章 78: The Blood of the Sovereign King
Iwato Station was the final gate before reaching Kongoukaku, a station city guarding the capital with towering, impenetrable walls and an array of heavy firearms.
Today, the lord's manor in Iwato Station welcomed a special guest.
It was a peculiar young girl, dressed in an elegant black robe, her figure delicate, and her features so exquisite that she resembled a porcelain doll. Her black hair was tied into two bundles, falling gracefully over her shoulders.
Her jet-black hair covered the left side of her face, but that didn't diminish her allure. Her right eye, a rich crimson like fine wine, held a captivating charm, capable of ensnaring anyone who crossed her gaze.
She claimed to possess a large quantity of rice—a bargaining chip that was hard to refuse.
With the fall of Hayatsugun Station, the amount of rice available to the Shogunate had suddenly diminished by more than half, leaving the Lord of Iwato Station—Lord Maeda—in deep worry.
Unlike the southwestern and other frontlines, which constantly battled the Kabane, Kongoukaku, where the Shogunate resided, had enjoyed nearly ten years of peaceful stability.
And as the saying goes, "When the belly is full, the mind turns to idle thoughts." The nobles of the upper class were no longer satisfied with coarse food. There were annual quotas for rice tributes, and those in power demanded only the finest.
Lord Maeda appeared to be a mild, scholarly young man, gentle and kind, the sort who seemed easily bullied. But that was merely an illusion. A man who could securely hold the position of lord over such a fortress city was not someone weak or gullible.
In a side chamber of the castle's main tower, Lord Maeda received Kurumi.
He was exceedingly cautious, even when meeting a seemingly fragile young girl. Every five steps there was a guard, and within the chamber, several samurai were seated at attention.
The station's most formidable warrior, Itahira, stood vigilantly at his side, hand on his sword.
Even the lord himself, upon seeing Kurumi, was momentarily taken aback. He had never encountered such a strikingly beautiful young woman.
But...
Clang—
Itahira's hand pressed against his sword guard, and with a sharp sound, the blade partially left its sheath, gleaming coldly.
He was a master of the Kenjutsu style, and the moment he laid eyes on Kurumi, he felt it—his sword was afraid.
"Itahira," Lord Maeda called out, rebuking him gently. The warrior bowed his head in shame and knelt behind him.
But from Itahira's reaction, Lord Maeda understood that this guest was no ordinary young girl.
·
The rice Kurumi offered eased a great weight off his shoulders, though there was a slight disappointment.
The rice grains were chipped and unsuitable for cultivation, making Lord Maeda even more certain that this Miss Tokisaki was a woman of deep cunning.
However, in this instance, he misjudged Kurumi. After all, the rice was in the same condition when she bought it in Fuyuki.
Kurumi's requests, though, were unexpected. She merely asked that Lord Maeda look after a steam fortress called the Koutetsujou and that she be allowed to reside at the castle for a time.
It was clear she was plotting something else, but having accepted her favor, Lord Maeda couldn't protest too much.
·
Kurumi was waiting.
Iwato was the only path to Kongoukaku, and the Hunters would inevitably pass through.
She didn't care what Biba Amatori was planning, but if he intended to use Mumei, that was something she could not tolerate.
After all, Mumei was the kitten she had raised with care. She wouldn't allow anyone else to bully her.
But despite everything, Biba Amatori had spent years with Mumei, and it wouldn't be easy to shake his hold over her heart.
The clone Kurumi had placed within Kongoukaku had already reported back. The Shogunate had issued a strict order to Iwato Station, forbidding the Hunters from passing through.
Biba Amatori would undoubtedly try to find a way through Iwato.
The easiest way to destroy his image in Mumei's eyes was to let him expose his true nature, to let Mumei see for herself.
Biba Amatori was no hero.
From the logs on the Kokujou and the records of that crazed scientist, Kurumi had seen countless atrocities—heinous experiments and massacres that could only be described as inhuman.
He had been deceiving Mumei all along.
——
The Kokujou pulled the Koutetsujou along the tracks.
Mumei walked lightly along the gangways outside the Koutetsujou, images replaying in her mind.
At the station in Aragane, she had inched closer and closer, until she was whispering beside her own cheek.
"Hey, was it you who made that wish to me?"
Even though only a few days had passed, Mumei already felt a deep longing. Strangely, she hadn't even missed her brother this much when she had left him behind.
Apologizing by showing her belly, mimicking those adorable little kittens... Kurumi was a mischievous person, but she was so incredibly kind.
Her steel-soled shoes clacked lightly on the deck, bringing her to the front of the Koutetsujou.
Sitting by the side door, Mumei hugged her knees and gazed at the stars overhead, feeling a pang of sadness.
She had listened to Kurumi and started wearing shorts.
She had listened to Kurumi and begun to doubt her brother.
She had done everything as told, but the person who had sat with her to watch the stars was no longer there.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could go to Kongoukaku together? Why did she have to leave?
·
Clang—
The sound of a valve turning echoed as the side door opened inward.
Mumei was so lost in thought that she didn't react in time and tumbled inside.
"Ow, ow, ow!" She clutched her head in pain, only to find that the Koutetsujou crew was all present.
"Mumei?" Ayame looked at the downcast girl in surprise.
"I heard some noise outside just now, so I sent Kurusu to check it out. I didn't expect it to be you," Ayame explained.
She looked at Mumei with concern.
This version of Mumei was quite worrying. The usual mischievous energy seemed to have vanished somewhere, leaving her looking pale and sad.
"Are you thinking about Tokisaki-san?" Ayame knelt down to face Mumei.
"Mhm," Mumei mumbled.
"We haven't cleared away your bed yet," Ayame said, pointing to the sleeping area.
"Thanks," Mumei whispered, then slowly walked over, wobbling as she went. The hammock wasn't comfortable at all because the person who had once held her was gone.
Tonight… she wouldn't return to the Kokujou, Mumei thought, closing her eyes.
In the darkness, her shoulders trembled, but she seemed to have found some peace.
From within the shadows, a wine-colored eye quietly watched over her.
"Goodnight, little kitten."
·
Watching Mumei's wobbly departure, the others felt a pang of worry.
The Kokujou… might not be as good as it seemed. The Hunters… might not be as grand as their reputation suggested.
For once, even Ikoma, who was usually chided for being too dense by Mumei, finally sensed something.
Onboard the Kokujou he could feel the presence of a large number of Kabane.
Hundreds… perhaps even more.
So sweet...
It felt as if Kurumi was right beside her.
Curled up in the hammock, gently swaying with the steady rhythm of the carriage and the occasional whistle of steam, Mumei drifted into a deep sleep—something she hadn't done in a long while.
Her exhaustion was unsurprising. After returning to the Kokujou, the obsessive researcher known as Soue Arata in the Kokujou had extracted a significant amount of blood from her.
Normally, as a Kabaneri, Mumei could easily recover with a fresh blood supply.
But it was at this moment that Mumei discovered another troubling issue.
She... had become picky about her blood.
The blood supplied by the Hunters tasted unbearably salty and bitter, and her body instinctively rejected it, causing her to vomit.
Even after forcing it down, her head felt foggy, and unconsciously, she began to miss Kurumi even more.
That sweet, sweet taste...
Idiot...
Mumei curled up tighter, sinking into her dreams.
It was as though she were submerged in the clear sea of the heavens—a vast, dreamy sky.
Blue stardust trickled through her fingers like sand, and luminous butterflies danced, guiding her soul.
Mumei reached out to touch the surface of the lake, and on the other side stood Kurumi, dressed in an outfit Mumei had never seen before.
A black and red gothic dress, with a gothic choker around her neck, her bare shoulders sharp and her slender white back poised.
She exuded sin, exuded evil, and yet stood with cold indifference, gazing down upon the world.
Mumei drew closer, her own glittering eyes reflecting the sight of Kurumi approaching across the heavenly sea.
Kurumi spoke to her.
"So, what is your wish?"
——
In the Kokujou, the carriage was bathed in the eerie glow of the blue Kabane heart.
Biba Amatori stood with his back to the only corridor, meticulously cleaning his black and red sword. At his feet were countless Kabane, caged and tormented beneath him.
"If I recall correctly, I told you not to disturb me at this hour," he said coldly, turning slightly to glance at the intruder.
"Hmm? Soue Arata?"
To his surprise, it was the gray-green-haired researcher, Soue Arata, who appeared slightly drowsy, a middle-aged man who always had a somewhat sleazy, or perhaps perverse, demeanor.
