"Don't feel like you should be the only one holding yourself back. Just do whatever you want to do"
— Yotsuba Nakano, The Quintessential Quintuplets
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The next day, Leone, Chelsea, and Lubbock went to the Imperial Capital.
Roy and Akame headed into the forest to hunt Danger Beasts for food.
"Akame, I heard you have a younger sister. Can you tell me about her?" Roy asked as they walked.
"Eh?" Akame seemed surprised by his sudden question.
She was silent for a moment, lost in thought, then began recounting her past with Kurome.
"When we were young, Kurome and I only had each other. We lived on the streets until we were bought by the Empire and trained as assassins..."
Roy listened quietly as Akame shared her story.
He felt a pang of sympathy for the two sisters.
They had endured a harsh childhood, and now they were forced to fight each other.
He remembered that in the original story (and the anime), Kurome had ultimately died by Akame's hand.
The pain of killing one's own sibling was unimaginable.
"Even though you were separated, you still love Kurome, don't you?" Roy asked gently, patting Akame's head.
"Yes. That's why I must be the one to kill her," Akame replied with a serious expression.
Roy was speechless.
Why were they always talking about killing each other?
"Akame, you can't say that. She's your only sister."
"Exactly. Because she's my sister, I can't let her continue to be used by the Empire."
Roy sighed. She was so stubborn.
"Don't you want to free Kurome from the Empire's grasp? Then you two can be together again."
"That's impossible... I once invited Kurome to leave the Empire with me, but she refused. She believes I betrayed her," Akame said, her expression filled with sadness.
"That's because you didn't show her how truly dark the Empire is," Roy explained patiently.
They had been trained as assassins from a young age, with no proper education.
They didn't understand right from wrong.
Akame only realized the truth after witnessing the death of her friend, Martha.
That was when she met Najenda, the leader of Night Raid, and decided to defect from the Empire.
Kurome, being younger than Akame, couldn't possibly understand.
She only knew that her sister had betrayed the Empire, and thus, she believed Akame had betrayed her as well.
"But there's nothing I can do," Akame said, looking at him helplessly.
With her quiet and reserved nature, how could she possibly convince Kurome?
If she could have, Kurome would have left with her long ago.
"Then leave it to me," Roy declared confidently.
Akame's eyes lit up with hope.
She undoubtedly loved her sister. If Kurome could truly return to her...
"Thank you, Roy," Akame said with a grateful nod.
"Haha, you're welcome. If you really want to thank me, then become my servant," Roy said half-jokingly.
Akame blushed.
"Alright.."
"What? You agree?" Roy was surprised.
"Yes," Akame repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's great, Akame! Don't worry, I'll bring Kurome back to you," Roy promised, happily patting her head.
He was determined to fulfill his promise.
"Look! We found our food, Akame. Let's go!" Roy suddenly spotted a tiger-like Danger Beast.
Akame's eyes lit up, and she drooled at the sight of the potential meal.
"Eliminate."
...
The next morning, Roy and Saeko arrived at a library in the Imperial Capital.
Lubbock was already waiting for them at the entrance.
"Please come in," he said, opening the door and leading them inside.
They reached the back of the library.
Lubbock flipped a few switches, and the bookshelves parted, revealing a hidden staircase leading underground.
"Haha, what do you think? This is my secret base!" Lubbock said proudly.
"It's impressive," Roy nodded in approval.
They descended into the hidden chamber.
"Yo! Welcome to our secret base in the Capital!" Leone greeted them with a cheerful shout, her cheeks flushed, and pulled Roy into a hug.
"Leone, have you been drinking?" Roy asked, gently pushing her away and settling onto a sofa.
"So, any news in the Capital?" he inquired.
"The main topic of discussion is Esdeath's newly formed special police force, the Jaegers," Chelsea replied, chewing on a lollipop.
Esdeath might be seen as a demon by the people of the outer regions, but within the Capital, she was a revered hero.
