Three minutes earlier.
"Now, I, Budo, with the rank of Great General bestowed upon me by the late Emperor, hereby sentence you to death!!"
Crackle… crackle!
Thunderous blue lightning as thick as a thumb surged from Budo's fists, sparking and crackling in the air. With [Adramelech] in hand, he delivered a crushing blow like a massive pile driver.
At that moment, time seemed to slow for Chelsea.
Did she regret her choices? No, not at all. Since she assassinated the tyrannical governor and her comrades in the Oarburgh assassination association were wiped out, she had long anticipated this day.
Staring at Budo's looming figure, his face filled with murderous intent as he towered over her, Chelsea thought to herself.
"Well... if I die, so be it. At least I took that worthless emperor with me. Being hunted down by one of the Empire's two greatest generals... not a bad way to go!"
Suddenly, whoosh!
"There's another one?!" Budo's sharp instincts immediately sensed the incoming orange beam and shifted his focus. He braced himself, taking the shot head-on without flinching.
"This Teigu: Roman Artillery [Pumpkin]... It's Najenda, isn't it? But you rebels are underestimating me! None of you will escape!"
With that, the field of electricity around Budo from [Adramelech] expanded, and the residual lightning struck Chelsea again, leaving her completely paralyzed.
Chelsea's weak physical body was a massive limitation to her abilities in battle.
"Rebel scum, die!" Budo gathered his power once more and launched his final blow, his fists radiating with deadly electricity.
Boom!
Crack crack crack!
Blue lightning crackled as it tore the ground apart. The earth split and crumbled beneath the immense power of Budo's attack, creating a web of destruction.
Chelsea was gone—completely disintegrated. Her body had been fried to ashes in an instant, leaving nothing but dust in the aftermath of Budo's strike.
"Now, you're next!"
After executing the traitor, Budo leaped towards the tower from which the beam had been fired. The ground crumbled under his immense strength.
"Damn! What happened to that girl? she had such a good opportunity but wasted it!" muttered Mine as she glared through her scope, frustrated.
She didn't know about [Adramelech]'s paralyzing effect. In her eyes, Chelsea had moved too slowly—sluggish like her, which left Mine puzzled. Was Chelsea some kind of intelligence officer?
In this timeline, under Selene's influence, Mine had never met Chelsea. She didn't recognize her and merely mourned her fallen comrade before swiftly refocusing.
But by then, it was too late. The golden-armored man with crackling lightning had already turned his gaze towards her.
For a moment, Mine felt numb. The sheer murderous intent from his eyes shook her to her core, filling her with an overwhelming sense of dread.
Run! If I don't run, I'll die!
Without hesitation, Mine vaulted off the tower, kicking off the edge to leap in the opposite direction.
In the next instant—
Boom!
Thunder roared as Budo's lightning obliterated the tower, cleaving it clean in half.
Landing and rolling to disperse the impact, Mine clutched her overcharged [Pumpkin] and bolted. But there was no way Budo, having locked onto his prey, would let her go.
Crack!
A thick, blue lightning bolt, wide as a water barrel, shot straight toward the fleeing Mine.
Danger! Danger! Danger—!
The stench of death filled Mine's senses. She knew instantly that this was no ordinary enemy.
"A man wielding lightning, tall, with golden hair—is this Budo, the general BOSS spoke of?"
Realizing her opponent's identity, Mine knew she couldn't outrun him. If escape was impossible, then she would make her final stand.
"Pumpkin, release the limiter!" Mine resolved, bracing herself as she primed [Pumpkin] to fire at maximum output, aiming to unleash an attack far stronger than any before.
Boom!
The lightning and the bright orange beam from [Pumpkin] collided in midair, splitting the world in two. Blue and orange light clashed violently, creating an awe-inspiring sight.
"Shoot him down!!"
[Pumpkin], a Teigu that converted the user's fear into power, had never been pushed to such extremes. This was Mine's deadliest attack yet, and her most formidable enemy.
Buzz buzz!
"Hm?" Budo raised an eyebrow as his lightning was repelled by the girl's beam.
Crossing his arms defensively, he stood his ground, bracing himself to take the hit.
Boom!
This time, the sheer force of the beam sent Budo skidding back nearly 100 meters, smashing through whatever lay in his path. He emerged from the rubble, his armor smoking lightly, and his golden hair singed at the tips.
"This little girl managed to push me back… Impressive. You've earned my respect."
Summoning the full power of [Adramelech], Budo called forth the thunderclouds above, and his body began to levitate. He ascended higher and higher into the sky.
Thunder roared, and the clouds darkened ominously over the palace, casting the already dim night into deeper shadow. The crackle of lightning illuminated the sky as if heralding the end of days.
"Thunder Emperor's Wrath!!!"
Budo bellowed as he compressed countless bolts of lightning into a single, massive ball of plasma.
Sizzle sizzle!
Electricity crackled and sparked from the sphere, sending out waves of searing heat and the acrid smell of ozone.
Down below, Mine lifted [Pumpkin] and took aim, her eyes filled with determination rather than fear.
Pushing herself to the limit, her nose bled and her vision blurred, but she wouldn't back down.
For the revolution, for her comrades, for a world free of oppression.
"Fire!"
A massive orange beam shot from [Pumpkin], larger than any she had ever produced, streaking straight toward the sky.
Boom!!!
The two forces collided with a thunderous explosion, splitting the night sky in half. The intense light blinded all who saw it, and the deafening sound shook the very foundations of the city.
The people of the Imperial Capital stepped out of their homes, staring in shock at the brilliant lights above the palace, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
This was the heart of the Empire—how could something like this be happening here?
As the light finally faded...
Creak... creak...
The sound of something cracking echoed in the silence that followed.
"Budo… you can't rest just yet. Come back to life and fight for me once more, loyal servant."