" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice

3rd Person POV:

Minister: How terrible, this village as well, huh... A nation is said to be made up of its people, and yet it's come to this.

Daughter: These poor people. I think you are heading into a nest of vipers by returning to the capital, father.

Minister: I can't just stay in retirement when there are people living like this, the country will be doomed. If it's like this, I will have to fight that minister to the bitter end !

*Former prime minister, Chouri*

Daughter: And I'll protect you !

*Chouri's daughter, Spear*

Chouri: You've grown to be such a fine woman. I guess that gallantry is the reason you have yet to become a bride... ?

Spear: Ah ! Th- That doesn't matter right now, does it ?! Besides, i'm not really gallant, I just use the spear pretty well. Also, if a good person did appear, even I would get married....

Chouri: Sorry I asked...

Spear: ... What's this ?

Chouri: bandits again ?! Public order has fallen so far !

Spear: We will deal with them the same way as the last ones ! Prepare yourselves !

Moustache: ... Daidara.

Daidara: Yeah ?

Spear: Let's go !!

*Double-bladed great axe Teigu, Belvaac.*

Spear: Gh... 'Too strong... My skills can't even...'

Smol: Heh, not bad, Onee-chan. You're pretty skilled to have escaped a killing blow from Daidara's attack. But... Considering what i'm going to do to you, I'm pretty sure you'll wish you'd been cut in half~.

Chouri: Y- You... You're soldiers and officers of the Empire... !

Moustache: Correct. I am a great admirer of your political works, sir.

Chouri: Th- Then why are you coming after me ?!

Moustache: because, above all...

Moustache: Our master's orders are absolute !

Daidara: Fifteen people defeated, is it ? All right ! The value of this experience will lead me to become stronger !

Moustache: Spread out the leaflets. Help me out, Daidara.

Daidara: ... So, we're being used as the hand of the Minister, eh... Well, he has always been accused of getting rid of his political opponents.

Moustache: However, the hand in this will appear to lead to the officials under the protection of Grand general Budo.

Daidara: Ohhh, that's right ! that's why it's our turn to act, right ?

Moustache: Didn't we explain this to you before... ?

Smol: Hey, hey ! Liver, check it out, look ! Ta-dah ! My collection has increased !

Daidara: ... Nyau has such a disgusting habit.

Liver: You made sure to properly kill her, right ?

Nyau: Ahahaha. She died halfway through from shock!

Liver: Good. let's head home. To celebrate this success, I'll cook dinner !

Nyau: P- Please, you really don't need to, do you ?

Daidara: Your cooking has the same destructive power as the average Teigu ! Come on ! It even caused Lady Esdeath to pass out for a few minutes !

Liver: It'll be fine this time. I'll use a subtle seasoning with the saliva of the Evil bird.

Daidara: We don't need that sort of things in our food !

Your POV:

Najenda: Everyone is here. I have three pieces of bad news to relay, so listen carefully. First, I can no longer contact the local team.

"... Local team ?"

Akame: The Empire is vast. We specialize in carrying out assassinations in the Capital, but there is another team that handles the areas around it.

Najenda: It's currently being investigated, but the likelihood that they are dead is high, so be prepared for that. For the time being, I think it may be necessary to strengthen the security around the hideout.

Lubbock: Yeah, I'll increase the range of my threads.

Najenda: Secondly... Esdeath has finished conquering the North, and she has returned to the capital.

Akame: That was much faster than anyone thought it would be.

Lubbock: God, she's always causing so much trouble!

"Maybe next time, don't go proclaiming that we'll have years of respite. I've heard rumors of what's left of the North, and I don't know what's in more of a sorry state, their citadel... Or their 'hero'..."

Najenda: Speaking of, it seems her army was left in the North to keep watch, though.

Bulat: Then it's safe to say that she wasn't suddenly brought back to deal with the revolutionary army, right ?

