Akame and Kurome

In a small town in the northwest of the Empire, two young black-haired girls who looked remarkably alike were sitting on the ground, leaning against each other as they took turns nibbling at a steamed sweet potato in their hands. Their clothes were worn and patched, and dust clung to their small, endearing faces.

One of the girls, who had black hair falling down to her calves, glanced at the half-eaten sweet potato. She swallowed, then moved it closer to the other girl beside her, who had shoulder-length black hair.

"Kurome, Nee-chan's already full. You can finish the rest," the long-haired girl said.

But Kurome, the girl with short hair, had caught the discreet motion of her sister swallowing. She accepted the half-eaten sweet potato and took a bite, savoring the soft, fragrant taste filling her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she pushed the remaining portion back to her sister, flashing her a gentle smile.

"Let's eat it together, Nee-chan."

"Alright!"

The two sisters had been wandering the streets alone since they could remember, relying on each other to survive. At only four years old, they were far too young to work, and not starving to death on the streets had been a struggle in itself. Finding even a single whole sweet potato to eat like today was a rare blessing.

Nearby, hidden within the shadows, two middle-aged men dressed in black watched the sisters. The two men exchanged a glance, a faint smirk on their faces, their gaze on the girls cold and calculating, as if they were merely observing two potential assets. They moved out of the shadows and approached the girls.

Once they reached them, the men didn't hesitate; each man clamped a hand over one of the girls' mouths, rendering them unconscious almost instantly. They picked the sisters up, one in each hand, and swiftly carried them toward the outskirts of the city.

It was hard to say how much time had passed when Akame finally awoke. She found herself sitting in what looked like a cage within a carriage. The two middle-aged men she remembered seeing before losing consciousness were seated at the front of the vehicle.

Looking around, she saw that they were in a remote area, likely a mountainous region, and not far from them lay a vast forest. Noticing her sister Kurome lying beside her, still unconscious, Akame quickly embraced her, her red eyes glinting with a wary look as she glared at the men at the front.

"Who are you, and why did you capture us?"

"Hmm? You're awake already," remarked one of the men, turning to look at her. He seemed pleased at the lack of fear in her expression. "Nice, you've got a good look in your eyes. Don't worry; we're here to save you. Life's been hard for you two, hasn't it? Where we're taking you, you'll never have to worry about food or clothing again."

The two men were agents of a secret division within the Empire, tasked with finding promising children across the land to be sold to the Empire's assassin organization, where they'd be trained as tools for killing in service to the Empire. They had been watching Akame and Kurome for several days now, and though the two sisters were young, their physical strength was far beyond that of children their age—qualities highly prized by the assassin organization.

"We don't need that kind of help. Please, let us go," Akame replied, unwilling to trust a word of what they said. She only wanted to live peacefully with her little sister, Kurome.

"That won't do. Just accept our goodwill," one of the men retorted before turning back, ignoring her protests.

Akame clenched her teeth and glared at their backs, trying to figure out a way to escape. But she was still only a four-year-old child; even if she was stronger than other kids, she was no match for fully grown men, and with the cage-like structure of the carriage surrounding her, escaping seemed impossible.

At that moment, Kurome began to stir, slowly opening her eyes.

"Nee-chan?" Kurome mumbled, still a bit dazed as she turned toward her sister.

"Kurome, you're awake! Are you alright?" Akame asked, worry evident as she helped her sister sit up.

"I'm fine, but... where are we? And who are they?" Kurome's gaze shifted to the two unfamiliar men at the front of the carriage, and her expression turned wary as she processed their situation.

"Don't worry, Kurome. I'll protect you," Akame reassured her sister, pulling her close.

…

After leaving the border town in the western region where Mine had been living, Eriri scanned the entire planet from above. She observed a beautiful girl with luxurious silver-blue hair, battling a Danger Beast alone, and saw a girl with long, orange hair dressed as a maid. She even noticed a gentle-looking young woman with long purple hair wearing glasses. Finally, Eriri also located the two people she was searching for.

"Oh, it looks like Akame and Kurome are about to be taken to the assassin training facility."

Eriri watched the situation unfold, and from the looks of it, they were already on their way to the base. While Akame and Kurome's decision to join or not wouldn't impact her, Eriri wasn't one to waste time. She took Mine's hand, and in an instant, they teleported directly to the road where the carriage holding the sisters was traveling, appearing just ten meters in front of it.

