Bab 76: The Avenger and the [Avenger]
'Brother' didn't remember her name.
Hozumi...
That name she had nearly forgotten herself.
It made sense that he didn't remember—it was only natural. After all, she was nothing more than her brother's 'claw.' Even if she was the strongest 'claw,' she was still just a tool to be discarded once she lost her usefulness.
Yet, when Mumei saw Biba Amatori freeze for a moment, her heart still felt hollow.
Luckily, the person holding her hand, with their fingers intertwined, was so warm and gentle.
An overwhelming sense of betrayal surged in Mumei's heart.
——
Biba Amatori wasn't a good person. From the first moment Kurumi, the Spirit of Time, saw him, she knew that.
A complete hypocrite, a fake hero.
No matter how grand an image he created, whether from what she heard from Mumei or the intel gathered by her clones, it was clear—this guy was full of scheming malice.
Before Yashiro Station fell, the Hunters had been spotted nearby. And the fact that the Black Smoke contained a female Kabane transformed into a [Nue], wearing clothing similar to Mumei's, made the answer all too obvious.
Plus, the scattered information indicated that ten years ago, when he led an army of 400,000, which ultimately perished on Kyushu Island, it was Biba Amatori, just twelve years old at the time, who led them.
The army's destruction was due to a betrayal by the Shogunate, cutting off their supplies.
When considering the appearance of the Black Smoke and Biba's destination—Kongokaku, the stronghold of the Shogunate—it was clear he had malicious intent.
But Kurumi didn't care about that. She had descended into this world solely to fulfill her contract with Mumei.
Would Biba Amatori let Mumei go, though?
Absolutely not. After all, Mumei was his strongest 'claw.'
…
This woman, who Mumei referred to as Kurumi-nee, was incredibly strong. So strong.
Biba Amatori thought to himself.
The deep crimson in her eyes, like the shadow of a rose, reflected a battlefield of vengeance—mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
An ordinary person might have been cowed by her aura, but not him. Ten years ago, he had returned from the same mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
But if they were both avengers, why did she harbor such hostility toward him?
Looking down at Kurumi and Mumei's intertwined hands, he felt he might know the answer.
She would be a dangerous weapon, but perhaps that wasn't a bad thing.
Besides, the current leader of the Koutetsujou, Ayame Yomogawa, was the niece of the Shogunate Elder, Dougen Makino—someone he could also make use of.
——
Walking along the corridors of the Kokujou, the atmosphere was heavy.
Ayame and Mumei could both easily sense the tension between Kurumi and Biba Amatori. Although both were smiling warmly, it wouldn't have surprised anyone if they started fighting at any moment.
Though, truthfully, Biba would likely just end up getting beaten.
The Kokujou was dimly lit, unlike the Koutetsujou, which exuded an air of battle-hardened resilience. But this suited Kurumi just fine, as her shadow crept quietly along the corridors, spreading out through the Kokujou.
Up ahead, a steam engineer was working on maintaining the steam boiler.
Biba Amatori quickly put on his gloves and stepped forward to help, like a kind, approachable leader.
He truly seemed warm and friendly.
"Mumei, can you wait for me for a bit?" He spoke, but his eyes were fixed on Kurumi and Mumei's tightly clasped hands, his gaze narrowing like a fox.
Kurumi wasn't going to leave Mumei's side.
"Horobi, take Lady Ayame ahead," he instructed the tall woman with golden hair.
Sure enough, Kurumi and Mumei stayed behind.
——
On the other side, the tall woman called Horobi was leading Ayame, Ikoma, and Kurusu.
But as they approached the end of a corridor, she strangely asked them to wait for a moment, then left on her own.
"Aiya, it looks like we have an out-of-place young lady here," came a mocking voice from the stairs a moment later. A short boy with spiky blue hair walked toward the corridor.
He had one hand behind his back and a lazy, mischievous grin on his face.
Unfortunately for him, he was still just a boy.
"Hey, hand over your sword," he said, reaching toward Kurusu's katana.
Kurusu, of course, refused.
The boy scratched his head in frustration. "You won't need it much longer anyway."
As he said this, he adopted a reverse-draw stance and struck at Ayame, the most important—and weakest—of the group.
Kurusu reacted quickly, pulling Ayame aside just in time.
