The world codenamed Akame ga Kill.
Occupying the richest, most fertile land at the world's center, a millennium-old Empire stood.
But it was nearing its end.
Darkness shrouded the Empire.
Yet, this darkness didn't stem from gods but from humanity's own corruption.
A corpulent man tore into a chunk of meat, blood still dripping from it.
He didn't care, devouring it with relish.
On the ground lay a dead woman, a piece of flesh missing from her body.
Perhaps...
Minister Honest.
This thousand-year Empire was no longer controlled by the Emperor but entirely in the hands of this man, the epitome of supreme power.
"Lord!" a figure emerged from the shadows, his eyes glinting with a terrifying, almost demonic light. "The Revolutionary Army has been causing trouble lately. Should we deal with them?"
"The Revolutionary Army?" Minister Honest asked casually. "When will Esdeath return?"
The demonic man reported respectfully, "General Esdeath is on her way back. She should reach the capital in about a month."
Honest waved dismissively. "Then let Esdeath handle it. That woman's always eager for slaughter."
"Yes!" The man retreated.
And then...
"Hahaha~~~" Honest let out a near-maniacal laugh, his expression twisted. "Everything, everything is under my control! This Empire is mine!"
At that moment, a pitch-black beam pierced the heavens.
Not far from the capital, the entire world bore witness.
"Hm?" Honest's laughter ceased, his lips curling into a devilish grin. "Seems like a minor disturbance. But as long as I hold the supreme, unparalleled Teigu, everything is within my grasp."
The Empire's northern border, the Frozen Tundra.
Here, tribes had united into a northern nation.
But it had been shattered, reduced once more to scattered tribes.
The reason?
The Empire's mightiest general: Esdeath.
She had come here.
And when she left, everything was settled.
"Hm?" A tall, striking woman in a white military uniform, with flowing blue hair, looked up. Her ice-blue eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
"That's the capital's direction?"
"What is it?"
"A strong opponent?"
Esdeath murmured to herself.
A moment later, her lips curved into a grin. With a leap, she left only an order for her soldiers to return to the capital.
She vanished in an instant.
With her strength, even from the Empire's border, reaching the capital wouldn't take long.
She could sense the terrifying power within that black beam.
In that moment, Esdeath's body trembled with excitement.
It had been so long since she'd felt this way.
For her, she craved slaughter, craved battle.
Now, she sensed an enemy capable of defeating her, and the thrill was overwhelming.
Ten kilometers north of the capital, in the mountains, lay the headquarters of Night Raid, an assassin group formed by the Revolutionary Army to topple the Empire's rule.
Their usual missions involved eliminating the capital's corrupt officials, villains, nobles, and the root of the Empire's decay: the Minister.
But in a world where darkness had seeped into people's souls, was the Revolutionary Army truly any better?
In the end, it was just a cycle repeating itself.
When the Empire fell and a new one rose, it would only decay again with time.
"Hill, are you okay?" A bold woman with golden hair and a fiery figure dashed forward, her demeanor like that of a big sister. This was Leone, a member of Night Raid.
She raced toward the black beam, now so close, shouting urgently.
Indeed, another Night Raid member, Hill, was on patrol today. No one expected this to happen.
Normally, Hill's airheaded, clumsy nature meant she wasn't assigned routine tasks—she wasn't good at them.
Today, Hill had wanted to help, volunteering for patrol.
Leone had agreed, staying nearby to keep an eye on her, thinking nothing would go wrong. But this sudden event left Leone filled with self-reproach.
Why? Why had she agreed to let Hill patrol?
"Leone, I'm fine," came Hill's soft, timid voice.
Leone breathed a sigh of relief, rushing to her side and shielding her in an instant.
About twenty meters ahead, the black beam was beginning to fade.
"What is that?" Leone muttered, crouching slightly. Her body transformed, sprouting ears, claws, and a tail, resembling a lion-beast hybrid.
This was her Teigu: Beast Transformation: Lionelle.
Leone readied for battle. Seeing this, a glint flashed in Hill's eyes as she gripped a massive pair of scissors taller than herself—her Teigu, Ecstasy: Everything-Cutter.
The two Night Raid members stood vigilant, unaware that the God of Darkness had descended upon their darkened Empire.
***
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