Chapter 1: Kill the Past
WARNINGS: Rated MA forBlood, Gore, Sexual Abuse and Scenes. Not suitable for ages 15 and below.
The Empire has fallen.
They didn't know how it happened. They didn't know when it happened, or even who made it happen. One moment, the Imperial Capital was bustling with people going about their daily lives, strolling leisurely along the busy streets as they enjoyed the freedom and peace they finally had. The next thing they knew, screams were already filling the air as the entire populace was mercilessly massacred by a large force that had apparently staged an uprising.
It was a sudden attack. And they couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening. They didn't even had a clue who ordered the assault. And before they knew it, an army was already rampaging across the city.
They tried to fight back. With most of the former Revolutionary Army members integrated into the Imperial Defense Force and the Army, Najenda led a counter attack from within the Palace itself. Riding astride her warhorse with Wave, Run and the other Teigu users they had trained and gathered acting as the vanguard, the former Revolutionary Army leader and her army charged out of the main gate of the citadel, pushing back the invading force and cutting everyone in their path. Buildings collapsed and crushed countless bodies. Fire raged across the battlefield, incinerating those in its path. Limbs and heads flew everywhere, blood splashing on the ground as the Teigu users unleashed their full wrath on the assailants. For over an hour, the battle rapidly spreaded throughout the whole capital, turning it into a warzone.
The surviving civilians fought too, their fierce determination to defend the peace that many had died for overriding their fear and turning them from peace-loving citizens content in living their lives to the fullest to a raging storm of spears, swords and shields, howling to the sky as they hacked those who were bold enough to shatter the quiet life they had achieved. Rallying under Najenda, the Imperial Army and the capital's militia held the line against the invaders.
But even with their combined might, the nature of the attack had greatly compromised their efficiency in combat. It was too sudden. Too spontaneous, allowing them no time to prepare and mobilize their troops properly. Most of all, the enemy brought Danger Beasts. Dozens of them, hidden in the forests outside the city and immediately unleashed once the attacking army had taken control of the gates. A fearsome variety bred solely for war. Even with the Teigu users, which should have given the Empire an edge in combat, none of them could stop the bloodbath that happened within the next two hours.
Wave, impaled on the horn of an enormous Feline-type.
Run, torn to shreds by a flock of evil birds.
One by one, the powerful Teigu users fell. Without their support, the rest of the Imperial Army buckled against the might of the enemy forces. By the time the battle was over, most of the capital's army was destroyed, the remaining civilians enslaved, and Najenda captured.
And Akame of the Demon Sword Murasame arrived too late to stop any of it from happening.
She watched from the shadows of an alley, her black cloak allowing her to blend in the background and hide her from view, as the soldiers dragged Najenda into the plaza, stripped naked and bruised. She watched as they tied the former general on a pole, dried woods piled on her feet, with many citizens weeping in despair and grief as their leader neared her execution. She watched as a hooded figure approached Najenda and whispered something to her, before he slapped her hardened face. And she watched as Najenda stared into the man with an unwavering gaze even as a soldier ignited the woods beneath her feet.
Akame clenched her sword, a tear rolling down her cheek as she saw her boss, her friend, consumed by the raging inferno. Cries of despair and hopelessness from the citizens filled the air. But during all these, she never heard the former general cry for mercy. She didn't scream. She didn't even beg. She simply stared at the hooded man defiantly as her skin began to blackened.
The raven-haired assassin observed all of these from the shadows, and a burning desire for revenge engulfed her heart. She stared at the man from the distance, replaying the words Najenda had said to her when she sneaked into the castle to see her. A final order. Her last true mission as an assassin. Composing herself, Akame started to walk away, already formulating ways to infiltrate the Palace once again and fulfill her oath. The face of the man, which she already saw, was very clear in her head. And only a single word was running through her mind as she navigated the alley.
Eliminate.
She snuck in at night, like she always did, using the shadows as cover. It didn't take her much effort to sneak into the palace again, already familiar with its layout. Navigating through its maze of corridors and hallways, her cloak billowing gently as she walked in silence but with an air of confidence. And whenever she encounters a guard, the assassin didn't hesitate to take him down swiftly yet quietly. By the time she had arrived at her destination, several dozens of corpses were already left behind in her wake. They marked the route she had taken, but she didn't care. It would take the rest of the guards an hour before they could reach her, and by that time, her mission was already finish.