Soue Arata was carrying a silver case, giving a casual greeting to Biba.
Soue Arata's attitude towards Biba was far from respectful; in fact, it barely met the standard of superior-subordinate relations. But Soue Arata had the right to act that way. He was the foremost expert in all of Japan when it came to researching the Kabane.
"Take a look, take a look at what I found from little Mumei," Soue Arata said excitedly, grasping Biba's sleeve with his gloved hand, leaving a strange mark, as though some chemical had corroded the fabric.
Biba frowned, silently pulling his sleeve away.
If anyone else had done this, he might have decapitated them on the spot and tossed their body to the Kabane. But Soue Arata was different.
Coming here at such an hour, Soue Arata must have discovered something important from Mumei.
Soue Arata opened the silver case, revealing two small syringes, each filled with different-colored fluids.
One resembled the black blood serum used to turn Kabane-ridden into Nue, and the other appeared to be a serum that could reverse that transformation into a Nue.
Soue Arata excitedly began explaining in a torrent of complex scientific jargon, his spittle flying everywhere.
Biba, though exasperated, had no choice but to listen, not daring to interrupt.
He had learned long ago not to cut Soue Arata off.
The first time they met, Soue Arata had rushed at him like a madman, shouting excitedly, "Oh! A wild Kabane-ridden!"
Later, when Soue Arata started explaining things Biba didn't understand and he tried to interrupt, he was met with a barrage of angry scolding.
And after Soue Arata finished scolding, he would always say, "Now, where was I? Oh well, let's start from the beginning."
After a few of these incidents, Biba realized one truth: never interrupt Soue Arata.
·
Inside the silver case were two syringes: one was crimson like blood, while the other glowed with a fiery, molten color.
According to Soue Arata, both syringes were made from Mumei's blood. The crimson one was a relatively stable semi-finished product, while the fiery one was the raw, unrefined original.
Soue Arata called it—The Blood of the Sovereign King.
——
The Kokujou, dragging the Koutetsujou, stopped in front of the walls of Iwato Station.
Following the orders from Kongoukaku, the Hunters were strictly prohibited from passing through Iwato. Thus, the Koutetsujou was unhitched and slowly entered the station, connecting to the inspection platform.
The inspection platform in the central city was much better than those in the remote forts—at the very least, men and women were separated.
From the front of the Koutetsujou, Ayame Yomogawa led the group down.
There was no way Ikoma could pass the inspection, but here, it seemed that the title of "Shogunate Elder" didn't carry as much weight. The samurai stubbornly insisted that everyone must be inspected.
Not far away, Lord Maeda stood under the sunlight, smiling as he watched.
"Let them through," Kurumi said, approaching slowly and stopping beside Maeda.
"I must ensure the safety of Iwato's people," Lord Maeda said, gazing ahead with a serene smile, his expression pure and unblemished.
The sunlight cast a soft glow on Kurumi's face, her eyes gleaming with a brilliance somewhere between blood and roses, radiant and vivid.
"They arrived with the Hunters," Lord Maeda said, frowning. "Kongoukaku issued an absolute order—no Hunter is allowed to pass through Iwato."
"If you intend to help the Hunters pass through Iwato, I must say it's absolutely impossible." He gestured for the samurai to let Ayame and her group through. The title of Elder carried weight, but not enough to sway him.
"I hate the Hunters," Kurumi said coldly, her disdain apparent. That pink-haired man had stolen her kitten and wasn't even taking good care of her—it was enough to make her heart ache.
"That's certainly for the best," Lord Maeda said with a gentle smile. A maid carrying his sword approached from behind, whispering something in his ear. He turned to Kurumi and spoke slowly.
"I have accepted a request for a meeting from the leader of the Hunters, Biba Amatori. He wishes to discuss provisions, and I am inclined to aid them."
"If I were you, I'd refuse outright. The Hunters have methods you can't even imagine," Kurumi warned him kindly.
"My retainers and samurai have told me the same. That's why I added an additional condition: the meeting will be women-only, no samurai allowed." He lowered his head. "After all, the Hunters have fought at the frontier for nearly ten years for the Shogunate, battling the Kabane. It's just provisions."
"Hah?" Kurumi sneered. "Don't you know that the strongest in the Hunters... are the women?"
She emphasized the word women heavily.
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