Capítulo 77: Cherry Blossoms Dancing in the Summer
It wasn't some kind of nonsense but something that was truly happening right in front of their eyes.
In the desolate wilderness, as if standing at the eye of a brewing storm, Mumei raised her purple short sword, the tip pointing straight toward the sky.
Golden-red particles flowed from the veins in her hand, wrapping around the blade, swirling fiercely.
She was the eye of the storm.
Air was being sucked toward her, as if devoured. The pressure in other areas quickly dropped, and the small boilers worn by the elite Hunters began to make strange sounds, their wearers finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.
The golden-red particles intertwined with the fierce winds, wrapping around the legendary sword, distorting the very light around it. The edges blurred like the jagged teeth of a spiraling wind saw.
The battlefield, scorched by artillery fire and engulfed in flames, saw its tongues of fire swirl toward Mumei, only to be extinguished silently.
The wide sleeves of her outfit rustled in the wind, her noble aura intertwined with her youthful beauty, making her both alluring and dangerous.
All the Kabane knelt before her, including the fused behemoth that had been wreaking havoc.
For a moment, the wilderness outside the western gate of Shitori Station fell into a dead silence, broken only by the hissing sound of blood vaporizing from Mumei's body and the eerie, paper-tearing sound from her sword as the winds coiled around it.
Absolute power, absolute authority.
Mumei's blazing golden eyes stared coldly at the Kabane. She had already forgotten why she had unleashed her restraints; all she knew was that she had to kill it.
With a gentle swing of her deep purple short sword, the fierce winds howled, slicing the fused Kabane in half. Blood spiraled out, blooming across the wasteland.
The cut was anything but clean—jagged and rough, like chunks torn apart by a dull chainsaw.
The wind howled and then died down, returning everything to normal.
It seemed supernatural, but the Hunters weren't too shocked. They had seen similar feats from [Nue]. Still, they were deeply terrified.
The samurai on the city walls, however, were completely dumbfounded.
Mumei's violently beating crimson heart, her light white battle dress, and the standard leather gear couldn't hide the power emanating from her.
A single drop of blood splashed onto Mumei's face. She turned, somewhat dazed.
She looked at Horobi, who was kneeling behind her, at the Hunters who instinctively took half a step back after she glanced at them, at the horses collapsed on the ground, and at Biba Amatori, clutching his chest.
How strange, she thought. She had just addressed her brother by name without a hint of respect.
A strange sense of detachment welled up within her—it felt as if she and those around her were in two different worlds. The people before her, this entire world, had lost its color, appearing dull and lifeless.
Like low-quality creations.
The only one vibrant, beautiful, and full of color was the woman standing there, smiling softly, gazing at her with warmth—her Onee-sama.
Mumei raised her arm slightly, and the kneeling Kabane, as if offering their hearts to their newly born monarch, had their hearts pulse with a crimson glow before fading out completely.
The world in front of her grew increasingly red, blurring until everything went dark.
In the last moment, she saw those beautiful, wine-red eyes.
"Kurumi-nee…"
Her heart felt at ease.
——
In just the span of a month, Mumei had transformed into a completely different person.
At the very moment she had untied her ribbon, Biba Amatori had felt an overwhelming urge to bow down. The figure standing before him wasn't a twelve-year-old girl but a monarch who had awakened from the forge of battle.
His horse's knees had buckled, causing it to collapse. Thankfully, Biba reacted quickly enough to avoid an embarrassing scene.
He stood on the edge of the battlefield, watching Mumei, watching Kurumi's back.
Mumei's transformation must have had something to do with Kurumi. His gaze grew more intense with curiosity.
The black serum could only be injected into female Kabaneri, and even then, very few could survive the virus's invasion and maintain their sanity afterward.
Most of them, after forming the Kuro-nue—the black smoke—would lose their minds shortly after.
And as for men… after injecting the black serum, they had no chance of becoming [Nue], instead turning into mere walking corpses.
He wanted to grow stronger.
At that moment, his gaze toward Kurumi changed.
She was someone who possessed revolutionary knowledge of evolution.
——
After Mumei's spectacular debut, she wavered, turning back with unsteady steps. Kurumi immediately rushed forward, the wind swirling in her wake.
She gently scooped Mumei into her arms, tenderly stroking her face and wiping away the blood splatter.
Mumei's condition was far from good—she had overexerted herself.
She had borrowed strength she was not yet capable of wielding. The sword, while perfectly suited for her, was still too much for Mumei's current abilities.
