Akame Ga Kill - Garou

The return to the capital was met with an unexpected revelation. As Esdeath and her Jaegers stepped past the towering gates of the royal palace, the murmurs of the court and military officials reached their ears. Garou—an anomaly among anomalies—was not of this world. It was Syura, the Prime Minister's own son, who had summoned him. The information rippled through the group, but to their surprise, it wasn't entirely shocking. In hindsight, it made sense. Garou's raw strength, his inhuman abilities, the way he defied logic—all of it fit better under the assumption that he came from somewhere else. An entirely different world.

Esdeath, however, took the news differently. While the others mulled over the implications, she was alight with excitement. If Garou had come from another world, that meant there were more like him—more warriors, more monsters, more challenges. Why chase after a few small fries when she could find an entire world full of adversaries worth fighting? Without hesitation, she changed course, striding purposefully toward the palace dungeons. Her subordinates exchanged uneasy glances. If Esdeath set her sights on another world, there was a possibility that she'd drag them along for the ride.

Elsewhere, news of her intentions reached Budo. The general chuckled, shaking his head. "If there's anyone capable of getting information out of that animal, it's her." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Honest had thrown himself into a frenzy of research, scouring the royal archives for everything available on Shambhala, the mystical Teigu responsible for summoning Garou. His sudden dedication did not go unnoticed. Even the young Emperor praised him for his diligence, and Budo—despite his contempt for the man—had to admit he was proving surprisingly useful.

By the time the sun dipped past its zenith, their efforts bore fruit. Every last document, every obscure text mentioning Shambhala was compiled and presented to Garou. The royal training grounds within the palace became the stage for the next step. Under the midday sun, the Emperor, the twin, Budo, Esdeath, the Jaegers, Honest, and a cadre of royal guards gathered to witness what would unfold.

Garou stood at the center, the ornate yet ominous Teigu in his grasp. His gaze flickered to Esdeath. "Syura really said all I have to do is imagine the target?" His voice carried an edge of doubt.

Esdeath smirked, arms folded. "That's what he said, right after our little 'session.'"

In truth, Syura had lied. Initially, he had protested his innocence, claiming he had nothing to do with Garou's summoning. But Esdeath had a way of making people talk. By the time she was done, Syura was desperate to tell her what she wanted to hear. He took the blame upon himself and fed them information on how Shambhala supposedly brought people from other worlds just to end the suffering.

Budo's voice rumbled through the courtyard. "Remember Garou, this is a test—do not attempt to go there. Bring something back instead."

Garou let out a breath, gripping the Teigu tightly. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

He closed his eyes and focused. Memories surfaced—the disciplined air of Bang's dojo, the weight of the training gi he used to wear. He latched onto that image, pouring his will into it. In his hands, Shambhala began to glow, the energy pulsing with intensity. The light grew, vibrant and searing. Garou gritted his teeth. He could feel it—his strength, his energy—being drained into the artifact. But he didn't let go. He held on, forcing every ounce of concentration toward his goal, toward the gi he once wore.

A blinding column of purple light erupted in front of him, stretching toward the sky. Garou cracked his eyes open, chest heaving. The Teigu had taken its toll, but something was emerging from the glow.

As the radiance dimmed, a figure became clear. An old man, slightly hunched, with a sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. Then his eyes landed on Garou.

"Garou?"

The word carried weight. Recognition.

Garou's expression twisted in disbelief. "Old geezer? It wasn't supposed to be you."

Bang's gaze hardened. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you? And that's how you greet your teacher?"

Before Garou could respond, Bang moved. In the blink of an eye, the old master was upon him, fists flying. Garou barely had time to react before the flurry of blows crashed into him, sending him sprawling into the ground. Dust billowed as Garou groaned, struggling to his feet, pain written across his face. But then that pain twisted into something else—anger.

"That's how you treat your long-lost disciple?"

Bang's voice was steady, unyielding. "For months, I searched for you. I even began to think you were dead."

Garou went silent. For the first time since arriving in this world, guilt crept into his expression. He looked away before muttering, "Sorry for the trouble."

The audience, who had watched in stunned silence, finally reacted. Their minds struggled to process what they had just witnessed. Garou—the beast, the unstoppable monster—was just tossed around like a ragdoll. And the one responsible was an old man. An old man who had just effortlessly demonstrated that he, too, was a force beyond reason.

Prime Minister Honest, of all people, was the first to break. Tears streamed down his round face as he sobbed dramatically. "Master and disciple, reunited after so long! So tragic! So beautiful!"

