"Ikoma's a total idiot — always so impulsive, acting all righteous."
In the Kōtetsujō's maintenance area, a chubby youth named Takumi grumbled as he ate rice gruel. In truth, though, he envied his friend's nerve — standing up to the samurai.
"Still… talking back to them felt brave to me." Kajika said, a girl with flaxen hair tied in a side ponytail. To her, Ikoma's recklessness looked like courage.
"That's not brave. It's stupid." Takumi shot back, lips curling.
Wooo — Wooo!
A horn blared outside the West Gate.
"It's here — the Fusōjō. This time it's right on schedule."
The drawbridge lowered, and a harsh light shone in from the distance.
Kaden‑Kaden‑Kaden!
"Hey, it's too fast!"
"Slow down!"
The Fusōjō barreled in without even trying to brake. Gate workers waved frantic light signals.
Then the train came close enough to see clearly, and everyone froze.
It looked like a ghost train — cars crawling with Kabane.
"This is bad — raise the bridge!"
Too late. The drawbridge had only just begun to lift when the locomotive rolled onto it. As the bridge continued rising, the rear cars smashed into the incline. At that speed, the impact cascaded — cars colliding, buckling — until several were hurled off.
A few crashed straight into Aragane Station. Dozens of Kabane crawled out of the burning wreckage.
Roaaar…
The moment they spotted living people, the Kabane — normally sluggish — went berserk, howling as they sprinted for the crowd.
"Ah — it's Kabane!"
"Help!"
Screams ricocheted through the station as people fled between flames and falling debris.
"Father, where are you going?" Ayame had only just found Kenshō — already mounted on a horse.
"To the Kōtetsujō."
"Are you… abandoning this station?"
"Hm? Where is Lord Ryuji? Isn't he with you?" Kenshō scanned around, frowning when he didn't see Ryuji beside her.
"Ryu‑kun will come soon."
"Mm. Stay close to Lord Ryuji, understood?"
The familiar way Ayame said his name eased Kenshō's worry. As long as Ryuji protected her, he could focus on the larger disaster.
"Wait, Father — Ryu‑kun said this is for you." Ayame stopped him, demonstrated how to swap the magazine, and handed it over.
"Oh? A new type of Steam Gun?" Kenshō tested the weight, then nodded, "Good. Once we reach the Kōtetsujō, I'll fire a signal flare. You and Lord Ryuji must hurry over."
He rode off with Kurusu and the others toward the armored train.
Bang! Bang‑Clang!
On the ramparts, samurai fired their Steam Guns into the tide of Kabane.
"Aaagh!"
One samurai was dragged down, then instantly swallowed by the swarm.
"Hyakuya!" Ayame cried out as she arrived and saw a retainer being torn apart.
"Aah! Lady Ayame…"
Seeing someone she knew devoured made Ayame clamp a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with fear. A second later she forced herself to breathe, fingers tightening around the Beretta 92F at her side.
"Lady Ayame!" A middle‑aged noble hurried down the stairs with several others, "How long will you stay here? If we don't hurry to the Kōtetsujō, it'll be too late!"
"But Father told us to wait for the signal."
Ayame tried to explain, but the men behind him pressed forward, impatience hardening into panic.
"What signal is there going to be?!"
They kept advancing.
Thud!
Everyone stared as Ryuji appeared out of nowhere, drawing back the leg he'd just used.
"With all that energy to yell here, why don't you face the Kabane?" His voice was cold, "Cowards."
"Ryu‑kun!" Ayame's face lit up.
Ryuji nodded once.
"You brat — do you know who you just hit?" the noble snapped.
"Who?" Ryuji sneered, "A dog that only barks at women."
The look in his eyes clearly added, "and you too".
"You!"
"Mhm, Ryuji's right." A childish, oddly cute voice cut in, "Big talk in front of your own people, but you wet yourselves when Kabane show up."
Mumei stepped out from behind Ayame. She wore a conservative combat outfit now, twirling a short gun as if bored.
"Yo." Ryuji's eyes traced her quickly, "Mumei‑chan, that outfit's pretty cool."
She looked much like in the original: red leather bracers down to her hands; a white top cinched under leather straps; a short skirt revealing flashes of red safety shorts; pale legs wrapped below the knee with white bindings; high boots reinforced with armor. Like a warrior straight out of legend.
Only the forehead protector spoiled the look a little…
'Big. Really big. At this age… when she grows up…'
Ryuji felt she had the makings of a terrifyingly "blessed" future.
"Die, lolicon — where are you looking?!"
He snapped back to reality to find her hugging her chest, cheeks red with embarrassment, glaring daggers at him.
Noticing the strange looks around them — especially Ayame's resentful stare — he coughed.
"Cough. Let's talk about what matters." He lifted his gaze to a girl watching from above — short red curls framing her face, "You can drive the Kōtetsujō, right?"
"Eh?! Me?" The girl pointed at herself. When Ryuji nodded, she swallowed, "I'm only a trainee."
"It's fine. As long as you can drive. What's your name?"
"Yukina." she answered flatly.
