Akame Ga Kill - Garou

Esdeath stood tall, her piercing blue eyes locked onto Garou. A slow, proud smile crept across her lips as she spoke. "My Teigu has no built-in trump card, so I created one just for you." Her words were filled with both admiration and determination.

The very next moment, an overwhelming force erupted from her. The world around her came to a sudden halt—everything frozen in time. The expressions on everyone's faces remained locked in place, and Garou, the man who had never been affected by anything, was caught in her trump card.

Esdeath's smile widened, feeling the thrill of victory. Confidently, she stepped toward the motionless Garou, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword. As she reached him, she took a moment to look at his face, admiration flickering in her eyes. In a soft, almost sorrowful voice, she whispered, "I really liked you."

Closing her eyes, she drove her sword toward his heart. She expected to feel resistance only for a brief moment before the blade ran him through. Instead, it came to an abrupt stop.

Her eyes snapped open in disbelief. Garou's hand was wrapped tightly around her sword, stopping it just before it could reach his heart. His golden eyes glowed faintly as he looked down at her.

"Neat trick," he said in an impressed tone.

The next moment, a sharp, unbearable pain shot through Esdeath's entire body as everything went black. The world suddenly lurched back into motion. One moment, Esdeath was standing proudly next to Honest; the next, she lay on the cold palace floor, unconscious and visibly injured under Garou's feet. On the other hand, Garou stood calmly, his chest bleeding but his posture remained strong.

A deep silence filled the hall before Garou shifted his gaze toward Honest. His face held no emotion, only an unrelenting, cold determination. "Nothing will save you."

Honest, once smug and untouchable, was now trembling with terror. His most powerful supporter had fallen in mere moments. He let out a panicked scream, barking out orders to the Jaegers and the Wild Hunt. "Capture the Emperor! That is the only way we survive!"

The Wild Hunt heeded Honest's desperate command. They charged toward the young Emperor with reckless abandon, but Budo was faster. Summoning his full strength, he struck with overwhelming force, killing the clown and two girls instantly. The remaining two managed to evade his attack, only to meet swift deaths beneath Akame's blade. Her trump card was already activated—she had gone all out from the very start, leaving them no chance.

Meanwhile, The Jaegers remained unmoving, their faces filled with uncertainty. Run stepped forward, hands raised. "We will follow the Emperor's orders," he declared, his voice calm and firm. Budo nodded but remained on guard against them.

With his last hope crushed, Honest turned to flee, only to crumple to the ground with a sickening crack. His leg was broken, and standing above him was Garou, his expression betrayed no emotions.

Garou's voice was like ice. "I will break you."

Then the screams began. Honest's cries of agony filled the grand halls as Garou unleashed unrelenting punishment, ensuring he felt every ounce of pain he had inflicted on others tenfold.

Under the Emperor's orders, Honest and Esdeath were swiftly imprisoned. The Jaegers were placed under house arrest for the time being, awaiting further judgment.

With that, the era of Honest's unchecked tyranny came to an end. This was only the beginning of a new page in the Empire's history.

______________________

Akame stood in a room in the royal palace, her fingers trembling slightly as she waited. A soft creak of the door signaled the arrival of the one person she both longed to see and talk with—her younger sister, Kurome.

Kurome stepped inside, her expression unreadable. She was in her usual black sailor uniform, her hand resting near her Teigu, as if bracing herself for a fight. But the moment she met Akame's gaze, something in her eyes wavered.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. It was Akame who finally broke the silence. "Kurome… I'm sorry." Her voice was steady, yet filled with raw emotion. "I should have tried to talk with you earlier. I should have tried harder to take you with me."

Kurome's lips trembled, but she didn't speak. She only clenched her fists, waiting.

"I didn't leave you because I stopped caring. I left because I realized what we were doing… what the empire was making us," Akame continued, her red eyes glistening. "We were raised to be killers, turned into weapons before we even had a chance to choose another life. The empire took our innocence and twisted it, it made us less than human, tools for killing."

She took a step closer, but Kurome didn't move away. "Back then, I thought by leaving I could change things, to make up for the wrong and injustice I did. I thought that was the right choice. But I was wrong. I left you so I can help dismantle the empire and fight against evil, but ended up doing the same exact thing all over again but under a different banner. When I realized that, I could only think of you. I came back prepared to accept anything you want to do"

Kurome finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Anything?"

