Being Overpowered in Akame ga Kill

"Hm?"

Hearing Sayo plead for Tatsumi, Haruki turned to her, his tone carrying a hard-to-read expression.

"Sayo, stop talking!"

Seeing Haruki's reaction, Chelsea, standing beside Sayo, quickly spoke up.

As the saying goes, those involved are often blind to the truth, while bystanders see everything clearly. Sayo might not realize it, but Chelsea, watching from the sidelines, could see it all.

Having lived with Haruki for so many years, Chelsea knew his personality all too well. Haruki was an extremely possessive person. While he treated the girls around him well, it was always under the condition that they remained completely loyal to him.

Yet just moments ago, Sayo had first spoken up for Tatsumi in front of Haruki, then even tried to stop Haruki from attacking him to save him. Though in Sayo's eyes Tatsumi was just a friend, one couldn't ignore the fact that Tatsumi was still a man. Her actions inevitably made Haruki question her loyalty.

"Young Master, please don't misunderstand. Tatsumi and I really are just ordinary friends. I just didn't want to see him die here. I've only ever had eyes for you."

Thanks to Chelsea's reminder, Sayo suddenly came to her senses. Recalling Haruki's earlier reaction, her face went pale. She quickly dropped to her knees in front of him, kowtowing as she tried to explain herself, stumbling over her words.

"Hmph. Get up first. We'll talk about this later. I'll let him off this time for your sake. But think carefully about what you'll do from now on."

As he spoke, Haruki lowered his right hand, which had still been raised. Immediately, the golden weapons behind him—previously aimed at Tatsumi, who floated on the river—gradually withdrew into the dazzling golden vortex. The vortex then vanished, and the area returned to calm.

"Yes, thank you, Young Master. From today on, Sayo won't even know who Tatsumi is."

Realizing Haruki's tone had softened, Sayo wasn't foolish. She continued to kowtow in thanks.

In her eyes, she had done all she could for Tatsumi. She'd tried to stop him multiple times, yet he insisted on joining the Revolutionary Army. Because of that, she had nearly angered Haruki. If he hadn't forgiven her, she would've had no choice but to atone with her life.

Haruki didn't respond. He understood that there was nothing going on between Sayo and Tatsumi, yet he still couldn't help feeling annoyed by her earlier actions.

"Sayo, get up. Don't worry, he's just angry right now. He'll forgive you soon."

Seeing that Haruki hadn't told Sayo to stand, and that she was still kneeling, Chelsea hurried over to smooth things over. She tried to help her up as she spoke.

"Chelsea, don't bother. If my brother won't let me get up, I won't get up."

Sayo pushed Chelsea away and insisted stubbornly.

"Sayo, go ahead and stand up. Let's put this behind us. But remember what you just said—I don't want to see this happen again."

At that moment, Haruki finally spoke. Seeing Sayo's unwavering attitude softened his heart a little.

"Yes, I won't forget."

Sayo answered firmly. To her, Haruki was her husband, and far more important than Tatsumi could ever be.

With Haruki's forgiveness, Sayo finally stood up with Chelsea's help.

"Um... Haruki, could you let Lina go now?"

Just as Haruki wrapped things up with Sayo, Lina, who had been in his arms the whole time, began to recover from the effects of the Teigu Military Music Dream: Scream. Her face red, she looked up at Haruki and asked shyly.

"Three Beasts Lords, you must seek justice for this old servant! That lawless Security Minister actually incited his men to murder my son! Please, Three Beasts Lords, arrest him and bring him to justice!"

Before Haruki could respond to Lina, loud footsteps and an angry shout echoed across the deck, reaching everyone's ears.

The speaker was the father of the man Yuki had killed earlier. As time passed, those weakened by Nyau's Teigu had started to regain their strength. Once he recovered, the man rushed out first, closely followed by Lina's father, who was worried for his daughter's safety. Others soon followed, all eager to find out what had happened.

Originally, the father hadn't held out much hope for revenge. But the moment he saw the renowned Three Beasts of the Imperial Capital, he felt a spark of hope and raised his voice.

Perhaps due to Esdeath's influence, the Three Beasts' disdain for the Empire's officials was no secret in the Capital. In this man's eyes, even Haruki's rank wouldn't save him if the Three Beasts decided to act.

"Hmph! You bastard, who do you think you are, talking to Lord Haruki like that? Damn it!"

The moment that man finished speaking, Daidara—the most hot-tempered of the Three Beasts—exploded in anger. Warriors always respect strength, and Haruki's display had left a deep impression on the Three Beasts. On top of that, Haruki was closely connected to their master, Esdeath.

Without hesitation, Daidara hurled one of his twin axes from his Teigu, Belk. The massive axe spun through the air, slicing the man cleanly in two before he could even react. After the kill, the axe returned smoothly to Daidara's hand.

Seeing Daidara's brutal action and the bloody aftermath, the officials who had been following the unfortunate man froze in their tracks, their expressions mixed with fear and confusion as they looked toward Haruki and the others.

"Father."

Just then, Lina—still in Haruki's arms—spoke, breaking the tense silence. Having spotted the father who had always doted on her standing just ahead, she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Lina, thank goodness you're safe!"

Hearing her voice and seeing his daughter unharmed in Haruki's arms, Lina's father let out a breath of relief. Ignoring the tension in the air, he rushed up to Haruki.

"Alright, things are more or less settled. Let's head out. Lina, it was great seeing you today. You're welcome to visit my residence anytime. And I'll come visit your home soon."

Haruki let go of Lina and smiled at her.

He knew the rest would be political talk between the officials—something he had no interest in. So, he summoned Vimana from the Gate of Babylon, and under the stunned gazes of everyone present, left the scene with the four women beside him.

...

"Father, did Lord Haruki say he'd come see me again?"

After Haruki left, Lina asked, cheeks flushed. She was a little shy, but the anticipation and joy in her voice were unmistakable.

She had already liked Haruki, and after witnessing his god-like power earlier, she was completely captivated.

"Haha, didn't expect my little girl to grow up so fast."

Catching the implication in her tone, Lina's father chuckled as he spoke to her.

...

Back to Tatsumi.

After being kicked into the water by Bulat, Tatsumi had planned to swim back to the warship. But just as he turned around, he happened to witness Bulat being pinned to the deck by Haruki's Gate of Babylon.

Though reckless, Tatsumi wasn't stupid—he knew he was no match for Haruki.

So he mustered the last of his strength and swam toward the shore.

Of course, he had no idea that Sayo had pleaded for him, or that he had just brushed past death itself.