The Blade of Unmatched Power

"Just let me touch it one more time! Just once, is that okay?" Lazy Kurumi pleaded.

She pitifully raised her wrist to show a supposed injury... only to find that her wrist was now smooth and unblemished, with no trace of a wound.

"Just let me touch it," she insisted, her gaze locked on Mumei, who was nestled in the main Kurumi's arms. "I promise, next time we all decide to revolt and plan to do 'this and that' to you, I'll give you a heads-up."

Kurumi's face twitched. Oh, you dare mention that?

"Get back in there!"

"Uuugh, you cruel oppressor... You deserve to be strung up and—" Lazy Kurumi's complaint was cut off as countless delicate, elongated arms dragged her back into the shadows.

But just as she was being pulled under, her body briefly glowed with a faint light, and she wriggled free from the grip, leaning forward to poke Mumei's cheek.

Soft, warm, and smooth.

"Myaa... so cute..." Lazy Kurumi murmured in contentment.

"You—! Don't go making that face while using my body!" Kurumi growled, stretching and pulling on Lazy Kurumi's cheeks.

"B-b-but... w-we're the...same..." she managed to rasp out as she was hauled back into the shadows by her exasperated main self, unwilling to leave even as her complaints echoed from the darkness.

An adorable little kitten should belong to all Kurumis, after all!

Finally, Kurumi had had enough. She pinned Lazy Kurumi's head and shoved her back into the shadows with a heavy sigh.

After all, who hasn't had a 'chuunibyou' phase? Or felt a little lazy? It's just that Kurumi's darker history might be... slightly more extensive...

Mumei, half-dazed, looked on with drooping eyes. Had she really just seen... two Kurumi-nees?

The night was unusually calm. There was no chaos, no disturbances—and not even a single Kabane attack.

Everyone took turns to enjoy a peaceful sleep. Even Yukina, the only driver on board, was able to get some well-earned rest with Suzuki-san taking over for the night.

It was so serene that it was almost unbelievable. The kind of silence that precedes a storm.

During the daytime, the scenery of Hinomoto was breathtakingly beautiful. Other than the continuous railway line, there was almost no sign of human activity.

The lake beside them was clear as a mirror, reflecting the bright blue sky above.

But the world was so still, it gave off a sense of emptiness.

Through the binoculars, they could already see their destination in the distance—[Haruhiko Station], nestled between a series of connected lakes.

They expected to reach it by dusk, and this brought a collective sigh of relief.

Driving through the night was always a gamble.

Yet, as they approached Haruhiko Station, an ominous feeling grew heavier.

A storm was coming.

Haruhiko Station never responded to the Koutetsujou's signals.

Through the binoculars, the station could now be clearly seen, half of its wall collapsed and the drawbridge completely lowered in an eerie silence.

Haruhiko Station had fallen.

"Ayame-sama! Ayame-sama!" A warrior rushed up to Ayame, visibly alarmed. "It's bad news... Haruhiko Station has already been overrun!"

"Then we'll go around it," Ayame decided quickly.

"But... but... the other two tracks are unusable. One's already sunk into the lake, and the other's been abandoned for years."

"We... have no choice but to push through."

The news of Haruhiko Station's fall cast a gloomy shadow over the people aboard the Koutetsujou.

Another stronghold had fallen.

The knowledge that they would have to fight their way through Haruhiko Station only deepened the sense of dread.

As dusk approached, they closed in on the fallen station.

Through the binoculars, the lord of the station, now a Kabane in resplendent robes, could be seen hanging from the ruined walls, struggling futilely.

The track ahead seemed passable, with the drawbridge lowered and aligned. The warrior locked the windows firmly after taking one last look.

The Koutetsujou braced itself for the upcoming clash.

Woo—woo—

The piercing steam whistle shattered the evening silence as the Koutetsujou roared forward, its heavy machinery breaking the eerie calm of Haruhiko Station.

Yukina, who was temporarily handling the driving, yanked on the lever, only to find the connecting rod jammed, blocked by a piece of purplish, rotting flesh.

"Something's wedged in there…"

"Ayame-sama! The Koutetsujou can't accelerate any further!"

"How could this happen?"

But there was no time to fix it. As soon as they crossed the outer wall, a barrage of heavy impacts shook the roof of the train.

Thud! Thud-thud!

The relentless pounding of bodies against steel echoed like rain on metal.

Even the sound alone hinted at the sheer number of Kabane that must have landed on top of the Koutetsujou.

Peering through the narrow shooting slots on either side of the train, the blazing dots of light scattered throughout Haruhiko Station came into view.

In the cars equipped with these shooting ports, the warriors stood at the center of the aisle, firing at the Kabane clinging to the train's exterior.

