Chapter 445: Wood vs. General Budo!
"Such astonishing strength, impressive martial skills, and you're still so young. Even within the entire Empire, you're undoubtedly one of the strongest.
If given a few more years to grow, you might even surpass General Esdeath.
It's said you were once a soldier of the Empire. With such a promising future, why would you choose this path, degrading yourself to become one of the rebels?"
General Budo was a man who refrained from interfering in politics, but that didn't mean he was unaware of what transpired in the capital.
He knew a fair amount about the members of Night Raid, and for individuals like Najenda, Bulat, and Wood, he felt a deep sense of regret.
Najenda, Bulat, and Wood were all outstanding soldiers of the Empire, even generals who should have been expanding the Empire's borders. Yet, they had ended up on the opposite side, aiming to overthrow the very Empire they once served.
Up until now, Budo had only heard of Wood's deeds. But now, face-to-face, he realized the young man before him far exceeded his expectations.
For the longest time, Budo had believed Esdeath to be the strongest warrior he'd ever encountered. But now, Wood stood before him, proving to be no less formidable.
Someone who could have been the backbone of the Empire had been driven to this point by the likes of Honest and his ilk.
It was precisely because of this realization that General Budo's resentment toward Honest deepened. He resolved that once this storm passed, he would break his own principles and personally eliminate Honest and those corrupting the Empire.
"General Budo, surely you're aware—am I truly the one who has degraded himself?
You, as the Empire's supreme commander, entrusted with the late emperor's dying wishes, look at what you've allowed to happen.
Honest is indeed a despicable man, but in my eyes, you, who are praised as upright and old-fashioned, are no better."
Hearing Wood's words, the lightning surrounding General Budo erupted like flames, crackling and exploding outward.
"You dare say I'm no better than that scoundrel Honest? That I'm also a culprit in the Empire's decline?"
General Budo admired Wood, but that didn't mean he would tolerate such blatant insults. To be equated with Honest, whom he despised, was beyond his limits.
"Am I wrong? You possess the power to influence the emperor, yet you chose to stand idly by.
You may think you've used your authority to protect the Empire's few virtuous ministers, but do you even realize how many civilians and low-ranking officers have perished because of your inaction?"
Budo clenched his fists at Wood's words, preparing to retort with his ancestral teachings about how generals should not interfere in politics. But before he could speak, Wood cut him off.
"Don't give me that nonsense about how generals shouldn't meddle in politics!
The entire Empire is on the brink of collapse, and you still cling to ancestral teachings? As the leader of the Empire's military, isn't it your duty to protect the people?
Yet, you've failed even in that. What kind of upright leader are you? Honest must die, the young emperor must die, and no one will stop me.
I decree it! Spirit Descent—Knight of Winter!"
A bone-chilling cold erupted from Wood's body, spreading rapidly throughout the grand hall.
As a massive, icy-blue dragon enveloped Wood, frost-like white mist instantly coated every corner of the space.
"Honest deserves death—I'll admit that. But it must be by the Empire's law, not your hands. And I won't let you lay a single finger on His Majesty, nor will I allow the Empire to fall.
That, too, is my duty as General Budo!"
As Wood activated his Teigu, General Budo also got serious.
Violent golden lightning burst forth from his armored frame. The electric arcs shattered the floor beneath him, pierced the ceiling of the grand hall, and shot into the stormy clouds above.
Meanwhile, Wood's side was engulfed in a massive blizzard. A towering tornado of icy wind froze everything around it, the icy winds tearing apart the hall's ceiling as well.
The clash between the two was so intense that the once-spacious hall where the emperor held court began to tremble.
The twenty or so stone pillars supporting the hall had already been partially destroyed during earlier battles. Now, with the collision of these two forces, over half of them shattered, leaving the remaining pillars barely holding on.
It was only a matter of time before they, too, collapsed.
The magnitude of the battle forced others to retreat.
Even Kurome and the remaining two Four Rakshasa Demons had to halt their fight and withdraw.
Staying in the crumbling hall any longer would mean being buried alive, regardless of which side they were on.
"Wrath of the Thunder God!"
"Hyakki Gokenryu—Snow Maiden!"
Unlike those retreating in panic, the two responsible for the hall's destruction—Wood and General Budo—remained unnervingly calm.
In the blink of an eye, the two vanished from their positions.
Budo's movements left trails of crackling lightning, while Wood's left a flurry of swirling snowflakes.
The two reappeared dozens of meters from where they had stood, meeting in the center as they unleashed their attacks.
Budo's gauntlet surged with electric energy, summoning thunder from the heavens above. Lightning pooled around him like a sea of electricity before being compressed into his arm as he threw a devastating punch toward Wood.
On Wood's side, his body was entirely encased in icy armor. As he swung his blade downward, the overwhelming cold froze everything in its path. The temperature difference was so extreme that Budo thought he saw a spectral figure behind Wood—a white-clad, ethereal woman wielding a long blade.
BOOM!
Violent lightning clashed with bone-chilling ice, creating a massive shockwave.
The initial collision created a vacuum at the center before the force exploded outward in a ring.
The remaining stone pillars, already riddled with cracks, crumbled instantly.
