"As long as we can reach that place, we'll be able to survive, Kurome!"
"Mhm, I believe you, sister..."
On a desolate landscape, an older sister with black hair and red eyes carried her younger sister on her back, trudging toward a distant town.
The two sisters hadn't eaten anything in a long time; their stomachs constantly growled. The younger sister was so starved she could no longer move. The older sister's body was a bit sturdier, but her trembling legs made it clear she could collapse at any moment.
Even so, the girl didn't give up. Gritting her teeth, she carried her sister and pressed northward. No matter how cold it got, it would be worth it.
The sisters were orphans. Their parents hadn't given them names, so they used the colors of their eyes to distinguish each other.
The older sister was Akame; the younger sister was Kurome.
Since they didn't know who their parents were from the day they were born, the two sisters could only wander the streets, begging and scavenging through trash to fill their stomachs. Often, they didn't know where their next meal was coming from, and there was always the risk of being caught by someone...
Although born within The Empire, they had no concept of what the country meant. After all, having suffered since birth and never having enough to eat, who had the energy to care about anything else?
However, one day, while Akame was out looking for food, she accidentally overheard some people talking in town...
"Did you hear? The Northern Country apparently issued a new policy. They say a lot of orphanages have been built to take in distressed children."
"Really? Would those aristocratic lords spend money on something like that? Or is this 'that kind of industry' backed by some noble?"
Two men were chatting. One of them seemed to find the matter quite unbelievable, but the other had a different view.
"If The Empire were doing this, I'd definitely be suspicious; there'd definitely be an ulterior motive. But the one who issued this is Empress Cerydra, the rumored Godslayer... She probably wouldn't fake it."
"After all, the Empress swore before all her subjects that she would build a just and powerful nation. I went to the Northern Country recently to take a look. The people there live completely different lives from us... To be honest, I'm a bit envious."
"Since you're envious, why don't you just move there?"
"Haha, I can't do that. All my belongings are in this city. If I moved there, who knows how many treasures I'd have to throw away."
"What a pity... Same here."
The words of the two echoed in Akame's ears, immediately allowing her to catch a few keywords.
Northern Country, Empress, orphanage, just...
Connecting these terms made Akame's eyes light up, and an idea formed in her mind.
She and her sister had been wandering the streets, never knowing when they'd eat next, sometimes starving for several days in a row.
Their situation couldn't possibly get any worse. So, if what those two men said was true, Akame was willing to take her sister to the Northern Country.
"Besides, the Northern Country is very far from here. If we ran into bandits or something on the way, it'd be trouble. Nobodies like us, with no strength, can't run that far..."
"You don't need to worry about that. Even if we can't go over there, the Northern Country can come over here! Haven't you noticed? The Northern Country's border has been continuously expanding towards the South. It shouldn't be long before they reach us."
"So, you're saying we don't actually have to do anything? When the time comes, we just say 'Empress, right this way,' lead the Northern soldiers in, and we can become people of the Northern Country?"
"Exactly, that's it!"
Akame was just a child. Although she didn't have the opportunity to understand national affairs, she could extract the intel she wanted from casual street gossip.
The orphanages in the Northern Country...
If they could reach that place, she and her sister's quality of life would surely improve, right?
"As long as we keep living here, a good day will come sooner or later."
Akame originally thought so, too. As long as she waited for the Northern Country to attack, she and her sister could escape their life of begging.
But things didn't go as planned. Just when Akame brought food to the slums to find Kurome, an accident happened.
Perhaps because the two sisters had eaten unhealthy food for so long, their bodies were somewhat weak. As the older sister, Akame's physical constitution was decent, so her resistance was naturally stronger, but her younger sister, Kurome, was different...
As could be seen in the original work, Kurome's physique simply couldn't compare to Akame's; it was only after taking life-shortening drugs that she gained the power to fight.
Therefore, the younger sister fell ill...
As an older sister, Akame was incredibly anxious, but she had no solutions.
Kurome's condition grew increasingly severe. If things continued like this, her sister might die!
Akame had originally planned to gather more intelligence on the orphanages in the Northern Country, but now, there probably wasn't enough time.
To ensure her sister could continue living, she chose the most dangerous path...
If they stayed in this city, there was a high chance they would die. Even if they didn't, life wouldn't get any better. If they went to the Northern Country, there was also a high chance of dying, but life might get better...
"Let's go, Kurome. Leave this city, go to a better place!"
"I believe... sister, we must always... be together!"
Even though she was so weak, the younger sister supported her idea, solidifying Akame's resolve to strive for a good life.
This was the reason why the two sisters decided to head to the Northern Country...
—
"Almost there. We can already see the city!"
The sun was about to set, and the surroundings were gradually darkening.
Perhaps the Goddess of Luck had favored the two sisters. Along the way, they hadn't encountered wild beasts or bandits. There was even a merchant who, seeing the two sisters struggling, gave them a ride for part of the journey.
"That army's flag... There's no mistaking it, it's the flag of the Northern Country!"
Akame's tone revealed her excitement. After a long trek, they had finally reached their destination.
A group of troops bearing the flag of the Northern Country was advancing toward a city. There must surely be an orphanage suitable for the sisters to live in there, right?
Glancing at her younger sister sleeping on her back, Akame gently wiped away tears from the corner of her eyes. Just hold on a little longer, and we can...
BOOM—!
Before Akame could make a move, the violent sound of an explosion erupted from the city in the distance, instantly causing her expression to change drastically. It even jolted the soundly sleeping Kurome awake.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
The two girls completely failed to understand what had just occurred, but as they looked into the distance, they saw that the Northern Army had already begun its charge.
"Is this... a city assault?"
Akame subconsciously looked toward the very front of the Northern Army, where a black-haired woman was directing the troops.
At exactly that moment, the black-haired woman seemed to realize something and turned her head to look in Akame's direction.
Oh no!
Akame cried out inwardly. Their eyes had met!
What would happen next, nobody knew...