it to walk right in and make themselves comfortable to the room's plus-sized couch and buffet table.

There were three people to be precise. The first person was a tall man with black hair worn in a top ponytail; he was donned in clothing much like that of a samurai; he had a twig in his mouth and had a katana fastened to his belt. The second person was a heavyset black man with puffs of dark curly hair above his ears; his most notable features were his clown makeup and clothing and his small baseball hat with a smiley face on it. The third person was a short young woman with blonde hair; she was donned in an innocent turquoise dress with a white apron and a ribbon on her head.

The hooded man turned around to take a gander at his guests. With but a single glance, he recognized each of them. "Izou the Wanderer", he said, glancing at the man donned in samurai attire. "Champ the Serial Killer Entertainer", he said, glancing at the man donned in clown makeup. "Mad Hatter Dorothea", he said, glancing at the short young woman. "And Siren Cosmina", he said glancing at the young woman who had already been in the room. "Though it seems we're missing Dread Pirate Enshin. It figures. He was probably too weak for our group anyway."

"What do you mean by 'our group'?", Champ asked. "I've never seen you or anyone here in my life."

"I've been keeping tabs on each of you for months now. You each stumbled upon lost imperial arms and have developed remarkable reputations in the criminal underworld. Initially, I had intended to have each of you replace the Grand Empire's Jaegars when I had assumed my reign . . . but that's no longer an option."

"Assume your reign?", Izou asked, his eyes narrowing. "Just who the hell are you?"

To which the hooded man responded, finally removing his hood. "Just someone with a score to settle . . . Syura is the name."

"Never heard of you", Dorothea bluntly remarked.

"But I've heard of each of you . . .", Syura responded before pointing to a series of sack cloth bags stacked up upon one another on the other side of the room. " . . . which is why everything over there is yours for the taking."

Curious to see what was in these bags, Izou walked right up to them and poked his hand inside one only to be astounded at what he saw; Champ too, upon getting a glimpse. Gold pieces. Each of these bags were stuffed with gold pieces. And considering the number of bags that were present, the number of gold pieces there had to at very least amount to a small fortune.

Seeing that he had gotten these scoundrels' attention, Syura looked pleased with himself. "And that's just a taste of what's in store for each of you should you come work for me. With powers like mine, acquiring gold pieces is child's play. If it suits me, I can literally rob a bank in seconds without anyone ever knowing I was the culprit."

Dorothea, however, remained skeptical. "But there's a catch, isn't there? There's always a catch."

"Right you are, Mad Hatter", Syura replied before revealing a copy of that day's newspaper. Specifically, he turned to the bounty section and showcased its latest article; the very article that had already gotten that Rakshasa Demon's attention. "I want you to capture this person and bring her to me . . . alive."

"Well I'll be damned", Izou chimed upon getting a glance at the page that was being held up. "5 billion gold pieces dead and 10 billion alive. I've been killing since I was a teenager and I've never even dreamed a bounty could go THAT high. She must have done something earth shatteringly nasty to piss the Grand Empire off that much."

"Her bounty isn't important", said Syura. "As far as I'm concerned, you can cash in on her bounty and keep the proceeds yourselves once I'm done with her. Also, there will probably be a young man with brown hair tagging alongside her. You can do whatever you like with him, but make sure you bring me his sword."

Champ had a dreamy yet perverted look in his eyes. So much to the point that he even started licking his lips. "With that kind of money, I could go to Ali Jinnah and buy up enough angels to last me a lifetime. I could see it now. Three angels a day. One for breakfast. One for lunch. One for dinner!"

"That's right!", Syura remarked before shifting his attention to Dorothea. "And you Mad Hatter. I know all about your little experiments. Just imagine what you could do with virtually limitless funding to back your research."

Izou walked up to the room's glass panel; the battle that was taking place in the arena had already caught his interest so much to the point that his sword hand was trembling. "See that, Kousetsu?", he muttered. "We'll be able to buy our own arena. And then . . . you'll never go hungry again."

