"Hey, Mumei. You want to go to Kongokaku, right? Is your purpose in going there to meet that 'Big Brother'?"
Mumei's destination was Kongokaku, and the Iron Fortress's final destination was also there, as Mumei had said from the beginning.
Since she planned to go to Kongokaku, then her ultimate goal must be to meet that 'Big Brother'.
"Yes, originally there was someone else with me. But he was scratched by a Kabaneri at Aba Station and died using a self-destruct bag. I must meet Big Brother at Kongokaku."
Mumei unreservedly told Inaba Tsukiyo her final destination. Since the incident at Yatsushiro Station, the relationship between Mumei and Inaba Tsukiyo had grown closer.
While everyone else went to repair the Iron Fortress and modify weapons, Inaba Tsukiyo and Mumei stayed in this last, empty car, chatting.
"I see… Then do you know that the 'Big Brother' you speak of is using you? Using your special identity as a Kabaneri to do his bidding?"
This girl, although she seemed innocent, was a shrewd person.
When they first met, she hadn't trusted anyone. It was only through their time together that Mumei had opened her heart.
She didn't believe Mumei couldn't understand this relationship. Had the brainwashing really become that severe?
"...Yes, I know. But Big Brother took me in, and he also taught me techniques to fight Kabaneri. I… I'm very grateful to him."
"Yet, this is the kind of person who daily instills in you that the weak have no right to survive? Do you know what his purpose is in doing this? He wants to turn you into a weapon without emotions."
(fuhai: I am a killer without emotions.)
The 'Brother' in Mumei's mouth simply wanted Mumei to be his weapon, a tool for killing, and once she was no longer useful, he would abandon her.
So-called 'the weak have no right to live'? What a joke. If the weak truly had no right to live, then humanity in this world would have long since perished.
She couldn't understand where these guys got the idea that 'the weak have no right to live.' Was that 'Brother' destined to be a world-saving hero from birth?
"I know you're hurting, Mumei. But you don't need to worry about being abandoned. With me by your side, you don't have to force yourself to do things you don't like."
"...Thank you, Tsukiyo. But I am a Kabaneri. It's impossible for me to stay with humans. Whether now or in the future, I can't live with them."
"Even if you support me, even if you are very powerful. But you are just one person, and I don't want you to become an enemy to all humans because of me."
Regardless of her identity or other relationships, Mumei couldn't live with humans.
Just like before, when her Kabaneri identity was discovered, others wanted to kill her.
As long as she retained her Kabaneri identity, there would be humans who wouldn't accept her, and might even try every means to eliminate her.
Most importantly, if she didn't have the Kabaneri's power, how would she protect herself? How would she gain the recognition of others?
All this time, she had to play an indispensable role to continue living. No matter if she was happy doing so, she had to keep doing it.
Mumei was very grateful to Inaba Tsukiyo. From Inaba Tsukiyo, Mumei felt a long-lost warmth.
But it was precisely because of this gratitude that Mumei didn't want to implicate Inaba Tsukiyo. After all, Inaba Tsukiyo was still human, and she didn't want to cause Inaba Tsukiyo distress over her position because of herself.
"You idiot, you usually don't care about this at all. Why are you saying such things now?"
Inaba Tsukiyo tapped Mumei's head and said exasperatedly.
But it was this thoughtfulness that made her a little happy. At least Mumei had truly opened her heart to her, truly considering her a friend, not just an acquaintance.
Thinking of the Kabaneri's heart, Inaba Tsukiyo touched her own eyes.
These eyes concealed a power that could kill even gods. If she used this power, could she kill the Kabaneri in Mumei?
As long as she lost her Kabaneri identity, Mumei could return to being a normal human.
Even if she lost the Kabaneri's power, as long as she was given a power not inferior to the Kabaneri's, it would be fine.
Thinking of this, Inaba Tsukiyo took Mumei's left hand and asked under her puzzled gaze:
"If you don't like being a Kabaneri, you can tell me. I have a way to turn you back into a human, and even as a human, you won't have to worry about not having the power to deal with Kabaneri. I will give you a power different from the Kabaneri's, allowing you to live as a human."
Kabaneri need to consume fresh blood to survive, but Kabaneri are not Kabaneri. They possess human will, and as humans, how could they not want to eat?
This world is vast, and even with monsters like the Kabaneri, this world is worth exploring thoroughly by humans.
"Turn back into a human? A power different from the Kabaneri's? How is that possible...?"
Mumei's purpose in life was to fight. If she lost the ability to fight, she would be abandoned.
