[FGO]: 145

"What do you want to do, Kenshou Yomogawa?!"

Amidst the terror in his heart, Amatori Biba suppressed his emotions and shouted at Ryou, showing no signs of fear.

Ryou didn't respond.

Suddenly, everyone saw the flying figure blur before appearing directly before Amatori Biba. Ryou grabbed his neck with one hand and lifted him into the air.

Slash!

Without wasting a word, he summoned a katana and stabbed Amatori Biba in the heart.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Amatori Biba's eyes widened in shock. His ambition to dominate all of Japan had only just begun—and now it was over?

Disbelief, confusion, unwillingness, regret, resentment, and despair flashed in his eyes.

But with his heart—the weak point of a Kabaneri—pierced by the katana, all the vitality in his body, along with his ambition, drained away instantly.

"Kenshou Yomogawa!!!"

With a final shout, filled with endless hatred, Amatori Biba, who had ascended to the position of Shogun less than a minute ago, died on the spot.

He might be the shortest-reigning ruler in the history of Japan—no, perhaps even in world history.

Below the high platform, the nobles and dignitaries trembled in fear.

When they saw the golden glow, identical to a Kabane's heart, revealed through the tear in Amatori Biba's clothing, the crowd erupted in panic.

A smile appeared on Ryou's lips. He recalled a classic scene from the original story, and his desire to perform flared up like gasoline ignited by a spark.

"I know the truth. He wasn't the only one; many more Kabane are hidden among you. They are constantly watching, waiting for you to slip up so they can bite your throats and turn you into one of them."

"Open your eyes wide! From now on, everyone around you is a potential threat. Don't let anyone out of your sight because they might be sneaking up behind you!"

To intensify the effect, Ryou quietly added primordial runes to himself, making his voice echo throughout the hall, and creating an eerie atmosphere.

After all, except for the few who were in the know, most of the nobles and officials couldn't distinguish between Kabane and Kabaneri.

When people think they are in a place of absolute safety, but suddenly realize danger is lurking right beside them, how will they react?

"Kabane!"

"It's a Kabane!"

"Why are there Kabane inside Kongoukaku?!"

"Guards! Guards!"

Panic spreads like a virus.

Everyone in the hall began to eye each other warily.

Many had already begun to quietly unsheathe their swords.

Fear of Ryou had already put them in a state of extreme tension, and now, with the revelation of a Kabane disguised as a human, they were like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

In this tense atmosphere, an accident was bound to happen.

A noble in a brown samurai outfit accidentally bumped his sword's scabbard against another noble dressed in purple.

The noble in purple immediately began cursing.

"Bastard! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What did you say, you bastard?!"

If they had been calm, the brown-clad noble would have quickly bowed and apologized.

But in such a tense and oppressive atmosphere, tempers flared, and irritability transformed into outright aggression.

"You must be a Kabane! You're trying to ambush me! You've finally shown your true colors, bastard!"

"I think you're the disgusting corpse! Show your true form already!"

Almost simultaneously, both men drew their katanas and faced off.

Clang!

At that moment, something unknown dropped to the ground with a crisp sound.

As if triggered by the sound, the two men slashed at each other furiously.

Their wide-eyed glares and clenched teeth made it seem like they had some irreconcilable blood feud.

Both men aimed their swords mercilessly at each other's vital points.

People nearby immediately scattered, and the chaos began to spread.

When someone was accidentally injured and couldn't dodge in time, they drew their sword and joined the fight.

Blood splashed through the air.

The sight of blood acted as a powerful catalyst, igniting the beastly instincts deep within their hearts.

The battle continued to spread, eventually enveloping the entire hall.

...

Five minutes later.

Ryou hovered in the air, watching the frenzied crowd below with a leisurely smile on his face.

Amatori Biba was dead, and the nobles and officials were slaughtering each other, forging blood feuds.

It seemed there would be no unified force rising in southern Japan anytime soon.

Ryou's gaze swept across the hall.