She entered the chamber and found her target asleep on the bed that had once belonged to Najenda. With every step she took, every breath she exhaled, there's only a single word running on her mind.
Eliminate.
She drew her katana slowly, deliberately, as she savored the feel of her trusted weapon on her hand. The blade glinted in the moonlight, and she briefly stopped to admire its beauty. This was her last mission. Her true final job as an assassin. She knew that she won't make it alive after this. And she wanted to engrave the feeling of her Murasame on her mind. One last time.
Eliminate.
The blade cut into the air gracefully, its edges sinking to her target's flesh. His neck.
Eliminate.
Blood immediately spurted out as the curse slowly wormed its way through every vein of the man that had killed her last anchor to the world. Markings crawled over his body, and he convulsed and gurled in his sleep as crimson liquid poured from his mouth. As this was happening, the door burst open and a dozen guards entered, with many more standing outside. They all wore looks of shock in their faces as they saw their leader lying dead on his bed.
Eliminate.
Akame turned towards them, her crimson eyes ablaze with fury.
Eliminate!
She charged into their ranks, cutting through them mercilessly. Every stroke of her sword. Every cut her body received. Each drop of blood that poured from her. Only a single word was running on her mind.
ELIMINATE!
Throughout the night, she fought as she escaped from the palace. Through the corridors, the streets, the gates. She fought like a demon befitting of her sword's origin, the blade sang into the air with every life it took. Hundreds fell at her Murasame, whether it was only due to a simple cut or a large gash. Screams and cries of agony filled the air as she slew soldier after soldier, their blood pooling everywhere she took them down. A river of corpses followed her wake, starting from the King's chamber and extending as far as to the capital's main gates. The road was painted red, and flocks of vultures arrived to a great feast.
And so, here she was, standing at the edge of a cliff, staring on the horizon with a longing expression as the sun rose. She was bloodied. Her clothes tattered and torn in different parts, Murasame held weakly to her side. But she was smiling. Despite her wounds, her injuries, the blood trickling slowly from a large gash in her arm. Despite all these, she was smiling.
Because, at last, it's finally over.
She could finally rest. Her job was done, and it's now up to whoever will continue Najenda's legacy to carry on with their fight. As for her, she can no longer go on. She was tired. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. She wants to rest now.
Akame sank to her knees, planting her sword on the ground. The warm glow of the rising sun promises a new future. A future she won't be part of. A future she and her friends won't be part of.
Sheele.
Bulat.
Chelsea.
Susanoo.
Mine.
Lubbock.
Leone.
Najenda.
Tatsumi.
A tear rolled down from Akame's cheek as she glanced up at the dawn sky with a painful smile. She can clearly see their faces in her mind... no, not just on her mind. She can see them with her waking eyes. They were hovering above her, smiling warmly as if to welcome her in their arms.
Another tear dropped down on the ground as Akame extended her hand longingly in their direction. Whether the phantoms were real or merely a figment of her imagination created by her mind due to exhaustion and loss of blood, she didn't care. She just wanted to join them soon. To be with them, with him, in eternal peace. Away from the suffering and hardships of this cruel world. She wanted to be with her loved ones, inseperable for eternity; Forever in the company of those she cherished most in her heart. They would finally be happy. All of them...
But is this what she truly want?
She collapsed on the ground as her injuries took their toll on her body. Briefly, she contemplated whether there was any way to prevent all of these from happening. Could she have saved her sister? Night Raid? Tatsumi? The fall of the Empire? If only she had been strong enough, it wouldn't have led to this. If only she knew what would happen, she could have save them. All of them.
Her eyes started to grew heavy as her body slowly weakened. It doesn't matter anymore. She had done all she could in her short yet tragic life, and she has no regrets. She did what needed to be done. What had to be done. And as her eyes finally closed, she smiled one last time in anticipation of seeing her friends once again.
However, as her consciousness slowly fades away, she can't help but thought sadly.
If only she could change the past...
Am I dead?
That's what Akame thought as she stared into the void. She was feeling light, as if she was floating, and there's a tiny pinprick of brightness in the distance... wait. She can see and feel?! But that's not possible. She was supposed to be dead!
You are not dead, a voice said flatly in her mind.
