Chapter 113: Born to Be a Loli Fate
Mayumi successfully rescued eight children besides Kokoa and Mrs. Morinaga.
The satellite that fell from outer orbit was sent back to space by Mahiro using reverse-gravity system magic, beginning its journey as a wandering satellite with no end in sight.
This was also the limitation of gravity-based Strategic Class Magic—as long as the output was sufficient, falling objects could be forcefully pushed back.
As for Lina, after being captured by Mahiro, she was naturally taken back to Arcadia for strict supervision.
However, although it was called strict, it wasn't actually that strict. They only confiscated her CAD and didn't restrict her freedom, with the sole condition that she wasn't allowed to leave Arcadia.
But someone didn't listen to advice and tried to escape twice, only to be caught each time by Tina and others who were responsible for hidden surveillance.
He still clearly remembered how Louise had dragged Lina back home by her ankle with one hand.
"Offend nii-sama and still think you can escape? Dream on!"
Over time, Lina completely gave up on the idea of escaping and resigned herself to living in Arcadia.
The USNA side naturally demanded Lina's return—somehow they found out she was still alive—but he pushed all these troublesome matters onto the Yotsuba family.
"Whatever you have to say, go say it to Maya!"
As for Kokoa and the others, they were also arranged to live in Arcadia.
They quickly became friends with the other children.
For example, Enju took them cosplaying as Heavenly Punishment Girls, little Asaka brought them to watch Kisara's sword training, and so on.
Meanwhile, Kokoa and the others taught these children how to use magic.
The nine children, aside from being able to form arrays to cast strategic-level magic, each excelled in different magic systems, essentially covering all systems comprehensively.
With the presence of Sumire—possessing the most brilliant mind—there was no need to worry about their lifespan issues; a simple injection could resolve it.
Thus, they also took on roles as little teachers, making up for Arcadia's lack of magic courses.
Then there was Erika.
Upon hearing that he had gone to South Shield Island to cause a ruckus and even captured Lina, she immediately threw a minor tantrum.
She complained about why she wasn't brought along for such an exciting adventure.
Honestly, he had originally considered it, but who told her to get beaten up by Kisara so badly that she couldn't even get out of bed?
After recovering from her injuries, Erika kept her promise and began teaching the children at Arcadia magical sword techniques—specifically, the Chiba style.
Sayaka, who could now be considered half a disciple of Chiba, served as a teaching assistant.
Beyond that, Erika and Sayaka had another daily routine: sparring with Kisara.
To be precise, Sayaka was often dragged into it by Erika.
The outcome was always clear: Erika's sword skills improved day by day, but she also ended up getting thoroughly beaten every time.
She embodied the spirit of growing stronger with each defeat.
Thanks to his enhanced physique, otherwise he'd probably be lying flat in a coffin by now.
It could be said that everything was progressing according to plan, but the only unpredictable factor was that woman, Miori.
She hadn't remained in Arcadia and was reportedly striving outside, aiming to reestablish Shiba Heavy Industries' reputation in this world.
Moreover, with the help of FLT and her innate business acumen, she had already gained considerable fame.
It seemed it wouldn't be long before the emergence of a top-tier wealthy woman.
Soon, it was time for his second departure.
"I wonder which world I'll be sent to this time..."
"Mahiro-senpai, are you leaving?"
Mayumi emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe, her fair, delicate face still flushed with an alluring blush, yet unable to conceal her worry.
"Yes, it's time to set off."
He looked at Mayumi, a smile curling at the corners of his lips.
These days in Arcadia had been filled with the comforts of a gentle haven.
First Sayaka, then Kisara, followed by Seitenshi, and finally Mayumi.
Each day, different women attended to him, allowing him to fully enjoy the blessings of a harem.
Not to mention the occasional secret rendezvous with a certain emotionless loli who would sneak to him behind Honoka's back.
When he wanted a change of pace, he'd go play with Lina.
Today happened to be Mayumi's day, so she was the one to see him off before his departure.
"Hmph... alright then."
Mayumi puffed out her cheeks, seemingly a bit resentful.
"I won't stop you from doing what you want, and it doesn't matter how many girls you find. There's just one thing I hope you'll promise me..."
As she spoke, Mayumi suddenly stepped forward, her delicate, rounded feet leaving warm, damp traces on the floor as she came to stand before him.
Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging onto him, stood on her tiptoes, and offered a fragrant kiss.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Mayumi pressed her cherry lips together, gazing intently at him.
Her wine-red eyes reflected his figure, as if trying to imprint his image deeply in her heart.
"...You need to be careful, understand? No matter what, you must come back alive. We'll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes. So please don't make us worry too much, okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll definitely return safe and sound."
Like newlyweds forced to part, Mayumi watched him leave with reluctant eyes...
...
...
...
The Empire.
As the largest nation on this continent, it had prospered for thousands of years.
Although the first emperor from a millennium ago had gathered the world's finest craftsmen with unimaginable wealth and power to create forty-eight Imperial Arms to maintain the Empire's long-lasting rule, nothing in this world is eternal.
The transition from prosperity to decline is an inevitable process.