He was looking for someone.

His father-in-law, Makino Masamune—the one who had helped Sakura set him up.

"Of course, he escaped, that old fox."

As he had expected, his father-in-law had likely slipped away the moment he appeared.

Glancing down at the chaos below, he saw that not only had the fighting continued, but it had become even more brutal. The people in the hall were fighting with bloodshot eyes, attacking anyone in their line of sight.

There was no need to look further; these people were finished. The upper echelons of power in Kongoukaku were finished, and the entirety of Kongoukaku was finished.

Having resolved his lingering grudge and thoroughly disrupted the enemy's political landscape, he spread his wings of light and shot off like an arrow.

...

In the northwest corner of Kongoukaku, at the Makino residence...

Makino Masamune sat in the most formal posture, eyes closed, facing the courtyard as if in deep thought.

In front of him lay two swords: one long, one short.

Plop!

Water filled a bamboo tube, causing it to tip over with a crisp sound.

At that moment, a figure silently appeared in the courtyard.

"You've come."

Makino Masamune slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the visitor with a complicated expression.

Years ago, this man had been his son-in-law. But now, Makino could no longer see through him at all.

Because he couldn't understand him, he had made a fatal miscalculation.

"I'm curious, father-in-law, why didn't you run away?"

Ryou looked at Makino Masamune inquisitively, sizing him up.

"Against someone like you, would running away make any difference?"

The answer was obvious.

"Since I'm here, you must have already made up your mind, father-in-law. I suppose it's time for you to go."

As he spoke, Ryou drew his katana.

"Aren't you curious why I betrayed you?"

Makino Masamune's eyes showed a hint of surprise. He realized he could no longer understand his son-in-law at all.

But Ryou scoffed.

"Does it matter? Whatever the reason, all I know is that you betrayed me. Everyone has choices, but they must also bear the consequences of those choices. That's all there is to it."

Makino Masamune let out a long sigh. The dusk-like weariness on his face deepened, making it impossible to tell that he was once the most powerful elder, second only to one man, ruling over tens of thousands.

Now, he was merely an old man nearing the end of his life.

"You're right. I admit, I underestimated you. The time has come for me to pay the price."

Ryou's expression remained unmoved.

When he eventually unified the entire world of Kabaneri, the Makino family had a chance to become a world-class superfamily due to their relationship with him.

Unfortunately, Makino Masamune chose the path of betrayal, siding against him.

He chose his path, and now he had to pay the price for his mistake.

A simple and brutal truth.

Ryou had no sympathy for him.

"We've delayed long enough," Ryou said as he walked toward Makino Masamune.

"Wait!"

To his surprise, Makino Masamune raised a hand to stop him.

He glanced at the two swords in front of Makino Masamune and seemed to understand. He stopped in his tracks.

"I am, after all, still a samurai. There's no need for you to lift a hand. Let me do it myself."

Makino Masamune picked up the short blade in front of him and slowly unsheathed it. Then, he tore open the front of his samurai robe.

Ryou couldn't understand this so-called samurai romance, but he didn't mind letting his father-in-law die with some dignity.

"I'll serve as your kaishakunin."

He stepped behind Makino Masamune, standing still with his katana raised, aimed at Masamune's neck.

"Please. And one more thing: I leave Ayame in your care."

Before he finished speaking, Makino Masamune stabbed the short blade into his abdomen, dragging it to form a cross-shaped wound.

"She is my daughter, and she will become the most noble princess in this world."

Hearing Ryou's promise, Makino Masamune forced a grim smile through the excruciating pain.

Slash!

Without hesitation, Ryou swung his katana. The blade flashed, and Makino Masamune's head fell to the ground, blood spurting like a fountain from his neck, painting a crimson flower on the pristine tatami mat.

"I respect you as a true man of honor."

Ryou's face was solemn as he traced his fingers through the air. Magic surged, and flames appeared out of thin air, swiftly engulfing the entire room.

