"I see... I understand. I'll go tell Gai. Wait a moment..."
Bzz—
With that, the call was disconnected.
"...What are you planning to do?"
Yahiro Samukawa couldn't help but ask as he watched her cut off the communication.
"...If possible, I want Funeral Parlor to protect you. After all... you understand as well... hiding here isn't a long-term solution."
She answered calmly.
"...You—"
Beep—!
Just as Yahiro was about to say something, the terminal notification interrupted him. The Shogun accepted the call, and the screen displayed Gai, dressed in a white suit.
"I've roughly heard the situation. They're with you right now?"
Gai asked.
"Yes."
She glanced at the Samukawa brothers and nodded.
"Can you confirm the condition of his younger brother?"
He continued.
Condition?
She paused in confusion and instinctively looked at Hare.
"He's a patient of the Apocalypse Virus. His condition is critical—half his body has already begun to crystallize, and he's unconscious."
Hare answered on her behalf.
"I see... Can you confirm that he is 'Sugar'?"
Gai asked again.
"Yes... I'm certain."
Hare nodded firmly.
"...In that case, proceed with the retrieval. I'll have Sextant send people to meet you. Bring them along as well—"
"Gai, the banquet is about to begin..."
Inori's voice came from beside him as she reminded him.
"Ah... I have something to take care of. I'll hang up now."
"Be careful."
Before the call ended, Inori added a gentle reminder.
After hanging up, the Shogun turned her cold gaze back to the somewhat stunned boy in front of her.
"Why would you—"
He was shocked. Why would she help him?
"You're overthinking it. I'm doing this entirely for your brother. He's suffering from illness and is innocent. Unlike you, he isn't foolish. If you want to thank someone, thank him."
If it had only been him today, she would've just given him some money at most? Help him? Dream on. She would've left him behind without a second thought—whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.
"Mio is right. I'm sorry, Yahiro-kun... I know this sounds cold, but... I'm only helping because of Jun. Being harmed by you and then helping you for no reason... I—I'm not that kind."
Hare echoed her words, clenching her hands against her chest as she looked at him seriously.
"Thank you..."
Yahiro wiped his tears and replied guiltily.
However, at that moment, from the shadowed corner of a building across from them, a faint glimmer of light reflected. It was a camera, its lens pointed directly at the room where they were. Even in the dim environment, it clearly captured the figure of Yahiro Samukawa.
"Target located. The escaped patient has been confirmed."
Inside GHQ headquarters, a surveillance officer reported to Segai, who was waiting at the docks for further orders.
"Excellent. Now it's time to hunt the rat. Lieutenant Daryl, it's your turn to perform."
As usual, Segai spoke while fiddling with his phone, issuing the command to Daryl Yan, who was operating an Endlave to move cargo nearby.
"Huh? It's just a patient. Do we really need to deploy my Endlave?"
Daryl complained, setting down the cargo with annoyance.
"Hey, Danli—! And you, scarface! Get ready—'the fireworks' are about to start!"
At that moment, a blond foreign officer in a blue uniform walked over excitedly, calling out to both the man and the mech. With a rumbling roar, the rocket launchers that were meant to fire vertically were all tilted horizontally, their targets naturally being the passenger ship in the middle of the sea.
"My name is Daryl!"
Daryl snapped irritably.
"I'm Segai."
Segai didn't even look up.
"Same difference!"
The man laughed it off.
"Tch... this guy..."
Daryl clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"That's exactly why I'm sending you to chase the rat. Would you rather rot here or go have some fun?"
Segai smiled as he looked at him.
"Heh... fair point. Not exactly fun, but better than staying here. Your troops are already in position?"
"Of course. At your disposal, Lieutenant Daryl."
Click...
Segai snapped his phone shut and winked at him.
"Even if a dragon doesn't eat slimes... slaughtering them still feels pretty good~! Hahaha!"
Bang!
With that, Daryl dropped the cargo in his hands with a loud crash and immediately piloted the mech away.
