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"Why did you join forces to kill Father?"
Najasho pushed himself upright with the Water Dragon Sword in hand, his body still drenched in blood.
"Isn't it obvious? It had to be for Father's Imperial Arms!"
"Akame, you deserve to die!"
Pony roared, her voice hoarse with fury.
Even after suffering terribly inside Unlimited Blade Works, she stood tall, stubborn as ever.
"Father?" Akame's voice was calm, almost distant. "We were nothing but tools to him."
"If that weren't true, why would we have turned against him?"
"Have you all forgotten what happened in Longxi Village?!"
Her words rang out like thunder.
The next second, Guy and Green, who had been hiding in the shadows, stepped forward one after the other.
Najasho, Akame's right."
"Gozuki lied to us for years. The Empire is the real thing that needs to fall."
"The people are suffering because of it."
"One day, in the distant future, all this chaos will finally end."
Guy walked forward slowly, helplessness heavy in his tone. If he hadn't seen the truth with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it either.
Green said nothing, but his actions spoke clearly enough.
"Have you all gone insane?!"
"How could Father possibly use us?!"
"He's our father!"
Pony screamed like someone on the brink of madness.
Then she burst forward without warning, lunging straight at Akame.
"Wait!" Natala shouted.
Too late.
Akame drew One-Cut Killer: Murasame in a flash and swung.
The blade sliced cleanly across Pony's arm.
The poison spread instantly through her body.
Her strength drained away in seconds, and she collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
Najasho stood frozen.
Partly because he himself had just returned from death.
Partly because of how decisive Akame had been.
Before anyone could react—
A luminous screen suddenly appeared in midair.
Clearly, Alex had activated another large-scale projection spell from inside the room.
He had no intention of wasting more time. If his calculations were right, Esdeath's side should be nearly finished as well.
In the chat group—
Alex: "@Esdeath, how's your progress?"
Esdeath: "Final siege underway. In about an hour, total unification."
Yotsuya Miko: "Sis, you're that fast? It hasn't even been that long!"
Hestia: "My A-Che is amazing! Another ultimate mission almost done!"
Yue: "I knew Alex would succeed!"
Shinobu Kocho: "After this mission ends, I hope Alex can stay a little longer."
Mikoto Misaka: "I'm still a kid. Please don't say things like that in front of me."
Luo Hao: "How much time remains?"
Alex: "When dawn breaks, this mission will be over."
After sending that message, Alex exited the chat interface.
The projection ended as well.
Most of what had been shown was familiar to Akame and the others—but this time it was the complete version. Alex had even added scenes of Esdeath leading her army across the Western Continent.
"You understand now, don't you?"
"The father you believed worthy of respect was nothing special."
Alex stepped out from the darkness, hands clasped behind his back.
At his side walked the strikingly voluptuous Mera.
Everyone had gathered. It was about time to head to the main timeline.
"Pony was just blinded by grief."
"I'm begging you. Please save her."
Najasho dropped to his knees, sincerity clear in his voice.
After hearing Natala's explanation, he finally understood why he had come back to life.
It was all because of Alex—the otherworlder standing before them.
"Since you're asking so earnestly, fine. I'll grant it."
Alex waved a hand.
A burst of green light enveloped Pony's body.
Revival magic activated once more.
In an instant, Pony—who had died to Murasame's curse—gasped back to life.
"I… what happened…"
She touched the place where she'd been cut.
The memory of the poison invading her body, the agony of being tortured to death from within—
She never wanted to experience that again.
Over the next few minutes, Najasho and Natala explained everything.
After a long silence, Pony finally accepted reality, her voice hollow.
"But… Father…"
He had been like a real father to her.
And now he was dead at the hands of their own companions.
"Whether you accept it or not, the future won't wait," Alex said calmly, though his voice carried undeniable authority. "In the original timeline, you would have died before Gozuki."
"That's why I came. To change your fates."
"What do we do next?" Akame asked.
Alex turned to her.
Unlimited Blade Works activated instantly—no chant required.
Akame and Kurome were pulled into the inner world.
"The reason I brought only you two in is simple," Alex said. "I can't take you with me. You have to remain in this world."
"Gozuki is dead. The assassination organization is gone."
"But there are still many people who haven't appeared yet. Your task is to find them."
"And overthrow the Empire of this world."
He kept it brief. The Akame and Kurome of the main timeline were still waiting.
Bringing these two along would only create unnecessary trouble.
"I understand." Akame tightened her grip on Murasame and nodded firmly.
She knew this wasn't a negotiation.
And truthfully, she didn't want to rely on anyone else. She wanted to tear down the Empire with her own hands.
With fewer enemies left, Murasame alone was enough.
"I'll help my sister with everything I've got."
"We'll destroy the Empire in this world."
Kurome took a deep breath, her voice steady.
Alex smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Then I'll leave this world to you."
"I'm sure you'll find the others soon."
He dismissed Unlimited Blade Works, and the three reappeared before the group.
"No time to waste. We're leaving now."
"I know some of you may still have your own thoughts."
"If you don't wish to follow me, you can stay."
Najasho and Natala both understood that he meant them.
"Father is gone. There's no point staying," Najasho said after a deep breath. "We'll go with you."
Natala and Pony said nothing, but they didn't object.
"Good."
"Then let's move."
Alex raised a hand, drawing everyone into Unlimited Blade Works.
Only Akame and Kurome remained.
"Work hard," Alex said with a faint smile. "We'll meet again."
Fairy Corridor activated.
Brilliant magic flared beneath his feet, engulfing him entirely.
"Farewell, Mr. Alex."
Akame and Kurome bowed together, watching as his figure vanished into thin air.
Time passed.
Ten seconds later—
A dazzling light burst forth within a city.
When it faded, Alex had arrived in the main timeline of Akame ga Kill.
He wasn't inside the Empire.
Instead, he stood on a vast expanse of land.
The wind howled endlessly.
Sand whipped through the air.
This was no longer the Eastern Continent.
He had arrived in the West.
His plan was simple—
Rendezvous with Esdeath.
Complete the final ultimate mission.
And then bring Akame and the others back to Orario.
In the final city on the Western Continent—
Smoke billowed skyward.
Flames roared, nearly swallowing the entire city whole.
Under siege by numerous Imperial Arms users, no city could truly withstand the assault.
At best, they lasted a day or two before falling completely.
After all—
The one leading them was the Empire's strongest general, Esdeath.
With Akame, Tatsumi, and the others fighting alongside her—
If they couldn't conquer it, that would be the real surprise.
"..."
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