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Venom sat on the edge of a mountaintop, staring down at Esdeath as she hunted prey at the foot of the hill. The sight left him a little stunned.
After talking with that middle-aged man, his memory had finally clicked into place—he knew exactly what world he had landed in.
This was Akame ga Kill.A world where, if you were a girl, chances were you wouldn't live to see the end of the episode.
The strongest empire in history ruled here, unmatched by any nation. But in the end, it rotted from the inside out, eaten alive by corruption, and collapsed.
What made this world truly unforgettable, though, were the weapons called Teigu.
About a thousand years ago, the emperor had pooled together everything the empire had—money, manpower, forbidden knowledge—and crafted forty-eight of these unique weapons. Each one forged from rare metals, powerful sorcery, and parts of ultra-dangerous creatures.
The Teigu brought incredible victories at first… but not long after, chaos broke out. Many of the weapons were lost, some falling into the hands of commoners, others even smuggled abroad.
Each Teigu was insanely powerful, each one different.
But the thing that really caught him off guard was this: Esdeath—who he knew from the story as the sadistic queen who made entire armies tremble—was right now just a little girl. A wild, sharp-eyed kid, sure, but still… a kid.
A heavy boom shook the ground as Venom leapt down from the mountain peak, landing hard in front of her.
"Venom! Look! This is the prey I caught today!"
Esdeath proudly showed off the beast she had killed, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Venom glanced at the corpse, then shook his head. "This isn't enough. Tell me, Esdeath—do you want to be stronger? Answer me."
The little girl froze for only a second before nodding eagerly. "I want to become stronger!"
Her young face was still childish, but her eyes burned with determination.
"Good. Then let me ask you—what's the difference between the strong and the weak?" Venom said, watching her closely.
"The strong survive in this world. The weak… they just die," Esdeath answered without hesitation. It was something her father had drilled into her since childhood: the law of the jungle.
Venom smiled faintly. "Not bad. That's a good answer."
But he wasn't done.
"Still… let me teach you something. The strong can create everything. The weak can only accept everything."
"The strong can create… the weak can only accept?" Esdeath repeated softly, not fully grasping it.
Venom crouched down, clenched his fists, and explained, "It means that the strong use their own power to take control of their lives. They create the future they want. The weak, even if they understand their lives, can't change anything. They can only accept whatever comes."
He straightened up again and looked her in the eye. "So tell me, Esdeath—which one do you want to be?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and then she declared, "I want to be strong. My life will be mine to decide."
That answer made Venom grin. He could see it—she wasn't the type to let anyone else write her story.
"Perfect. Then let's begin your training." His smile turned sharper, a little dangerous.
Esdeath nodded without hesitation. "Okay."
Venom's fist shot forward without warning.
Boom!
Esdeath yelped and jumped aside just in time. Venom's punch slammed into the ground, splitting the earth into jagged cracks.
"Not bad. Keep dodging my attacks."
He lunged again, his strikes heavy enough to shatter stone with every blow.
Esdeath darted left and right, moving as fast as her small body could carry her.
One attacked, the other dodged, and the brutal training had only just begun.
"....."