— — — — — —
"None of that's a problem."
Emperor Renzo nodded confidently. "Even if you guys hadn't brought it up, I would've done it eventually. After all, we're all in this together, right? Helping each other grow is the way to go."
"I'm not the freeloading type."
He paused, then added, "But I've got my hands full right now."
"Since you've all seen my memories, you probably already know—I've got to deal with the ministers and clean up the Empire first. Can't let this place fall into total chaos."
If this was just a random isekai trip and he could hop worlds again, he wouldn't worry too much. But clearly, that wasn't the case. So if he was stuck here, then it was time to buckle down and do a full overhaul.
Especially those nobles and that nasty prime minister running the show—they seriously pissed him off. He couldn't wait to crush them.
"Honestly, it's not that complicated, is it?"
Aizen had somehow appeared nearby and, having already synced with the newcomer's memories, smiled and offered his take. "Just use illusion-based hypnosis on the minister and the rotten faction."
"Brainwash them into working for you—until they have no use. Start your reforms in the capital, purge the scum nobles. Simple."
"After that, just keep the momentum going."
"Let the minister and his people carry the blame. You pull the strings in the background. With the kind of power you've got now, this won't even be a challenge."
Once you're strong enough, even huge problems become minor annoyances.
"Exactly," Uchiha Renzo nodded. "Also, General Budo could be useful—a good 'tool' to leverage. And if you secretly reveal your overwhelming strength to Esdeath and bring her under your control, she'll be a huge asset. With her help, reforming the Empire will be much easier."
"Plus, you can develop stuff like a quantum computer, the Red Queen system, and even satellite surveillance. Build your own intelligence network."
"As the reform progresses, you can introduce advanced production equipment, high-yield seeds, and modern agriculture. Mix it all into your policy reforms and in a few years, you'll have completely revamped the Empire."
Esdeath was the kind of person who only respected strength. The minister had only ever gained her cooperation because of his influence and power—not because of any personal charm.
"That's... actually a pretty solid plan. Let's go with that."
Emperor Renzo grinned in approval.
That was a genuinely constructive suggestion. He definitely needed a scapegoat to carry the blame during the noble purge. Otherwise, all the hatred would be directed at him—and that would be a problem.
Not all nobles were rotten, after all. There were still a few decent outliers—people who could be recruited and made useful.
Just look at the Third Hokage. He got to act like a saint for years just because Danzo handled all the dirty work.
That's the power of a good scapegoat.
He had originally been planning to kill the minister right away. But now? Nope. That guy still had plenty of value to milk before sending him off.
"Actually—no, even his death should be useful!"
"I can let him take the fall, carry the weight, and then stage a grand public execution. Let the people vent their anger. Get the ball rolling."
"Damn, I'm a genius."
Emperor Renzo was getting more and more hyped about this strategy.
But he couldn't get too caught up in scheming. Back in his world, that damn minister was still trying to force his hand. He had to return and deal with it ASAP.
With that thought, he turned to everyone. "Alright, I won't stick around today. Gotta head back and sort things out. Once I've got things under control, I'll be back to bug you all again!"
And with that, he left.
"Heh, this is gonna be fun to watch. That Empire's in for a bloody shake-up," said Chef Renzo, grinning.
OnePunchMan Renzo added with a smirk, "Same here. I remember watching the anime and hating those twisted nobles so much. I wanted them all gone."
"'Trash' doesn't even begin to describe them."
Like that lady Aria in the first episode—she literally tortured poor civilians for fun. Killed them and laughed about it.
What kind of sick, twisted person does that?
The Renzos crew weren't saints, sure, but most of them leaned toward lawful or neutral good. Stuff like that made their blood boil.
— — —
Akame Ga Kill World
"Your Majesty! Did you hear what I said?!"
Back in the Empire, just as the young Emperor Renzo was regaining his awareness and still feeling the surge of power inside him, he was interrupted by the minister's noisy voice.
"Shut up."
With a sharp glare, Renzo turned his head—and the Minister froze on the spot, as if locked in place by invisible chains.
The whole court went dead silent.
That one move stunned the pro-Minister faction. Even the loyal officials couldn't hide the flicker of hope in their eyes.
"Hm?"
Even General Budo, who'd been standing quietly against the wall, straightened up and looked at the young emperor with surprise.
What's going on? This wasn't the naive, puppet emperor he remembered—the one who obeyed the Minister's every word without question.
Wait... what's going on with the Minister?
Budo narrowed his eyes. Something was off. The Minister, after being scolded in front of everyone, hadn't said a word in return. He wasn't even moving.
"Your Majesty! You—"
Before one of the Minister's cronies could finish speaking in defense, Renzo cut them off.
"You shut your mouth too."
With a sudden motion, he rose from the throne. A terrifying aura exploded out from him, sweeping through the entire hall like a storm.
The pro-Minister officials were frozen on the spot, unable to move a muscle.
Even the good officials, the loyalists, were left shaking in fear, wide-eyed and silent. The pressure in the hall was overwhelming—and Renzo's presence had completely changed.
"Who are you?"
General Budo stepped forward cautiously, face grim, eyes locked onto Renzo. The change in the emperor was too drastic. This couldn't be the same boy he knew.
Renzo stared him down, his voice cold and amused. "Who do you think I am, General?"
With that, the pressure on Budo spiked, slamming him to his knees with crushing force. The weight was so intense it felt like gravity itself had turned against him.
Renzo walked forward slowly, looming over him. "Do I really look like the same weakling emperor?"
Budo's eyes were bloodshot with strain as he tried to push himself up, but it was no use.
"You… you're not him. The emperor I knew never had power like this."
"That's because I hadn't awakened yet."
Renzo gave a dismissive smirk. "I just inherited the will of the First Emperor—an ancient power on par with the gods. And along with it, I gained clarity. I now understand everything that's happened in the empire."
"The Minister's corruption. The decay of the nobility. And your failure, General."
Renzo's gaze sharpened. "Tell me, Budo. Do you admit your guilt?"
To Renzo, both from his memory and from what he'd seen with his own eyes, Budo was a failure. He had stood by and done nothing as the Minister wrecked the empire—because he clung to the ideal that soldiers shouldn't interfere in politics.
By doing nothing, by staying neutral, he had allowed the empire to rot.
Worse than scheming for power, worse than siding with the Minister—at least those things might have accelerated the empire's collapse and opened the door for change. But standing idly by? That was the most damning sin of all.
Of course, Renzo was also grateful in a way—if Budo had tried to seize control or make political moves, Renzo might not have survived long enough to awaken.
"The will of the First Emperor…? This—this has to be a joke..."
General Budo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"There's nothing unbelievable about it."
Renzo had no interest in explaining himself. There was no way to prove he wasn't an imposter, and Budo was the kind of man who'd never betray the emperor unless he was absolutely sure something was wrong. No amount of talking would erase all suspicion.
So why waste words?
He released the pressure on Budo, stepping back and returning to his throne with calm confidence.
"That's enough for now. Stand up."
Budo slowly rose, still shaken.
"I'm going to rebuild this rotten empire from the ground up. And to do that, I'll need the military firmly in my hands. I need you to take control of the capital's forces and assist me. Don't let me—or our ancestors—down. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will not fail you," Budo replied, giving a deep, respectful bow.
Even though doubts lingered in his heart, he forced them down. For now, he had no choice but to follow.
.
.
.