Najenda: I can't figure out what her next move will be. Currently, it seems she is throwing herself into her work at the government's torture facilities. Leone, I want you to got o the capital and observe her movements.

Leone: Roger ! I've always wanted to know what type of person she is, after all.

Najenda: She's a homicidal maniac who enjoys slaughter. Be on your guard.

Leone: Alright, alright... 'Fufu... And then... I'll eb a good person and take her out if the chance comes up ! The extremely sadistic general known as the Empire's strongest... Taking her out would have the same impact as killing the prime Minister !'

Najenda: And finally, there has been a string of murders in the capital. The targets are civil officials. The deaths include 4 officials, and 61 bodyguards. The problem is, these posters claiming to be from Night Raid have been found at all the crime scenes.

"They're... Framing us for the crimes ? Anyone can see these are poorly-made fakes, right ?"

Tatsumi: Yeah, that's obvious, isn't it ? I mean, for us to suddenly start claiming responsibility seems a bit far-fetched.

Najenda: That's what I thought for the first and second cases too, but... Now it seems that it could have been us.

Tatsumi: Why ?

Najenda: After each incident, the officials have increased security, even so, they are still being killed. In the last incident, the former prime minister Chouri and around 30 highly skilled guards were all massacred. As well as his daughter, who was a disciple of the Imperial fist temple's master. No one but us could accomplish something like this, is the popular opinion.

Akame: The criminals are just as powerful as us...

"In other words, Teigu users."

Akame: 'Someone who could do something like this... It couldn't be... Kurome... ?'

Najenda: ... Those who were killed were good people who wanted nothing to do with the current Prime Minister. They were people who made the minister feel ill at ease. In other words, the Prime Minister is getting rid of is enemies, and having Night Raid take the blame.

Bulat: Could this also be a trap ? To lure out the real Night Raid ?

Najenda: I realize this could be a trap... But I wanted to inform you anyway... The officials who were killed were all highly-skilled people who opposed the prime minister, and would have nothing to do with the rebel army scouts. They cared only for their country.

Najenda: Good people like these officials will be essential in creating our new country. We cannot afford to lose any more of these talented people ! I think we should head out and crush this group of fakes ! What are your opinions on this ?

Tatsumi: ... I... Don't really understand stuff like politics, but... Using Night Raid's name to commit these crimes, just makes me sick !

Bulat: ... That's right... Exactly, Tatsumi !

"As for me... Teigus are involved, so I don't need any other reason to go after these guys."

Najenda: Okay... We've decided, then... What should we do with the fools who used our name ?! Let's go teach them the law of assassins !

"... That's good, but do we even know where these guys might appear next ?"

Najenda: There are about five officials who we suspect of being targeted. Of those five, only a few have plans to leave the capital soon. We have narrowed it down to two officials... Akame and Lubbock... Tatsumi, Bulat and Tao, you will provide protection for them !

"Oh, so we have to not kill a guy this time."

Tatsumi: Where does the official we need to protect plan to go ?

Najenda: the outskirts of the capital. He plans to board the ship that is anchored at the start of the Grand Canal. The massive luxury liner...

Najenda: RYUUSEN !!

Tatsumi: H-... HUUUUUGEEEEE !!

"Yep. This thing is like a moving fortress... Finding the impostors on this is gonna be tough..."

Liver: Let's board quickly.

*The Great Canal. Total length: 2500 Km. In order to complete this, the Capital used the efforts of one million people. As a result, it only took 7 years to complete. As the people took on many responsibilities, dissatisfaction towards the Capital increased. In the long run, however, the canal proved to be very useful for commerce, and the capital gained a lot of power because of its opening.

Used by the Emperor as a cruise ship, the "Ryussen's completion ceremony is also a link*

Tatsumi: Whoa... So gorgeous.

Bulat: Now, now, remember. You are a young master of some wealthy family who is a bit nervous due to the extravagance of the Capital. And you are his personal bodyguard appointed for his security. Don't forget your covers !

Tatsumi: Y- Yeah, Aniki !

"You make it sound easy, when your armor quite literally makes you invisible. In any case, young master, you can be at ease with me around."

Tatsumi: Stop that... Uwah, there are so many people on the shore... It's possible the Night Raid impostors will attack here, but... There are so many people here, and the Gramps we have to protect is surrounded by a meat-shield.

"So was Chouri, apparently, and it didn't stop them."

Tatsumi: I mean, this way it should be near-impossible for him to be assassinated, right ? I guess coming here was a miss.

*Bonk*

Tatsumi: Ouch !

Bulat: Deciding that on your own is negligent, Tatsumi. My invisibility will give me the upper hand, but we have no idea whether the enemy will do something similar, right ?

Tatsumi: ... That's true... I was wrong, Aniki... How much are you gonna hit me again ?!

Bulat: Well, think of them as love taps.

"Love taps... ?"

Bulat: Yeah, taps of-

Tatsumi: You didn't have to say it again !

"Well, at any rate, this sure is one handy-dandy piece of armor. It's mostly thanks to that we were able to infiltrate the ship."

Bulat: Yeah ! I fought with this to the bitter end in the war against the southern kingdoms. It's like my partner ! ... However... No matter how hard I worked, in the end...

Bulat: I don't understand !! Why were you dismissed when you've achieved so much, General ?!

Liver: I... Was stubborn, and I didn't give in to bribing the new Prime Minister.

Bulat: he decided your status based on bribes and not your accomplishments ?! That's screwed up !

Liver: Bulat. I will defend myself against these charges when I return to the Capital. I may be in this situation now, but I have not done anything wrong. I will surely make them understand.

Bulat: General...

Liver: It might take some time... Your Teigu, your position, all of it may be confiscated... Sadly, you had me as a superior Forgive me, Bulat.

Bulat: ... No... You are a great General.

Bulat: But, when the general returned to the Capital, he was unable to even make a defense. I was even made out to be a criminal. Then, absurdly, I made my escape before they captured me, using my Teigu.

Tatsumi: That is so screwed up... That's horrible !

"That's how things run in this Empire. You either bow down to the Prime Minister... Or the entire Empire you've been working under turns against you. It's not far-fetched to say he is the Empire."

Bulat: ... Oh, looks like my invisibility is at its limit. I must take the armor off.

Tatsumi: But they'll recognize your face, right ? Go ahead, leave that area to us.

Bulat: Yeah, i'm going to investigate the inside of the ship.

Tatsumi: If there's anybody suspicious, we will not overlook them...

"Even though we do look pretty suspicious ourselves right now... We were talking to thin air..."

*... ... ... ... ... ...*

Tatsumi: What's that ?

"Sounds like a recorder... *Yaaaaawn*"

Esdeath: You can relax, I'm just making a few courtesy calls. From now on, I'm in charge of policing the capital.

Shopkeeper: Y- Yes ! That is most heartening, Lady Esdeath ! Th... This is just a...

Esdeath: ... I don't need bribes. Next time you try that, I'll make it hurt.

Shopkeeper: GYAAAAAAA !! THAT HURTS ENOUGH ALREADY !!

Esdeath: Shall I try some of your confections ? This shop's famous, isn't it ?

Shopkeeper: Y- Yes ! Right away !

Esdeath: ... ...

Leone: ... 'Esdeath is by herself away from the palace, this is a chance to attack ! ... is what I would normally think, but...'

Leone: 'I know that I should attack now, since I'm in beast form... ! But moving by herself is probably a trap to lure assassins... ! And evidence to that... Is the presence that is radiating from her... It's evil and full of murderous intent... !!'

Leone: 'Thinking I could kill her if there was an opening... I was naive... ! It's frustrating, but I should follow my instincts here, and retreat !'

Esdeath: ... Hm ? That presence disappeared... So they didn't take the bait. Pity. I wanted to try some new torture techniques.

Esdeath: ... This is delicious. When their mission is over, I'll have those three try this...