…

Seeing the blonde girl and pink-haired child suddenly blocking their path, the two men reined in the carriage, stopping it just short of five meters from where Eriri stood. They stared at her in shock, surprised by the sudden appearance of these two strangers.

The middle-aged men exchanged a look of silent agreement before immediately lunging toward Eriri without even considering whether she was someone they should avoid provoking. They intended to take her by force, even if it meant killing her.

The men approached within two meters of Eriri when she casually flicked her hand, sending them flying backward with a powerful repelling force. She controlled their trajectory, launching them high into the sky, where they shot up faster and faster until they burst into flames from the friction of the air. In moments, they had disappeared from sight.

"Ah... they're gone," Mine murmured softly, glancing at the empty sky. After her previous experiences with Eriri, she had become accustomed to such scenes, but Akame and Kurome were both wide-eyed, frozen in awe at what they had just witnessed.

Only seconds later, the two men were outside the atmosphere, their bodies almost entirely incinerated by the friction of the air as their remains drifted into the void.

Eriri then moved to the side of the carriage with Mine, destroying the cage-like structure and freeing the trapped sisters, Akame and Kurome.

"Thank you for rescuing us," Akame said, bowing in gratitude as soon as they leapt from the carriage. Kurome followed her sister's lead, also bowing as she offered her thanks.

What they had witnessed moments ago was nothing short of divine power to them, and they couldn't help but feel awe-struck by Eriri's abilities.

"No need to thank me," Eriri smiled gently, reaching out to ruffle their hair. Neither of the sisters resisted the gesture.

Mine, who had been curiously watching the sisters, finally spoke up, addressing Eriri, "Sister, are these two the younger sisters you mentioned?"

"Mm-hmm," Eriri nodded, then turned to Akame and Kurome, who were still staring at her with wide eyes. "Little Akame and little Kurome, I came here just for you two. How about joining us and living together from now on?"

The sisters exchanged a glance, surprised that this stranger even knew their names, though they hadn't introduced themselves.

"Do you... know us?" Akame asked cautiously.

"Yes, I know you well," Eriri replied, smiling mysteriously. "I'll show you a glimpse of your future so you'll understand."

Saying that, she transferred the events of the anime Akame ga Kill! directly into the minds of the three girls, carefully removing the memories of any people who did not belong.

After a few moments, as they processed the memories, Akame and Kurome's expressions turned pained and distraught. They struggled with disbelief, as though unable to process the images they had just witnessed.

"That's impossible... I could never hurt Kurome. She's my beloved little sister—I would rather die than raise a hand against her," Akame choked out, tears streaking down her face as she clung tightly to Kurome.

"I feel the same way, sister. I wouldn't betray you for the Empire's sake. I would never fight you," Kurome cried, her small hands clutching her sister tightly.

For the sisters, each other was everything. The world could burn, and they would care nothing for it as long as they had each other. They couldn't believe they would ever come to blows, as the memories had shown.

Compared to Akame and Kurome's distress, Mine's reaction was less intense. Though she felt sorry for the fates of the Night Raid members in the anime, she hadn't met them yet. To her, it was like watching a tragic movie.

"Akame, Kurome, you two were only driven to that point because of the Empire's assassination unit," Eriri said firmly.

"The Empire's assassination unit?" The sisters recalled the scenes from the vision of their future, particularly the dark memories of their training and their eventual conflicts.

"Yes, those two men planned to sell you to the Empire's assassin training institute. But you don't need to worry about that future. Now that I've found you, your path is forever changed. You won't be going to the assassin training facility, won't join the Empire's assassination squad, and certainly won't fight each other."

As Eriri stroked their hair, she spoke gently, "So, are you two ready to come with me?"

The two sisters exchanged a look, and without much hesitation, they bowed in unison, their gratitude apparent.

"Thank you, sister," they whispered, their happiness now complete as they finally saw a future where they could live together as family.

"Congratulations, Akame, Kurome! We're sisters now!" Mine, who had been watching the three with a smile, threw her arms around them, joining in the embrace.

Akame lifted her head to glance at the pink-haired girl who had suddenly joined the hug. The girl's face looked oddly familiar, reminding her of the pink-haired twin-tailed girl in the memory vision holding a Teigu rifle, Pumpkin.

"Are you... Mine?" Akame asked hesitantly, her eyes widening.