Yoriichi X Akame Ga Kill [1]

At the twilight of his life, Yoriichi Tsugikuni—feeling an uncharacteristic urge—decided to take a final walk.

By some twist of fate, he encountered his elder brother, Michikatsu, now a demon who had long since abandoned his humanity. Overwhelmed by sorrow, Yoriichi raised his blade and delivered what would be his final strike in this world.

Yet, in that fleeting moment, as his Nichirin Blade neared Michikatsu’s neck, hesitation gripped him.

A rare moment of weakness.

Yoriichi’s blade never completed its arc.

“So this is death, then?”

“The afterlife… feels much quieter than I imagined.”

Suspended in a void of endless nothingness, Yoriichi found his thoughts drifting aimlessly.

Born as the second son of the Tsugikuni family during the turbulent Sengoku era, Yoriichi had lived a life free from material concerns. He was blessed with unparalleled talent—able to wield Breath Styles naturally and see into the Transparent World from birth. His aptitude for swordsmanship defied all limits.

Yet now, as he gazed upon the memories of his life flashing before him like a phantom reel, Yoriichi couldn’t shake the growing weight of regret pressing against his chest.

For all his gifts, what had he truly accomplished?

He had failed to slay the progenitor of demons.

He had failed to save his beloved elder brother, who succumbed to temptation and transformed into a demon.

Despite being granted power beyond mortal comprehension, Yoriichi had spent a lifetime achieving nothing of significance—changing nothing.

No matter how he viewed it, his legacy was one of failure.

And so, he drifted—lost in endless contemplation within the void. Time no longer seemed to hold meaning.

Nothing existed here. Nothing but his thoughts, which refused to cease even as the visions of his past finally faded into silence.

It was only his unbroken stream of consciousness that reminded him he still existed at all.

But then—

Something changed.

Yoriichi noticed it almost immediately.

The endless void began to shift. The darkness that had surrounded him without end fractured, allowing beams of light to pierce through.

And within that light, something—no, someone—stood out.

A figure that felt strangely familiar.

The girl had already appeared within his line of sight several times. She seemed somewhat concerned as she exchanged whispers with the boy beside her before finally mustering the courage to approach him.

“Umm… hello?”

Her voice was soft yet filled with curiosity.

“You’ve been standing here all alone for quite a while now,” she said, her brows furrowed slightly in concern. “If something’s wrong, maybe we can help?”

The girl, who introduced herself as Sayo, had just arrived in the Imperial Capital that day along with her companion, Ieyasu.

Originally, they had set out with another friend, Tatsumi, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the group was separated. With no choice but to continue onward, Sayo and Ieyasu pressed on toward the capital, hoping to reunite with Tatsumi later.

Upon arriving, they noticed Yoriichi standing silently by the side of the road.

His expression, tinged with sorrow, seemed to radiate a profound sadness that made it impossible for Sayo to ignore him. While the passersby appeared unfazed—almost as if such melancholic figures were a common sight in the capital—Sayo couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

After passing him several times and seeing no change, she finally decided to step forward and strike up a conversation.

“Yeah, that’s right!”

Ieyasu, ever the energetic and optimistic one, pounded his chest confidently.

“If you’re in trouble, you can count on me and Sayo to help you out!”

His words carried such enthusiasm that it was easy to overlook the harsh reality that neither he nor Sayo had a single coin to their names. With all their money still in Tatsumi’s possession, they were barely scraping by themselves—no food, no lodging, and no real plan.

In truth, the only reason they had passed Yoriichi so many times was that they’d been wandering the streets, too broke to settle down anywhere.

“…?”

Yoriichi blinked, staring blankly at the two strangers who had suddenly started speaking to him.

His expression wavered in confusion.

Hadn’t he already died?

How could anyone—especially strangers—be speaking to him now?

For the first time since drifting into this unfamiliar world, Yoriichi’s thoughts came to a standstill. After what felt like an eternity, he finally opened his mouth, his voice hesitant and unsure.

“Are you… really talking to me?”

‘What a beautiful girl.’

The thought surfaced unbidden.

‘To die so young—it’s such a pity.’

Despite noticing the subtle changes in his surroundings, Yoriichi remained convinced that he was in the realm of the dead.

It was the only explanation he could think of.

He was dead.

And the vibrant girl standing before him—so full of life and energy—must have died as well. After all, how else could she be speaking to a dead man like him?

“Of course we’re talking to you,” Sayo replied, her gentle smile softening the somber air around them.

She seemed relieved to see the faintest trace of light return to his once-dull eyes.

“You’ve been standing here all by yourself for so long. Did something happen?”

“If there’s anything Ieyasu and I can do to help, just let us know, okay?”

“Oh, and we don’t even know your name yet!”

Her tone was warm and friendly—much like the easygoing nature of her rural upbringing, where neighbors looked out for one another as if they were family.

In small villages, neighbors always lent a hand when someone was in need. That sense of community had been deeply ingrained in Sayo and Ieyasu, even as they set foot in the bustling Imperial Capital for the first time.

So, when they saw Yoriichi standing there, looking so lost and out of place, they couldn’t help but approach and ask if he needed help.

“My name is Yoriichi Tsugikuni.”

He paused, giving Sayo’s question some serious thought before finally responding.

“I don’t think I need any help.”

His tone was calm, yet the words that followed were anything but ordinary.

“After all, I’m already dead. I’m not even sure what kind of help I would need.”