"Good. Get on my back first." Ryuji turned, signaling.
Yukina hesitated, then climbed onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck. A faint maiden's scent brushed his senses.
"Hold tight. It might get bumpy."
As she secured herself — legs around his waist — Ryuji scooped Ayame into a princess carry.
"Ya!"
Amid Ayame's yelp and everyone's shock, Ryuji vaulted off the four‑to‑five‑meter rampart — ten meters in a single bound — and landed without so much as a stumble.
Mumei narrowed her eyes. Even after her own "release", she couldn't have carried two girls and still jumped that far. Ryuji was stronger than her.
Yukina finally relaxed once she realized they were safe. The warmth of his body, the sun‑baked scent of him, even dulled the numb grief from her uncle's death. Her cheeks flushed — she'd never been this close to a man before, and she didn't understand why her face burned.
"We're surrounded by Kabane." Yukina warned.
Ryuji refocused. Ahead, Kabane that had been climbing toward the ramparts — and others converging from all directions — charged straight at them.
"Hold on tight!"
Bang!
He kicked the first Kabane that rushed him. It flew back, punched through the crowd behind it, and rolled to a stop. From the ramparts, the sharp‑eyed saw the clean hole where its heart had been.
It was dead beyond doubt.
Hiss! ×N
The onlookers sucked in a breath so hard it seemed the flames dimmed. The noble who'd wanted revenge felt fear seize his throat — worse, he worried Ryuji might turn that strength on him.
"So strong…" Mumei stared, stunned, 'With that power, he could probably kick through the Kōtetsujō's iron wall.'
Ryuji kicked again and again, dropping the Kabane closing in. Mumei recovered and followed, cutting a path beside him.
The others hurried after them.
〖 Ding! Energy Points +50! 〗
〖 Total Energy Points: 21,700! 〗
〖 Side Mission: 54/200 Kabane Kills! 〗
Halfway there, a brilliant flare blossomed in the black sky.
"That's Father's signal flare!" Ayame exclaimed, pointing from Ryuji's arms.
It would've been fine if she hadn't moved — but with two youthful beauties pressed against him, the motion stirred Ryuji's heat. As Ayame shifted, something soft and yielding brushed his chest, while the firm weight against his back became impossible to ignore.
He hadn't expected Yukina's… firmness to be no less than Ayame's.
Ayame seemed to notice what was pressing against her and didn't dare move again. In a tiny, shy voice she murmured, "Th‑then… Ryu‑kun… can we… wait until we're safe?"
Ryuji almost cursed. If he wanted Ayame eating that cream puff sooner, he needed to move even faster.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
When Ryuji finally reached the Kōtetsujō with Ayame and Yukina, Kenshō was already atop the train, directing the defense.
He held the rifle Ryuji had given him and fired every so often. Each shot dropped a Kabane — his aim was solid — though he still fumbled the reloads, since Steam Guns needed reloading after every single shot.
"Lord Ryuji!!" Kenshō climbed down the moment he saw him, lifting the rifle with excitement, "Lord Ryuji, this weapon called a rifle is truly a divine tool! One bullet can pierce a Kabane's heart!"
Ryuji nodded and set Ayame down. Yukina hopped off his back as well.
Only then did Kenshō notice the outsider and clear his throat.
"Cough… Lord Ryuji, please take them onto the Kōtetsujō first. I still need to wait for the remaining people. But I don't know where Yukina's uncle — Yūrin — went. Without him, there's no one to drive the Kōtetsujō." He sighed.
When he'd arrived he'd fired the flare and searched for Yūrin, but found nothing.
"No need to look." Yukina stepped out from behind Ryuji, eyes fixed on a Kabane corpse, "My uncle… he already…"
Kenshō stiffened, then frowned, "Then what do we do? Only Yūrin could drive the Kōtetsujō."
"Don't worry. Yukina may be a trainee, but she can still drive it." Ryuji said, patting her shoulder.
Yukina flushed. For some reason, whenever Ryuji touched her, her heart raced — so unlike her usual calm. It didn't match her "character setting" at all.
She steadied herself and told Kenshō, "If it's just driving, I can do it."
"Good. Then the Kōtetsujō is in your hands."
Kenshō nodded and climbed back up to continue directing the defense. Yukina ran inside to reconnect the locomotive to the cars.
Tap. Tap‑Tap‑
Soon, Mumei arrived too.
Because Ryuji had cleared the way, she hadn't burned through her strength like in the original. She didn't immediately need to sleep.
She walked to Ryuji's side and studied him, "I didn't expect you to be this strong. Are you a Kabaneri too?"
"Kabaneri?" Ayame echoed, confused.
"Whether I am or not… Mumei‑chan should be able to tell, right?" Ryuji shook his head.
"True. I can't sense the aura of my kind from you." Mumei nodded, then yawned cutely, "I'll go inside and rest for a bit…"
Even with the stamina she'd saved, fatigue still settled into her bones.
✦✦✦
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead of this novel for just $1, as well as smut chapters ($2) or spicy images ($5) or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)