Chapter : 78 Decision

Bulat was paralyzed with shock, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene of destruction.

Fear gripped him as his hair stood on end, but he refused to let it control him. 

This wasn't the time for hesitation. So after taking a deep breath, he leapt to a nearby tall building, landing with Mine and Tatsumi while setting them both down with urgency, his mind racing.

["Mine report the situation,"] he ordered in a low and tense voice, his instincts screaming that things were about to get worse.

"....Yeah," Mine said as her hands trembled slightly, Pumpkin, which was in her arms, transformed into its sniper mode, its long barrel sliding into place with a smooth click. 

She brought the scope to her eye, zeroing in on the aftermath of the lightning strike, her breath catching as the scene came into focus.

After a full minute she whispered to the group,"I see… Budo," her words barely escaped her lips. 

Her voice quivered with fear, and her eyes widened in shock. "He's floating a few kilometres above the ground… and there's a massive crater beneath him." 

She didn't even need to explain the origin of the enormous crater.

Her breath hitched as she readjusted the scope, her pulse racing with every passing second. 

Desperately, she scanned the area, praying to see a familiar figure but fearing the worst.

'Please, don't be Sheele,' she pleaded silently, fingers trembling as she tightened her grip on Pumpkin. 

The moments stretched into what felt like an eternity as she zeroed in on the lone figure kneeling in the centre of the crater. 

"There's someone kneeling... completely burned," Mine relayed, her voice taut with disbelief. 

Smoke still clung to the scene, swirling around the ruined figure. As it cleared, her eyes widened.

Relief washed over her briefly. It wasn't Sheele. But as she focused on the figure before her, an ice-cold shiver ran down her spine.

The compact figure's face was hidden behind a charred, cracked devil mask, smoke curling from the broken edges.

His clothes hung in tatters, barely clinging to his burned form, and revealed patches of raw, charred skin beneath. 

But despite the horrifying injuries, he was still breathing, each rasping breath laboured, but unmistakably alive.

"It's Bane!!" she said, unable to tear her eyes away from the scope.

Bulat's voice cut through the tension. ["What's his condition?"] he asked hastily.

"....Bad... very bad. But he's still alive... probably," Mine answered, her voice low as she peered through the sniper scope. Her hands tightened around Pumpkin, the weight of their situation sinking in.

"Bulat... I don't see Sheele anywhere nearby," she added, worrying creeping into her tone.

Bulat fell silent for a moment, thinking through their options. ["We can search for Sheele later,"] he said at last. ["Right now, our priority is saving Bane. And If our luck is good, and he's still conscious, he might know where she is."]

Mine bit her lip, conflicted. "But what if he doesn't know Sheele's location? Even though he is a Night Raider, we barely know anything about him! We don't fully trust him, so is it really worth risking our lives for him?"

"You!" Tatsumi, stunned by her cold, but logical, words. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Bulat cut him off.

["I understand you, Mine,"] Bulat said, his voice calm. ["I know saving him might seem like throwing ourselves into uncertain death. But he is one of us now. Boss Najenda trusted him enough to bring him into the Night Raid. I think at least that makes him our responsibility."]

Mine hesitated, but she eventually nodded. "Alright," she whispered, swallowing the lump of fear that had formed in her throat. 

The odds were grim, but Bulat's decision gave her some semblance of hope.

'You better be worth saving, you masked bastard,' She thought bitterly.

Bulat stood tall, his gaze fixed on the distant crater. ["Don't worry, I'm not going to confront Budo directly. I'll recover Bane and get out, fast. Just give me cover from here."]

Mine adjusted her stance and nodded, though her heart pounded. "Understood," she whispered.

"Brother, I'm coming with you!" Tatsumi suddenly chimed in, stepping forward with a determined look in his eyes. His grip on his sword was tight, his knuckles white. 

Despite the overpowering fear from witnessing Budo's terrifying power, he remained determined to face the monstrous man in battle, driven by a single thought.

