The eerie melody of the flute echoed as Nyau's body began to undergo a grotesque transformation. His muscles surged and swelled, his height increasing rapidly. The once small-framed boy had transformed into a towering, muscular giant.
"My Teigu, Scream, doesn't just affect others; I can apply its power to myself as well."
"Augmenting your own strength... so that is your hidden art?"
Tatsumi lowered Bulat to the ground and tightened his grip on his sword. Nyau sneered, looking down at Tatsumi as if he were a pathetic insect attempting to resist, only to be crushed by a single finger.
"Ah... it's been a long time since I last took this form."
Tatsumi couldn't back down; Big Bro Bulat was right behind him. He had to face the enemy before him, even if the chance of victory was zero.
"Tatsumi..."
Bulat's faint voice from behind made Tatsumi turn his head.
"Big Bro?"
"Tatsumi, I'm entrusting... this to you."
Bulat held up the short sword with the chain attached to its hilt. Tatsumi froze in confusion.
"That... that's..."
"The key... to activate Incursio."
"You want me to use your Teigu?!"
"Ha ha ha! Impossible. Stop dreaming, brat!"
Nyau's contemptuous voice rang out again as he burst into laughter.
"Incursio places massive strain on the user's body. It's a double-edged sword that can kill the one who wields it. How could someone like you use it? You'll die before you even start fighting. Why don't you just die a normal death for me?"
"No..."
Tatsumi took the short sword from Bulat's hand. Though it was his first time holding it, there was no sense of unfamiliarity. Instead, it felt as though something inside the blade was surging. He could feel it because he was the same—something inside him was erupting. He was resonating with the blade!
It was will; it was aura! When a person's spirit reaches a certain height, it is born naturally. Like Akame's sharpness, Bulat's intensity, or even Asahi's brilliance that shone like the sun. Now, Tatsumi had birthed his own aura!
"So what?! The person I want to protect is behind me! Furthermore, I won't die, and I won't let anyone else die! Because I made a promise to someone!!"
Tatsumi stood tall, holding the sword before him. Behind him, Bulat looked at the boy's back and offered a satisfied smile.
"Go, Tatsumi! Remember the training you've gone through! You've already surpassed the requirements to use it!"
One last thought stayed in Bulat's mind, unspoken: "You'll soon surpass me."
Nyau fell silent. He wanted to tear them both apart to avenge Liver and Daidara, but he felt that doing it instantly would be far too boring.
"Not to mention Teigu compatibility. If you aren't compatible, you'll just end up dead anyway."
"The compatibility... between a Teigu and its user... is mainly confirmed by the initial impression—the reaction when you first see it, and whether you like it or not."
"Tatsumi, you... can do it!"
Tatsumi looked at Bulat and smiled.
"Yes, Big Bro!!"
"Huh? So you've decided to try it? Fine! I'll kill you before the armor does!"
Nyau's face twisted with rage. He decided to end the game and leaped toward Tatsumi.
"I call upon you with all my soul! Appear, Incursio!!!"
The trigger on the hilt flipped open. Tatsumi slammed the blade into the deck, and the searing heat of resonance surged into his hand. Flames erupted, and following his roar, a suit of armor appeared from the void. The terrifying heat instantly evaporated all the falling rainwater nearby.
The armor twisted, revealing its true form. A wide maw opened, followed by a bone-chilling roar.
"The armor... is changing to fit Tatsumi's body!"
Bulat witnessed the scene, unable to hide his astonishment. Meanwhile, Nyau's disdain had turned into pure terror.
"What is happening with this armor? Don't tell me... it's still alive!!"
Incursio was crafted entirely from the materials of Tyrant, a dragon whose power surpassed all other species. It could traverse any land, from scorching deserts to frozen tundras. It survived in any environment thanks to its ability to evolve and adapt.
Even after being forged into a Teigu, it remained "alive"!
A crimson, fire-like light enveloped Tatsumi. The suit of armor appeared on his body; it was similar to Bulat's, but slightly smaller.
"I see... your intense emotions... have caused Incursio to evolve once more!"
As if a certain limit had been shattered, the current Tatsumi was terrifyingly powerful.
"You Three Beasts under Esdeath... you used Night Raid's name to commit filthy crimes. And now... it is time for you to pay!!"
"Don't get cocky, kid!"
The fear of Incursio quickly turned into rage. Nyau's eyes bulged, and he bit his lip until it bled.
"I will defeat you!!"
"Then come and try!!!"
Two fists collided, creating a shockwave that caused the ship to tilt. Nyau froze, feeling the power from the other side growing larger and larger until it surpassed his own.
"Aaaaaa!!!!!"
Boom!!!
Nyau was sent flying, slamming hard into the upper deck of the cabin. He tumbled from the wreckage, reverting to his normal form as he fell.
"Wonderful. Keep going like that, Tatsumi."
"Keep moving forward. I'll keep watching over you."
Bulat's eyelids grew heavy as the last of his strength left him. The final image he saw was Tatsumi deactivating the armor and running toward him.
Tatsumi propped Bulat up, sensing that his life signs were incredibly weak. The capsule Asahi had given him worked well, but it was limited. If this continued, the medicine would eventually wear off, and Bulat would still face death.
"Big Bro! Big Bro! Big Bro!"
Bulat did not respond. Despair began to take hold of Tatsumi, and tears welled in his eyes. Could it be that even after all this—after killing the Three Beasts and saving the politician—they still had to lose someone?
"No... there is a way!"
There was no one on this river who could save Bulat, and Night Raid lacked the means to treat such poison. But in the capital, there was someone.
Asahi! He remembered that Asahi had saved Ieyasu back then. Ieyasu had been poisoned for a long time, and Akame had deemed him beyond saving—yet Asahi had cured him.
Bulat could be saved!
"Big Bro, just wait. You absolutely cannot die!"
"Incursio!"
The red-hot flames appeared once more as the armor equipped onto Tatsumi. He hoisted Bulat onto his back, jumped off the ship, and began sprinting at high speed across the surface of the river.
"Come on! Faster!!"
The people on the ship would wake up eventually, so Tatsumi didn't have to worry about them. Right now, Bulat's life was all that mattered.
Just as Nyau had said, Incursio placed a massive burden on its user. Now, Tatsumi was the one bearing it. He was in so much pain it felt as though his body was falling apart piece by piece, but Tatsumi gritted his teeth and endured. Even though his physical strength was depleted, he forced himself to carry on through sheer willpower.
The water gave way to dry land; Tatsumi was drawing closer and closer to his destination: that specific coffee shop.