Manga: Akame Ga Kill Zero 9

Akame Ga Kill! Zero Vol 9 
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

A cruel fate at the hands of those out for revenge awaits Akame at the end of the battle. The new members of the Revolutionary Army who have been targeted are...Najenda and Bulat! But how will Akame fare against these former tools of the Empire...? 

This volume gives us a lot of moments that we've been waiting for, that's the first thing I have to say! Starting the volume off we've got preparations for an operation underway, and an iconic pairing as we see how Kurome got her hands on her teigu. 

Obviously Akame continues to have doubts, she's not fully down with Kuromes new weapon, she's suspicious of their leader and how said leader lured out the Rebel Army among other things. Her suspicions and doubt have been mounting up nicely over the last couple of volumes but we see it all build up even more to breaking point in this volume like music reaching its crescendo. 

We do get action as the Empire's Assassination Unit goes up against the Rebel Army and the body count racks up even higher, which is no great surprise to those of us who've read the main series, but it's interesting to see how certain characters actually met their end. 

Plus we have Akame's face off with Najenda and Bulat. Like I said, this volume sees Akame start to hate her work, she doesn't see the sense in the Empire's actions in this volume so of course it's the perfect timing for her to come face to faec with Najenda, and Bulat as an added bonus! Things obviously heat up as Akame has this confrontation, she takes on Bulat for the most part and we really get to see them go at it. 

While I know Akame had come to her cross roads regarding all of this, I did kind of feel a bit disappointed by how it played out. I feel like her being persuaded to talk with the two of them and then being persuaded to leave the Empire by the two of them, along with Lubbock who popped up, was a bit too easy...perhaps even a little rushed. I was expecting it to have more to it, or be made a bigger deal of I suppose. 

Either way this volume has the moment we've all been waiting for as Akame starts to split off from the Empire as we reach the climax of the story, and I'm excited for the next volume to see her presumably split off entirely. Of course before she can leave she has to try and convince the others to go with her.