Amidst the ruins of the battlefield, the great general looked down at the figure kneeling before him.
The dark grey and white armor, battered and dust-covered, struggled to support its wounded wearer.
Each dent, each crack on its surface, bore silent witness to the crushing strength of Budo's assault.
Budo's eyes remained frigid and unfeeling as he surveyed the once-proud soldier before him.
"Look at you. How far you've fallen," he said with biting disdain.
"Has life as a rebel and assassin softened you so much? You, who hold the honor of carrying the legacy of one of the Empire's finest by wearing Incursio."
Bulat lifted his head slightly, meeting Budo's gaze through the haze of pain.
But Budo continued, unrelenting, his tone edged with a strange mixture of reproach and cold respect. "Gensei... your master, one of the few men I ever respected, he was a true warrior, unmatched in his era. He even had a hand in training me and had imparted me the foundational arts that became the basis for my strength."
The great general paused, his expression unchanging as he continued, "Weapons aside, he was a general, a master, a strategist, a commander, a spear that never dulled. He had more honor, more strength, than perhaps even I can claim."
He clenched his fist, and a spark leapt from his gauntlet, flickering in the dim light. "It was one of my deepest regrets... that by the time I was ready to challenge him, he was already retired."
Budo's gaze darkened further as he looked upon Bulat's beaten form, his respect tainted by contempt. "And you, the one who took his mantle... chose to disgrace it."
Bulat met the gaze of the man known as the Empire's strongest, a bloody smile forming beneath his broken visor. "Disgrace, you say, General?... Maybe I am a disgrace."
"My master Gensei, who you speak of, was indeed the greatest….He took in a nobody like me, a mere foot soldier, and turned it into someone worthy. I served the Empire even after he was gone, even without ties of family or loyalty. I wanted to honor his legacy."
He laughed bitterly. "But as time went on, I saw the truth my dedication had blinded me to. Endless wars stole uncountable lives, ruined families, bled the land dry. But the final blow came when General Liver, my superior, was framed on false charges for refusing Prime Minister Honest's bribes."
He continued, "Despite his impeccable record, the military tribunal ignored his defense, and the imperial court dismissed him like a disobedient dog. When I defended him, I too was branded a criminal and forced to flee. And you speak of honor and legacy, General. Where were you when a just man like my superior was falsely accused?"
Budo's expression hardened as he responded, "Your superior Liver has been released from his charges. He now serves under Esdeath." Bulat was stunned, a mixture of relief and dread stirring within him.
"As for the state of the Empire's justice system," Budo admitted, "I acknowledge it has become rotten. And I intend to uproot the corruption." He extended a hand to Bulat. "I don't expect you to trust me. But, given your past and your strength, I offer you a chance. Serve under me, I will free you from any charges and clear your name, and in a few months, you'll see what I mean."
A long silence passed before Bulat spoke. "Your offer is intriguing, General, but I have one question first." He paused, waiting for Budo's nod. "Why did you kill Bane?"
Budo frowned, then realized. "You mean the boy?" Bulat nodded, his gaze unyielding. Budo's eyes steeled. "I spoke briefly with him. He was talented, a potential soldier of the highest caliber. But his heart was consumed by hatred, and he would never have let go of his grudge."
Bulat was quiet for a long moment before speaking again. "Then will you kill anyone who bears a grudge against the Empire? Those who've been wronged, whose families were destroyed, whose lives were stolen?"
After a tense pause, Budo answered coldly, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Bulat. To govern the Empire, we must sometimes make harsh decisions."
Bulat lowered his head and shook it, a bitter resolve in his voice. "....Then I'm afraid I must decline your offer, General. Your veiw of Empire is an empty a shell, totally different from mine,"
He continued, "Also, I have pledged to fight for all people, regardless of whether they bear grudges or not, within it."
Budo's gauntlets ignited with electricity as he responded, "A soldier's obligation is to obey commands, no matter how severe. You've become too soft, lost in ideals, blind to reality."
Bulat chuckled, though his eyes held a trace of sorrow. "If you call seeing the suffering around us and refusing to stay blind to it 'soft,' then yes, I've grown softer than I was in the imperial army." He shook his head. "And I'd choose that over turning a blind eye any day."
A flash of resolve crossed his face. "The reality you speak of, General, is one I fought for long enough to know its price, endless wars, corruption in every corner, lives spent as if they were nothing but numbers in the ledger of power. If that's the 'duty' you speak of, then I've had enough of it."
Budo's gaze hardened, and whatever flicker of respect had lingered was gone. "Then you're just another fool," he spat.
"Putting empty ideals over loyalty, betraying everything we swore to protect. You idealists are the very weakness that disrupts the Empire's stability." His voice dropped, a cold finality settling into it. "There's no place for sentiment in power."
Bulat's eyes gleamed with resolve beneath his visor, unfazed. "Then I suppose we're bound to clash, General."
Electricity crackled violently around Budo's gauntlets, the arcs growing larger as they fed off his rising anger.
The very air trembled, humming with energy, sending bursts of static into the ground as jagged streaks of lightning cracked across it. As he raised his gauntlets, energy swirled around them, signaling his readiness to strike. "This was the first and last olive branch I had extended to the likes of you."
But Bulat chuckled as he heard the threat, "You know, General, my master Gensei was feared for many skills… but there was one he mastered that people feared above all else."
A sensation of coldness traveled up Budo's spine, an intuition he hadn't felt in a long time, a swift realization that peril was closer than perceived.
He lunged forward, instinctively bringing his fist down to end Bulat. But as his fist connected with empty air, Bulat had already vanished.
Swishh!!
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through Budo's abdomen, an unfamiliar sensation that made his vision flash white for a split second.
He staggered, barely able to process that he'd been struck. Blood began to seep from the wound, staining his armor, and he felt the shock of vulnerability he hadn't known in years.
Two meters away, Bulat's figure flickered back into sight, spear in hand, the edges glinting with fresh blood. His grin beneath his visor was laced with battle lust. "Let's fight to the death, General."
Budo's visage contorted, with a display of anger in his eyes as arcs of electricity sparked around him.
"You are dead!"
A/N: Phew, this chapter took a lot out of me! I had to dig deep into Budo's and Bulat's history to get it right.
I know some of you may find this chapter a little bland(Action scene), but I think it was interesting to see perspectives of Bulat and Budo.
I really find the interaction where the general tried to take Bulat under his guidance very captivating.
Also, if you're interested, you can read about Bulat's master, Gensei, in Akame ga Kiru! 1.5—it's got some good side stories.
And yes, Gensei will appear later on, but not just yet, because of the changes Bane's presence has brought to the story.
The next chapter will wrap up Budo's and Bulat's fight. What do you guys think will happen? Will Budo fall, or will Bulat? Any other guesses? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! Have a great day, and thank you for reading.