She mentally gasped in shock and tried to find the source of that voice. But even though she can feel, she can't move either. She can hear. See. Feel. But that's all she can do.
Who are you? She asked curiously. Is it... an angel? A being who would take her to the others, letting her finally see them again? The prospect seemed inviting, and she felt a warm glow in her heart.
Or maybe... it's a demon. She killed many people, after all. In fact, she won't be surprised if it would take her to Hell...
The voice suddenly chuckled amusingly.
I'm neither an angel nor a demon, it said.
Then what are you?
For a moment, the voice remained silent. Akame can feel its presence, and if she had a physical body, she would have shivered. It was not something malicious, but it wasn't good either. Rather, she felt an ancient power radiating from it.
I am... something else entirely, the voice said slowly. Someone who had seen the future yet was powerless to stop it from transpiring. Someone just like you, who wished to change the events that led to this tragedy.
Like me? I don't understand...
Of course, you don't. The voice drawled. You only understand two words, after all; food and eliminate.
Anger suddenly swelled in her at the voice's rude comment. HOW DARE YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HAD BEEN THROUGH? ALL THE PAIN I FELT EVERY TIME I SAW ONE OF MY FRIENDS DIE?!
Ah yes! Pain. It said softly. I had been through that once. And I'm telling you now, it wasn't easy. Seeing all your hard work slowly crumbled due to the workings of a fat simpleton. The legacy that you left behind disgraced by those who simply wanted power for their own benefit. It was really painful, even though you're already dead. The voice sighed. But, I didn't let that pain consume me. Instead, I let that empower me in my first and last attempt to undo everything. My final act as the one who started all of these.
Undo everything? What do you mean? Akame asked, all traces of hostility gone and replaced with a faint glimmer of hope.
You wish to change the past, do you not?
She was confused. Change the past? How? Is that even possible?
I don't-
-understand, the voice finished for her. But are you sure you don't understand? Didn't you just wished for that a few moments ago?
And then it hit her. Of course! Akame remembered now. She had thought something like it before she lost consciousness. But it never occured to her that it will turned out like this. She thought it was just a fantasy of her mind, created when she was at the threshold of Death.
Do you understand now? The voice spoke.
Yes.
If you do, then tell me. What do you wish?
This time, Akame was ready to answer.
I wish to change the past.
Change the past... the voice echoed. It won't be easy. All the events that led to this fate, you have to make sure they won't be repeated. You will see all your friends again, and you will have a chance to save them from a miserable end. However, every step you take, you must consider it carefully lest they lead you into something more terrible and tragic. Walk in the right direction, and you will find a joyous and brighter future. Stray into the wrong path, and you will face sorrow and despair in the end much worse than what you had felt before. Are you sure this is what you truly wanted?
To be able to see them again, alive and well. To have the chance to save them from a tragic fate. To save him from an untimely death. Akame will gladly go through being reborn, if it means changing the past for a new and brighter future.
Her decision final, the assassin replied.
Yes.
Power suddenly swept through her being, and the light in the distance grew steadily brighter.
Then go forth, Akame of the Demon Sword Murasame. Be reborn again. Change the past. Save your friends. Ensure the survival of a brighter future. May your resolve be as deadly as your weapon!
With that, Akame was finally engulfed in a blinding light.
Greetings, readers! StoryMakerr014 here and this is my first fanfic for this fandom. :)
Now, the creation of this story blossomed the day I finished watching the anime. Because, seriously...
WHY DID THEY ALL HAD TO DIE?! CHELSEA! MINE! TATSUMI! MY POOR AKAME WAS LEFT ALL ALONE! *breaks down in tears*
Anyway, as obviously stated in the story, this will be a reset fic. And I'll do my best to have Akame achieve the "brighter future" that mysterious voice was talking about. BUT, since this is Akame ga Kill, expect some deaths along the way. I can't promise that everyone will live happily ever after. However, I can guarantee a more positive ending than the anime. :)
Oh, and there will be a romance. I already BLATANTLY hinted it in this chapter. :3
Aside from that, humor will be present too. Hopefully, as hilarious as the ones from the anime. Please note though that I haven't read the manga, so everything in here will be based on what I had seen and watched.
Anyway, that's it. Expect the next chapter to feature another black-haired glutton. :3
Please Read & Review!
Until next time!