When the Kataribe arrived at Iwato Station, the lord of Iwato Station both sent people to report to the Shogun's government and requested negotiations with the Kataribe and the Iron Fortress.
Soon, the lord received instructions from the Shogun, which basically stated that the Kataribe were not to be allowed through Iwato Station.
However, the common people of the Iron Fortress could be let into Iwato Station. To prevent Kataribe members from infiltrating the Iron Fortress and then sneaking into Iwato Station, the Iron Fortress itself was impounded by the samurai of Iwato Station.
"They won't allow us into the city? It seems they've received instructions from that guy."
Amatori Biba, in the Kurenai Castle's cockpit, narrowed his eyes, looking at the Kurenai Castle's guards. He had already anticipated that the lord of Iwato Station wouldn't allow the Kurenai Castle to pass.
When the Kataribe arrived at Shitori Station, Iwato Station had already received the news.
After all, for commoners who regarded the Kataribe as heroes, these lords could see the Kataribe's threat.
Such combat power, far exceeding that of ordinary samurai, once they turned their weapons on people, would the samurai with their steam guns be their match?
Amatori Biba had already made the necessary preparations. After Shikomorikawa Ayame led the residents of the Iron Fortress into Iwato Station, Amatori Biba also sent members to request negotiations.
However, he didn't intend to engage in ordinary negotiations. Since Iwato Station wasn't going to let them pass easily, then he would simply conquer the station.
This time, Mumei wasn't helping, but the Kataribe still had other members similar to Mumei. Amatori Biba had brainwashed quite a few people.
These children, rescued at a young age, could be easily deceived with a little coaxing.
Most importantly, Amatori Biba had not shown his evil side to these innocent children, so they were still very obedient.
Soon, the envoy returned with the message from the leader of Iwato Station: they agreed to negotiate, but only allowed women and children.
Iwato Station's requirement for Amatori Biba was the same as for the Iron Fortress – only women or children could accompany them.
Iwato Station took such measures to prevent Amatori Biba's spies from being inside the Iron Fortress, so Kujin Kurusu could only remain helplessly at Iwato Station.
"Miss Shikomorikawa... before you go in, you absolutely must be careful of Amatori Biba. Ikoma just told me that there are many Kabaneri reactions inside the Kurenai Castle. This is the sensation between Kabaneri and Kabaneri, and this Amatori Biba is not a good person."
As Shikomorikawa Ayame prepared to take Yūna to meet the lord of Iwato Station, Inaba Tsukiyo and Ikoma came to Shikomorikawa Ayame's room for a secret conversation.
Shikomorikawa Ayame trusted Inaba Tsukiyo and Ikoma, and gravely accepted Inaba Tsukiyo's warning.
"Also, if anything unexpected happens this time, please prioritize your own life. As long as the other party doesn't do anything life-threatening, please do not provoke them. I will secretly resolve all of this."
Amatori Biba would definitely cause trouble. To stop the spread of disaster, they could only proceed little by little.
Shikomorikawa Ayame, accompanied by Yūna, was guided by the samurai of Iwato Station to the lord's mansion to meet the leader of Iwato Station.
As Amatori Biba and Shikomorikawa Ayame, accompanied by their attendants, met with the lord of Iwato Station, the girl Amatori Biba brought successfully knocked out a samurai and, without any obstruction, arrived at the main gate of Iwato Station.
After knocking out all the samurai guarding the drawbridge lever, the girl pulled the switch for the Iwato Station drawbridge. As the drawbridge lowered, the main gate of Iwato Station also opened.
The samurai of Iwato Station immediately noticed that the drawbridge had been lowered, which greatly puzzled them.
According to the time Amatori Biba and the others entered the station and began negotiations with the lord of Iwato Station, the negotiations should have just started.
Moreover, there was no warning when the drawbridge was lowered. Who gave the permission?
After the drawbridge was lowered, what entered from outside the station was not the long-awaited Kurenai Castle, but a large number of Kabaneri.
Members of the Kataribe drove their motorcycles rapidly, with large blood bags tied to the rear of the motorcycles. As the motorcycles sped along, these blood bags spilled blood all over the road.
A large number of Kabaneri, sensing the scent of blood, frantically chased after the motorcycles.
"Eh? Wh-what's going on?"
The girl who had just pulled the drawbridge switch hadn't yet realized what was happening, but these Kabaneri absolutely couldn't have gathered in such a short time.
Which meant... "Have you figured it out? Amatori Biba released the Kabaneri hidden in the Kurenai Castle, intending to use these Kabaneri to attack the castle."
Inaba Tsukiyo, who had been waiting for a long time, came to the side of the stunned girl and explained.
"Since you are Amatori Biba's person, then you should also know about the Kabaneri inside the Kurenai Castle, right? But those Kabaneri are not just for research; at the necessary moment, these Kabaneri are used to conquer stations. Just like now."
