Bab 306: Message Delivered

The sun barely skimmed the tops of the trees, casting early morning shadows across the stronghold. Kazuichi was pouring over tactical maps in the war room, deep in thought, when he heard a faint, hurried set of footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Ryota, one of the strongest scouts and a trusted ally, enter the room, his face set with determination.

"Kazuichi," Ryota greeted, his voice low but steady. "We've finally got a more detailed report on Hayato's movements. He's not wasting time."

Kazuichi straightened, eyes sharp. "Tell me everything."

Ryota pulled out a crudely drawn map and spread it across the table. Several locations were marked in red, showing Hayato's destructive path as he moved south, consuming stronghold after stronghold. "Every stronghold he's overtaken… he's left no survivors. It's brutal, Kazuichi. He's killing every person in his path, turning them into mindless hybrids."