Reincarnated as Kaguya Shinomiya

Since Eriri stayed over at my house for a night, we spent a good amount of time discussing ways to significantly improve the plot of Akame ga Kill. I guided her through designing several illustrations of the protagonist along with his two close friends, Sayo and Ieyasu, as well as Aria, the character whose sweet and angelic smile made Eriri especially eager to capture her essence. Eriri was thrilled, completely absorbed in drawing Aria, immersing herself in her world, as she often does when it comes to characters like Aria, which is resembled her according her definition.

If only she knew the truth...

Later that night, I worked to further refine and modify the Akame ga Kill plot, making it not just better but more engaging overall. I took great care to portray Tatsumi as a far more competent and decisive individual. I wanted him to be stronger, not just physically but mentally, avoiding the frustratingly annoying and self-righteous attitude the anime often gave him. Instead, I aimed to portray him as a mature man, wise in his interactions with others, capable of making tough decisions.

The revised beginning of the story would feature Tatsumi, Ieyasu, and Sayo sitting together on a tatami mat, discussing their shared ideals, dreams, and the promise of life or death together, all while pledging to improve the living conditions of their village. This heartfelt conversation marks the start of their hopeful journey towards the Capital. However, during their journey, they are suddenly ambushed by a large and overwhelming group of bandits. The ambush is so numerous that it becomes impossible for them to fight each bandit off individually.

It is during this chaotic moment that Tatsumi begins to show his true competence and intelligence. He devises a clever strategy, pretending that Ieyasu and Sayo have handed over all their money to him. This creates the illusion that Tatsumi holds everything valuable, luring the bandits to focus entirely on him, allowing his two friends to flee towards the Capital safely.

The bandits, seeing that Tatsumi looks rich and desperate to run, are drawn to him, greedy for the coins they believe are in his possession.

They completely ignore Tatsumi's two friends and focus their attention solely on him. This is how they end up separated—Tatsumi, using his wits, runs deep into the woods, taking advantage of the cold and frosty atmosphere of the forest to lose the bandits' trail as they struggle to navigate the dense, disorienting woods.

From here, the real beginning of the story unfolds, as Tatsumi encounters a merchant under attack by a Dangerous Beast and steps in to help. This revised plot showcases a much more competent, strategic Tatsumi right from the start, adding layers of depth to his character.

This is what I could recall and reshape of the Akame ga Kill plot from my memory, focusing on the important narrative points and nodes that stand out. However, I'll still need to spend more time thinking about how to flesh out the relationships between Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu, especially the emotional dynamics that occur when they get separated.

My goal is to portray Tatsumi as an intelligent, capable leader—a character who stands out in the eyes of an audience that's tired of passive, beta male protagonists and craves an alpha MC.

Not only am I someone who enjoys an alpha MC, but it seems that everyone does. The more I write, the more I come to appreciate the deep satisfaction of crafting a story that embodies how Akame ga Kill was truly meant to be. No wonder so many people love reading and writing fanfiction—it provides a way to witness firsthand the thrill of a competent protagonist navigating their world. This brings me immense joy and fulfillment, especially after enduring so many stories featuring beta or incompetent main characters.

My fingers kept typing, revising the beginning of the story. What was supposed to be a simple encounter with a caravan and a merchant was transformed by me into a dramatic vow between the protagonist and his friends. The protagonist's subconscious yet competent leadership in fighting off bandits took center stage. Whether it was drama, action, or the romance laden with the ambiguity of the relationship between Tatsumi and Sayo, I had infused it all into the scene. The romantic tension was subtly portrayed through Sayo's bright smiles and the way she constantly peeked at the protagonist whenever he wasn't looking. Everything was already set. I saved the file and let out a deep yawn.

It's procrastination time!

Oh wait, no... It's definitely time to sleep.

Procrastination and not updating were like cursed words in the webnovel. Most authors who fell into that trap ended up dropping their stories, and I was no exception.

"Uhm...? Is it already night?" Eriri snapped out of her stupor, having been deep in her drawing.

Upon hearing my yawn, she realized that it was already midnight, especially after glancing at the time on my laptop and the clock stuck to my chamber wall.

"Well, you can stay here if you want," I suggested, noting the late hour as we unconsciously worked through the entire night.

"I'll send a message to your mother. I'm sure she'll understand."

"Thanks, Kaguya-chan," Eriri murmured, nodding with a yawn of her own. She put down her drawing tablet, exhaustion creeping in, then grabbed a bottle of mineral water from my desk.

After taking a long gulp, she laid herself down on the bed in my chamber and closed her eyes, visibly ready for rest.

I hesitated for a moment, my thoughts swirling. I wanted to try something—something that went beyond friendship. Nervously, I approached Eriri. Our bodies were so close. I swallowed my anxiety and gingerly wrapped my arms around her in a hesitant hug.

Eriri turned her head toward me, her expression one of confusion but not discomfort.

"Why are you so nervous, Kaguya? Isn't it normal for girls to have sleepovers like this? Even in manga, in the ecchi scenes, they touch each other casually in the bath," she said, her voice calm, almost teasing.

"Yeah, it's normal," I mumbled, mostly to convince myself. My tense nerves slowly began to relax. The warmth of her acceptance melted away my hesitation, and I became bolder, hugging her more tightly.

In response, Eriri returned the embrace. Her arms wrapped around me, and together we held each other as the night deepened around us.

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.

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Do not rely on anyone. Instead, use them. Do not receive anything. Instead, steal. Do not love. There is no instead.

In the past, these words had always been deeply ingrained into the very essence of the Shinomiya family. Every individual who bore the name of Shinomiya was bound, both by tradition and expectation, to live by these principles. I was no exception to this ironclad rule, yet time and time again, I defied their will, refusing to grow into the mold of what Kaguya was supposed to be according to the dictates of these unyielding standards.

I was Kaguya Shinomiya, the daughter of Gan'an Shinomiya, the man who wielded control over a massive corporation with assets valued at 200 trillion yen, a man who held the economic lifeblood of Japan in his hands. Why, then, should I have followed those outdated rules?

I obliterated every person who ever attempted to brainwash me with those words. Be it my personal mentors, the maids assigned to me, or anyone else who dared to utter those cursed phrases in my presence—none of them were spared. They were immediately fired, stripped of any chance to defend or explain themselves.

I blacklisted them, ensuring they would never show their faces in front of me again. I am my own person; no rules, no tradition, no expectation shall ever bind me or define the kind of individual I choose to become.

Even when my father personally confronted me about my refusal to adhere to our family's mottos, I stood my ground. I flatly refused to conform to what they had dictated for generations. Strangely, instead of punishing me or enforcing some harsh lesson, my father simply sighed, then turned and walked away.

From that moment on, he granted me an extraordinary level of personal freedom and autonomy. I still do not fully understand the reason why. It was as though he had become an entirely different person—no longer controlling, no longer sending people to monitor my every move or trying to force his teachings upon me. It was as if the man who once sought to brainwash me had disappeared, and in his place was someone willing to give me all the space I needed to do whatever I desired.

This newfound freedom was precisely why I no longer feared any repercussions or challenges when it came to my ambitions. I sought not just to raise Japan's entertainment industry to new heights, but to utterly dominate it. I didn't merely want to create anime or manga—I aimed to establish a personal empire.

I desired to craft idols, to build a media empire that transcended borders, to conquer the realms of virtual reality gaming assets and shares. I envisioned making movies and television series based on the anime of my past life and developing immersive virtual reality games to complement them. I wanted it all.

I even dreamed of discovering the secret of immortality through the time machine that, in the future, would be invented by none other than Makise Kurisu. I wanted to meet her, befriend her, and join her in creating that time machine through her genius. I craved all of it—every bit of power, influence, and innovation that could be mine.

In the bathtub, I found myself deeply satisfied with my own thoughts as I sat comfortably on Eriri's lap while she gently washed my hair with shampoo.

Our behavior, if seen by others, would undoubtedly be considered something more intimate than what friends typically engage in.

However, as Eriri pointed out from the very beginning, there was nothing strange about it in her view. According to her, this kind of closeness was perfectly normal in the ero manga she drew. In fact, she believed it was commonplace, especially in those ecchi scenes where the protagonist's harem members would frequently kiss each other or playfully touch one another's breasts during teasing moments.

Eriri had become so immersed in her own fictional world that she treated these interactions as if they were real, though by normal societal standards, it was undoubtedly unusual and even inappropriate. But to her, this was just another day in her fantasy realm.

In truth, she was only washing my hair—nothing more, nothing less. That's all there was to it, despite how unconventional it might seem to others.

"Your hair looks beautiful, Kaguya-chan. Not only is it long, but it's also shiny and soft," she muttered with a hint of envy, her hands continuing to roam through my black strands.

"What's your secret?"

"Don't you have great hair too, Eriri-chan?" I rolled my eyes at her question, feeling a bit amused by it.

Then, I leaned back against her chest, allowing myself to fully relax. I closed my eyes, relishing the sensation as Eriri's soft hands massaged my scalp with a tenderness that was hard to put into words. I've always struggled with word, and my vocabulary is limited to express what I wanted to say, but even so, I can confidently say it felt wonderful to be pampered by her like this.

"Maybe," she shrugged in response, her tone nonchalant.

I didn't bother to reply, choosing instead to stay silent as I let Eriri handle everything.

She continued her work while I indulged in the comfort of her embrace, gradually drifting off into a light nap, entirely at ease.

A/N: Sorry for the delay; it has been three months since I disappeared without any notice. I hope you don't mind the slow pace of updates for this story. I can't fully devote myself to something I write just for fun.

I will have a stable update only when I start taking this story seriously.

Before that, I have a question in mind, do you think I should have the main character make Akame ga Kill limited to the manga, or should I expand it into a fully-fledged TV series or movie?

If we were to adapt it into a TV series, do you have any recommendations for the cast of actors and actresses?

Also, what role do you think would suit Kaguya the most in the movie—Akame, Kurome, or someone else?

I'm a bit confused about who would be the best fit for Esdeath if we were to make this into a TV series.

Maybe Nishikinomiya Anna?

Comments and let me know. I'd really appreciate your help and recommendations for the roles.