Sensing that he had them all in the palm of his hand, there was but one remaining question for Syura to ask. "So . . . what do you all say? Are you in?"

"You already know my answer!", Cosmina said with upbeat energy.

"I'm in", said Dorothea.

"Count me in!", said Champ.

Izou nodded his head. "You have my support and especially Kousetsu's."

"Splendid!", Syura said before bellowing with devious laughter. "Then let the wild hunt commence!"

[ . . . All she knows . . . ]

Elsewhere, back in Ali Jinnah, there was a small and frugal town on its southern borders. Farigha was the town's name. A town full of rampant poverty. A town all but abandoned by the government given the few guards that were present and the overt presence of thieves, vandals and the like predating at will. A town that was by all means a hell hole. And the town where Akame and Kurome were born. Cloaked in a desert robe, it was that which drew Akame back to this town on that very day at that very hour.

For reasons only she knew, the red eyed assassin was walking through the slums and headed towards a certain destination. And she did so without discreet. And perhaps with good reason as not a single scoundrel saw fit to mess with her. Even the local pickpockets steered clear of her. They knew better; all of them knew better. Even people utterly devoid of any battlefield experience could see her monstrous killing intent as plain as day. Like animals out in the wild, they simply knew better.

As she continued walking, she finally made her way to a rundown abandoned shack sitting right next to an equally rundown back alley. A vagabond was sitting on the steps to the shack and froze pale the minute he saw Akame drawing near. Having no business with this man, she walked right past him, instead interested in the shack.

Once Akame was inside, memories began to flood her mind. Memories of a more pleasant time in her life; memories of her and her sister jumping on the couch, sharing sweets, sneaking out and falling asleep together while listening to their music box. But as these pleasant memories surfaced, bitter ones arose as well; memories of their father yelling at them, doing nothing whenever Kurome got sick, beating them in a drunken fury and that accursed day he had sold them both into slavery.

These latter memories stirred up something in Akame that she was usually able to suppress; the one emotion she thought she had long been stripped of: Rage. Pure unbridled rage. Unbound genuine hatred. She immediately began wondering around the shack with her sword unsheathed. Deep down, she knew no one was present, but she didn't care. She wanted someone to be there. A particular someone in fact; the one person who had sent both her and her sister down this road of madness all those years ago. But alas, just as her better senses had already informed her, there was no one there. Her home, her childhood home, had long been abandoned. And her bastard father was long gone. There was nothing for her in that house. There was nothing for her in that town. There was nothing.

Realizing that, she promptly walked back outside. And as she did, she once again looked upon the vagabond sitting on the porch. He hadn't yet left and likely remained due to being frozen in terror. She had but one simple question for him. "A man used to live here. A man by the name of Midorime. Do you know where he went?"

"Mi-midorime? Him? I haven't seen him in years. I swear it. Last time I heard from him, he said he was getting out of this dump town and was headed up to Dhahab."

"The capital city? I see. Without his daughters, he probably figured he could start fresh. Then that's where I'll be headed."

Sparing not another word, she walked away with her killing intent still flaring. After all, there was nothing else for her there. Nothing at all. No . . . what she sought was presumably in Ali Jinnah's capital. That's where she was headed. And there was no stopping her.

[ . . . The Queen's Gambit . . . ]

Elsewhere, high up on a balcony in the imperial palace's royal wing, Najenda and the emperor had just begun a chess match; their tenth match to be precise. The new prime minister had already explained all of the rules to the game in the first several matches and Makoto surprisingly picked up on them. The emperor was playing white and his opening move consisted of him moving his pawn at D2 to D4.

Najenda was playing black and her opening move consisted of her moving her pawn at D7 to D5. "It's your move, Makoto."

The emperor examined the board carefully; he had lost the 9 previous games decisively and wanted to avoid repeating the mistakes that led to each of those defeats. His caution soon shifted into hesitance; a full 2 minutes had passed and he had yet to make a move. "Hmm . . ."

"Problem, your majesty?"