"Hey—! Don't slack off on me, you bastard!!"
The blond officer chased after him, shouting angrily at the retreating mech.
"My apologies, Commander Tang. Lieutenant Daryl has a more important task to attend to. Leave this to me and my subordinates."
Segai smiled wryly as he reassured him.
"Hah?! Fine. Then you handle his share too. Move it!"
"Understood."
He nodded with a smile.
"Huh? Major?!"
His subordinates looked confused. Why did they suddenly have more work?
"Shut up."
He snapped coldly.
...
Click!
Opening the door leading to the factory's outer area, the Shogun leaned out slightly and scanned the surroundings. After confirming it was safe, she stepped out, signaling for Hare and Yahiro—who was pushing the stretcher—to follow.
Earlier, Gai had sent her a message saying they would evacuate in an hour. Judging by the time, it was almost up. Since Yahiro had to push the stretcher carrying Jun, they needed to move earlier.
It was around eight in the evening now. The sky was completely dark, with only a few old streetlights casting faint illumination.
"Mio..."
Hare moved closer to her, feeling uneasy. The surroundings felt eerie, as if some unseen danger lingered.
"Don't be afraid. Go help him push."
She instructed.
"Mm..."
Hare obediently walked over to Yahiro and helped him push the stretcher. Jun lay beneath a sheet, hidden from view.
The rendezvous point wasn't far, but the journey was far from smooth.
Bang!!
A deafening gunshot rang out from the distance, followed by the sharp whistling of a bullet tearing through the air straight toward her forehead!
"..."
Hum~
In an instant, she locked onto the trajectory of the incoming bullet. Summoning Musou Isshin, she angled the blade and deflected it back.
Pfft!
The reflected bullet flew even faster than when it had been fired, instantly blowing apart the sniper's head.
"—!!"
The nearby snipers were startled, then immediately opened fire in unison. Shadows emerged from all directions, rifle fire pouring toward the center.
Bang! ×N
Countless bullets rained toward her, yet she didn't even look. A barrier spread around them, effortlessly blocking the storm of gunfire.
"Ah—!"
Hare let out a startled scream.
As the barrier began to fill with embedded bullets, her lips curved slightly. With a casual wave of her hand, the barrier expanded outward in a full 360-degree burst, returning every single bullet to its senders!
Whoosh! ×N
Like a tidal wave, an overwhelming number of bullets scattered outward, striking most of the GHQ soldiers positioned on the surrounding buildings and rendering them unable to continue.
"Move faster."
She spoke to the two behind her. Just as she was about to step forward, she heard a dull rumble behind the wall nearby. Her brows furrowed as she drove Musou Isshin straight into the wall, piercing through and impaling the Endlave hidden in ambush.
"Go ahead. Leave first."
She instructed them.
"Mm!"
The two nodded and hurried forward, pushing the stretcher as fast as they could. Bullets still flew their way, but all of them were stopped by her barrier.
Crash—!
Hearing the mech behind her, she tilted her head slightly to evade the incoming shell. In the next instant, she dashed forward, pressing one hand against the cannon's muzzle and channeling Electro energy through it, frying the internal circuits of the machine.
"Aaagh!!!"
Boom!
The pilot's scream rang out for a split second before the mech exploded.
Rat-tat-tat! ×N
Gunfire continued to rain down from above. Some soldiers had even shouldered rocket launchers. Facing the incoming RPG, she simply tilted her head and dodged it.
"...How annoying."
She sighed in mild irritation. Lowering her stance, she took on an iaido posture. Lightning flickered in her eyes as she locked onto the building ahead. One leg stepped forward, lightning coiling around her as her hair lifted into the air.
"Thundercry!"
Hum~
In an instant, she drew her blade. A violet arc of light tore through space, slicing cleanly across the midsection of the building.
Boom!
The structure was severed in a single stroke, causing all the soldiers on the upper floors to plummet down.
—
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