But before being abandoned, the hope of returning to being human kept growing in Mumei's heart.
Return to being human? How could Mumei not want to, but was it really possible?
"Is there really such a way, Tsukiyo? Can something like becoming human again truly be done?"
Like a drowning person, Mumei clutched Inaba Tsukiyo's arm tightly.
Mumei felt that Inaba Tsukiyo was lying. She had never heard of the possibility of turning back into a human after becoming a Kabaneri.
But the abilities Inaba Tsukiyo displayed made Mumei feel that Inaba Tsukiyo's words were true, that she wasn't lying to her.
"It can be done, it just depends on whether you trust me. But there are conditions for turning you back into a human, Mumei."
She took out a short knife she carried with her, looked at the complex-faced Mumei, and smiled.
"If you choose to become human again, then the Kabaneri Mumei will die, and everything you possess will be mine. This is the price for me to give you a new life. Are you willing?"
"Become your 'thing'? What do you mean, Tsukiyo? Do you want me to become your possession? Even if I drink your blood every day, this is too..."
Mumei, who had clearly misunderstood, looked at Inaba Tsukiyo with a blush, even forgetting the knife in the other's hand.
"Although your understanding isn't wrong, it is indeed about you becoming my possession. However, what do you mean by your expression? I already have someone I like, and you're only twelve. Even if your figure is very good, I don't mean it that way."
"And I've wanted to ask you for a long time, when you wanted to be friends with me, you weren't trying to set up a backup blood bank on the way to Kongokaku, were you? Or were you trying to take something from me?"
"..."
"Hey (#`O´)! Don't be silent! Don't think I don't know you're turning your head away! Look at me quickly! What exactly are you thinking?"
She was so annoyed. If Mumei were a Boy, Inaba Tsukiyo would have already acted. One Magic Bullet and she'd be half-crippled if not dead.
This girl was just relying on her female identity to do whatever she wanted here. Didn't she know how to write the words 'courting death'?
"Actually... when I was at the Palace (palace), I saw you fighting a Kabaneri and thought you might also be a Kabaneri, so I wanted to observe. It turned out you weren't a Kabaneri at all, but a human."
It was precisely because of her curiosity that Inaba Tsukiyo could fight Kabaneri as a human that Mumei wanted to be friends with Inaba Tsukiyo.
No, although she said she wanted to be friends, she didn't mean it at all. Making friends was just a facade.
Mumei was flustered, completely unsure what to do.
Explain that she never intended to be friends with Inaba Tsukiyo? She was afraid she'd get a good scolding from Inaba Tsukiyo; she hadn't forgotten those punches Inaba Tsukiyo threw to get the Iron Fortress back on track.
But not telling Inaba Tsukiyo felt a bit too unfair to her.
Always accepting Inaba Tsukiyo's help, Mumei also felt a little embarrassed.
After intense deliberation, Mumei finally decided... to tell the truth.
(fuhai: Emphasizing the word 'cowardly'.)
Just as Mumei closed her eyes, expecting Inaba Tsukiyo to be angry, she only heard a long sigh, and then her head was pressed down.
She looked up and saw that the person stroking her head was Inaba Tsukiyo.
Mumei wanted to stand up, but the hand on her head pressed down firmly, not letting her rise.
"Sit down. If you stand up, I can't stroke your head properly."
Damn it, it was always the height issue. Every time she wanted to stroke a head to show her authority, she needed the other person to squat down, or hug their knees and squat.
"Actually, I already figured it out. Although you always smile when you face me, you keep a distance from everyone. You don't want others to get close to your heart, because you don't want to get hurt."
"But it doesn't matter anymore. As long as you completely bid farewell to the past and become my possession, I can give you a future completely different from your current one."
"A future completely different from now... Is that really possible? After becoming your possession?"
What kind of future is it, exactly? Mumei doesn't know, but if she continues like this, she also doesn't know what kind of end she will face.
On one side is the Brother who has been kind to her, and on the other are friends who would give their lives to protect her.
After a moment of hesitation, Mumei finally took Inaba Tsukiyo's hand.
Sure enough, she still wanted to become human again; she wanted to return to being that strange yet familiar human.
"I agree to become your possession, Tsukiyo. I want to become human again, I… I…"
"Enough, no need to say more, Mumei. Since you have agreed, the deal is done. Now, I will begin to kill the Kabaneri in you."
She opened her eyes, and her pupils bloomed with an eerie ice-blue color.
With a cold determination, the sharp dagger pierced Mumei's glowing heart.
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