"Well . . . it's just these pawn pieces make this game a lot more tedious than it needs to be."

"How so?"

"If not for the pawns, I'd be able to use my useful pieces a lot faster."

"That's your problem. You're so focused on your so-called useful pieces that you pay no attention to your pawns."

"But you said it yourself, Najenda. Pawns are the weakest pieces in the game; they may not move backwards and they can only advance forward by a single square unless it's their first move."

"Pawns are the weakest pieces in the game, but they are also your most important. Lose sight of that and you'll end up just like Honest."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Keep playing. It'll come to you sooner or later."

The emperor nodded his head and focused his attention back upon the game. He scratched his head for a few moments. Then without further ado, he had finally decided upon his next move; he moved his pawn at C2 to C4.

"Not bad", Najenda remarked before using her pawn at D5 to capture his pawn at C4.

"This 'deductive reasoning skill' you were talking about. Can it really be ascertained just by playing a board game?"

"Even before I was your age, my father made me play this game at least once every night with the same goal in mind. Granted, he had different plans in mind as opposed to seeing me join the military."

"Your father . . . is he going to be alright?"

"To be honest . . .", Najenda said while removing and lighting a fresh cigarette from her coat pocket "I don't know. He's already been treated by the most prominent physicians in the country, but nothing has changed."

"I'm sure Night Watch will find something", he replied, doing his best to reassure her.

"Night Watch?", Najenda said, the tone of her voice exhuming with skepticism. "What are you talking about? They've not been given any assignments yet."

Utterly embarrassed, the naïve emperor realized that the proverbial cat was out of the bag and that he had no choice but to come clean. "Yes . . . but I kind of ordered Run to find a cure for your father's illness."

To which Najenda let out a frustrated sigh." I'd rather not see imperial resources go towards resolving personal affairs, but . . . you are the emperor. As long as it's within reason, you can do as you please."

"Um . . . Najenda, now that you mention personal affairs, there's something I'd like to know. Is it okay if I ask you a question?"

"Like I said, you are the emperor. As long as it is within reason, do as you please. But for our purposes, your question better not be too personal."

"Of course", said Makoto as he graciously nodded his head. "Do you love Sir Lubbock?"

She puffed her cigarette before blowing a plume of smoke to the side. "Hmph. That IS a personal question. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that even though I said it was okay for him to come live here in the palace, you refused and insisted that he continue living his life as a civilian."

"The reason I've insisted that he remain outside of the palace walls is because I do indeed love him."

"I don't understand."

"A man must be self sufficient. If he cannot provide for himself, he most certainly cannot provide for the woman he loves, much less any children he might have. As long as I'm the Prime Minister, not a single gold piece from the royal treasury shall ever be spent in pursuit of my involvement with that man."

As Makoto listened to his prime minister's explanation, he was reminded of the previous occasion when his former general, Esdeath, had expressed an interest in falling in love; he recalled how she had provided a list of overly specific conditions and requirements to be met. "Love sure is complicated."

"It is. So do me a favor and don't ask me about it again until you're older. Right now, there are far too many pressing issues for you to worry about. My predecessor's antics alone have just about crippled us from the standpoint of foreign policy."

"But isn't that why you ordered that bounty to be placed on General Esdeath's head?"

"Esdeath is a useful scapegoat and casting all of the blame on her is fine diplomatic means of making it clear that our administration shall bare no similarities to Honest's. Even so, the only real purpose this moves serves is to avert a war with Ali Jinnah, Reispan or Bestimmung. Beyond that, our diplomatic relations with those countries is going to depend entirely on your performance as emperor."

Makoto nodded his head once more before looking back down at the chessboard. He thought about his next move for several additional minutes before deciding what to do next. With some hesitation, he moved his knight at B1 to C3.

As always, Najenda responded completely devoid of hesitation; she moved her pawn at B2 to B5.

Scratching his head at his prime minister's level of insight, Makoto asked, "How do you always manage to make your moves so quickly?"

"When you've played the game as much as I have, the moves you can make and all of their variations are as plain as day. Once you know all of your choices, it's just a matter of choosing. "

[ . . . The number one spice of life: Hope . . . ]

Far far up north, in the country of Bestimmung, one man was traversing its snow-covered wastelands on foot. And he did so in spite of the sun having gone down; he did so in spite of the consistent brittle temperatures in the area; he did so in spite of the wind blowing in his face; he did so in spite of the threat of aggressive danger beasts in the area. What man would be foolhardy enough to brave such dangers one might ask. The Jaegar's own Grand Chariot Wielder: Wave.

And he was not alone. With him was the woman he cared for ever so deeply; it was his fellow Jaegar: Kurome. Only Kurome was not walking; she was unconscious and clearly had been for a considerable amount of time. She was in no immediate danger, however; she was fastened to Wave's back via a harness he was wearing on his chest. She had also been dressed in multiple layers of winter clothing, thus there was no risk of her succumbing to hypothermia.

As he continued trudging through the snow, he noticed a shining city well up ahead. The city stood out not just due to its lights, but also on the grounds that it rested atop a snow covered plateau. Even more noteworthy than the lights and the height was a tall tower at the center; it was a marvelous piece of architecture reaching all the way into the clouds.

Seeing all of this prompted Wave to stop in his tracks for a few moments. He had a supply bag and a lantern fastened to his belt and decided to make immediate use of them. Disregarding the cold air blowing in his face, he reached into his supply bag and removed one particular item; there was a book by the name 'A Tour of the Four Kingdoms'. He flipped through the pages to the best of his ability until he had reached a page he had clearly bookmarked. On that page was a picture of the tower in the city up ahead. The tower was called 'Babel's Library.'

Before another moment could pass, the sound of wolves growling could be heard nearby. Wave quickly placed his book back inside his supply bag and fastened the bag and his lantern back to his belt. He then unsheathed his imperial arm before noticing that he was surrounded by an entire pack of class-one ice wolves.

[ . . . Prologue: Akame ga Hunt . . . ]

Of the thousands of small uncharted and uninhabited islands in the vast oceans, there was one particular island that stood out for its unique features. One particular island that had an active volcano sitting directly in the center. Among the island's other features, however, there was most certainly nothing unique about them. A forest, a freshwater lake, a population of small animals. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet despite the island's uninhabited appearance, a female voice could be heard in the forest counting something methodically. "49,985 . . . 49,986 . . . 49,987 . . . 49,988 . . . 49,989 . . . 49,990 . . . 49,991 . . . 49,992 . . . 49,993 . . . 49,994 . . . 49,995 . . . 49,996 . . . 49,997 . . ." It was . . . Esdeath. The sun had long gone down and the only source of light available was the crescent moon shining in the sky. Even so, she was high up on a tree branch doing one handed handstand pushups using just her left hand. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing nothing but her skirt and her white laced bra. "49,998 . . . 49,999 . . . 50,000."

Upon reaching that last number, she vaulted herself off the tree branch using her left hand before landing on the ground with the grace and the stability of an olympic athlete. As she regained her footing, she glanced carefully at her left palm, clasping it back and forth. She immediately recalled one of the last minutes of climactic her duel with Tatsumi and how her left arm had given out as she deflected one of his swings with her makeshift ice shield. "Still not good enough."

Rather than ponder on this thought for another moment, she turned her attention to a small sliver of light emanating from the beach over yonder. She smiled at the sight of this before making her way over in that direction. Within just a few minutes of walking, the Ice Queen stood within just a few feet away from a campfire with a 30 pound bluefin tuna being hoisted and cooked above it. And to the side of the campfire was her trademark boots and collared shirt neatly resting on the ground. "Any luck?", she asked, her eyes shifting away from the fire and to a figure standing nearby; a figure quietly observing the waves crashing against the sandbar as well as the quiet and calm waters beyond.

"Still no sign of a ship or an air manta", the figure replied.

"Odd. With your enhanced vision, I thought for sure you would've spotted something by now."

"How's it going on your end?"

"Still no sign of Syura's portals."

"Are you sure he wanted to steal Incursio?"

"While you were unconscious, he openly announced that as being his intention. Logically, his next course of action would be to teleport back to this island and salvage Incursio off of whatever remained of our dead bodies provided it wasn't melted by the lava."

"It's been a month now though and still no sign of him."

"I would imagine that my parting gift to that fool has caused substantial psychological damage, making him more paranoid than a patient at a psychiatric hospital. So paranoid that he doesn't want to risk the chance that we managed to survive."

"We'll have to find some other way to leave then. It's not like we can wait here forever."

"Can't we?", she asked with a sly smile. "The pieces on the board have changed considerably since the last time we were sent to some remote island. There's no revolution for you to worry about and I'm certain I'm no longer welcome in the capital."

He turned around, shifting his attention away from the sea and gazing upon the Ice Queen face to face . . . his crimson eyes illuminating noticeably much like a firefly on a summer evening. "Don't tell me you've already lost interest in going after the omega class danger beast."

"My interest has subsided a bit, but can you really blame me?", Esdeath responded, shrugging her shoulders in a whimsical fashion. "I have everything I need right here."

"It's not like you to just give up on something like that."

"You misunderstand, Tatsumi. I no longer need to go around endlessly seeking strong opponents, not when I have the ultimate rival I've always wanted standing right here before me. That and . . ."

Before Tatsumi knew it, the Ice Queen had thrown both of her arms around him while blushing in her typical school girl fashion, embracing him so tight and energetically that she had lifted him off the ground and was swaying him back and forth. "I finally have my soulmate all to myself!"

In response, the luminescence in Tatsumi's red eyes faded away and he too was blushing, though moreso out of embarrassment; even though he had finally come to terms with his mutual feelings for Esdeath, these sorts of overt displays of affection still resonated a level of embarrassment he found himself unable to control. "Hey! Hey! Easy! Easy now!"

She set him down, still blushing. "I can hardly help myself, my love. You are everything I want. You are everything I need. There is no longer anything else of consequence."

"I guess I get the soulmate part, but being this excited about having me as your rival is kind of weird. Aren't you upset about losing?"

"No one likes to lose, Tatsumi. I'll admit that I was annoyed in having lost to an opponent who had no inclination to kill, but losing to you has finally killed my boredom. I thought I had reached the limit of my potential, but you've shown me that there are still heights I've yet to reach."

"I'm flattered, Esdeath, but is making me your rival really a good idea? Can't say I've ever really heard of a girlfriend wanting to fight her boyfriend . . . well for good reasons anyway."

To which the Ice Queen let out a hearty laugh while undoing her ponytail and letting her hair down, "Maybe so, but as I've said before, we're not really a conventional couple then, are we?"

"You've got a point."

"So then it's settled. We'll stay here for the indefinite future and let the world tend to its own problems, danger beasts included."

"No can do", Tatsumi replied, politely shaking his head.

"There's more to this, isn't there? There's something about this danger beasts that compels you to pursue it."

Of course, Tatsumi knew his reasons all too well, his mind suddenly sparked with thoughts of the late Bestimmung ambassador, Klaus Hartmann. Specifically, how he had killed him as well as the fireside conversation they had had on the night beforehand. Only this time, such sparks didn't ignite feelings of guilt or self-loathing; this time, they ignited nothing but raw determination. "No matter what, I have to find this beast and slay it."

"Very well", Esdeath responded, sporting a sudden smirk. "If it means that much to you, we'll pursue it. But be warned: This will not interfere with our eventual rematch. Mark my words: When the time comes, you will face me again."

To which the Incursio wielder smiled, "It doesn't really sound like I have much of a choice. Feel free to challenge me whenever you want."

"Marvelous! This is going to be so much fun. I can hardly wait!"

Tatsumi was about make another remark only to be caught off guard by the sound of the most unusual growl. Astonished that Esdeath didn't already notice it, he instantly realized where the growl was coming from. "Wow . . . had I known you were going to be this hungry, I would've caught a bigger one."