Ikoma was even faster. After being relentlessly trained by Mumei for half a month, he had already mastered several combat techniques. Plus, sometimes Kurumi and Kurusu would step in and give him a beating as well.
Ikoma twisted his body and landed a punch squarely on the boy's face, then used his shoulder and back to press him against the railing, holding him there with raw strength.
"Enoku!" Horobi cried in alarm, running back toward them.
But before she could get too close, Kurusu unsheathed his katana. The blade, laced with the membrane of a Kabane's heart, was intricately webbed with glowing red veins.
"We need an explanation," he demanded.
——
Inside the train car, a strange tension hung in the air.
Biba Amatori and Kurumi exchanged cryptic words, speaking of things Mumei couldn't understand.
…
"All failures and hardships in this world stem from the incompetence of those involved," Biba Amatori said as he worked on the boiler, continuing his persuasion.
By his logic, it wasn't about who abandoned whom but rather who saved whom.
In his eyes, Kurumi was like him, an avenger, someone who should raise her blade against the stagnant past.
What he didn't realize, though, was that Kurumi's aura of vengeance came not from personal experience but from a certain unique skill she possessed.
"Oh my, that almost sounds reasonable," Kurumi nodded.
But before Biba could show any hint of satisfaction, Kurumi added, "But as things stand, I'm stronger than you."
"In front of me, you're the weak one."
…
Damn it, there's no way this conversation is going anywhere.
Biba Amatori almost wanted to flip the table in frustration. He finally saw it—this woman had no interest in fighting the Kabane, no interest in reclaiming land or living a peaceful life, and no interest in anything else.
She was only here for Mumei. That was all.
But for him, that was enough.
Enough to exploit.
…
Just then, the alarm bells from the western gate signaled a Kabane attack.
There were so many Kabane, and they came so suddenly, it was as if someone had intentionally drawn them there.
And indeed, that was the case.
In a high tower, several key figures, including officials from the Shogunate, watched the scene unfold.
The Hunters wouldn't stand by and let the Kabane overrun them, and that moment would be the perfect opportunity to assassinate Biba Amatori.
Though they weren't sure why Enoku hadn't done it yet, the rest of the plan seemed to be falling into place.
——
"Mumei, are you going to fight?" Biba Amatori asked directly.
"Of course!" Mumei replied.
…
That girl would never abandon Mumei. Of that, Biba Amatori was certain.
Lost in a fleeting dream, drifting souls.
·
Even though Mumei was still lost, helpless, and afraid of turning into a Kabane at any moment, it seemed like she was always ready to offer her heart to her so-called "brother."
Even if Biba Amatori didn't remember her name, even if he didn't want to bear the title of "brother," he still exploited Mumei's admiration and trust, using her as a weapon.
Only endless suffering would be enough to vent Kurumi's anger at him.
But… doing that would surely make Mumei very sad.
Unmasking the fake persona of Biba Amatori and pulling Mumei away from the Hunters would be a troublesome endeavor.
What a hopeless little fool, Kurumi thought, pursing her lips.
——
Faced with the Kabane attack, the Hunters had no choice but to act.
It wasn't just about the safety of this station; it was also about defending the name of the Hunters.
Biba Amatori drew his pitch-black long sword, its blade embedded with the crimson veins of a Kabane's heart membrane. Clearly, the Hunters, who had been battling the Kabane for years, had also mastered similar techniques.
He raised his long sword high, and the Hunters echoed his stance, raising their weapons in unison.
"Tempered steel, pierce through!"
Seven groups of Kabane charged across the wasteland toward Shitori Station's western gate, forming a loose formation in front of the city walls.
Scattered points of crimson light flickered across the vast, open land.
Someone had clearly lured the Kabane here on purpose, but… it didn't matter anymore.
The drawbridge in front of Shitori Station's western gate lowered, and the rusty, blood-stained steam train—the Kokujou—rumbled out from the fortress, positioning itself before the city walls.
The Hunters never hid behind walls.
The armored sides of the Kokujou lifted, revealing the Hunters beneath, who had been waiting in ambush. Wearing black goggles and gray-green uniforms, they prepared mortars in pairs.
At Biba Amatori's command, fiery projectiles rained down, suppressing the Kabane.
The Hunters' weaponry was far more advanced than that of other stations.
But that wasn't the end. After the initial bombardment, the Hunters, armed with modified versions of Mumei's steam rifles, didn't opt for long-range combat. Instead, they mounted their motorcycles and charged straight into the Kabane horde.