All things decay with time, eventually leading to their demise.
Even this mighty Empire was no exception...
"I wondered where this was—so it's Akame ga Kill."
Mahiro lifted his head to gaze at the sky, but what met his eyes was a lush canopy of trees.
This time, he had been tossed into the wilderness during his transmigration, right in the middle of a forest.
If he hadn't encountered kind-hearted people along the way, he probably wouldn't have learned so much so quickly.
"Last time, it was somewhat like the post-apocalyptic world of Black Bullet, but at least it was a modern city. This time, they've thrown me into what seems like an ancient world..."
"Next time, will it be primitive society?"
If it were primitive society, he wouldn't know much about it.
"Well, in the end, I should thank you kind-hearted folks for the memories you provided."
He lowered his head and looked at the scattered parts around him—remnants of what could barely be called bandits.
Extracting others' memories had become one of his most habitual methods.
Although it was called extraction, its essence was more like browsing—like flipping through a book and reading its contents. It didn't cause any harm to his brain.
But the same couldn't be said for those whose memories were extracted.
At best, they'd become demented; at worst, they'd end up as vegetables.
"Never mind, let's find a place with people first."
Even now, he still didn't know his exact location.
Since he had come to the world of Akame ga Kill, he definitely had to make a trip to the imperial capital.
Although he had heard there were other nations beyond the continent, he wasn't particularly interested.
Based on his judgment, there was a village or town to the west, so he decided to head there first.
The journey went smoothly. Aside from encountering a few low-level danger beasts that didn't know any better, he didn't run into any more of the so-called "kind-hearted people" like before.
But when he arrived at the town, he was shocked.
"Although I was mentally prepared, this is a bit too exaggerated..."
The town before his eyes couldn't be described as prosperous—if he had to characterize it, the only words that came to mind were poverty and backwardness.
It was vastly different from the world Mahiro had lived in before, to the point of being downright miserable.
A crude wall made of yellowish-brown large rocks encircled the residential town, offering some protection.
In front of the massive city gate, over a dozen soldiers clad in armor and armed with weapons were inspecting the flow of people entering and leaving the city!
He noticed three types of people based on their attire: roughly one-tenth were rugged nomads wearing clothes made of animal hides, a sparse one percent were nobles dressed in lavish, beautiful garments, and the remaining majority were impoverished residents clad in simple, tattered linen clothes.
"Hey, you!"
"Me?"
Mahiro was suddenly called out by a soldier guarding the city gate.
"Yes, you. You look like an outsider, right? If you want to enter the city, you have to pay the entry fee first."
"Oh."
Unusually, Mahiro didn't argue with the soldier. Instead, he took out the money pouch gifted by the kind-hearted people, casually tossed a few coins to the soldier, and then swaggered inside.
Regardless of the amount, the soldier didn't dare stop him again.
Someone who could casually toss out several gold coins and was dressed in such noble attire was not someone they could afford to provoke.
To be honest, this world was quite strange.
The technology tree seemed to be skewed in an absurd way.
Even though the town's structure resembled something from the medieval to Renaissance era, the clothing of the people on the streets—aside from the lower classes in coarse linen—included outfits similar to modern fashion.
Things like JK uniforms, black and white stockings—they were all there.
As for the interior of the town.
To be honest, it was far from commendable—just as its outward appearance suggested, it was defined by filth and chaos.
Even on the streets, one could see several nobles dressed in lavish clothing, swaggering about as they bullied men and harassed women!
In the dark alleyways, it was common to find withered, yellowed corpses strewn haphazardly across the ground, emitting a foul stench.
Many of them were likely beggars who had starved to death and were left unattended, with the guards merely piling them to the side.
Even among the residents walking the streets, 70% appeared sallow and emaciated, clearly malnourished.
This scene could truly be described as a corrupt living hell, where demons in human skin roamed freely across the world.
"How tragic."
Mahiro walked alone along the street, witnessing the tragedies along the way while chewing on bread he had bought from a nearby bakery.
The texture wasn't particularly good—nothing like the "all-natural deliciousness" internet users had raved about.
Not only was it dark and hard, but he could even taste a few rice husks mixed in.
This was the most expensive and highest-quality bread sold at that bakery. He didn't even dare to imagine what the others were like.
As he wandered aimlessly, Mahiro found himself in a narrow alley.
His shoes sank into muddy puddles, splashing dark brown water. His clean, tidy clothes stood in stark contrast to the foul-smelling environment around him.
Occasionally, he would step on patches of long-dried bloodstains.
In a place like this, incidents of murder, robbery, and theft were to be expected.
Similarly, even he wasn't exempt from such encounters.
"S-Stop right there!"
"Hand over the b-bread!"
A trembling, stuttering voice came from ahead, as if the speaker was already terrified to the core.
Mahiro halted his steps and looked at the small figure in front of him.
Although the weather here wasn't particularly hot, instead carrying a chill, the grimy figure wore only a simple garment made from a tattered cloth, her bare feet planted firmly in the muddy ground.
What stood out the most, however, was her long, straight pink hair that reached her waist. Even though it was matted with dirt and soaked in grime, it couldn't conceal its unforgettable color.