Esdeath glanced down towards her rumbling stomach, laughing at her own expense. "Oh my. It looks like I got a little carried away with my conditioning exercises."

"Would you mind doing the honors?", he asked before sitting down next the fire.

The Ice Queen nodded her head before creating a large and sharp ice butcher knife out of thin air. With but a single swing, she cleaved their dinner in half; one half for her and one half for Tatsumi. She then impaled each piece with its own ice pike before handing one to him and keeping the other for herself.

Tatsumi had scarcely taken a bite out of his own piece before noticing the full extent of Esdeath's appetite and raising an eyebrow. Just like that time they had dined together on that merchant's ship they had saved from pirates, she was merciless with her food; she was gnawing and chewing through the meat clean off the bones like a savage ravenous beast.

"Okay, I gotta ask", Tatsumi said, putting his piece down. "Is there a reason you only eat like that when you're around me? When you kidnapped me and when you came to my village, you pretty much ate more like a normal person."

"Normal is in the eye of the beholder", she replied, mumbling while chewing on her food. "Besides, I used to eat like this all the time when I was growing up. Prior to coming to the capital, I knew nothing about the finer points of proper etiquette. When I'm with you, I feel a certain sense of nostalgia."

Within minutes, the Bluefin tuna had been devoured right down to the bones. Tatsumi didn't even eat the entirety of his portion, having opted to give what remained of it to Esdeath once it was clear she was still hungry. Once he was ready to go to bed, he had lied down flat on his back, his eyes gazing upon the star lit sky.

Esdeath followed suit, lying down right next to him and gazing up at the sky as well. "I suppose leaving this miniature paradise is not without its advantages."

"Yeah?"

"Since you destroyed my old rapier, I'm in need of a new one. Perhaps I'll be able to purchase one custom made and forged with a stronger material."

"Why even bother buying one when you can pretty much make any weapon you can think of with your ice powers?"

"Making weapons out of thin air consumes precious stamina. Something you've already proven I'll need every last ounce of in our rematch. It's much more efficient to just enhance an actual rapier. And no matter what sword I make on my own, it'll never compare to one forged to perfection by a master blacksmith. I'm sure we'll come across one once when get to . . . Bestimmung, was it?"

Tatsumi nodded his head. "I saw the omega class danger beast in a cave outside a city called Herz."

"Herz? Hmm. I haven't personally been there, but the best weapons come from up north anyway, so I'm sure I'll find something suitable for our rematch."

Hearing her continue to talk about the prospect of another battle gave the Incursio weilder some pause. "She really has her heart set on fighting me again. What have I gotten myself into?"

As Tatsumi continued gazing at the stars, he felt a hand couple with his. This feeling caused him to shift his gaze away from the stars and towards the Ice Queen. It was then that a fiery blush appeared on his cheeks as he noticed the expression on her face. "I've never seen her so . . . happy."

Esdeath didn't notice Tatsumi's own expression. Her eyes were trained upon the stars up above. Not out of any particular fascination with astronomy of course. Rather, she found herself lost in her own imagination. There were so many possibilities a future with Tatsumi would bring her and she was delighted to explore each and every one of them.

"Hey Esdeath", Tatsumi said, interrupting her thoughts.

And just like that, she was brought back down to reality. She immediately shifted her gaze from the sky to the object of her affections. "Yes, my love?"

"When you said that I was all that you needed, did you mean it?"

Hearing her beloved ask her this question caught her off guard. It wasn't so much the question itself, but that he would actually ask it. As if there were any reason to doubt her words. She decided that such a question need not be answered with mere words. Blushing and acting on sheer impulse, she thrusted her head forward and pressed her lips against his. She made sure to show him the full brunt of her passion before finally breaking away. "Does that answer your question, my love?"

"Esdeath, I don't doubt your feelings for me. I never have. It's just . . . if I'm all you need, both as a soulmate and an opponent, then there's no longer any reason for you to go around killing anyone."

