Akame ga Kill: Starting with Dual Kamui

Esdeath's intuition was razor-sharp. Though the Mangekyō Sharingan's Double Kamui wasn't a Teigu, it was undoubtedly the source of Blayn's abilities.

Being under Esdeath's intense scrutiny for so long made Blayn feel slightly awkward, but he maintained a composed and unreadable demeanor. On the other hand, Esdeath felt a hint of disappointment—she hadn't been able to discern anything significant just by observing him.

Had Blayn averted his gaze even slightly, she would have been more certain that his eyes were, in fact, a Teigu.

Before long, they reached the bottom of the ravine. While Esdeath acknowledged Blayn's abilities, she remained cautious. She couldn't dismiss the possibility that he might suddenly let go and send her plummeting. After all, they had only just met—if she wasn't at least this wary, she wouldn't be fit to call herself a general of the Empire.

Only when Blayn landed them safely on the surface of a river did she allow herself to relax—just a little.

"There's a river down here? But we're floating on the surface, aren't we?" Esdeath's voice was cool yet carried an elegant lilt.

"Yeah."

Blayn responded nonchalantly, still holding onto her wrist as he guided them toward the shore. Only once they reached solid ground did he release her wrist and deactivate Intangibility.

"Apologies for being so forward. The situation was urgent…"

Though he had only grabbed her wrist, he was mindful of the fact that she was a woman and thought it proper to acknowledge it. However, Esdeath didn't seem to care about such trivialities.

She walked over to a large rock and drove her sword into it, testing its solidity. Seeing that it pierced through effortlessly without leaving a single scratch confirmed that everything had returned to normal.

This also reaffirmed that, while her sword wasn't a Teigu, it was far from ordinary. The sheer quality of the blade was evident—it could slice through solid rock without sustaining even the slightest dent.

This very sword had accompanied her through countless battles—until the day of her final stand.

"Looks like things are back to normal. So, it really was your ability," Esdeath said, turning her gaze toward Blayn.

For the first time, Blayn took a good look at her. He hadn't had the chance—or the inclination—to do so before.

Beyond her striking beauty, she carried herself with a commanding presence. She stood at around 1.7 meters tall, and with her high-heeled boots, she wasn't much shorter than him.

Her military uniform was clearly not standard issue for an ordinary soldier, and the aura she exuded radiated dominance and power. Blayn briefly wondered if high-heeled boots would be a hindrance in battle—but he kept the thought to himself.

Even without knowing her identity, it was clear from her sheer presence alone that she was no ordinary person.

From Esdeath's perspective, it wasn't Blayn's slightly youthful yet handsome face or his lean build that intrigued her the most—it was his blood-red eyes, with their peculiar shape.

"Something like that," Blayn replied indifferently as he sat down on a nearby rock to rest.

Just using Intangibility had drained him considerably.

Double Kamui was an ability with an enormous energy cost. Even Obito had required Hashirama Cells to freely use just a single Kamui, and the toll of Double Kamui was even greater.

Without enhancements, there was no way Blayn could wield it effortlessly.

Now that he had a moment to breathe, he focused on examining the System. With a thought, he brought up the System Panel.

[Host: Blayn]

Age: 18

Strength: 20 (Average for an adult male: 10)

Agility: 20 (Average for an adult male: 10)

Constitution: 20 (Average for an adult male: 10)

System Points: 0

System Shop: Lv1

All three of his attributes were at 20—twice that of an average adult male. This, of course, was a starting bonus from the System.

Thanks to his 20 points in Constitution, using Intangibility hadn't completely exhausted him.

His Double Kamui had been modified by the System. Since he had no chakra in this world, he wouldn't have been able to use it otherwise. Instead of consuming chakra, the ability now drained his body's cells.

The higher his Constitution, the more active his cells became, granting full-body regeneration and increased endurance.

This regeneration applied to his body, injuries, and even his Eye Power—meaning as long as he wasn't instantly killed or blinded, he could recover over time.

Strength dictated his physical power. Agility affected movement speed, reaction speed, and perception. But in the end, System Points were the most important. They were necessary for upgrades through the System Shop.

According to the System, he could earn points by hunting Danger Beasts or defeating enemies.

Without this explanation, he wouldn't have even known what a Danger Beast was.

The System had also provided their ranking, from weakest to strongest:

Class Four

Class Three

Class Two

Class One

Special Class

Super-Rank 

The stronger the Danger Beast, the more points he could earn.

For now, Blayn simply sat and rested, allowing his body and Eye Power to regenerate.

As for the tiger-shaped Special-Class Danger Beast from earlier, it likely wasn't foolish enough to jump down after them. If it did, all the better—falling from this height would either kill it outright or cripple it, making it easy prey.

"The sun's already setting. We should camp here for the night," Esdeath finally said.

During her previous battle against the Special-Class Danger Beast, her horse had been killed, leaving her unable to return to the capital quickly.

With years of experience hunting Danger Beasts, she knew traveling at night was unwise. Many were at their most dangerous after dark, while humans were far more vulnerable.

Besides, she was still recovering from her injuries—resting here wasn't a bad idea.

"You're a soldier of the Empire, aren't you?" Blayn asked casually.

All he knew about Akame ga Kill! was that it took place in an empire—and that the empire itself was far from benevolent. That was the extent of his knowledge.

"That's right. To be precise, I'm a general. My name is Esdeath. And you?"

Esdeath's tone was gentle.

Though ruthless toward her enemies, she was known to be kind and approachable toward her subordinates and the Empire's civilians. Since Blayn had just saved her, it was only natural that she wouldn't be hostile.

"Blayn."

As he answered, Blayn became more cautious.

From what little he knew, the Empire wasn't exactly a force for good. There was no telling whether its generals were trustworthy.

With his naturally cautious personality, he wasn't about to let his guard down.

"Blayn, huh? I'll remember that."

Esdeath, on the other hand, found her first impression of him quite favorable.

His name suggested he was from the Empire rather than a foreigner.

The fact that he didn't recognize her—despite her high status—implied that, like her, he might have come from the Empire's borderlands rather than the capital, where her name was well-known.

For him to be out here, encountering a Special-Class Danger Beast, he was likely hunting it—which showed courage.

And, of course, he had just saved her life.