Her pupils shared the same light pink hue as her hair.
At first glance, it was quite striking.
Yet, in those pink eyes, he could discern no other emotions.
No joy, no sorrow—only a hollow emptiness and a fear of the unknown.
She clutched a crudely made, tetanus-inducing dagger, pointing it shakily at him.
Though her body trembled with fear, and her hands shook uncontrollably, she still clung tightly to her only weapon.
But the problem was—
Trying to rob a mage with a small dagger?
Was she overestimating herself?
Mahiro smirked, his lips curling in amusement as he looked at the girl.
He then took a few steps forward.
The grime on her face, the bruises on her arms, her trembling, fearful legs—every detail of her became clearer to his eyes.
For some reason, the girl gave him a sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of when he first met Asaka. However, this girl seemed slightly more "ferocious" than Asaka.
A chord in his heart was struck by this.
"D-Don't come any closer!"
As Mahiro approached, the girl grew even more fearful.
Her hands tightly gripped the small knife—her only source of security. Beneath the tattered cloth, her slender legs trembled uncontrollably.
She was clearly in the role of a robber.
Yet that unease, that fear, made her seem more like a tormented victim, utterly devoid of intimidation.
"Stop... give me the bread!"
The girl became aware of her own inadequacy.
She tried her best to put on a fierce expression, pointing the sharp knife tip toward Mahiro, baring her two canine teeth in an attempt to intimidate him.
But her gaze was filled with longing, firmly fixed on the half-eaten black bread covered with bite marks in Mahiro's hand.
Unconsciously.
Her already dry, moistureless throat.
Swallowed with difficulty.
To be honest, the atmosphere on the scene was strange, even to the point of being theatrically bizarre and laughable.
However, the next moment, under the girl's astonished gaze, Mahiro's figure suddenly disappeared.
"Huh?"
The girl didn't react in time, only feeling her hand go empty, followed by her vision spinning, and then—
Thud!
Her posture changed to one of looking up at the sky.
The towering walls on either side that came into view were like dark, profound abyssal barriers, and she herself had sunk into the abyss while gazing up at the sky.
At the same time, that familiar face reappeared in her vision—the very person who had just vanished before her eyes.
And belatedly, she felt a sharp pain in her back.
Only then did she realize she had been thrown to the ground by this man.
What would happen to her next?
Would she be beaten?
Or would she be killed?
The girl didn't know, but the emotions in her eyes were gradually being tinged with fear.
Seeing him crouch down, that fair, handsome face like that of a noble drawing near, she instinctively closed her eyes tightly, as if only this would make the impending beating less painful.
Until a calm inquiry reached her ears.
"Are you hungry?"
Hearing the question, the girl's body trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes to look at him.
"Are you hungry?" Mahiro asked again.
This time, the girl finally responded, nodding gently.
"Here."
Mahiro tore off the top layer that had been bitten into and handed the remaining bread to the girl. She didn't take it immediately but hurriedly scrambled to her feet, warily watching Mahiro from a distance.
Confusion and bewilderment flashed in her eyes.
It seemed she had never imagined she would obtain food so easily.
And what was the meaning of throwing her to the ground just now?
But hunger prevented the girl from thinking any further...
One step.
Two steps.
Cautiously shifting her feet, she slowly, as if testing the waters, reached out to grab the bread, approaching Mahiro with extreme caution.
After seizing the bread, she swiftly fled back into the depths of the alley.
Stepping into the yellowish, greasy puddles, she curled up in a remote corner at the alley's wall.
Like a wary stranger-shy dog... no, describing the girl as a cat would be more accurate, right?
Under Mahiro's gaze, she first took small, tentative bites, and after confirming there was no issue, she immediately began devouring it ravenously.
Faced with the girl wolfing down the food, Mahiro said nothing, merely watching quietly.
Helping the girl was one thing.
But that didn't mean he would condone her attempt to rob him—at the very least, he would administer some punishment.
After a while, the girl finished the bread in her hand.
She looked at Mahiro again, or more precisely, with her pink pupils, she stared at the bitten bread crumbs Mahiro had torn off and still held in his hand.
Only at this moment.
Upon seeing the food, a faint glimmer of desire flickered in her eyes amidst the fear.
"C-c-can... you... give it... to me...?"
Perhaps Mahiro's act of offering food had sparked a sliver of goodwill in the girl.
Unconsciously, she even adopted a tone tinged with pleading and ingratiation.
Her emaciated body rose from the corner, her bare feet stepping through mud and dirt as she staggered unsteadily toward Mahiro.
She wanted to grasp the bread crumbs in his hand.
But before she could reach them, the torn piece of bread vanished before her eyes.
Mahiro lifted the bread and looked at the girl, saying:
"I can give you the bread, but first answer one question: what's your name?"
"...Name...?"
A look of confusion crossed the girl's face.
The word "name" felt both unfamiliar and familiar to her.
She couldn't remember how long it had been since anyone mentioned or called her by her name.
Perhaps not since her mother passed away.
But since she could get food by answering, she began to rack her memory, straining so hard that her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Finally, she recalled her name.
"I remember... my name is... Mine."