'I owe him for saving Sayo and Ieyasu. Even if I die, I need to help.'

Bulat glanced at Tatsumi, his gaze hard. After a brief pause, he shook his head. ["No. You stay here with Mine and protect her. If things go south, abort the mission and run immediately, no need to jump for your certain death."]

"But brother, I can—" Tatsumi started to protest, but Bulat's fist met his face in a swift punch that left him hurling back.

["Do you think I'm joking, Tatsumi?"] Bulat shouted for the first time. His voice was sharp, cutting through any illusions of heroism. 

He pointed towards the crater. ["That man is none other than the Empire's most powerful man who can rip you apart in seconds. If you go down there, you'll be dead before you can even lift your sword. We have already discussed in the base that you will follow my orders in this mission, so stay here, follow my orders and protect Mine while she supports me."]

Tatsumi clutched his jaw as he blinked in stunned silence. Bulat's words hit him harder than the punch. 

His body trembled, both from fear and frustration, but he knew Bulat was right. He wasn't ready not for this. His heart clenched at his powerlessness as he bit his lips in frustration.

["Be a man, Tatsumi,"] Bulat continued, his tone still firm. ["For now, do what I asked you to. If you want to protect people, start by protecting the ones beside you. That's your mission for now."]

Tatsumi swallowed his saliva, his heart heavy, but nodded. "I... understand, brother."

Bulat gave Tatsumi a quick nod, then turned to Mine, who had already had her hands back on her rifle. ["Keep an eye out for anything unusual. You know when to give me support."]

Mine nodded, determination in her eyes, but Bulat caught the worry in her gaze too.

["Mine, I know how much Sheele means to you, but if things get worse, you run. Don't try to fight. Do you understand?"]

"...Yeah," Mine answered quietly, biting her lip as she looked up at Bulat, swallowing hard.

Bulat didn't wait further as he prepared for a mid-leap, his legs tensing.

["S…p"]

But he paused mid-movement, confusion flickering in his eyes. He glanced back at Tatsumi and Mine, but they remained silent and focused. 

Puzzled, he scanned around, and then out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the tiny white snake perched on his shoulder.

A glint of recognition and surprise crossed his face. The little snake hissed softly, barely audible.

["Bane...?"] Bulat muttered in disbelief. ["Is that you? Are you mentally communicating through this snake?"]

The voice came again, though faint and almost distorted. "[....Yes ….]"

Bulat asked quickly, "[How is your condition? Can you still move? Don't worry, we are already here!]"

The voice on the snake was strained and faint, but its urgency cut through the distortion. ["...Don't… worry… specifics… Just listen…"]

Bulat's astonishment deepened, but he kept his composure. He couldn't let anything throw him off in a situation like this.

"[What..?]" he asked instantly, trying to focus through the strange turn of events.

"[.....That purple-haired woman... Sheele... She's in danger….Go towards her ... .the snake will…point its head… towards her direction….," the voice urged, sounding broken and calmer than  

Bulat frowned, still mind-blown by the current turn of events. ["...What about you?"] he asked.

[...]

Getting no response he shouted, ["Are you out of your goddamn mind, Budo will kill you or worse will capture you!! As a former  soldier you already know what awaits you and it will be worse than death if it's the later!!]"

There was a brief silence before the voice replied, ["I…know... don't...worry...I am weak… and will probably… die from my disease…. in a few weeks anyway... so leave me behind… and save the ones you can."]

"Bulat, what are you doing? Budo has attacked Bane again, and he is currently moving towards the river." Mine shouted as she relayed the situation.

Bulat froze, his heart pounding. His grip tightened on his sword as the weight of Bane's words sank in. 

The surrounding sounds began to fade, Mine's shouts barely registering. One of his teammates was struggling for her life, and another was on the brink of death, or worse, capture.

But out of nowhere, he dealt a hard punch to himself, and made his armour disappear, exposing his well-built physique. 

