Weeks passed by, and peace had returned to the empire. The little emperor tirelessly attended meetings with his officials, working diligently to improve the state of the empire. The scars of war still lingered, but with every passing day, the empire took another step toward a brighter future.
Despite his heavy responsibilities as emperor, the boy remained dedicated to his training. Alongside Seryu and the twin sisters, though, his royal duties often meant he couldn't put in as much time as they did. Nevertheless, he pushed himself, refusing to let the throne soften him.
Today was another long day filled with political discussions and negotiations. The emperor had just finished his last meeting and decided to head toward the training grounds. The mere thought of stepping into the arena and practicing with his fellow students filled him with excitement. It was one of the few times he felt free.
As he arrived at the training grounds, he noticed Seryu and the twin engaged in conversation with a figure he did not immediately recognize. The man stood with an air of familiarity, yet his appearance was entirely different from the one etched in the emperor's memory.
The emperor stepped closer, curiosity evident in his youthful eyes. Before he could speak, the man turned toward him and scoffed.
"Why are you late, brat?"
The emperor blinked in surprise. That voice—it was unmistakable. His eyes widened in realization as he took a closer look at the man standing before him.
It was Garou.
But he looked nothing like before. His once wild, unmistakable hairstyle was now cut and styled, resembling the old master Bang. His tight-fitting martial artist attire had been replaced by a simple sweater, concealing much of his powerful physique. He looked… different. Calmer, perhaps. But the sharpness in his eyes remained.
The emperor broke into a wide smile.
"Teacher! You're back!" he said, his voice filled with genuine joy.
Garou smirked. "What? Did you think I was gone for good?"
The emperor shook his head. "I hoped you'd return, but I didn't expect you to change so much."
Seryu chuckled. "He surprised all of us. But it's still him, make no mistake."
One of the twins nodded. "We have been waiting for you."
Garou crossed his arms. "Enough chit-chat. Since you're finally here, let's see if you all have been keeping the good work"
The emperor laughed, stepping onto the training ground with renewed energy. His teacher was back, and despite all the changes, he knew one thing remained constant—Garou was here to push him beyond his limits. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
______________________
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the imperial training grounds, the four students lay sprawled on the ground, exhausted yet satisfied. Their bodies ached, but it was a familiar pain, the kind that signified growth.
Garou stood over them, arms crossed, nodding in approval. "You've been keeping up with your training. Good," he said. His sharp gaze then shifted to the little emperor, who was still catching his breath.
"Brat, I want to build a dojo," Garou stated plainly, causing the emperor to sit up slightly. "A real one, where people can learn martial arts properly. Somewhere quiet, but close enough to the capital so it's accessible. I want a hilltop location, with a stone staircase leading up to it."
The emperor blinked, caught off guard for a moment, but then a bright smile spread across his face. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, teacher! There's a hill to the west of the capital—it's the perfect place for a dojo. It's elevated, peaceful, and has a natural path where we can build the stone staircase."
Garou nodded in approval. "Good. I'll leave the arrangements to you then. You're the emperor, after all."
The boy straightened up, taking the responsibility seriously. "I'll make sure it's built as soon as possible."
Garou smirked. "See that you do." He then turned his attention back to his students. "Until then, we keep training here. No slacking off."
The trio groaned in unison, but the emperor simply smiled, excited for what the future would bring. A new dojo, a place where martial arts could flourish and people could learn to protect themselves—it was a step toward a stronger empire. And with Garou leading the way, the future looked promising to the emperor.
"Ari, Eren, let's go to the orphanage. It has been a while since I visited" Garou said to the twins.
The twins nodded leaving alongside Garou, Seryu went to the police station as her patrol was soon while the emperor went back in, he had a dojo to build now.
______________________
Garou walked alongside the twins, his hands tucked into his pockets as he listened to them update him on everything that had happened in the past few weeks.
As he listened, Garou raised an eyebrow when Himiko's love life became the topic of conversation.
"She's dating Run now?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly in thought.
The twins nodded in unison. "Yeah, they've been working together for a while, traveling across the empire, visiting schools and orphanages. It kind of just happened naturally."
Garou took a moment to consider it before nodding. "Makes sense. They both have that same calm demeanor and passion for helping children. They suit each other."
"He's a good guy," one of the twins added with a smile.
Garou hummed in agreement before asking, "So, with her gone, who's running the orphanage now?"
The twins exchanged a knowing look before smirking. "It's a surprise," one of them said cryptically.
Garou sighed, shaking his head. "Of course, it is. Fine, I'll find out soon enough anyway."
When they arrived at the orphanage, the sight that greeted Garou was nothing short of unexpected. Akame was playing with the children, her usually stoic expression replaced with a soft, genuine smile. She wore a simple black dress with elegant red lines tracing its edges, giving her a graceful yet casual appearance. It suited her well, and at this moment, no one would think of the ruthless assassin she had once been. She was just a normal woman enjoying a peaceful life.
Garou stopped in his tracks, caught off guard. The children noticed him first and ran over, their excited voices drawing Akame's attention. She turned to look at him, her crimson eyes lighting up with recognition.
"Welcome back," she said with a small smile.
Garou smirked. "I almost didn't recognize you, Miss Gloom and Doom." He crossed his arms. "You look... normal."
Akame chuckled softly. "With the bad days behind us, I decided I didn't want to have anything to do with fighting anymore. I handed Murasame back and chose to work here. I liked the atmosphere from the first time I visited." She then gave Garou a once-over. "You've changed too. You look... tamer, except for the eyes."
Garou shrugged. "The old man suggested it. Said if I wanted to continue teaching, I should start looking like a respectable human being."
Before Akame could respond, another voice called out from the entrance of the orphanage.
"The food is ready."
Garou turned toward the voice, only for his eyes to widen slightly in surprise. Esdeath stood there, dressed in a simple yet elegant blue dress that matched her hair. Her long locks were tied up in a neat bun, and her usual cold, calculating presence was replaced with something softer. She smiled at him as she approached, looking completely unlike the crazy general he remembered.
Garou glanced at Akame. "What is she doing here?"
Akame gave a knowing look. "She quit the army and decided to help take care of the orphans."
Garou turned back to Esdeath, narrowing his eyes. "You are not planning to raise your future challengers or something, are you?"
Esdeath laughed, shaking her head. "That would be interesting, but no. I don't want anything to do with fighting anymore." She folded her arms, looking thoughtful. "After everything that happened, I realized I wanted to try something different. Besides, there are no more wars left for me to fight, and" she smirked slightly, "I actually enjoy it here. It's much more fun than I expected."
Garou blinked, looking between Akame and Esdeath.
These two… former killers, ruthless warriors who lived for battle and killing… had completely changed. He never would've believed it if he weren't seeing it with his own eyes.
"They went from crazies to peace-loving way too quick, unnaturally so" he muttered to himself before shaking his head.
This world really has changed for the better.