Tatsumi stood motionless above the filthy waters, clutching both pairs of Ecstasy Teigu in his bloody arms. His forlorn gaze never left the woman beneath his feet, who was ripped into two pieces.
He would have condemned the filth underneath him, but the bitch had slashed his tongue when he cursed at her in murderous fury. She had gruesomely sliced Mine's neck in front of his very eyes with a smile on her face.
For him she was not human, but an incarnation of the demon, a twisted being who should not have been born into this world—just like the first horrible aristocratic bitch he had killed after arriving in this hellhole of a Capital.
Just thinking about these vile psychopaths who dared to call themselves humans made him clench his teeth.
But the action caused a sharp grimace of pain.
When Bane had saved him and Sheele, he had quickly applied pressure on Tatsumi's tongue with a torn cloth, ensuring the bleeding slowed. Because of this, Tatsumi hadn't lost much blood and was still in a condition to move, albeit with painful difficulty, which was crucial given their dire circumstances.
Bane had then moved to Sheele, inspecting her grievous injuries. Given their desperate situation and limited resources, cauterization was not possible. So, he had tightly wrapped a cloth around Sheele's arm, staunching the bleeding as best as he could.
With the emergency treatment done, Bane quickly laid out a plan.
Escape wasn't an option, given their dire condition. And while Bane and Tatsumi could potentially make it, they would have to sacrifice Sheele—something neither of them could accept.
The pain of losing a comrade was already gnawing at his heart, and the disgusting thought of sacrificing another to save his own skin was sickening.
But Bane had told him that his sole purpose for being here was to save Sheele, which alleviated some of Tatsumi's internal torment.
The plan was risky, which had the high probability of failure, but it was the only viable option. So, they had hidden Sheele among the sewer grime, covering her in filth to make it difficult for anyone to find her.
Bane had given Tatsumi Sheele's ecstasy and briefed Tatsumi on the sewer's structure and their enemies—Seryu and her biological Teigu, Koro. Bane would act as the decoy, i.e. anvil, taking the brunt of both Koro and Seryu's attacks while Tatsumi would be the hammer that strikes.
Bane explained that Koro, being a Teigu, would potentially deactivate once its master was dead. If not, the two of them would have to fight the monstrous creature together in a last stand, though the chances of survival were slim.
He also revealed a hidden ace, i.e. he had poisoned Seryu with his blood, which was inherently toxic according to him. This gave them a slim chance of weakening her before Tatsumi would strike.
Tatsumi's role was to wait while being half submerged in the filthy sewer water, concealed by grime and debris, breathing through a makeshift tube they found lying near the tunnel. He had to suppress the gnawing guilt that someone else was bearing the major risk—Bane, in his already weakened and exhausted state, standing alone against overwhelming odds.
However, Tatsumi reminded himself of Bulat's teachings—emotions should never cloud judgment in battle. Rationality must take precedence, and in this situation, Bane was the superior. Following his orders was the only way they could all make it out alive.
Back to the present, Tatsumi stood amidst the filth and blood, staring at the insane imperial zealot who had survived despite being ripped apart.
Despite spilling her blood, flesh, and guts in sewer water and being covered in muck and blood, she was still cursing at him, which would frighten any sane person.
Despite slight surprise at this filth's attempt to cling to life, he was not astonished by the eerie sight.
Bane had already warned him that this woman was not human anymore because of unknown experiments. But for Tatsumi, any human or creature could still die if their heart was gouged out or their head split apart. Bane had told him to take advantage of the situation if Seryu survived his ambush.
Without wasting a second, as he heard the loud rumble of something nearby, he moved aside, positioning one blade near Seryu's heart and the other at her neck, facing the hulking beast that had stopped its furious charge fifteen meters away. Koro's swirling eyes locked onto his with unbridled rage.
"Grrr!!" Koro growled fiercely, barely holding itself back.
"What... are you doing, Koro?!" Seryu shrieked through gritted teeth, not minding the filthy water washing over her severed torso.
"Use the 'trump card' and go berserk. Tear this evil bastard apart!" Her face twisted in fury and desperation.
Just thinking about the criminal who had killed her master Ogre sent her into a fit of rage.
Justice, loyalty, duty—none of it mattered anymore. She only wanted revenge.
As Tatsumi heard Seryu's shrieks, he moved Ecstasy swiftly, slicing Seryu's nose. She let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain and humiliation, blood pouring over her filthy face.
"ARGHHH!! YOU BASTARD!!!" Seryu shrieked in pain like a banshee.
"Awoo….." Koro whimpered, hesitating at his master's agony. But Tatsumi, who had seen the hideous creature devour Mine's body gleefully in front of him, clenched his teeth in disgust.
The false emotions of these monsters sickened him. But despite his rage, he kept his composure, raising his sword in a silent command for Koro to back away—or he would kill its master.
The hulking beast reluctantly moved aside, letting Tatsumi see the wounded Bane lying near a sewer wall, his head low and motionless. Tatsumi's heart clenched. Bane had survived gunshots before, but a shot to the head? It would be a miracle if he was still alive.
He wanted to run and check his comrade's condition, but Bane had told him to send the beast away and quickly kill Seryu after ensuring they had enough time to flee through the sewer labyrinth.
If the creature was deactivated, all was well. Otherwise, he needed to grab Sheele and Bane and escape quickly. The smell and grime were already covering them, giving a layer of protection against Kuro's sense of smell, so escape was their only concern. Despite his own poor condition, he had to try.
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A/N: Hello readers, Corrigible_steel here. Sorry for the short chapter, I would have loved to upload bigger chapter but I was busy in household tasks.
Now, about why Seryu is still alive even after being sliced in half—just check the manga where she survived the same fate and still lived long enough to attempt a self-destruct attack on Mine. And why didn't she use self-destruction here? It's simple—because the implant was likely installed later in the story, which was never clarified. Also, this arc will conclude within five or six chapters, not one more than that, I promise!