Mine who was shouting stopped as she saw Bulat's action.

Bulat took a comb from his pocket and neatly groomed his pompadour, then he smiled and pointed it at the white snake, asking, "Who do you think I am?" I was called the Hundred-Man Slayer, you know. There's no way I'll back down. Besides, I have a way to escape, so just shut up and let me rescue you. Do you understand, rookie?"

[....] 

"[you…are…an..fool,..just..leave..the…weak…link…behind..don't....jeopardise…everyone's ... .safety."] the voice said.

Bulat laughed. "..Says the madman who doesn't fear death! Just shut up and let me help. If you're going to die in a few weeks, at least die comfortably."

[.....]

[....Okay,....if..you…want…jump..towards…death...then feel..free..to..do..so..but…listen.to...my..instructions..It will..give..you an opportunity ....to escape…but…. it's up to you to grasp it."] Bane said as he began to tell the plan.

Bulat's mouth fell open as Bane laid out his plan. "And here I thought I was the madman throwing myself into danger. You're more insane and crazier than me, betting your life on such an uncertain plan." But he didn't argue.

'Also, just how many hidden abilities does this kid have?' he thought internally.

After a moment, Bulat turned, bringing the snake to Tatsumi and Mine as he handed it over. Telling them the situation, he said, "Follow where the snake points and hurry. Sheele is in danger."

Mine and Tatsumi were shocked, but after a quick exchange of questions, Mine shook her head, still reluctant.

"Bulat, are you crazy? Do you think you can fight Budo? Even with my support, we weren't sure we could secure Bane, but now it's sheer madness. Also, have you forgotten the important law between Teigu wielders?"

Confused, Tatsumi asked, "What law, Mine?"

Mine looked at Tatsumi seriously. "If two Teigu wielders fight with intent to kill, one of them will surely die, or both of them."

"What!!",Tatsumi's face fell, his knuckles white as he gripped his weapon tightly.

Bulat shook his head. "My decision is final," he said with a smile. "And sometimes, laws are meant to be broken."

Tatsumi and Mine looked at the man who stood firm in his decision.

"Brother, please return alive," Tatsumi said, clenching his fists so tight they nearly bled.

Bulat laughed, ruffling Tatsumi's hair. "Don't worry about me. Now go, a man has things he's gotta do."

Tatsumi nodded and sprinted down the building stairs with Mine, leaving Bulat to standalone.

After waiting for a few minutes, Bulat took a deep breath as he clenched Incursio.

He positioned himself as the ground cracked under the weight of his gathering energy.

He roared, "Let's do this, Incursio!"

Suddenly, the wind picked up, and Incursio hummed in response to its wielder's call. 

"ROOOAAARRR!!!"

With a powerful roar, unknown to Bulat instead of a knight, a gigantic ethereal silhouette of a dragon appeared, its dominating aura filling the air. 

The ethereal dragon's eyes shimmered menacingly as it emanated the aura of an apex predator. 

It moved forward and encased Bulat, materialising itself into a full suit of shiny white armour that covered him from head to toe.

Bulat felt his strength surge as the Incursio armour enveloped him. His vision sharpened as every detail around him came into focus.

He lunged forward, his body propelled by the armour's immense strength.

With a single bound, Bulat began leaping across the buildings, quickly closing the distance. 

As he saw Budo finish submerging Bane in the river and turning around, he gripped his spear and launched it at the general, the spear cutting through the air.

A/N: The moment has finally come, the fight between the Hundred-Man Slayer and the Empire's strongest man! 

Also, don't be too hard on Mine for hesitating to save Bane and focusing on her friend Sheele instead. Honestly, anyone in her position would've done the same, except maybe Bulat (he's a total chad). 

Also, guess the reason for the materialisation of Incursio 'dragon' instead of a knight.

And writing about Mine's situation in this chapter reminds me a bit of Cassie from Shadow Slave, for those who know, you know!

[Chapter length 2100 words]