________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who the hell is this man?
Just from feeling Edgar's presence, Najenda's pupils couldn't help but tremble.
That sense of danger—it was overwhelming, filling the entire room.
And it was a feeling she knew all too well.
She'd felt it countless times on the battlefield.
The smell of death.
Najenda was certain—even Esdeath couldn't make her feel this way.
But even scarier…
There was something else in the air.
A strange, terrifying, and powerful force.
And that was the real reason Leone had been pinned down so completely.
Cold sweat instantly soaked Najenda's back.
Just what kind of monster had Akame brought here?
On the other side of the room—
Leone struggled to lift her head, forcing out a smile uglier than crying.
"Uh… mister, that was my bad earlier. Can't you just… let it slide?"
In an instant, Leone backed down.
She already knew without a doubt—this was someone she couldn't hope to match.
Edgar didn't answer. He just gave her a faint, unreadable smile.
Leone's grin froze on her face.
He hadn't increased the pressure on her at all… yet there was this indescribable feeling that made her chest tighten, almost suffocating her.
Her eyes darted toward Akame.
Sis, control your man! Help me out here!
Akame: "…"
You literally brought this on yourself.
She had tried to stop Leone earlier, after all.
Akame thought for a moment, then turned her head away.
Her master wasn't going to kill Leone anyway… and maybe this would help knock some of that impulsiveness out of her.
Leone: "???"
She stared at Akame in disbelief.
Wow. Your comrade's suffering here and you're just gonna pretend you didn't see anything? That's the kind of person you are?
"Ahem."
Najenda cleared her throat, subtly giving Akame a look.
She didn't know this man and had no idea what kind of personality he had.
She didn't dare speak recklessly.
Seeing this, Akame hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly:
"Master… Leone's learned her lesson already, so…"
Edgar smiled faintly. "Alright, since my beloved subordinate's asking for mercy…"
"…I'll let her go."
The moment he said that, the oppressive atmosphere in the room vanished completely.
"Phew!"
Leone collapsed to the floor like a pile of melted jelly.
"You okay, Leone?"
Najenda hurried to help her up, checking her condition.
"I'm fine… just… completely drained."
With Najenda's help, Leone slumped into a chair.
Najenda turned toward Akame, a serious glint in her eyes.
"Akame… mind telling me who this man actually is?"
Her instincts told her—there was nothing simple about their relationship.
And clearly, Edgar was the one in control.
Akame was silent for a moment before speaking.
"As you've heard—he's my master."
"…Huh?" Leone blinked. "Wait, is this some kind of kinky roleplay between you two—"
"It's not. He's someone I serve."
Those words left Leone and Najenda staring at each other in shock, both at a loss for words.
They knew Akame well. They knew her will was like steel.
And yet she was willingly serving this man?
Leone leaned forward urgently. "Did he force you? If he's making you, just say the word—we'll figure something out together!"
"That's right." Najenda's voice was resolute. "Even if we can't beat him, we can't let you suffer this kind of humiliation."
Edgar: "…"
Do I really look that much like a villain? I'm super nice to pretty girls, you know…
Akame shook her head. "I became his subordinate willingly."
"Subordinate?" Najenda frowned. "What kind of title is that supposed to be?"
"It means… someone who serves a demon."
Edgar grinned. "Put simply—Akame's a demon now."
"…Hah?"
Both Leone and Najenda froze, their brains refusing to process what they'd just heard.
After a long moment, Leone managed a weak laugh. "Akame, this is a joke, right? You're teaming up with him to mess with us, aren't you?"
"Didn't think you'd start joking around."
Akame didn't answer—she just sighed.
Fwoosh!
A pair of black wings burst from her back in an instant.
Whoosh—!
The wings beat once, and an oppressive aura filled the room.
Leone and Najenda's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
A demon?!
She really was a demon?!
The sight of those razor-sharp black feathers made their minds go completely blank.
It took a long moment before Najenda finally snapped back to reality.
"…Could you explain exactly what happened?"
"Yeah," Leone nodded vigorously. "From the beginning. Don't skip a single detail."
One of their teammates had just gone out hunting…
While they were drinking and singing songs…
And then she came back as a demon.
This was way too absurd to just accept.
"…Alright."
Akame gathered her thoughts and began to explain.
No one knew how long it took, but by the end, the room had fallen into complete silence.
Leone took a deep swig of alcohol, muttering, "Never thought something like that could actually happen…"
"Even Esdeath became a demon?"
Najenda hesitated. "So the person who replaced Minister Honest… that was you?"
"That's right," Edgar said with a little wink. "Or do you doubt me?"
"…No. It's just… a lot to take in."
Najenda's expression grew complicated.
A demon now ruled the Empire.
What were they supposed to do about that?
The enemy was far too powerful.
Was overthrowing the Empire now just an impossible dream?
Who could have guessed that in just one day… her ideals would shatter?
"Oh, right. How about you two become my subordinates as well?"
"…Huh?"
Leone and Najenda both froze, completely blindsided by the offer.
"..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________