The others stared at him in varying degrees of bewilderment. Deep down, however, Honest's thoughts were far less sentimental. There was another monster now. The world just became even more unfair.

The old man's eyes moved toward the gathered audience. They wore strange clothing, and they seemed to know Garou—at least, that's what he gathered from the fat man's words.

He walked closer to them, speaking in a calm tone. "I am Garou's master, Bang, but you may know me as the Rank 3 hero, Silver Fang. I thank you for taking care of my unruly disciple, and I hope he hasn't caused you too much trouble."

The group was slightly surprised by the old man's introduction. First, he called himself a hero, which meant he was likely famous in his world. But more than that, they were surprised by his humble and polite demeanor. There was no comparison between him and Garou.

The young emperor stepped forward, bowing slightly. "It is an honor to meet the grandmaster. I am Makoto, ruler of the Empire and a student of Teacher Garou."

Bang blinked in surprise at the statement. Two other children stepped forward and introduced themselves.

"I am Eren, a fellow disciple," the boy said.

"I am Ari, also a disciple," the girl added.

The three children bowed in reverence. The old man smiled kindly at them and gestured for them to stand before turning his gaze toward Garou. "Garou, you have some explaining to do. And where exactly are we?"

Some time later, the group gathered in one of the royal dining halls. Everyone was present except for the royal guard cadre and Honest, who had excused himself, claiming he had important work to do. As they ate, Garou recounted how he ended up in this world and briefly explained the major events that had transpired. He also apologized for accidentally dragging his old master into this situation.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Bang said, his expression softening with relief. "After the war with the Monster Association, you disappeared completely. No matter where I searched, I couldn't find a trace of you."

"Aren't you being a little too pessimistic?" Garou replied with a shrug. "It's only been two months since then—way too soon to jump to conclusions."

Bang went quiet for a moment, then spoke with a thoughtful expression. "It seems time flows differently between the two worlds. It's been a year since then."

Garou's eyes widened in shock. "A year? I didn't think that was even possible."

Ari, curious about something, leaned forward. "Grand Teacher, you introduced yourself as a hero earlier. Are you a famous hero in your world?"

The others, who had been listening quietly until now, perked up at the question.

"There are no heroes in this world," Garou added from the side, almost dismissively.

Bang nodded before smiling at the girl. "In our world, there are heroes and monsters. I was ranked third among all heroes, but after the great war against the Monster Association, I retired. I'm too old for all of that now."

"Really? You're still stronger than most S-Class heroes," Garou remarked, clearly surprised. He had always known how strong his teacher was, but hearing him talk about retirement felt strange.

"So our teacher was a hero?" Ari asked excitedly, her eyes shining with admiration. She seemed thrilled by the revelation, but others looked at Garou differently now. Given his rough demeanor, they had always thought he was more suited to being a criminal than a hero.

Bang gave Garou a strange look, while Garou himself started feeling irritated.

"I was not a hero," Garou grumbled, hoping to end the conversation there.

Unfortunately for him, Bang wasn't about to let it go.

"Your teacher was a hero-hunter," the old man explained with a knowing smirk. "He made it his mission to hunt down and beat up heroes. It's safe to say that almost all of them hate his guts. He roamed around challenging heroes to fights and refused to take no for an answer. Most of them ended up with a solid beating at his hands. Even during the war, he fought both monsters and heroes alike."

The group turned back to Garou, their expressions now filled with understanding. Their eyes practically screamed, That makes sense.

"So Garou went around hunting heroes and monsters, just looking for a challenge?" Esdeath finally spoke, a dangerous smile creeping onto her face. "I knew we were meant for each other."

Garou groaned as soon as she opened her mouth. Meanwhile, Bang gave her a curious look and asked, "Young lady, I didn't catch your name. Who might you be?"

Esdeath's smile remained as she answered with pride, "I am General Esdeath, the future lover of Garou."

"No, she's not," Garou immediately shot back, his face twisted in annoyance. "She's just crazy."

Bang looked at Garou silently, making the younger man shift uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, the old master wiped a single tear from the corner of his eye and said, "You've finally grown up and started thinking about these things. I was worried about you."

Garou's expression darkened instantly, veins bulging on his forehead. He looked like he was about to explode, but somehow, he held himself back.

The others exchanged glances, some even smiling to themselves. Perhaps now was the perfect time to complain to the old master about Garou's usual behavior. Finally, there was some justice in the world.