Thick white steam erupted from the black motorcycles' exhaust pipes, leaving long trails of smoke behind. The steampunk world of this era was absurd—due to the invention of the revolutionary McRucky Engine, the entire world's technological development had taken a drastic turn.
Leading the charge on horseback was none other than Biba Amatori.
Theatrical to the core.
Biba Amatori possessed immense leadership and charisma, inspiring even the crew of the Koutetsujou to join the fight against the Kabane.
Even Ayame Yomogawa wielded a steam-powered longbow, providing support from the rear.
Despite Kurumi's constant mental complaints about them, she had to admit—the Hunters were indeed powerful.
Holding a pair of steam pistols similar to Mumei's, Kurumi and Mumei slowly approached the Kabane horde, firing shot after shot. Every bullet unleashed a burst of blue light, precise and lethal.
Unexpectedly, Mumei carried a deep purple short sword instead of her usual bladed pistols, staying close to Kurumi's side, much to the Hunters' surprise.
In the blazing wasteland, the elite Hunters fought fiercely. Even when bitten by Kabane, they calmly stabbed the Kabane's hearts and gave their comrades one final instruction.
"I leave the rest to you."
Without hesitation, they used their suicide vials to end their own lives.
Their decisiveness was terrifying.
·
At that moment, a Kabane fused entity, nearly three meters tall, emerged from the flames. It was a grotesque monster, formed by four muscular Kabane locked together in a hulking mass.
To this creature, ordinary Kabane were mere bludgeons, which it swung around by their legs before tossing them aside.
Kurumi and Mumei had already reached the front lines.
"Brother! Let me handle this!" Mumei sprinted forward, holding her deep purple short sword upside down as she called out to Biba Amatori.
"I understand, Mumei," Biba responded coolly, casting a glance toward Kurumi, his eyes filled with a sense of smugness. He then instructed the tall woman beside him, "Horobi, go assist Mumei."
"Yes!" Horobi replied coldly, following Mumei as they charged toward the fused entity.
She pulled the black restraint band from her neck, and her eyes immediately turned red—Horobi was also a Kabaneri.
As Horobi released her restraints, Mumei's heart clenched painfully, as if rebellious subjects were running amok in front of their monarch.
Mumei had a premonition that something would happen when she untied her ribbon. But, eager to prove herself in front of her brother after so long, she couldn't afford to worry about that now.
A dulled 'claw' could be discarded, but now, she was a peerless blade.
"If you weren't so weak, your mother would still be alive."
"Live alone. Don't rely on anyone. You don't need a name to call yourself. From now on, you will be called [Mumei]."
Years ago, this was what her brother had taught her.
She had followed these teachings for so long, but now, why was she seeing someone else's shadow?
Kurumi-nee.
·
Mumei pulled off her ribbon. The pale pink, silk ribbon with delicate snowflake patterns fluttered in the wind.
In that instant, the world fell silent.
To the human Hunters, the wind seemed a bit noisy. But to the Kabaneri—Biba Amatori, Horobi, and even Ikoma watching from the sidelines—it felt like a flashbang had detonated right in front of them.
Horobi, who had been following Mumei, collapsed to her knees, clutching her heart. Ikoma, who was farther away, also doubled over, his entire body tensing up.
Even Biba Amatori, the farthest away, was hunched over on his horse.
An overwhelming pressure urged him to kneel, squeezing his heart and freezing the blood in his veins. It was a suppression that came from their very bloodline.
Dust gently floated down, flames flickered, and an invisible domain spread around Mumei.
The Kabaneri were faring well, but all the Kabane had been forced to the ground, bowing before Mumei.
All the light and heat radiated from Mumei's small frame. Her blood boiled, steaming from the surface of her skin. The veins and her heart pulsed like molten steel, hissing with intensity.
Kabaneri? No, she was something far beyond that—a being akin to a monarch.
Her heart beat like a war drum, and fiery gold-red wings of light unfurled behind her. Mumei couldn't suppress a low growl, almost like a fearsome, untamed beast.
It was only now that the ordinary Hunters began to feel fear. Some even raised their guns, aiming at Mumei.
Sensing this, Mumei glanced at them coldly. That dazzling, molten-gold gaze was enough to terrify them into dropping their weapons.
The storm... had arrived.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone