[Clank, clank, clank]
"Army?!"
Dr. Zhuang Wei and the others listened to the unmistakably familiar sound of a train, staring in shock as the black train Yukina had called the "Yatsushiro Castle" slowly approached.
"You actually have your own military forces!"
Yomogawa Ayame looked sternly at Marta and asked, "Which region's faction do you belong to? And the 'Yatsushiro Castle' should be the exclusive train of Yatsushiro Station—why is it in the hands of your Army?"
"Of course we seized it. Isn't that obvious?" Marta gave her a puzzled look before spreading her hands helplessly. "Don't ask so many questions for now. You'll understand everything in a few days. Until then, just listen and observe."
"Seized?"
"You're planning to rebel against the Shogunate!" Dr. Zhuang Wei exclaimed in astonishment.
"Hmph."
Marta sneered, too disdainful to bother responding. She thought to herself, "What does the Shogunate even amount to? Worth rebelling against the World Government? In a few days, your precious Shogunate might not even exist anymore."
[Hisssss—]
With a loud release of steam, the "Yatsushiro Castle" came to a stop beside the "Steel Fortress."
The next moment, the iron doors of each carriage were pushed open.
Out poured a flood of Army soldiers clad in black uniforms and armed with automatic rifles.
"Move, move, move!"
"Form ranks!"
"Advance!"
In the blink of an eye, the platform was filled with rapidly assembling troops.
Under the command of officers dressed in suits and draped in black Justice Coats, they marched in long columns, their synchronized footsteps echoing through the station.
Throughout the entire process, no one paid the slightest attention to Marta and her group.
"This... this is your Army?"
Dr. Zhuang Wei was utterly dumbfounded. Even Kurusu, a seasoned Warrior, was stunned.
When had they ever seen such a disciplined, well-equipped modern military force?
They had thought the Hunter Group's soldiers were the most elite troops around.
But compared to these so-called Army soldiers, the Hunter Group could hardly be considered a proper military force—let alone the garrison troops stationed at the various "Stations."
[Whoooosh—]
Suddenly, just five or six meters ahead of them, a black figure materialized within a swirling vortex of yellow sand, leaving Yomogawa Ayame, Yukina, and the others gaping in disbelief.
The man's attire was no different from the passing officers—a black coat emblazoned with the word "Justice" on the back—except for the yellow suit he wore beneath it.
But what truly stood out was his dramatic entrance and his towering height, easily reaching two and a half meters.
"Vice Admiral Crocodile."
Marta took a respectful step forward and greeted him softly.
Though they belonged to different departments with no direct chain of command, his strength alone commanded her respect.
"Hm."
Crocodile acknowledged her with a grunt before sweeping his gaze over Dr. Zhuang Wei and the others.
"These are the high-priority targets Addison mentioned?"
"Are they all here?"
"Amatori Biba and four others haven't arrived yet, but they should be here soon," Marta replied quietly.
"Then tell them to hurry up. The men we brought from Yatsushiro Station will operate the 'Steel Fortress.' You'll board it and return ahead of us."
Having issued his orders, Crocodile paid them no further attention.
He took a cigar from his pocket, clamped it between his teeth, and casually lit it with a lighter.
Exhaling a puff of smoke, it once again dissipated into the wind and sand, vanishing without a trace.
Yomogawa Ayame murmured to herself, "So he's the 'God of Sand' that the people of Yatsushiro Station spoke of... Could he truly be a deity descended to earth?"
Her worldview, along with Yukina and Kurusu's, was crumbling. The sheer number of consecutive shocks had left their nerves somewhat numb.
In contrast, Dr. Shoei showed no inclination to think of him as a deity. Instead, he stared at Marta with excitement.
"What—what was that? How did you give him that ability? Is it some new kind of biochemical virus? My god, that's practically a miracle!"
In his eyes, all supernatural abilities stemmed from artificial technology.
"You can ask Dr. Fritz about it when we reach the base. I'm sure he'd be happy to introduce you to our world, but I have no interest in explaining."
"Let's go. You heard what was said earlier—get on the train!"
Marta swayed her slender waist and shapely hips indifferently, strutting with a graceful catwalk toward one of the Steel Fortress's carriages.
Outside the station.
"What are they..."
Team Leader Ron, who was leading Amatori Biba, Ikoma, and Mumei toward the station, watched as the large force rushed out, their faces lighting up with joy.
"Has the Army arrived already?"
Mumei had regained consciousness by now, expressionlessly trailing behind Ikoma.
After being disciplined once, she no longer dared to act recklessly, though her eyes darted around restlessly.
But whether it was her or Amatori Biba, both were stunned as they watched the Army troops march past them.
Judging by their direction, they seemed to be heading into the city.
"Judging by their movements, are they planning to clear out the Kabane behind us?"
Amatori Biba, now composed, asked with a friendly smile.
"Of course. Every Kabane is a valuable resource—we can't just leave them be," Team Leader Ron replied matter-of-factly.
"But you're ruthless, kid. Just to get revenge on your father, you ended up killing so many civilians."
Amatori Biba's expression darkened. "You know about my past?"
"More or less."
A male CP9 member chuckled in response. "But we can't let you destroy the Diamond Citadel. As for whether Amatori Kokyo can be handed over to you, that'll depend on the higher-ups. You can plead your case then."
"I see. So it's because of the Diamond Citadel that you intervened?"
"No, not just that. You yourself hold considerable value, kid. Have some confidence—you're quite the talent!"
As they walked toward the station, chatting and laughing, the sound of gunfire—distinct from the familiar thumps of Steam Rifles—began echoing behind them.
Compared to the muffled reports of Steam Rifles, the crack of automatic gunfire was far louder, and the rapid rate of fire made the shots dense and relentless.
This piqued the interest of Amatori Biba, who had always been fascinated by military affairs.
But clearly, Team Leader Ron and the others wouldn't allow him to investigate.
"Aaaah, no!"
"Run, run for your lives!"
"Survive, my son—you must survive!"
The heart of Iwahato Station had already turned into a living hell, with Kabane running rampant everywhere, chasing and biting people who were desperately fleeing or resisting with Steam Rifles.
"Mother!!"
A boy who looked barely ten years old watched with tears streaming down his face as his young mother charged toward several blood-drenched Kabane with nothing but a stick—a suicidal assault.
With the station's defense forces completely collapsed and even suffering mass slaughter by the Hunter Group, how could a young child possibly escape this nightmare?
The mother knew this all too well. She simply believed that even one extra second—just a few more minutes of life for her son—would be worth it.
[Whoooooosh——————]
Just as the boy was about to witness his mother being devoured alive by the Kabane, a massive sandstorm erupted in the surrounding air, covering an area of several hundred meters in radius.
Countless yellow-brown sand grains formed a rapidly spinning wall around all the survivors, flinging back every Kabane that lunged forward.
"Hah—hah—hah—hah—"
The next moment, a long, breathless laugh echoed throughout Iwahato Station, momentarily drowning out the Kabane's shrieks and the people's desperate screams.
Somehow, this became the sound of hope for those still struggling to survive in this hellscape.