"So do you know? Everything Amatori Biba told you was a lie. He just wanted you to foolishly carry out his orders, making you an accomplice in letting the Kabaneri in."
Although it was very cruel, this was a fact that the child had to accept. The cause of this situation was the Little Girl's innocence.
Mumei, standing nearby, looked at the emotionally distraught girl with a complex expression. If she had met Amatori Biba at Shitori Station, would she have become the one to carry out this mission?
"...It's a lie, right? Could it be... could it be..."
"Could it be that everything Lord Amatori said about making everyone happy, all of it was a lie?"
The girl looked at Inaba Tsukiyo with tears in her eyes. When Amatori Biba gave her the mission, he told her that it would make everyone happy.
She carried out this mission to bring happiness to everyone, but this mission was actually to let the Kabaneri enter Iwato Station?
Even if she was very naive, even if she believed Amatori Biba, after seeing this reality, she had to accept Amatori Biba's lies.
Inaba Tsukiyo's image of Amatori Biba quickly shattered in her heart. Driven by emotion, the special heart of the Kabaneri glowed with a dazzling red light.
"Sleep well."
Helpless, she couldn't entirely blame the Little Girl. She had merely been deceived by Amatori Biba.
Using a short knife, just as she had done for Mumei, she transformed the Little Girl back into a human. After she fainted, Inaba Tsukiyo used the Imaginary Space's teleportation ability to send her to where the Iron Fortress civilians were staying.
Mumei frantically tried to pull the drawbridge lever. Currently, not many Kabaneri had entered Iwato Station. If she raised the drawbridge now, the samurai of Iwato Station could still handle them.
If all these Kabaneri entered Iwato Station, then Iwato Station would become a living hell.
Just as Mumei was about to pull the lever, a person on a motorcycle arrived near the cable and used the blade in his hand to cut it.
With the cable severed, pulling the lever would no longer raise the drawbridge.
She wondered what material the station's cables were made of, to be cut by such a weapon. Was it a coated blade?
As the Kataribe troops entered Iwato Station, a large number of Kabaneri also climbed onto the drawbridge.
"Tsukiyo! Think of something quickly!"
Unable to raise the drawbridge, Mumei cried out to Inaba Tsukiyo.
Mumei hadn't told her about her plan. She had no other way to deal with the current disaster, and Inaba Tsukiyo was their only hope.
"I understand."
Just as the Kabaneri were about to cross the bridge and enter Iwato Station, a calling shadow suddenly appeared in the sky.
These shadows gradually solidified in the air, landing in front of Iwato Station's drawbridge.
If someone from the Honkai World were present, they would surely exclaim at the sight of this weapon suddenly falling.
"It's titan dad!!!"
The titan raised its massive fist and slammed it heavily onto the drawbridge's connection point. The force generated by the combined punches of several titans was enough to shatter the drawbridge.
The Kabaneri, just moments before entering Iwato Station, fell with the broken drawbridge.
"Huh? Tsukiyo. What is this?"
Mumei looked at the suddenly appearing titan in confusion. The titan's technology completely surpassed this world's technological level.
"This is a weapon created by human wisdom, a civilization created by humans. Although this world's civilization hasn't developed to this extent yet, this is humanity's future."
Of course, titans were created in the Honkai World to fight Honkai Beasts. If there were no Honkai Beasts, humanity likely wouldn't have created titans.
"Tsukiyo… this is your…"
"Yes, my plan. Since they intend to use Kabaneri to make this station fall, then we will disrupt their plan."
As long as the Kabaneri didn't enter Iwato Station, Amatori Biba's plan couldn't proceed.
Now, the concern was whether the Kataribe would try to use something to replace the drawbridge and allow Kabaneri to enter Iwato Station.
However, Inaba Tsukiyo clearly underestimated the madness of these individuals.
They did not use Kurenai Castle as a bridge connecting the outside of the city and Iwato Station. Under the watchful eyes of Inaba Tsukiyo and Mumei, several strange female members emerged from Kurenai Castle.
These female members emitted a large number of red patterns. As they left Kurenai Castle, black objects emerged from their bodies, extending from Kurenai Castle's carriage containing Kabaneri, pulling the Kabaneri out.
Even the Kabaneri who had fallen under the bridge were pulled up by these tentacle-like things.
Soon, several female members transformed into the [Biba Gattai] encountered earlier at Yatsushiro Station.
"This is… Do these guys possess the method to create [Biba Gattai]? Were the stations overrun by [Biba Gattai] their handiwork?"
Well, the Kataribe were even more cruel than she had imagined. Were even their own members just their pawns?
Amatori Biba had already gone to the lord's mansion to negotiate. The collapse of the drawbridge was clearly not part of Amatori Biba's plan.
This meant that someone inside Kurenai Castle was instructing these female Kabaneri to transform into [Biba Gattai], forcibly causing Iwato Station to fall?
"Beasts!"
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