Mumei's lips were dry and pale, her body excessively light, like a brittle twig.
Although she appeared unharmed on the surface, internally, she was nearly destroyed. Her blood had boiled away, her organs had shriveled, and aside from her immortal heart, everything else was on the verge of collapse.
The girl nestled in Kurumi's arms seemed so fragile, as if she would shatter at the slightest touch.
Even the most skilled doctors wouldn't have been able to save her, but unfortunately for them, Kurumi was a heavy-spending player.
Cradling Mumei, she pried open her small mouth and poured in a crimson potion—the elixir of heaven.
An utterly unreasonable item, one that converted data into reality, akin to a divine miracle.
Kurumi gazed down at Mumei, gently stroking her soft hair. Her expression was so tender, so unlike the most feared spirit, as if she were a little girl lovingly petting her precious kitten.
She scooped Mumei up in her arms, carefully ensuring that the girl's pale legs were covered by her sleeve.
The dress, which barely covered Mumei's thighs, was troublesome for moments like this—it made it easy for onlookers to steal a peek.
Mumei was her cherished kitten. Even if this kitten was always thinking about a certain pink-haired man, she was still her kitten.
Holding Mumei close, Kurumi walked back toward the group from Koutetsujou. Though they were a bit dense, at least they weren't unpleasant to look at.
Besides, she preferred familiar places when it came to sleeping.
——
Biba Amatori had planned to use this opportunity to improve his standing with Kurumi.
But before he could approach her, gunshots rang out, interrupting his attempt.
An entire squad, camouflaged in dust-gray, had been lying in wait, prepared to assassinate him—the rogue of the shogunate.
Biba had gradually distanced himself from the rest of the Hunters, providing the perfect opportunity for the assassination attempt.
But was this truly a careless mistake on his part, or had it all been premeditated?
The steam rifles posed little threat to Biba. He twisted his body, dodging the shots and drawing his pitch-black sword, slashing through the assassins.
There wasn't even a need to release his restraints—Biba Amatori easily completed the massacre.
Unfortunately, the real traitor wasn't there.
——
The assassins weren't the only ones moving. A squad of Hunters had also silently approached the pavilion where the officials observing the battlefield resided.
Who was the fish, and who was the bait?
But at that moment, none of this interested Biba Amatori. All he wanted was to find out what had happened to Mumei.
From a bird's-eye view, Shitori Station appeared like a bloom amidst a black flower, shrouded by a light, dark shadow.
It felt as though this shadow was a filter that covered the entire station, yet no one sensed anything unusual, only feeling that the sky seemed somewhat cloudy.
Everything the Hunters were plotting was laid bare in Kurumi's eyes. Their schemes and machinations were starkly revealed, impossible to hide.
But Biba Amatori had chosen an open strategy.
He requested that Ayame Yomogawa allow the Koutetsujou to travel to Kongoukaku under the protection of the Hunters.
It was impossible to refuse.
The Hunters were an elite force with formidable combat capabilities. The Kokujou was a war train, specially modified for battle, with advantages far surpassing those of the Koutetsujou.
The common people were cheering. With the Hunters' esteemed "Liberators" providing protection, the upcoming journey would surely be safe and secure.
However… to Kurumi, the Kokujou was filthy.
Even through its thick armor, she could smell the stench of Kabane corpses, countless of them—perhaps hundreds.
And the most troubling part? After so many days of caring for her precious little kitten, the moment that pink-haired man appeared, Mumei was uncontrollably drawn to him.
Time and time again, she ran off to the Kokujou, even moving to live there. But… Kurumi couldn't say much about it. After all, Mumei's mission from the start had always been to reunite with Biba Amatori.
She was, and still remained, one of the Hunters' "claws."
"Kurumi-nee… aren't you coming with us?" Mumei, full of excitement after rushing back from the Kokujou, was hit with a sudden, shocking piece of news.
The steam craftsmen were connecting the rear of the Kokujou to the Koutetsujou, preparing for the Kokujou to pull the Koutetsujou along.
"Mhm." Kurumi stood before Mumei, gently combing her hair.
"Haven't you already reunited with your brother? All you need to do now is follow Biba Amatori to Kongoukaku. It's the safest place in all of Japan, without a single Kabane."
Mumei's crimson eyes sparkled, a faint glow shining through. She wanted to say that it wasn't right, that it shouldn't be like this.
She should be with Kurumi, with the people on the Koutetsujou. They could release lanterns in Kongoukaku, watching the night sky filled with brilliant fireworks.