"Not necessarily. I'm simply no longer going to go around vigorously looking for people to kill. As long as you're around, I have no reason to do that. Still, it doesn't mean I've embraced your foolish notions of pacifism. I reject them absolutely and completely."

"It's a start", Tatsumi thought while letting out a soft chuckle. "Maybe her focusing on me isn't such a bad idea after all."

And so the evening ended just like a surprisingly pleasant evening months ago. The Ice Queen was cuddled up intimately close to the man she loved. And the man she loved was happy to be ever so close to his Ice Queen even if he wasn't as expressive with the feelings in his heart as she was. And as Esdeath dozed off, Tatsumi yet again remained wide awake, eyes still gazing upon the sky. Only he was no longer plagued with thoughts of the moral dilemma Esdeath had posed to him on that night months ago. Through a long and perilous journey, he had managed to find his own brand of justice and live his life the way he wanted to live it.

And yet . . . there was still something Tatsumi couldn't shake off his mind; there was something that kept him awake long after his Ice Queen had gone to sleep. It was the ominous words his village elder had expressed to him the last time they spoke:

"Last night, I had a vivid premonition. You walk a dangerous path. More than you realize. Be wary, Tatsumi, for there is one amongst that group you should fear moreso than anyone else. For one day, that one will go on to become your greatest enemy."

"Esdeath? No, she wasn't the one in my premonition. It was the one they called . . . Wave."

One thing was clear: What was thought to be the end of one story was merely the beginning of another. Whatever the future had in store for Tatsumi, it was a tale for another time.

A/N: And at last . . . at long last, we are done. It took us a little over a year, but we are finished with the Down a different Branch installment of our story.

Just a few points to note

#1. From the getgo, it has been my intention to write with the idea of a follow-up story in mind. Everything that did not relate to the main plot (overthrowing Prime Minister Honest) was put in here to set up the pieces for Act II.

#2. There were some concerns about the 'power levels' in this fic. However, from the getgo, we were always told that Tatsumi had a boatload of latent ability (see comments from Leone, Najenda, Bulat and even Esdeath). Both the anime and the manga give Tatsum his moment to shine by having him duke it out with the emperor's teigu gundam or whatever. Unlike the anime and manga, however, Tatsumi is indisputably the main protagonist here. This is his story so its only proper that he be the one to face and defeat Esdeath in the end as opposed to Akame being the one to do it.

#3. In my mind, the reason the series is called Akame ga Kill is not because of the character named Akame, but because Tatsumi is in fact the 'red eyed killer. For those who don't know, Akame ga Kiru is literally translated to be Red Eyed Killer. As we see in this fic, Tatsumi does get a pair of red eyes upon 'evolving.' Thus, for our purposes, the name of the series is in itself a RED herring, hahaha. :P

#4. Some of you might be disappointed with the death toll. Unlike the original, main characters didn't go around dropping like flies left and right. My rationale for this is that character deaths should be meaningful. In the original, Sheele's death was shocking (and even Bulat's to a lesser extent), but it eventually got to the point where death was merely nothing more than a source of cheap shock value. When I get around to writing Act II, not everyone will make it out alive. And that's all I'm gonna say on that! :P

#5. None of my characters are done with their respective character arcs. Especially Tatsumi and Wave. Who they are now will not reflect who they are by the end of the story. One thing is for sure though: Esdeath will never EVER be Lawful Good, Neutral Good or Chaotic good. Anything else on the D&D alignment grid is on the table. ;-)

#6. All of my character appearance descriptions (i.e. what Mez, Suzuka, Champ, Bolic, Enshin, etc look like) were borrowed from the AKG wiki with some word changes here and there.

#7. Will get around to writing Act II eventually. It'll take place in a brand new fic!

#8. Am going back and revising each chapter one by one to fix the prose/grammatical/spelling errors. Hope to have that done by tomorrow.

Can't think of anything else! Thank you all for reading and for putting up with my antics for the last 16 months! It's been pleasure!

See you all next time in Akame ga Hunt!