Inside an attic, several men led by Sato Fumio sat together, their expressions grim.
"Amatori Biba has made contact with the Koutetsujou people. He seems to be using Ayame Yomogawa's connection to try and meet Misono Mika," Sato Fumio said, his face shadowed.
"Is he trying to drag her into this too? We haven't dared to make a move yet; where does he get the nerve!"
"Damn it! We've lost the initiative. We are completely on the defensive now!"
"My Lord! We must send someone to contact Misono Mika immediately. If Biba tricks her into joining his camp, we're finished!"
The men spoke over one another, their voices laced with anxiety and a growing sense of urgency. The plan to use live humans to lure Kabane—distracting the Hunters so they could assassinate Biba—had to be halted. They were now certain of Mika's unique nature, believing ninety percent of the intelligence provided by Enoku.
If Mika sided with Biba, they would never be able to defeat him.
Sato Fumio looked as if he aged several years. He smoked incessantly, and soon the room was thick with the lingering scent of tobacco.
"You're right. We cannot let Biba's schemes succeed."
Sato made a decision, looking up at the group. "I heard Misono Mika is interested in plants and flowers. Let's try to cater to her interests first to test her attitude. Who among you is willing to do this?"
"Hehehe... Unfortunately, none of you are going anywhere today."
The door was kicked open. A man with somber, sunken eyes walked in, coldly scanning everyone in the room. In the next instant, other members of the Hunters leaped from various corners, raising their guns to the heads of Sato and his associates.
"Spare—spare us!"
Sato's body went rigid. Upon seeing the intruders were the Hunters, his pupils shrank. He knew falling into their hands meant no good end. The others realized this too; their faces twisted with terror, bodies trembling uncontrollably as they begged for mercy.
"I intended to leave you alive a bit longer to confirm one last thing with you. But there's no need for that now. The Young Master doesn't want anyone disturbing him."
The sunken-eyed leader sneered and waved his hand. The Hunters in the room squeezed their triggers without hesitation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
When the gunfire faded, the attic floor was slowly stained red by hot blood. The leader glanced disdainfully at the corpses.
A pack of fools. Did they really think their plan was flawless and unknown? Little did they know that their every move had been under the surveillance of the Hunters.
★ ★ ★
Meanwhile, Amatori Biba removed all his weapons and changed into clean, tidy clothes. He was accompanied by a blonde girl with a ponytail who appeared to be under twenty.
Horobi was Biba's confidant and, besides Mumei, one of only two Kabaneri within the Hunters. Guided by Ayame Yomogawa, the two arrived at the courtyard gate.
Ayame stopped there and turned to Biba. "Lady Mika only agreed to see you alone."
After speaking, she cast a subtle glance at Horobi. Beside her, Kurusu Konochi and Araka Kibito shielded Ayame, watching the pair with wary eyes.
Horobi's brow furrowed, clearly dissatisfied with their attitude. Biba, however, smiled dismissively and turned to her. "Horobi, please wait for me here for a moment."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Horobi suppressed her irritation and lowered her head in obedience. Under their watchful gaze, Biba stepped into the courtyard. He crossed a wooden bridge over a stream and passed through a small bamboo grove before arriving in front of a gazebo.
Biba halted, his eyes instinctively drawn to the pink-haired girl ahead. Although he prepared himself mentally, he was still stunned by her beauty. But he quickly regained his composure, his inner caution spiking.
He knew very well that this girl—beautiful beyond belief—was dangerous. The kind of danger that could take a life in a heartbeat if one wasn't careful. Without absolute strength or status, such a beautiful woman would have long ago become someone's plaything, nor would she dare face him alone.
Inside the gazebo, Mika sat quietly reading a book. Sensing his arrival, she picked up a bamboo leaf from her side and tucked it into the pages as a bookmark.
Closing the book, Mika looked up at Biba and made an inviting gesture. "Please, sit."
Biba nodded slightly and sat across from her. Smelling the faint fragrance in the air, he felt his body instinctively tense up. He could hardly remember the last time he felt this nervous. Perhaps only when facing Misono Mika could he rediscover that old feeling from years ago.
"I didn't intend to see you at first, because I don't like people like you. In fact, I find you detestable."
'Here it comes!'
Biba's heart tightened. He didn't rush to interrupt, instead pricking up his ears to listen to the rest.
Mika spoke slowly. "Whether I leave you be or crush a villain like you who is ready to show his true colors, there is no real benefit for the ordinary people living under the Shogunate's rule."
If left alone, Biba would destroy station after station in the name of liberation, causing thousands of innocent deaths. If she simply snuffed out the threat, the conservative faction in the Shogunate—led by the Shogun—would continue to let the Kabane run rampant for the sake of their own power.
Because controlling the railways was equivalent to holding power. Internal conflicts could be diverted toward the Kabane to consolidate their rule. If the Kabane threat vanished, their status would be destabilized. Thus, after the annihilation of the 400,000-man army years ago, the pro-war faction suffered a frantic purge by the conservatives.
In the end, not a single member of the pro-war faction met a good end. That was what happened when people touched a cake they weren't supposed to touch.
"You deliberately refrained from acting against me immediately because you feel that, currently, I still have utility value to you, correct?" Biba asked, his expression unchanged.
Mika nodded slightly. "Exactly. That's why I changed my mind and agreed to meet. Let's make a deal, Amatori Biba."
"I am going to offer you a price—a price you cannot refuse: the life of the Shogun!"
"I will assist you in fulfilling your long-held wish, allowing you to personally execute the Shogun—your father. In exchange, afterward, you and the extremists like you within the Hunters must disappear from this world forever."
"What do you think?"
In that moment, Biba felt as if his heart had been struck by lightning—both stinging and exhilarating. A morbid smile suddenly broke across his face. He agreed without the slightest hesitation, spitting out two short words:
"Deal!"