The time she spent on the Koutetsujou had been the happiest period since the apocalypse began. The memories of those days—the people on the Koutetsujou, Kurumi—came flooding back to her in vivid detail, like an unstoppable tide.
"I want to be with Kurumi-nee…" The words, so close to being said aloud, got stuck in her throat, unable to escape.
Kurumi squatted down gently so that she was now shorter than Mumei. Her dark hair, as smooth as flowing water, draped down, and a seductive fragrance enveloped Mumei—an intoxicating poison reserved solely for her.
Mumei stared down at Kurumi from above, feeling that her face looked more exquisite, her beauty more astonishing. Her soft lips resembled cherry blossoms floating in a memory, so warm and gentle... the kind of warmth you could drown in.
Biting her lips tightly, their gazes locked.
"Don't be so hasty anymore," Kurumi said softly as she patted Mumei's clothes, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles. "Girls need to be graceful. Wearing a short skirt means you can't let men take advantage of you."
"That sword suits you well, Hozumi. You've probably felt it yourself—wielding it makes you stronger." (Unknown Warrior Blade: When slaying enemies, increases both strength and intelligence by 2 points.)
She tugged lightly on Mumei's cheeks and continued. "But don't push yourself too hard. When it's time to run, you have to run. You have plenty of time ahead of you, so take it easy."
The sun had already set, and the night crept in like a curtain drawn over the world. The sound of cicadas buzzing filled the summer air, and a cool breeze rustled the cherry tree leaves.
Ikoma, who had been watching from the train station, suddenly froze. Kurumi—elegant, seductive, and powerful—was kneeling down, tidying Mumei's clothes with an incredibly gentle smile, dripping with affection as if it were honey.
Mumei's back looked beautiful. Her neck was slender and smooth, her exposed legs long and pale, making it impossible to believe she was just a twelve-year-old girl.
Watching this scene, Ikoma felt a pang of jealousy in his heart and quickly turned away.
A long time ago, he too had helped someone fix their clothes. Then, later, she had died in front of him.
It was he who pulled the self-destruction cord on his sister after she turned into a Kabane. Even in her final moments, she had still been looking at him.
She had wanted to live.
"Don't always listen to your brother," Kurumi said as she gently rubbed Mumei's cheeks, her voice low, sweet, and particularly tender. "Sometimes, it's better to see and hear things for yourself."
After all, Mumei was still just a child. No matter how strong she was, no matter how much more she had experienced compared to others, she was still a child—perhaps even more fragile inside than most.
Finally finding a place of warmth, only to have it suddenly taken away… Mumei clutched her chest, feeling emptiness inside.
Kurumi's farewell felt like a fairy tale. Lush cherry trees lined both sides, transcending time itself. The petals danced in the air, floating down like a snowstorm.
Mumei couldn't quite remember when Kurumi left.
She only remembered that, in the end, she was led back to the Kokujou by Horobi.
Everything before had felt like a dream. Outside the station, everything was clean and empty.
There weren't any cherry blossoms blooming in the height of summer.
But as they walked, Horobi suddenly paused, hesitating. She reached out, plucking a soft petal from Mumei's hair.
Staring at that petal, which shouldn't have existed in reality, Mumei stood there in a daze.
"If you ever wish for it, just call for me."
That sweet fragrance seemed to brush past her once more, and Kurumi's promise echoed from the realm of dreams.
"Mumei?" Horobi lowered her head, looking at the girl who had been kept in the dark about so many things.
"Horobi?"
"You're crying."
"I… I'm crying?" Mumei touched her face, feeling it wet with tears.
——
The Koutetsujou was now being towed by the Kokujou, steam whistles blowing.
The two fortresses left Shitori Station together, heading toward Kongoukaku.
But both strongholds seemed to be covered by a shadowy filter.
The one responsible for logistics ten years ago, was secretly escorted into the Kokujou. After Biba Amatori learned the information he sought, he sneered and pulled the trigger on his gun-sword.
Ten years ago, the one who betrayed him wasn't some faceless enemy—it was his beloved father.
Blood splattered onto his cheek, and yet he smiled, a twisted, almost crazed expression on his face.
Behind Biba Amatori was a large, beating Kabane heart, coiled around strange black branches—just like the heart of a [Nue].
And surrounding him at his feet, hundreds of Kabane were packed tightly together, growling in low, rasping voices.
"Kongoukaku… The Shogunate… my dear father."
"I've returned."
"Are you ready?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder