Chapter 415: "Heavy Casualties" for Night Raid

With a massive burst of force, Nyau's punch was effortlessly caught by Wood with just a single hand. Wood then grabbed Nyau by the wrist, pivoted at his waist, and, with a powerful over-the-shoulder throw, slammed the much larger Nyau hard onto the deck of the dragon ship.

"Boom!"

A deafening impact echoed through the air, and Nyau, whose back collided with the deck, spat out a mouthful of blood.

The force of the slam caused the hundred-meter-long dragon ship to tilt slightly from the sheer pressure on one end, momentarily submerging a portion of the ship and sending waves splashing outwards.

If this had been the old Nyau, such an impact would have been enough to take him out of the fight completely.

However, the current Nyau was far stronger than before. Though Wood's over-the-shoulder slam had broken multiple bones, it wasn't enough to put Nyau completely out of commission—he even had enough strength left to kick at Wood.

Wood blocked the kick with his arm, though the force still pushed him back a few steps.

"I must admit, you've improved more than I expected in such a short time," Wood said. "In that case, I suppose I'll get a bit more serious."

Seeing Nyau stubbornly pull himself out of the broken deck with determination still on his face, Wood decided to show him respect as a warrior. Slowly, he drew the long sword from his waist.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the deck, Tatsumi was locked in a fierce battle with Daidas, another Teigu user.

Given Tatsumi's recent growth, it still wouldn't have been enough to match someone like Daidas, one of Esdeath's Three Beasts. Even the weakest of the Three Beasts had served alongside Esdeath on numerous expeditions, their combat power incomparable to someone like Zank, the Executioner.

Originally, Nyau and Daidas had toyed with Tatsumi, trying to extract information about the other members of Night Raid. If they hadn't held back, Tatsumi might have died several times over, even with his protagonist's plot armor.

Now, however, Tatsumi was managing to go toe-to-toe with Daidas, and there was a reason for that.

He had just learned that his most admired comrade in Night Raid, the one who looked out for him the most—Bulat—had defeated his opponent, but at the cost of being fatally poisoned.

In his grief, Tatsumi inherited the Teigu "Incursio" from Bulat, along with Bulat's dying wish.

Seeing Bulat "die" in his arms, Tatsumi picked up the chained white short sword for the first time and activated "Incursio," letting out a primal scream from his soul.

It was previously mentioned that protagonists like Tatsumi tend to go berserk under certain circumstances, and seeing Bulat's death had clearly triggered that state in him.

Combined with the power boost from "Incursio," Tatsumi was now much stronger than when he had fought Zank. Despite it being his first time using "Incursio," Tatsumi seemed to have an exceptional compatibility with the Teigu, and he quickly turned the tables, forcing Daidas into a defensive position.

By the time Wood had defeated Nyau and finished his battle, he was surprised to see Tatsumi finish off Daidas on the other side.

After learning of Bulat's "death," Tatsumi had matured significantly, which was precisely what Bulat had intended all along.

Bulat hadn't truly died in Tatsumi's arms; instead, he had faked his death using a pseudo-death method known to the Imperial military, with some assistance from Wood's magic.

Although Wood had removed the poison from Bulat's body, to avoid any lasting damage, Bulat needed to refrain from taking on missions for a while. Taking advantage of this false death, Bulat planned to return to the Revolutionary Army headquarters for some recuperation.

Before leaving, Bulat had orchestrated this elaborate ruse to spur Tatsumi's growth. It was all done out of care and meticulous thought.

The following day, the atmosphere in the Night Raid hideout could only be described as gloomy.

Though their mission to assassinate the Three Beasts and most of the nobles had ended in success, the results were hardly smooth. For Night Raid, the operation had come at a high cost.

This was the first time since Night Raid's founding that its members had suffered a major setback, including casualties.

To maintain the illusion for Tatsumi and to reinforce the gravity of the situation to the others, only Wood and their leader Najenda knew the truth about Bulat's survival.

For the rest of the members, hearing that Bulat had "died" and that they hadn't even been able to recover his body during their hurried retreat plunged them into a deep state of sorrow.

And Bulat wasn't the only casualty—Mine and Sheele's group had also faced difficulties during their battle the previous night.

To protect a distracted Mine, Sheele had lost an arm to a woman named Seryu from the Imperial Guard.

If not for Lubbock being nearby and using the toughest "Bound Cutter" threads from his Teigu "Cross Tail" to block the majority of the attack, Sheele might have been sliced in half by Seryu's biological Teigu.

With her arm severed, Sheele could no longer serve as Mine's bodyguard. She needed to return with Najenda to the Revolutionary Army headquarters in hopes of getting a mechanical arm.

Although the Three Beasts had been eliminated, Night Raid had sustained a rare "death" and severe injury. For comrades who lived together and fought side by side, there was no joy to be found in such a victory.

Bulat's "death" had a profound impact on Tatsumi, who had since immersed himself in relentless training. The figure that was always in the training grounds used to be Bulat, but it had now gradually been replaced by Tatsumi.

According to Tatsumi, since he had inherited Brother Bulat's will, he needed to complete both his own training and Bulat's daily regimen.

Even if he was slow, he didn't mind. If he couldn't finish during the day, he'd continue into the night. He was determined that, one day, he'd catch up to Brother Bulat.

