_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Imperial Capital, Royal Palace
Inside the emperor's chambers, Alex appeared out of thin air.
The moment he landed, two shadows darted toward him. He focused—and there they were. Akame and Kurome.
The sisters' eyes lit up the instant they saw him.
"Your Majesty, you're finally back!" they said together, bowing.
Alex nodded. "While I was gone, did anything happen in the Empire?"
Akame answered, calm as ever. "Nothing major internally. With the entire Eastern Continent under imperial control, things have been steadily improving. However… General Esdeath has led her army to attack the Western Continent."
Right. Alex remembered.
This world wasn't limited to a single landmass. The Empire ruled the powerful Eastern Continent—but across the sea lay the Western Continent, home to a kingdom no weaker than the Empire itself.
A thought sparked in his mind.
Could it be that the final mission of this world isn't just overthrowing a corrupt empire—but conquering the West as well?
It made sense. If he wanted to leave with peace of mind, the world had to be fully unified.
And honestly? There was no better person for the job than Esdeath. War was practically her love language.
He had Akame and Kurome summon Najenda.
When Najenda entered the chambers and saw him, she stopped—and shot him a deeply resentful look.
"…What's with that expression?" Alex asked, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Your Majesty," Najenda said flatly, "you ascended the throne and immediately vanished, leaving everything to me. Do you have any idea how I've survived these past months? I haven't had a single full night's sleep."
Alex gave a helpless smile. "Hey, capable people get more work. Besides, saving this crumbling Empire was your dream, wasn't it? I handed you full authority and now you're complaining?"
She responded with a long, unimpressed stare.
"Fine, fine." He raised his hands. "I'm here to take you all with me. Just hang in there a little longer. Once things here are completely settled, I'll bring you to another world."
Najenda already knew he wasn't from this world. Before leaving last time, he'd told her everything—including his intention to recruit Night Raid's members.
She had been shocked—but she still agreed to help him govern the Empire.
And that "temporary" arrangement had lasted over half a year.
"You said that," she warned, suddenly energized.
"I meant it."
Afterward, Alex went over the Empire's current development with her and offered suggestions on several issues.
As a modern transmigrator, his perspective far surpassed hers. Thousands of years of dynastic rise and fall from his homeland had produced lessons in governance—problems that had once stumped entire empires now had well-documented solutions.
Najenda listened, eyes shining, and immediately left to implement his ideas.
As for Alex—
He activated his authority, "Fairy Corridor," and returned to the prequel timeline of Akame ga Kill!
The prequel was packed with prodigies.
If he could travel back, there was no way he'd let them slip through his fingers.
Northern Empire – Dayuan Town
Alex reappeared in a deserted alley.
When he stepped out, he found the town lively and bustling. Shops lined both sides of the street, selling bulk goods to streams of passersby.
At a crossroads, a circus performance had drawn a large crowd.
On the raised platform, two girls performed acrobatics.
One was Akame. The other was her teammate, Tsukushi.
At this point in time, both were members of the Empire's assassination unit—the elite Seven.
Their current mission: infiltrate the Sabatini Troupe and investigate possible connections to the Revolutionary Army.
Alex had read the prequel manga before. The finer details were fuzzy—but the main plot? Crystal clear.
Instead of watching the show, he sought out the troupe leader—a middle-aged man with a top hat and a neatly trimmed mustache.
"Sir, can I help you?" Sabatini asked.
"I'd like to join your troupe," Alex said with a smile.
Sabatini sized him up. Sixteen or seventeen at most. Harmless-looking.
"We only accept people with real talent. What can you do?"
Alex pointed toward the stage. "Anything they can do—I can."
He demonstrated briefly.
The troupe members' eyes lit up.
"He's amazing! Boss, let's take him!" said a beautiful woman.
Her name was Amalia, a veteran of the troupe who had joined as a child.
"That little brother is cute too. I like him already," said another woman with twin ponytails and a bold outfit.
That was Natalia, also an early member. Before Akame and Tsukushi joined, she and Amalia had been the only two women in the troupe.
The male members looked immediately sour. Jealousy was practically dripping off them.
Sabatini thought it over, then nodded. "Alright. You're one of us now. What's your name?"
"Alex. Looking forward to working with you all."
Applause followed.
Once officially part of the troupe, Alex watched Akame and Tsukushi perform.
Both were rare beauties, and the crowd was thick with admirers. Wealthier men constantly tossed silver and gold coins into a box.
Every time a coin clinked inside, Akame or Tsukushi would flash a wink at the donor.
The men practically melted.
Alex chuckled to himself.
This is basically livestream tipping culture.
Big spenders throwing money just to get a cute thank-you and a little eye contact.
Honestly? Same energy.
"..."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________