With the collapse of these final supports, the grand hall could no longer stand, and it came crashing down in a massive cloud of dust and debris.
Compared to Budo's lightning-based Teigu, Adramelech, Wood's Knight of Winter might not be as destructive in raw energy output.
However, the intense cold and sharpness of Wood's abilities posed a significant challenge even to someone as powerful as General Budo.
The ability to manipulate ice was merely a supplementary feature of Knight of Winter. Its primary strength lay in augmenting the user's body with its full-body armor.
However, the ice-based swordsmanship Snow Maiden from Wood's Hyakki Gokenryu was significantly amplified by Knight of Winter. The combination of the two unleashed extraordinary power.
Under the devastating impact of their clash, the vast palace was reduced to rubble. Neither the Four Rakshasa Demons nor Kurome knew which of the two combatants had emerged victorious.
What was clear, though, was that after such a catastrophic collision, even the victor would not come out unscathed. If they didn't escape quickly, the sheer weight of the palace debris could suffocate them to death.
Yet, just as Kurome and Chelsea anxiously prepared to dig through the rubble in search of Wood, two powerful updrafts suddenly erupted from the ruins.
Moments later, a figure shrouded in crackling lightning and another clad in icy-blue armor shot up from two opposite corners of the debris. Without hesitation, they charged at each other once again!
"Are those two even human?! After a collision strong enough to collapse the entire palace, they're still completely fine!"
Even the Four Rakshasa Demons, who had long surpassed human limitations, couldn't hide their shock at the sight of Wood and General Budo resuming their fight.
It wasn't surprising that the two survived such an intense battle, but the fact that neither of them showed any signs of injury was downright unbelievable.
Wood's Knight of Winter was an armor-type Teigu, further reinforced by Armament Haki. This combination rendered the collapsing palace debris harmless.
Similarly, General Budo's Teigu, Adramelech, was also an armor-type. The lightning that constantly emanated from him shattered any rubble before it could make contact, ensuring he, too, was unharmed.
The clash between Wood and General Budo continued across the palace ruins at an unimaginable speed. Even the speed-focused Rakshasa Demon, Mahat, who prided herself on her swiftness, found herself awestruck.
For someone like Chelsea, who lacked combat strength, the battle was even more incomprehensible. All she could see were a blue streak of light and a golden flash of lightning colliding repeatedly, causing massive destruction with each impact.
Unable to discern who held the upper hand, Chelsea turned to Kurome for clarification.
"Their level is far beyond mine, so I can't see much either. But I think Wood has the edge.
Don't forget, Wood still has another Teigu he hasn't used yet. If he activates it, General Budo will likely be defeated instantly..."
Kurome and Chelsea both knew that while Wood and Budo appeared evenly matched, Wood had yet to unleash his full power.
If he were to use the Teigu Heart of God, the current deadlock would be shattered in an instant, and General Budo wouldn't stand a chance.
However, they also understood the severe side effects of Heart of God. Wood had mentioned before that after rescuing Kurome, using it one or two more times might completely drain his life force.
Although he had spoken these words with a nonchalant grin, Chelsea and Mine had sensed the gravity behind them.
Amidst the high-speed clash with General Budo, Wood wrestled with his thoughts.
Truthfully, despite both being hailed as the Empire's "strongest," Wood felt that Budo's strength was noticeably inferior to Esdeath's.
Leaving aside the strength of their respective Teigu, Budo's age meant his physical condition was far from its peak, unlike the youthful Esdeath.
In terms of battle experience and skill, Budo, as the Empire's supreme commander with years of military service, was nearly on par with Esdeath.
However, in terms of instinct and overall danger, Esdeath was far more formidable.
Fighting Esdeath felt like facing a wild beast—relentless and unyielding, with combat instincts and reflexes honed to inhuman levels.
Against such a deadly opponent, even a seasoned swordsman like Wood had to tread carefully, constantly wary of a lethal counterattack.
In contrast, Budo's approach was that of a seasoned general. His techniques were impeccable, but his steady and methodical style lacked the unpredictability that made Esdeath so terrifying.
Even without Heart of God, Wood was confident he could eventually defeat General Budo if the fight continued.
The problem was time. By the time Wood secured his victory, Honest and the young emperor would have long escaped.
Yet activating Heart of God posed its own risks. Doing so might drain the last of his life force, effectively ending this chapter of his journey.
"It seems I'll have to take a page out of Esdeath's book and adopt her combat style. Otherwise, I won't be able to break this stalemate."
As Wood and General Budo collided again, Budo swung a lightning-imbued fist toward Wood's face, while Wood gripped his blade with both hands, aiming for Budo's chest.
Normally, both combatants would adjust their attacks or evade upon sensing danger.
But this time, Budo was stunned. Wood showed no intention of dodging his thunderous punch. Instead, he resolutely swung his blade downward, fully committed to his attack.
Realizing it was too late to adjust his stance, Budo's expression hardened. If retreating meant taking a direct hit, he might as well strike back with full force.
With a fierce determination, he unleashed his lightning-charged punch directly at Wood's face!
BOOM! BOOM!
Two deafening explosions echoed across the ruins. Both Wood and General Budo, having taken each other's attacks head-on, were sent flying, crashing into the debris below.