章 82: Chapter : 79 The Mightiest man vs 100 Man slayer

Amidst the wreckage, a tall and muscular figure stood, donning shiny grey and white armor. With heightened senses, he gazed ahead, his entire body poised.

Amidst debris and smoke, the pleasure district is now a war zone of thunderous devastation, barely visible under the dawn's light.

Against the desolate backdrop, the formidable general ascended from the frigid river, his muscular form engulfed in electrifying arcs of energy emitted by his Teigu, Adramelech.

The subtle glow of dawn reflected off his imposing figure, the charged air humming as he prepared for confrontation.

Budo raised a hand to his cheek, wiping away a small trace of blood, and looked at it with a faint trace of displeasure.

'Seclusion from constant battles does dull the senses, even mine,' he thought bitterly as his cold eyes turned his attention back to the armoured figure across the ravaged terrain.

The figure's armour gleamed in the dim light, his face concealed by a metallic visor. But Budo needed no guesswork to recognize the man within the suit.

SWISHH

In a sudden motion, Budo inclined his head to the left as a pointed implement swiftly whizzed past him, revealing itself to be the spear of his ambusher, finally coming to rest in his grasp.

"Seems you've lost your touch, General," the man's distant voice rang out in the general's ear.

Budo's gaze hardened, unperturbed by the jab.

Rather than retorting, he took an unexpected course of action.

He extended his hand, crackling with a concentrated surge of energy, molding it into a sphere of electrified power. This orb, pulsating with a deep blue hue, resonated with immense strength.

ZAAAPPP!!

With barely a flick of his wrist, he sent it hurling downward into the river below him.

BOOMMM!!!

The ball detonated with explosive force, sending up a massive column of water and steam, which clouded the area in dense mist.

The riverbank and surrounding ground quaked from the blast, water and debris raining down from the sky.

The entire scene was transformed into a swirling chaos of shattered stone and upturned earth, the force of the strike scattering debris far and wide.

Unperturbed by the destruction he caused he looked ahead at the man in armour who now looked more tense and said, "Indeed it is as you say hundred man slayer, Bulat…or should I say, 'traitor' who left the imperial army along with other traitors"

He scoffed as he continued, "Were you here to save that brat, if that's the case you have wasted your time as I have already dealt him with ways that his regenerative abilities will not help him with"

He cracked his neck. "Also worry, not as I shall thoroughly crush you along with the other vermin lurking in this district."

Without letting the mist clear, the general leaped ahead, tearing up the smog as his gauntlets gathered blinding arcs of electricity which he hurled towards Bulat.

ZAAAAPP!

Bulat barely had time to react as he saw the electric arcs shot towards him, searing the air in its path.

He narrowly dodged, evading the strike as his armoured boots skidded across the rubble-strewn ground.

BOOMMM!!

The blast detonated behind him, throwing up shards of broken stone and sending ripples of raw energy through the air.

Budo wasted no time, using his control over electrostatic forces to close the distance in an instant. He lunged forward, his gauntlet-clad fist glowing with lethal intent.

"Hahh!" Bulat met him head-on, raising his spear just in time to deflect the blow.

CACKLE!

Sparks erupted as the spear's steel shaft collided with Budo's heavy gauntlets, and both men staggered back, momentarily forced to reassess.

The ground beneath them bore the brunt of the impact, cracks snaking out from where they'd clashed, debris trembling in the wake of their blows.

Budo paused, his eyes narrowing as he assessed Bulat. "You're strong as the soldiers say you to be," he said, almost as if to himself, "but strength alone won't keep you alive here."

Bulat's response was a quick, silent step forward, his spear sweeping in a precise arc aimed at Budo's heart.

Budo parried with a sharp downward strike, his lightning-charged gauntlet making direct contact with the spear.

CRACKLE!

Electricity crackled, momentarily lighting the space between them in an eerie glow.

Bulat felt the static electricity travel up his arm, the residual shock causing his muscles to tighten.

'Damn it!' He gritted his teeth and pressed on, using the momentum to twist the spear and aim for Budo's side as he knew he couldn't match Budo's raw power directly.

Budo countered, his movement precise, his blocks and dodges honed from years of battle.

Yet, because of his previous seclusion, there was a subtle heaviness to them.

But Budo didn't let it hinder his battle, his next counterattack swift and brutal, a crackling uppercut that barely missed Bulat's chin but left scorch marks in the air.

"Let's see how you handle this," Budo spat, summoning a sphere of electric energy and launching it with barely a thought.

ZAAAAPP!!

A chill ran down Bulat's spine as he instantaneously sidestepped, the ball of electricity striking the ground just beside him.

BOOMMM!!

The explosion sent a shockwave through his armour, and he stumbled back, stunned. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he bit down, regaining focus.

"Keep up," Budo taunted, his voice laced with contempt as he closed the gap. "Or was defecting the only bold move you had left?"

"Do your worst," Bulat's voice echoed as he was already on his feet, the spear held in a tight grip, ready for the next onslaught.

Budo charged again, his gauntlets sparking as he unleashed rapid bursts of lightning, each aimed to box Bulat into a corner.

BAM! ZAPP! BAM! ZAPP! BAM!

Budo's charge was like a storm unleashed. Electricity surged from his gauntlets as he shot forward, the air itself vibrating with an intensity that made every hair on Bulat's body stand on end.

"Huff," Bracing himself, Bulat tried to meet the oncoming blow, spear raised, and feet planted firmly on the shattered ground.

The impact was devastating.

A thunderous crack echoed as Budo's fist collided with the spear, the sheer force of it sending a shockwave through the ground, splitting it apart in jagged fissures.

Swishh!!

Bulat's spear was ripped from his grasp, spiralling into the rubble far behind him, and he staggered back, his arms numb from the blow.

'F*k,' Bulat swore internally as he tried to distance himself.

But Budo didn't miss a beat. He closed the distance in a flash, fists crackling with energy as he delivered blow after electric blow, each one tearing through the air like a lightning strike.

Bulat didn't waver as he deflected the first few, but each parry made his arms tremble under the relentless force.

CRACKLE!

Sparks flew in every direction, the smell of burning metal filling the air as each strike chipped away at Incursio's armour.

Then, in a split-second manoeuvre, Budo sidestepped, forcing Bulat to shift his stance to block a low punch.

But the feint was a trap. Budo brought a charged fist down hard on Bulat's shoulder, electricity coursing through him.

"ARGH!!" Pain seared through Bulat as he felt the tremendous impact.

A/N: How was the Chapter!

Also, don't ask why Budo didn't get shocked by using electricity even while he was wet (his Teigu gives him immunity to electrical damage).

Now you also know why he drowned Bane and followed up with that devastating attack to make sure he was dead.

Plus, there was also a reason he didn't take Bane's Teigu or searched for it (you can guess and tell in comment.)

My take on Budo is that he might be arrogant, but he's no fool. He's a general, after all. "Only the careless fight without ensuring victory," as they say.

Let me know in the comments what you're expecting next!