He turned and walked away, his back to the burning mansion, and then shot up into the sky.

...

Three days later, in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

In the imperial palace, the current emperor was enjoying himself with his wives and concubines when Ryou appeared and snapped his neck in front of everyone.

Thus, The two great powers of Japan fell into chaos, bereft of leadership..

In response, Ryou immediately ordered a massive fleet to be recalled from Southeast Asia and appointed Shinjirou Konochi as commander-in-chief. The forces split into two—one heading south and the other north.

In most cases, splitting forces is unwise—it weakens your strength and allows the enemy to defeat you piecemeal. Additionally, attacking on two fronts increases the strain on logistics.

But Ryou had a secret weapon—steam tanks.

The invention of the McRucky Engine had caused productivity to far exceed that of the original Earth during the same period. As a result, the world war that might have been triggered by economic collapse never occurred.

Someone once said, "War is the ladder of human progress."

Ryou completely agree with this statement. Humans always seem to possess a strange creativity and imagination when it comes to killing their fellow man.

Though world wars bring untold suffering, the rapid advancement of technology is undeniable.

In the world of Kabaneri, which hadn't experienced such wars, military technology lagged behind Earth's, despite the existence of the McRucky Engine as a form of advanced technology.

Thus, many classic weapons had yet to be invented, such as tanks and airplanes.

The McRucky Engine had been around for a while, and its miniaturization was fully achievable.

So, Ryou boldly ordered his research department to develop vehicles powered by the miniaturized McRucky Engine.

The result was the steam tank.

Thanks to the McRucky Engine, the steam tank far surpassed the original tank models invented during World War I in terms of endurance, horsepower, speed, armor, and firepower.

Its only shortcoming was in artillery capabilities.

But it was more than sufficient to crush the native forces, who had never seen anything like it.

Moreover, with the tanks providing cover, the threat posed by Kabane hordes was greatly reduced.

Even the smallest artillery blast was far more powerful than a steam rifle. The shockwaves alone could shatter the Kabane's steel-plated hearts.

Immortal monsters held no meaning in the face of great technological power.

As for Ryou himself, he naturally boarded the Yamato and set sail for the British Isles.

If it weren't for the great enemy, Princess Sakura, Ryou would have fully enjoyed a real-time strategy game come to life.

Unfortunately, with such a formidable enemy looming, he couldn't afford to be distracted.

After delivering a rousing speech on the front lines to boost the morale of his troops, he immediately delegated power to Shinjirou and summoned Jeanne and Ais.

By then, Yamato, who had been called back by Ryou's telepathic message, had already returned to her home port aboard her ship.

"Let's go."

Ryou led the way toward the dock.

To avoid drawing attention, he chose to depart at midnight.

Jeanne, Ais, and Yamato followed closely behind.

At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from upstairs.

Anastasia, dressed only in a white silk nightgown, ran out of the bedroom.

"Wait, please wait!"

She called out as she ran.

Ryou sighed and stopped in his tracks.

Clutching her ever-present faceless doll, Anastasia ran up to him.

Before she could speak, she began coughing from the sudden exertion.

Unable to stand by and watch, Jeanne quickly stepped forward and gently patted her back to help her breathe more easily.

After a while, Anastasia finally caught her breath.

"Thank you, Lady Jeanne."

She first thanked Jeanne, then looked at Ryou with the expression of a puppy abandoned by its owner.

"Ryou-sama, please take me with you this time! I'm no longer the useless burden I used to be!"

"Ana..."

Jeanne was just about to persuade her when Ryou raised his hand to stop her.

He slowly walked up to Anastasia, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I appreciate your intentions. But I'm sorry, Ana, we can't take you with us this time."

"Why?!"

Anastasia's expression immediately turned frantic.

"Because this battle is extremely dangerous. Even we aren't certain we'll make it back safely. And you... Ana, forgive me for being blunt, but even though you've learned to control ice now, you still lack real combat experience."