So, it was natural for news of her forming the Jaegers to spread quickly.
"Any information on the Jaegers?" Roy asked.
"Um..." Chelsea, Leone, and Lubbock exchanged awkward glances.
It seemed they hadn't gathered any information on the Jaegers yet, perhaps because it was a newly formed group.
"That's alright. After all, they were just formed recently," Roy said dismissively.
He knew quite a bit about the Jaegers. In the original story, there were six members.
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Kurome, who wielded the Teigu "March of the Dead: Yatsufusa."
Wave, who wielded the Teigu "Grand Chariot."
Seryu Ubiquitous, who wielded the Teigu "Hekatonkheires: Koro."
Run, who wielded the Teigu "Mastema."
Dr. Stylish, who wielded the Teigu "Perfector."
And Bols, who wielded the Teigu "Rubicante."
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However, Seryu had been killed by Leone, and her Teigu had been retrieved.
Roy wasn't sure how many members the Jaegers currently had.
"Any other news in the Capital?" he asked.
He suspected that Esdeath's martial arts tournament would be held soon.
It was an opportunity to approach Esdeath.
He could use this opportunity to join the Jaegers and get close to Kurome.
After all, he had promised Akame that he would bring Kurome back.
If he didn't join the Jaegers, it would be nearly impossible to persuade Kurome.
Moreover, Wave was a potential threat.
In the manga, Wave had won Kurome's heart. Roy had to be cautious.
"Speaking of which, there's been a lot of talk about the martial arts tournament hosted by Esdeath," Chelsea said, handing him a flyer.
Roy took the flyer and examined it. It was as he had expected.
Although it was advertised as a martial arts tournament, it was likely a selection process for new Jaegers members and potential romantic partners for Esdeath.
"I have to participate in this tournament," Roy declared.
"Why?" Chelsea voiced everyone's question.
"If I'm not mistaken, the winner of this tournament will likely join the Jaegers, right? This is a good opportunity to gather information on them," Roy explained, fabricating a reason.
"But that's too dangerous!" Leone protested.
Chelsea and Lubbock also looked at him with concern. Only Saeko didn't question his decision.
"Haha, don't you know how strong I am? And I'm not going to do anything reckless. I'll just gather information and find a chance to slip away," Roy reassured them.
They reluctantly agreed.
...
Lubbock led them to the tournament venue.
The place was packed with people.
"Wow, so many people!" Leone exclaimed.
"You guys find a seat and watch the matches. I'll go register," Roy said before heading towards the registration area.
Saeko, Leone, Chelsea, and Lubbock found seats.
"These guys are so weak!" Chelsea commented after watching a few matches.
The fighters were too weak to hold her interest.
"That guy is pretty good. I heard he's a Rank 8 Imperial Fist," Lubbock said, pointing at one of the fighters.
"When is Roy going to fight? I'm falling asleep," Leone yawned. She had been drinking earlier and was feeling drowsy.
"Soon, I think," Saeko replied, her eyes fixed on the arena, waiting for Roy's turn.
...
After registering, Roy sat and waited for his match.
He suddenly realized that this tournament was also Esdeath's way of choosing a romantic partner.
Did he meet her criteria?
He recalled Esdeath's requirements:
1 - Prioritize future potential and strive to become a general.
2 - Have the courage to hunt Danger Beasts with her, even empty-handed.
3 - Have grown up in the border regions, not the Capital, like her.
4 - Be younger than her, so she can dominate them.
5 - Have a pure smile.
...
He met the first four conditions perfectly.
Only the last one, having a pure smile, was a bit tricky.
Roy didn't consider himself a pure person, but he could probably manage a pure smile.
However, he wasn't good at faking it.
Perhaps he could smile naturally, but he wouldn't force it.
But it seemed the last condition wasn't mandatory.
Roy stroked his chin. It seemed he met all the requirements.
