Kabane World.
The pitch-black Armored Train, 'Steel Fortress,' was undergoing its routine evening maintenance. Passengers and soldiers began disembarking, moving freely within a designated area.
In three hours, they would continue their journey toward 'Iwahato Station,' the final gateway to the 'Diamond Citadel.'
"So, any new orders from above?"
Inside the train, Marta remained onboard. When she saw Laskey return from outside and sit beside her, she nestled her soft figure—clad in a pale yellow kimono—against him, like a couple still in the throes of passion.
The sight made some of the women nearby blush and turn away, quickly leaving the rear carriage to give the two some privacy.
This was exactly the outcome Marta had intended.
Through her interactions with the locals, she had realized how conservative their mindset was—even slightly risqué jokes could make them flush, regardless of gender.
In their perception—or rather, in the rumors they'd heard—people from the Europa Continent were far more open and passionate in temperament. Coincidentally, most were also described as having hooked noses, blue eyes, and various shades of blond or light-colored hair.
Thus, their current behavior only reinforced the Land of the Rising Sun's impression of them.
"We're to stop Amatori Biba from destroying the Diamond Citadel."
"When do we move?" Marta asked eagerly, but Laskey shot her a deadpan look and whispered, "With just the two of us, how many targets can we realistically control?"
"Well..."
"Let's wait. We'll act once we regroup with the others at Iwahato Station. For now, we just need to stay with them."
Marta looked disappointed but didn't argue further. Waiting another day was nothing—she had the patience for it.
She wasn't wrong.
As the 'Steel Fortress' set off again, the night passed in the blink of an eye. The sound of the train's whistle signaled their imminent arrival outside Iwahato Station.
Excitement bubbled among the passengers of the 'Iron Fortress,' and the atmosphere in each carriage grew livelier. Laskey and Marta exchanged a silent glance.
It was time.
They knew the World Government was finally ready to make its move. From this moment on, there was no need to hide their identities any longer!
"Attention, everyone. Iwahato Station has denied entry to the Hunter Group's 'Steel Fortress.' As such, we will disembark here and proceed on foot into the station. Please prepare yourselves and exit in an orderly fashion."
The pleasant voice of Yomogawa Ayame echoed through the communication pipes, but the news left the passengers of the 'Iron Fortress' baffled.
"Why? Why won't they let the Liberators in?"
"That's right! How can they treat Lord Biba this way?"
Though complaints filled the air, everyone obediently lined up to disembark when the time came. No one was willing to stay outside the station with the Hunter Group just because they were being treated unfairly—they were all talk and no action.
"What now?" Marta sensed something amiss.
"Disembark, but don't enter the station. Our primary and secondary targets are both in the Hunter Group. We'll wait for the other teams to arrive!"
When most of the people in the carriage had left, Laskey pulled off his loose kimono and tossed it aside, revealing the black suit and white shirt underneath. He then took out a pair of dark red sunglasses from his pocket and put them on.
Seeing this, Marta casually removed her kimono as well. In an instant, the two had returned to their elite CP9 appearances before swiftly exiting through the rear of the train.
Meanwhile.
Inside the front section of the 'Steel Fortress,' Amatori Biba and the executives of the Hunter Group had gathered, including the little girl in red named 'Mumei.'
This was strange—she had previously been traveling with Yomogawa Ayame and the others aboard the 'Iron Fortress.'
"They say the latest orders from the Diamond Citadel have arrived. The Hunter Group is not to be allowed passage through here," said Sahari, a man with short tea-green hair and the top-ranked executive of the Hunter Group. Skilled in marksmanship, he preferred wearing night-vision goggles but was also proficient with a blade.
"What an unreasonable demand," Mumei grumbled, frowning.
"It's clear the General fears Lord Biba!" Sahari declared, looking at Amatori Biba. "And the Iwahato Gate is the last fortress standing between us and the Diamond Citadel."
"So it won't be easy to get through, huh~" Kurusu, one of the executives, teased.
Standing around 170 cm tall with medium-length aqua-blue hair, Kurusu had a distinctly ninja-like style. His weapons were a pair of short swords crossed on his back, and among the Hunter Group, he was the strongest ordinary human.
"Precisely why we've made so many preparations, no?" Amatori Biba replied with an unconcerned smile. "I just didn't expect to use them here first."
Elsewhere, hidden in the wilderness, Laskey and Marta kept their eyes fixed on the 'Steel Fortress' not far from them.
"If Amatori Biba's goal is to destroy the Diamond Citadel to take revenge on his father, the General, and now he's stuck here—what do you think he'll do next?"
Marta pondered the question before guessing, "If this really is the only route, then unless the Hunter Group abandons their train and goes around Iwahato Station on foot, there's only one option left—"
"Forced breakthrough!"
Laskey nodded in agreement but hesitated over whether to intervene now. Acting prematurely carried too much risk, especially with insufficient manpower and too many targets.
"Let's wait a little longer. The other teams should arrive soon—definitely by this afternoon at the latest!"
The Hunter Group would likely act cautiously as well, since making a move now would mean openly declaring war on the Diamond Citadel.
Moreover, the gates of Iwahato Station truly lived up to their reputation as the Shogunate capital's gateway. Whether in terms of height, the number of guards stationed atop them, or the sheer quantity of Garrison Cannons, they far surpassed those of Shitori Station.
From Laskey's perspective, even if Amatori Biba had hundreds of Kabane imprisoned in the train cars, breaching the gates wouldn't be easy.
Weighing caution above all else, he decided to wait and observe further.
"Look, Amatori Biba's coming out!" Marta's voice snapped Laskey out of his thoughts, and he quickly looked up.
As expected, Amatori Biba, accompanied by the short-haired blonde woman and the little girl in red behind him, rode on a tall horse toward the open gates of Iwahato Station under the guard of four armed cavalrymen. However, the latter two shared a single horse, likely because Mumei was still too young.
The other officers and soldiers of the Hunter Group, however, remained stationed around the 'Steel Fortress.'
"It seems the administrator of Iwahato Station has invited him in for talks. Is there a chance they might negotiate passage?" Marta whispered.
"But for us, the longer this drags on, the better. If the Hunter Group is allowed to pass through immediately, we'll have to find a way to stop them."
For Laskey, the best outcome would be for both the group led by Ayame from the 'Iron Fortress' and the Hunter Group from the 'Steel Fortress' to remain peacefully within Iwahato Station.
Once all the CP9 agents arrived, they could apprehend them directly and use this place as a foothold for the World Government's subsequent negotiations with the Shogunate at Diamond Citadel.
"Climb into the city and follow Amatori Biba. Though all three of them are Kabaneri, their combat capabilities don't seem strong enough to take on a large force. Keep an eye on him—don't let him die!"
"Got it!"
Marta nodded and instantly vanished into a blur of speed as she dashed away. She needed to find a less conspicuous section of the wall to slip inside unnoticed.