Akame smiled softly, her heart aching. "Even my life, I am more than happy to die if that makes up for leaving you"

That was all it took. Kurome's composure shattered, and she ran forward, throwing her arms around Akame. The older sister staggered slightly before wrapping her own arms around Kurome, holding her tightly as the younger girl sobbed into her shoulder.

"I hated you for so long…" Kurome choked out between sobs. "I told myself that you don't care about me, that you left me to suffer alone… but I still wanted to see you again." She gripped Akame's cloak tighter. "I forgive you. I just want us to be together again."

Outside the room, pressed against the door, Wave, Rin, and the remaining Jaegers listened in silence. Wave, who had cared about Kurome the most, was tearing, happy for Kurome. The rest of Jaegers smiled at their friend.

"She's finally making up with her sister" Run whispered with a small smile.

Wave, wiping his tears, spoke "Yeah… I guess Akame's not as heartless as she seemed."

Inside, Akame gently brushed Kurome's bangs away from her teary eyes. "We don't have to fight anymore. We don't have to be tools of war."

Kurome nodded weakly. "Then let's stay together this time."

Akame tightened her embrace. "Always."

______________________

The days following the fall of Honest were filled with relentless work. The little emperor, no longer bound by the manipulations of his former Prime Minister, dedicated himself to purging the palace of all remnants of corruption. One by one, those who had profited from the suffering of the people were removed from their positions and cast into prison.

The once-opulent halls of the palace now carried a different air, one of determination and reform. Yet, despite all the changes, there was one last matter the emperor had to resolve.

With a heavy heart, he decided to confront Honest one final time.

The dungeon was dimly lit, the scent of damp stone thick in the air. The little emperor stood before the iron bars of Honest's cell, his posture straight, his expression serious. Behind him, Budo stood silently, ever the vigilant protector. The elite royal guards maintained their watch over the prisoner, ensuring that the once-untouchable Prime Minister could do no more harm.

Honest, stripped of his lavish clothing and grotesque indulgence, looked smaller than before, though his eyes still held a glint of arrogance. He sat on the cold ground, his once round face gaunt and pale from the days of imprisonment.

"Honest," the emperor called, his voice steady yet cold.

The old minister slowly looked up, his darkened eyes meeting the boy's.

"I want to know something," the emperor continued. "You were the Prime Minister. You had everything—power, wealth, respect. Why? Why spread such corruption? Why cause so much suffering?"

For a moment, Honest was silent. Then, with a slow grin, he leaned forward, shadows dancing over his face. "And what's wrong with that? People existed to be used and discarded"

The emperor's hands clenched into fists, anger simmering in his chest. "Even now, you don't regret what you've done?" he asked, his voice rising slightly. "You're going to be executed publicly for your crimes, and yet you still feel nothing?"

Honest's grin twisted into something darker. His voice, laced with malice, cut through the silence like a blade. "Regret? Hah! If I regret anything, it's not killing you sooner."

The emperor's breath hitched as Honest continued, his words dripping with venom. "Do you honestly think I ever saw you as anything more than a tool? I kept you alive only because of the Supreme Teigu. If I had known this day would come, I would have ended you the moment I got rid of your pathetic parents."

The dungeon fell into a heavy silence.

Budo's eyes widened slightly, but his expression remained otherwise unreadable. The emperor, however, felt a deep chill settle into his bones. "What… did you just say?"

Honest laughed, a guttural, bitter sound. "Oh right, you don't know, It was I who poisoned your father. And your mother? I killed in with my own hands while saying it was a tragic accident. You were nothing but a puppet, boy, a naive child too blind to see the strings pulling him, shaped to my whims."

The emperor's fingers trembled. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain composed despite the storm raging inside him. "No punishment will ever be enough for you," he said finally, his voice quiet but filled with a steely resolve. "You will answer for everything."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, his mind reeling from what he had just learned. Budo followed closely behind, but just as they emerged from the dark corridors of the dungeon, the emperor finally stopped.

Tears welled in his eyes, slipping down his cheeks before he could stop them. His whole life, he had treated Honest as a father figure, the only guiding force in his lonely childhood. To think that very man was responsible for the deaths of his real parents—

Budo placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "I failed you, Your Majesty," he admitted, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "I failed your father, and I failed to protect this empire from Honest's poison. I allowed him to act under my nose, and for that, I take responsibility."

The emperor wiped his tears quickly, swallowing his emotions. "We have too much work to do, General," he said, forcing himself to move forward. "Too much to fix."

Budo nodded, his expression firm. "And I will be by your side, always."

Together, they walked forward, leaving behind the darkness of the dungeon and stepping into the light of a new era.