Akame ga Kill: Starting with Dual Kamui-Chapter 139: Esdeath – I Want to Be on Top

"Prime Minister Honest wants us to protect a man named Bolic. He's a spy the Prime Minister planted within the Path of Peace. He's gained the trust of the sect leader and now serves as his assistant," Esdeath said. "But that's not the main point. The real issue is that the Prime Minister's Four Rakshasa Demons will most likely show up as well. If they do, that's ideal. If not, we'll just take care of Bolic while we're at it."

"The Path of Peace? Is that a religious organization?" Blayn asked, puzzled.

The name alone made it sound like one.

"That's right. It's a religious group that suddenly emerged among the people. I've heard that the sect leader is incredibly charismatic and has strong leadership skills, which is why the Path of Peace has grown so rapidly," Esdeath explained.

"Well, let's not worry about this religious group for now. Let's just deal with the target," Blayn said indifferently.

Still, he couldn't help but take note of the Path of Peace.

It all depended on where these people stood. If they wanted to rebel now, that was their business. But if they refused to fall in line after he overthrew Honest's regime, then they would have to face the consequences.

"For now, we'll act like we're here to protect Bolic and see if the Four Rakshasa Demons show up," Esdeath said.

...

The Path of Peace stronghold lay far to the east of the Imperial Capital.

Over time, the organization had expanded into a massive city, home to a vast number of followers.

By now, Blayn and Esdeath had already arrived in its territory.

Everyone here was a devout believer.

"The Lord!"

"The Lord!"

"..."

A large crowd had gathered, surrounding the leader on the stage.

The leader wore a stag skull atop his head.

With a simple raise of his hand, the thousands gathered below instantly fell silent.

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"This world... is filled with sorrow..."

The leader began his sermon.

His message was simple: life was full of hardship, with people suffering from hunger and poverty. But precisely because of these struggles, one's resolve must not waver. They had to continue doing good, for one day, good would be rewarded.

"But, my Lord... if we keep doing good, won't it all be meaningless once we die?" someone in the crowd asked hesitantly.

The leader fell silent for a moment before speaking calmly. "Even if life ends, it is only the body that perishes. The soul remains in this world, and in the end, it will find happiness in the kingdom of God."

His words silenced all doubts.

"Just yesterday, a man stepped into the kingdom of God to protect his younger brother from a Danger Beast. His name was Joachim, and I will never forget this hero for as long as I live..."

The leader's expression was solemn and full of remembrance.

Blayn and Esdeath blended into the crowd, unnoticed as all eyes remained fixed on the sect leader.

Listening to his words, Blayn thought that the Path of Peace wasn't so bad. At the very least, it wasn't some cult built purely on brainwashing.

The people below were deeply moved, especially the younger brother the leader had spoken of.

He stood in the crowd, tears streaming down his face. "The Lord... He even remembers my brother's name..."

Beside him, his brother's wife was also weeping with gratitude.

The leader then gave another example, recalling even the identification number of a deceased follower of the Path of Peace. His remarkable memory only deepened the people's reverence for him.

"So you see, death is not the end. Their names and memories will always live on in this world."

The crowd erupted into cheers.

"The Lord!"

"The Lord!"

"..."

They called out his name in fervent devotion.

Behind the leader stood a bearded man.

This was Bolic—the secondary target of Blayn and Esdeath.

Their main target, of course, was the Four Rakshasa Demons.

With his Mangekyō Sharingan, Blayn could clearly see the sinister smile on Bolic's face behind the sect leader.

After all, he was a mole.

...

Blayn and Esdeath were in the dressing room, changing into formal attire.

Bolic was hosting a banquet, and they were among the invited guests.

Blayn donned a white suit, while Esdeath wore a striking red evening gown.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, they saw a large crowd and tables filled with lavish food.

Bolic sat in the center like a noble, attended by several veiled maids.

"Sigh... Lately, the sense of crisis has been growing stronger, so I requested assistance from the Prime Minister."

Seeing the icy beauty before him, Bolic sighed in relief. "I never expected the one to come in person would be General Esdeath, the Empire's strongest! Now I can finally relax."

"This banquet is attended only by my most loyal subordinates, so please, General Esdeath and this gentleman, enjoy yourselves."

Since Bolic didn't recognize Blayn, he could only refer to him as "this gentleman."

"The Prime Minister sent us to protect you. Just arrange a room for us," Esdeath said casually, not revealing their true purpose.

"Of course, no problem. My mansion is quite... interesting, hehe~"

Bolic gave a knowing smile, clearly referring to the maids in his estate.

Blayn remained expressionless, completely uninterested.

Esdeath also showed no reaction. Although she found Bolic's remark distasteful, something else held her attention.

She had already detected four unusual presences hiding in the ceiling. Most likely, they were the Four Rakshasa Demons.

