It was a new week, late at night.
"Not bad at all…" Daniel nodded approvingly as he read the latest issue of Picca Comics.
Two new series had started this issue. The first, One Piece, had only two chapters out so far. Judging by the main character Luffy, who seemed a bit naive but driven, Daniel guessed this would be a classic adventure manga. The story so far followed Luffy as he saved Koby and Zoro, inviting Zoro to join his crew.
Since it was still just starting, not much of the story had unfolded yet. Apart from the pirate theme, Daniel couldn't see anything too unique about it for now. But he wasn't worried—he knew by now that the Porter's stories often started simply, only to evolve into something much deeper.
The second series, Akame ga Kill, caught his attention right away.
The story begins with a young swordsman named Tatsumi, who comes to the imperial capital to raise money to save his impoverished village. But things don't go as planned—he ends up separated from his companions and is quickly tricked out of his money, only to be taken in by a wealthy noble's daughter.
Then, things take a dark turn. That night, he encounters the assassin group Night Raid and learns the harsh truth about the capital's corruption and the dark fates of his friends. By the end of the second chapter, he's already joined Night Raid, and it's clear he'll be fighting to overthrow the Empire's rule alongside his new allies.
But what Daniel liked most about the story was its realistic portrayal of the "heroic" side. Unlike many similar stories where the hero's group is portrayed as flawless, Akame ga Kill doesn't shy away from showing Night Raid's rough edges. Right from the beginning, one of their members, Leone, tricks Tatsumi and takes his money. This little moment made Daniel feel the story was grounded, even if it was still a fantasy.
In real life, even a "revolutionary army" would have its flaws. They're still people, and people aren't perfect. To topple a corrupt empire, they'd have to bring together all kinds of people with different backgrounds and morals. It was refreshing not to see a saintly group for a change.
Still, Daniel couldn't shake one feeling…
"Feels like it's headed for a tragic ending."
The story was still fresh, but he had a gut feeling. It was exactly the kind of setup that the Porter loved turning into a "tear-jerker." All the Night Raid members seemed like ordinary people, drawn to fight the empire out of a sense of justice or desperation. But in a fight like this, they'd be the ones to take the blame, maybe even get sacrificed.
And who was to say they'd actually win?
Not everyone can "start with a humble bowl" and end up winning an empire, he thought, laughing to himself.
Meanwhile, at Ren's home...
"Mmm, that's yummy!" Yueyue licked the frosting from her lips, beaming with satisfaction.
She had just finished a strawberry cake.
But… it didn't quite fill her up. She patted her little belly, realizing she was still a bit hungry. However, she remembered that she had just gotten over a cavity and wasn't allowed to eat sweets freely.
Just then, she noticed her little brother with his toy monsters, smashing them against his Ultraman figure. His cake sat untouched in front of him.
Her eyes sparkled with a new idea.
But as she edged closer, a vision of herself appeared on either side—one as an angel, one as a devil.
The angel Yueyue urged, "Don't do it! That's your brother's cake. Wouldn't you feel bad?"
Yueyue hesitated, reminded of her role as an older sister. But then the devil Yueyue chimed in, "Your dad sneaks your snacks all the time!"
The angel fell silent, and the devil Yueyue grinned triumphantly and disappeared. Yueyue now had her excuse.
She leaned slowly toward her brother's cake, inch by inch.
"What are you doing, sis?" Her little brother caught her with her hand just above his plate, tilting his head curiously.
"Uh…" Yueyue froze for a second, then said quickly, "The weather's really hot lately, so if you don't eat it soon, it'll go bad! I thought I'd remind you."
"Oh!" Her brother gave a wide-eyed nod, then smiled brightly. "Thank you, sis!"
Ren, watching the whole scene, almost burst out laughing.
It was easy to see what was going on in Yueyue's mind—she was definitely his daughter, all right. Trying to sneak a bite of cake and getting caught was written all over her face.
Resisting the urge to look at the cake, she glanced away, trying to focus on anything else so she wouldn't give in to temptation.
But suddenly, her little brother's spoon appeared in front of her, holding a bit of cake.
Yueyue blinked, glancing at her brother, who was grinning at her.
"I thought you wanted a bite, sis, so here, you can have some!"
Yueyue felt touched. She wanted to refuse, but the cake was already near her mouth, and she found herself leaning forward, taking a bite. She gave him a little smile, savoring the taste.
"Is it good?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm!" Yueyue nodded, trying to hide her happiness.
"I'm glad!" he said, scooping up a piece for himself and taking a bite. "It's so sweet!"
Watching them, Ren felt his heart swell with warmth.
There was nothing like family. Moments like these were priceless.
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