Under the moonlit sky, two figures stood on the roof of Night Raid's hideout, watching the boy swinging his sword in the training grounds. The silver-haired, stern-looking woman spoke first.

"That kid, Tatsumi, hasn't taken a break since noon, has he? Training like this isn't strengthening him—it's self-destruction."

Najenda watched the sweat-drenched boy in the moonlight, regretting that she had agreed to Wood and Bulat's idea in the first place.

Though Tatsumi was motivated, it was clear he was on the brink of obsession. The rest of Night Raid wasn't responding as she had hoped, either; instead of being inspired, they all seemed deeply dispirited.

Mine, who had once been lively, now wouldn't even touch her favorite snacks. Ever since Sheele had lost her arm, she spent all her time practicing her marksmanship, with a picture of Seryu as her target.

"Isn't this good for him? Tatsumi has a stronger adaptability than anyone else.

"Plus, Night Raid had it too easy for far too long. A setback like this isn't necessarily a bad thing—at least we didn't actually lose anyone, right?"

"Esdeath is far more dangerous than the likes of the Three Beasts. If we keep our old mindset, facing her will be the real danger," said Wood.

Najenda had gathered all the members of Night Raid the next day and delivered a bombshell.

"I just received intelligence from the Revolutionary Army. After learning about the deaths of her Three Beasts, Esdeath has swiftly subdued the rebels and will be returning to the capital within two days.

"Moreover, she's requested the Minister gather other Imperial Teigu users to prepare for a direct confrontation against us."

There were a total of forty-eight Teigu. Though some had been lost to the passage of time, the Empire certainly had more than just the ones in Night Raid's possession.

With the Empire's resources, they could easily assemble a force of Teigu users that could match Night Raid.

Najenda had never expected that eliminating the Three Beasts would provoke Esdeath's competitive spirit, prompting her to form her own Teigu-user unit.

An individual powerhouse was dangerous, but ultimately just one person. However, when someone both powerful and adept at rallying others began to amass an army, that was true peril.

"Who cares! I refuse to believe every Teigu user in the Empire is as dangerous as Esdeath.

"Let them come! It'll just give me the chance to avenge Bulat and Sheele!" declared Leone.

While some reacted with solemn expressions, Leone remained as fearless as ever, ready for battle.

"Bulat and Sheele's situation wasn't enough to wake you up?

"We're not dealing with powerless nobles anymore. We're facing elite warriors from across the Empire.

"The Empire has stood tall on the continent for over a thousand years—its resources are beyond imagination. Never underestimate them.

"With Bulat and Sheele gone, we're clearly lacking firepower. I'll be heading back to the Revolutionary Army headquarters to request reinforcements.

"In my absence, Wood will be in charge. Follow his commands without question."

Najenda entrusted Wood with the temporary command, knowing he had the strength and cunning necessary for the role. Though seeming laid-back, when it came down to it, he could be ruthless and calculating—qualities essential for leadership.

After giving her instructions, Najenda set off for the Revolutionary Army headquarters.

While Wood was capable of taking on the role, she overlooked one key factor: with the persona Wood had cultivated thus far, he was hardly in a position to control a group of troublemakers like Leone and the others.

Apart from his power and seniority, Wood was only fifteen years old, making him one of the youngest members of Night Raid, alongside Mine, Tatsumi, and Sheele.

Leone, who was older and had a bold, carefree attitude, wasn't someone easily restrained—certainly not by Wood.

Before, Bulat and Sheele had always been around to keep things balanced. But with Najenda gone, Leone naturally assumed the role of the gang's big sister.

For the first two days after Najenda's departure, Leone had managed to stay calm. But two days was her limit.

On the third day, she suggested going into the capital to gather intelligence. Even if a confrontation was inevitable, having information about their opponents would be advantageous.

Lubbock and Sheele had always obeyed Najenda's orders to the letter, so Leone's persuasion fell on deaf ears.

But Mine and Tatsumi seemed tempted. Mine still bore a grudge over Sheele's injury and wanted to take a stroll through the capital to clear her mind. Tatsumi, on the other hand, was eager to gather information about the Empire's Teigu users. Since neither he nor Leone had been publicly identified, he believed they could gather intel safely if they were careful.

Wood's status as acting leader was little more than a formality. After Najenda left, they continued their usual voting process.

With Leone, Tatsumi, and Mine already in favor, Wood's objections seemed futile.

"If that's the case, then I'll go with Leone, Tatsumi, and Mine to collect information in the capital. Lubbock and Sheele, you two will stay behind to guard the hideout.

"We'll stick to our usual formation—teams of two. I'll pair up with Mine, while Leone and Tatsumi will form the other team."

There was a reason behind the pairing. Leone and Tatsumi both had excellent mobility, giving them a good chance of escaping any danger. Mine, on the other hand, had the lowest mobility; her physical condition was no better than that of an average girl. Therefore, she had to be with the strongest member, Wood, to ensure that if anything went wrong, he could carry her away from the battlefield.

"Wood, have you lost your mind? Are you really going along with their reckless plan?"

Lubbock was the first to oppose Wood's announcement. Najenda was his goddess, and he intended to follow her orders to the letter. He believed they should stay put and wait for her to return with reinforcements.

"Well, you know what they say—know thyself and thy enemy. Besides, do you think they'd listen to me if I told them no?

"Instead of letting them sneak off and act recklessly, it's better to make proper preparations and keep the situation under control."