"We have no interest in that. What I'd rather see is the people spying on us from above," Esdeath said coolly.

"As expected of General Esdeath, you noticed them so quickly," Bolic said in surprise.

He snapped his fingers, signaling for the hidden figures to reveal themselves.

"These are the ones who helped me take control of the entire Path of Peace... the Four Rakshasa Demons from the Imperial Fist Temple," Bolic introduced.

"So you really are here..."

Esdeath smiled faintly as she looked at them.

At that moment, one of the Four Rakshasa Demons, Ibara, decided to show off.

He chose Blayn as his target, assuming he was less formidable than Esdeath.

In a flash, he moved like a specter, appearing behind Blayn. Of course, he didn't intend to attack—just to startle him a little.

However, Blayn had already seen through his movements. Predicting Ibara's approach, he turned and caught him by the throat in one swift motion.

"When?!"

Ibara was utterly shocked. His opponent's reaction speed had outpaced his own movements.

"I have no interest in playing with you. But I wouldn't mind sending you on your way," Blayn said flatly.

Esdeath chuckled. "You really picked the wrong target. He's even stronger than I am."

"This... How is that possible..."

Ibara was in disbelief.

General Esdeath was universally recognized as the Empire's strongest, yet this young man was supposedly stronger than her?

Not just Ibara—Bolic and the other three Rakshasa Demons were also stunned.

They had assumed Blayn was just Esdeath's lackey. None of them had imagined he could surpass her.

"I... I overstepped..."

Realizing the danger he was in, Ibara quickly apologized.

He could have struggled free from Blayn's grip, but if this man truly was as strong as Esdeath claimed, angering him would be a death sentence.

Blayn released his grip, and Ibara let out a quiet sigh of relief.

He hadn't killed them immediately—he wanted to see if these four had any value. If not, disposing of them later wouldn't be an issue.

Blayn then exchanged a few words with the Four Rakshasa Demons, learning their names: Ibara, Sten, Suzuka, and Mez.

Ibara, the one who had just tested him, was shirtless, well-built, with black eyes.

Sten was even more muscular than Ibara. He had a bald head, a thick beard, and carried a wine flask at his waist.

Suzuka was tall and slender, dressed in a tight-fitting martial arts uniform. Her messy black hair had two strands of bells hanging from her ears.

Mez was a tanned girl with blonde hair, green eyes, and a striking figure. Her outfit was quite revealing, and her youthful face carried an air of playfulness.

"General Esdeath just said you're stronger than her. Is that true?"

Mez, clearly the more outgoing of the group, wasted no time asking questions.

"It's true," Blayn answered with a slight nod.

Meanwhile, Esdeath was in conversation with Bolic.

"Wow! So there really is someone stronger than General Esdeath. Ibara, you almost caused a huge mess just now," Mez teased.

Ibara could only sulk in silence, unable to argue.

...

At the banquet, Blayn and Esdeath hadn't done much for the time being.

After the banquet ended, it was already late, so they decided to stay the night.

Although Esdeath had claimed to have no interest in such things, she hadn't outright refused, so Bolic still sent a few maidservants to attend to Blayn. It was precisely because Bolic had learned that Blayn was even stronger than Esdeath that he wanted to ensure Blayn received the best hospitality possible.

What Bolic didn't anticipate, however, was that this would displease Esdeath...

As the maidservants approached the room, they were surprised to find Esdeath already inside with Blayn.

Even so, they paid it little mind and proceeded with Lord Bolic's orders—they had no choice but to obey him.

"What are you doing here?"

Esdeath's voice was cold as she questioned them.

"We are here to serve Lord Blayn. If Lady Esdeath has any requests, we can inform Lord Bolic," one of the maids replied.

They had even thoughtfully considered Esdeath's needs.

"There's no need. Leave."

Esdeath's tone was indifferent.

"But... we..."

The maids hesitated, suddenly feeling at a loss.

What they failed to realize was that Esdeath was already at the brink of anger.

"Tell that man—Blayn is mine. If this happens again... you understand, don't you?"

Her voice was laced with unmistakable killing intent.

"Y-yes! Understood!"

Terrified by her icy, bone-chilling gaze, the maids hurriedly retreated. One, who was lagging behind, even scrambled back to shut the door properly before leaving.

Esdeath promptly locked the door, then turned to Blayn. "There. Now we won't be disturbed."

"You make it sound like we're about to do something that can't be known..."

Blayn let out a slightly awkward chuckle.

"Well, it's better if no one interrupts us. After all, we're about to..."

As she spoke, Esdeath slowly began to undress.

Blayn finally realized something was off.

"Wait, what are you—?"

"I've noticed you have quite a few women around you," Esdeath stated bluntly. "So I figured I should take the lead."

She then added with a smirk, "But I'll be on top—you just lie there~"

...

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