"What... what is that thing?"
"H-how is this possible? Why would 'Black Smoke' suddenly appear here?!"
The Panhū Station Soldiers, who had been firing at the Kabane below the city walls, were utterly stunned as they watched the black mass rapidly taking shape right beneath them at a visible speed.
Logically, even if there were 'Black Smoke,' it should have approached from a distance, giving everyone time to prepare. But what was happening now?
"Fire! Fire the cannons!"
"Open fire now! Stop it before it fully forms!" A samurai wielding a longsword mustered his courage and shouted at the surrounding soldiers.
"Y-yes, sir!"
The soldiers snapped out of their daze, realizing that hesitation was no different from waiting for death—especially those stationed near the Garrison Cannons. They quickly adjusted their aim from the Kabane below to the looming threat.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Nearly a dozen cannons mounted on either side of the city gates fired almost simultaneously. Amid the violent flames, shells crashed into the 'Black Smoke's' massive 'body,' causing explosions to erupt one after another within its form.
"Gyaaaaaah—!"
As chunks of its dark mass were blasted apart, the creature threw its head back and let out a piercing shriek. Deep inside its body, Horobi—wrapped in countless black, sticky threads like a cocoon—screamed in agony as well, clearly wounded by the cannon fire.
It was dusk. The sky was painted crimson by the setting sun's glow, casting a bloody backdrop over the devastated city as the evening light bore witness to its suffering.
Enraged, the colossal black monster took advantage of the soldiers' reloading pause. It swiftly replenished its damaged 'body' with the endless stream of Kabane surging toward it, then lunged forward, slamming into the city wall.
"Nooo—!"
"Aaaaah!"
Under the horrified gazes of hundreds of soldiers and samurai defending the walls, the 'Black Smoke' effortlessly crushed a section of the battlement beside the gate with sheer brute force.
A deafening roar echoed across the skies of Iwahato Station as dust and debris erupted into the air, scattering shattered bricks everywhere.
"That is what we commonly refer to as 'Nue'—an artificially fused collective with a Kabaneri as its 'Core.' Though it resembles ordinary 'Black Smoke,' that is merely one of its abilities. Just how powerful it truly is... I can't wait to see."
Aboard the Steel Fortress, Dr. Shoei no longer cared about Marta's watchful eyes. Gripping the telescope around his neck, he excitedly observed his experimental masterpiece.
Using the essence of a Kabane with a blue-glowing heart—known as the 'Black Smoke Core'—as the primary material, along with other biochemical components and techniques, he had developed something called 'Black Blood Plasma.'
This substance could drastically amplify the effects of the Kabane Virus. By injecting it directly into a 'Kabaneri's' chest with a syringe, they would transform into this immensely powerful 'Nue'!
"What did you say? An artificial 'Black Smoke'?!"
Yomogawa Ayame, Train Conductor Yukina, and Samurai Kurusu stood nearby.
In the end, they had chosen to follow Laskey's advice—the chaos outside was simply too dangerous. Now, all three were stunned by Dr. Shoei's insane claims.
"Such a thing actually exists?!"
Marta stared in shock at the 'Black Smoke,' which looked somewhat formidable, while also feeling worried about Laskey who was acting alone.
Meanwhile.
Amidst the chaotic battlefield filled with flames, thick smoke, blood, and death, Amatori Biba paid no heed to the indiscriminate slaughter carried out by his soldiers under his command.
Indiscriminate—meaning whether it was Kabane or humans, as long as they weren't members of the Hunter Group, anyone who approached would be shot down with Steam Rifles.
Because they had taken control of the station's position, effectively blocking the only escape route for the people and soldiers of Iwahato Station, the latter were left in a desperate situation, trapped between two fronts.
Amatori Biba merely watched the distant 'Black Smoke' coldly—the result of Horobi sacrificing her life for him. Yet, he felt neither moved nor guilty.
To him, everything was merely a tool.
"Brother!"
Amatori Biba turned to see the twin-tailed girl in red running toward him and smiled. "You did well, Mumei."
"Wasn't the reason you had me open the gate to let everyone from the 'Steel Fortress' into the city? Then why—" Mumei shouted anxiously, her face full of distress.
Indeed, it was she who had personally lowered the drawbridge that Laskey had seen suddenly drop earlier. Now, witnessing the horrific consequences of her actions, the girl was tormented by unbearable guilt and pain. She desperately needed an explanation from her 'brother.'
"Look, Mumei."
Amatori Biba turned his gaze to survey the hellscape they had created and said softly, "This is the fair and equal world we seek."
Corpses devoured by Kabane, houses collapsing in flames, the Living Dead revived with glowing hearts, blood-soaked ground littered with broken blades and shattered guns—under the evening sky, it was nothing short of the most beautiful painting.
"Only the strong deserve to live in this world. The weak have no right to survive."
Having said this, he ignored Mumei and walked forward alone, leaving the girl behind.
At last, Mumei realized—she had been deceived. Completely deceived by the 'brother' she had always idolized.
She stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do.
"Gyaaaaaaah————"
Just then, the 'Black Smoke' that had toppled the city walls suddenly let out a piercing wail. At the same time, the 'Black Body' covering it, crisscrossed with glowing red veins, began to slough off like mud.
"Tch, damn it! It's happening much faster than expected. As I thought, the 'Shackles' alone can't fully stop the virus from invading the brain!"
Dr. Shoei watched in frustration as the 'Black Smoke' collapsed entirely. For this artificial 'Black Smoke' to sustain itself, the consciousness of the Kabaneri serving as its 'Core' had to remain relatively clear. Otherwise, it would just be an ordinary 'Nue.'
But he hadn't explained this clearly to Amatori Biba. After all, if something went wrong, he could always blame it on an accident. As for the lives of Kabaneri like Horobi, he couldn't care less—what mattered to him were the test results.
Though, given Amatori Biba's personality, he probably wouldn't care either.
"Miss Marta, could you tell me more about this World Government you mentioned?"
Yomogawa Ayame, no longer able to see the 'Black Smoke,' suppressed her shock and turned her gaze to the golden-haired beauty beside her, whose appearance and attire distinctly carried a 'Western' flair.
It must be said, the two of them standing together—one exuding the gentle grace of ancient Eastern aesthetics, the other radiating the alluring charm of modern Western beauty—made for quite a pleasing sight.
Meanwhile, in a place unseen by them, Laskey had already arrived near Amatori Biba. Yet, the first thing that caught his attention wasn't the latter, but the black blur swiftly slaughtering the soldiers of the Hunter Group.
This sight astonished him greatly.
The speed displayed by the figure was already close to that of most members of CP9, and judging by its silhouette, it appeared remarkably petite.
Laskey had initially assumed the only noteworthy combatants in this world were the 'Black Smoke' that had just appeared.
"What is that thing?"
But when he noticed 'that thing' rapidly closing in on Amatori Biba while continuing its slaughter, he wasted no more time thinking and vanished instantly.
"Soru!"