He had initially planned to conquer Esdeath with his strength, as she believed in the law of the jungle.
The strong ruled the weak.
But now, it seemed he could also charm his way into her heart.
Roy smirked.
Just then, a soldier informed him that it was his turn to fight.
Roy followed the soldier to the arena.
His opponent was a three-meter-tall, bull-headed creature.
'Are there beastmen in this world? Or is he a minotaur?'
Roy was confused.
The audience, seeing a small boy facing the massive bull-headed warrior, erupted in mockery.
"Hey, kid, go home and drink your milk!"
"Hahaha, such a small child wants to participate? Isn't he afraid of getting killed?"
"Just surrender!"
"Yeah, this isn't the place for you."
...
Roy ignored their taunts. He would let his actions speak for themselves.
As he stepped into the arena, Esdeath, who was watching from a raised platform, noticed him and was immediately intrigued.
Roy, a devil with Maou strength. had an aura that set him apart.
common folks couldn't sense it, but Esdeath could.
"Begin!" Wave, acting as the referee, announced the start of the match.
"Taste my Crushing Iron Fist!" the bull-headed warrior roared, charging at Roy with a ferocious expression.
Roy grinned, deciding to have some fun.
With his hands casually tucked in his pockets, he effortlessly dodged the bull-headed warrior's attacks.
The warrior, enraged by Roy's nonchalance, attacked even more fiercely.
"Damn it, I'll kill you!" he roared.
But his punches couldn't even touch Roy. He only succeeded in tiring himself out.
"Damn you, stop dodging!" he yelled, panting.
"Oh, alright. It's time to end this," Roy said calmly.
He suddenly appeared before the bull-headed warrior and made a funny face.
"Bleh!"
The warrior's eyes bulged, and he collapsed.
Roy chuckled, enjoying his little prank.
The audience was confused.
Why had his opponent fainted after Roy simply made a face?
"That's it! The winner is Roy!" Wave declared.
The audience cheered.
"That boy is amazing!" Run, who was standing beside Esdeath, exclaimed. "He made it seem like he was just making a face."
"But he actually landed three punches in an instant. It was too fast for anyone to see."
"What a skilled young man!"
"Indeed." Esdeath nodded absently, her eyes fixed on Roy.
She touched her cheek, a faint blush creeping onto her face.
"I've found him," she murmured.
"You mean a new member for the Jaegers? That boy is certainly qualified," Run commented, misunderstanding her.
"In every aspect..." Esdeath said, then descended from the platform and approached Roy in the arena.
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"Your name is Roy, right? What a wonderful name," she said with a smile.
"Yes," Roy replied.
"That was an impressive match. Now, for your reward."
Esdeath stepped closer, reaching into her coat.
'What?' Roy was confused.
This scene seemed familiar. Was Esdeath attracted to him?
But he hadn't even shown her a "Pure Smile."
He didn't realize that his playful expression and unique aura had already captivated Esdeath.
Just as a beautiful girl acting cute could be incredibly charming, a handsome boy acting playful could also be quite endearing.
Esdeath was smitten with his mischievous grin and his distinctive aura.
Roy watched as Esdeath pulled something out of her coat, feeling a sense of resignation.
She took out a collar and tried to put it around his neck. Roy dodged with a slight sidestep.
"Oh, so the reward is a collar? Unfortunately, I'm not worthy of such gift," Roy chuckled, shrugging.
"It's not up to you," Esdeath replied with a playful smile, trying to put the collar on him again.
"Esdeath-san, I already said I don't need this. Why don't you give it to someone else?" Roy teased, dodging her attempts like a game of tag.
"Oh no, Roy has been targeted by Esdeath. What do we do?" Leone said, watching the scene unfold with a worried frown.
"I think Roy is trying to seduce her. And it's Esdeath, no less."
"But that's not a bad thing. If Roy can win her over, that would be great," Chelsea commented, twirling her lollipop.
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