"Do you care about him that much?"
Inside the prison cell, Amatori Biba watched Mumei pacing anxiously in her beautiful red dress, experiencing a subtle shift in his emotions.
This nominal younger sister of his used to reserve all her admiration and concern solely for him—though he'd never paid it much mind, as such gazes were commonplace around him.
Yet now, inexplicably, he felt a twinge of loss.
It was like watching a little sister he'd raised suddenly grow fond of a boy, no longer clinging to him as before.
"Ikoma might be a big idiot—weak but always putting on a brave front—but he's truly special. He even promised to turn me back into a human, to let me eat my fill of rice every day..."
Mumei stopped pacing and leaned against the cold wall, staring at her shoes as she spoke softly.
"Brother, you lied to me. At first, I was furious, but after thinking it over... aside from your true motives for going to the Diamond Citadel, everything else you told me was the truth."
"What you said—that only the strong survive—I still believe that's right. Even if Ikoma refuses to accept it, that's just his naivety."
"Becoming a Kabaneri was my own choice. In the end, I'm grateful for your upbringing, but from now on..."
"I don't want to be 'Mumei' anymore. I want my original name back—'Hozumi'!"
In the dark cell, the little girl poured out her heart, though her lowered head betrayed less confidence than her words.
After all, her brother's authority still loomed large in her heart.
"Is that so? That's good."
"Brother...?"
Mumei looked up in surprise at Amatori Biba's smiling face. His reaction wasn't as angry as she'd imagined.
"The name 'Hozumi' carries hopeful expectations for the future, but for who you were back then, it was too soft. That's why I gave you 'Mumei.' Now, though—whether in strength or spirit—you've grown tough enough to deserve hope."
Amatori Biba gazed gently at the petite girl in red before him.
Even steel-hearted men weren't entirely unfeeling. After years of hearing her call him "brother," she'd become more than just a tool to him.
Though, if push came to shove, he'd likely still sacrifice her without hesitation.
A decade of vengeance had forged his heart into iron—Mumei was merely the faint warmth of sunlight upon that metal.
"If you're no longer 'Mumei,' will you still call me brother?"
Mumei—no, Hozumi now—froze for several seconds before breaking into a radiant smile. Standing straight, she clasped her hands behind her back.
"Of course! You'll always be my brother!"
"I see..."
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps approached from outside. Hozumi whirled around while Amatori Biba lifted his head, his tender expression reverting to neutrality.
"Ikoma!"
Hozumi's face lit up as Ikoma stepped through the cell door held open by a black-clad guard. But her joy faded when he wordlessly slumped into a corner, his face stormy.
"What's wrong?"
Just as Hozumi was about to walk over to ask, the black-clad man didn't immediately close the cell door. Instead, he said, "Amatori Biba, come out."
"So it's finally my turn." Amatori Biba wasn't surprised; in fact, he had been waiting for this moment.
Hozumi gritted her teeth and asked, "Where are you taking my brother?!"
"To the same place that boy just went."
While the black-clad man spoke, Amatori Biba had already stepped out of the cell. Soon, the two disappeared from Hozumi's sight, one after the other.
This forced her to shift her attention back to Ikoma. She hurried over and crouched down, asking nervously, "What's wrong? Did they hurt you?"
"They... wanted me to kill someone. They wanted me to use my invention to kill. Only then would they agree to help us become human again."
Ikoma lifted his head, looking at the girl's delicate face, his eyes filled with torment as he asked in a pained whisper, "Mumei, what should I do?"
Hozumi crouched there, unsure of what to say. She knew all too well how difficult it was for the boy before her to accept the idea of killing.
The girl cupped his face and flashed an adorable smile with dimples.
"Who do they want you to kill? I'll do it for you!"
[Knock knock knock]
The office door of the base commander was knocked on again. Senior Manager Addison leaned back in his chair and casually said, "Come in." The handsome figure of Amatori Biba slowly entered the room.
"Please have a seat, Leader of the Hunter Group."
"I imagine the identity of the General's son holds greater value for you, doesn't it?" Amatori Biba sat in the same chair Ikoma had occupied earlier, calmly meeting the other man's gaze.
"No."
Senior Manager Addison shook his head. "So far, the Hunter Group has brought us far more value. As for the General's son... a title that will soon no longer exist—what use is that?"
"You underestimate yourself, and you underestimate the World Government!"
"Are you planning to overthrow the Shogunate?" Amatori Biba was genuinely surprised by this.
"Not exactly. The Shogunate will remain the Shogunate—only the ruler will be replaced." Having said this, Senior Manager Addison picked up his cup and took a sip of coffee, the rich aroma filling the air.
"Why?"
"Amatori Kokyo is a man with a tough exterior but a weak heart. You must already know he's an extreme conservative. As long as his rule continues, he'll obediently follow all your orders."
After hearing Amatori Biba's words, Senior Manager Addison smiled, set down his coffee cup, and said, "Perhaps. But the higher-ups still prefer the comfort of a new face."
"This isn't the best choice. The Amatori family has ruled the Shogunate for over two hundred years. Doing this will surely provoke rebellion from regional governors." Amatori Biba's expression remained impassive.
"Oh? I thought you'd be delighted to see Amatori Kokyo fall from grace. Does father-son affection still run deep?"
"No. I'm merely speaking from a practical standpoint."
"My original goal was to first destroy Diamond Citadel, then continue by annihilating those who participated in the deaths of four hundred thousand soldiers ten years ago—likely requiring the destruction of eighty percent of the 'Stations.' Your organization aims to rule the Land of the Rising Sun, correct? Then there's no need to make enemies of everyone."
Amatori Biba casually stated the most terrifying things in an extremely understated manner. But if he were to succeed, one could only imagine how many would perish under the flames of war and the Kabane.
Senior Manager Addison also witnessed the young man's ruthlessness and cold-blooded nature, gaining some understanding of why the higher-ups admired him.
"Haha, you know, for humans, whether they eat the chicken in front of them or switch to the one beside them depends solely on their mood and whether they feel like moving their hand a little more."
He then pulled out a document detailing the basic structure of the World Government from his drawer and placed it before Amatori Biba.
"Take a look. Once you grasp the meaning behind the words 'World Government,' you'll realize just how narrow your perspective and ambition are. You're putting far too much weight on the Shogunate!"