They were cautious, keeping a close watch to avoid any outstretched hands reaching through.

Inside the station, more Kabane stirred to life, lured by the Koutetsujou's engine, and began chasing the train with their distorted, lurching gaits.

Clang-clang

The sound of a shovel beating against an iron bucket echoed through the train.

Suzuki-san often used this trick to grab everyone's attention. As a knowledgeable refugee from Europe, his expertise was invaluable in Hinomoto.

"Captain!" he called out to Ayame.

"The emergency water tank can't support that many Kabane on the roof."

"If we don't do something, we might be forced to stop."

The Koutetsujou's exterior was now covered with Kabane. The sounds of their claws scraping and blades striking against the armored train echoed ominously.

Ayame looked at Mumei and Ikoma. At times like this, the Kabane hybrid "Kabaneri" were their best hope for breaking through.

"We..."

"I'll go." Before the two could even speak, Kurumi rolled down from her hammock, taking on the task.

The two were still a bit too frail for this kind of mission.

"Thank you, Tokisaki-san," Ayame said, bowing deeply. "I'll have the warriors provide support from the rear."

"No need…" Kurumi waved it off.

How am I supposed to go all out with an audience?

Kurumi stepped into her wooden sandals, gripped her gunblade tightly in her right hand, and climbed the stairs. With her left hand, she unlocked the side door.

As soon as she slid open the door, a Kabane standing nearby, holding twin blades and hunching forward, turned its head at the sound.

Perhaps sensing no blood scent from Kurumi, it didn't immediately attack. Instead, it hunched closer, bringing its face near to hers.

"Raaaahhhh!" it growled, twisting its head side to side.

BAM!

Kurumi quickly slammed the door shut, her hand over her chest as her heart pounded.

"Tokisaki-san?"

"Kurumi-nee?"

Everyone stared at her in bewilderment.

Kurumi awkwardly stood there, uncertain of what to say.

How could she admit that a Kabane had startled her?

Kurumi didn't look too happy.

In an uncharacteristic display of embarrassment, she cast a slightly irked glance around the room, clenching the gunblade in her hand.

With a sharp yank, she flung the side door open, where the Kabane that had startled her was still standing, frozen in place, its face slightly flattened from the impact of the door. Ignoring the disgust, she twisted around and lashed out with a powerful kick.

Her leg whipped through the air, creating a flash of white as her kick struck the Kabane's twin swords.

— Piercing Kick.

With a crunching sound, the swords shattered under the impact.

Kurumi lunged forward, slashing horizontally with her gunblade, cutting a crimson arc through the air.

'This bastard... even hunched over, it's taller than me and still dares to scare me!'

She followed the glowing red veins running through its body, slicing the Kabane cleanly in half. Its upper body slid off, spilling blood across the ground.

Bang!

Kurumi slammed the door shut.

In the Koutetsujou's control room, the girls exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

"What's this? Kurumi-san can be adorable sometimes, too!"

"But... is it really okay to let her go alone?"

Along the side walkway of the Koutetsujou, designed for boarding and shooting, Kurumi tilted her head back, calmly cutting her way through the enemy.

The Kabane almost ignored her, instead pounding and hammering at the Koutetsujou's armor.

The enticing scent of human blood wafting from the shooting and observation ports fueled their assault.

Rip!

One Kabane's body split apart as if it had been torn like fabric, and bright blue streaks of light erupted from its heart before its remains tumbled onto the metal walkway.

Kurumi's hearing was sharp. Catching the faint laughter from inside the cars, she stumbled briefly, her expression twitching.

"Damn it…"

"You lousy scumbags."

Kurumi leapt onto the roof of the car, kneeling before slowly raising her head.

The recent killing spree had left faint traces of blood on her, drawing the Kabane's attention as they turned, their blood-red eyes narrowing in crazed focus as they lunged toward her.

Wrapping the chain around her left hand, she gave the gunblade a slight tug.

Kurumi dashed into the throng of Kabane, swinging the chain widely and slicing in horizontal sweeps.

In three successive slashes, she cut down a large group of Kabane in front of her like shearing through a field of wheat.

— Chain Slash.

The Kabane were reduced to pieces that rolled to the sides, splattering the metal armor with crimson stains.

"Oh dear… I almost took the Koutetsujou apart with it."

Her wooden sandals squelched through the sticky blood as she looked towards the adjacent car.

"Hey, don't just stand there—I worked hard to repair this, you know."

Kurumi took small, careful steps towards the water tank car, avoiding any blood on the ground.

Then, a gust swept in from behind.

A massive Kabane, drawn by the stench of fresh blood and the scent of living humans, leapt down from the side scaffold.

Thud!

It landed heavily on top of the car, leaving a small dent in the thick roof armor. Blood splattered up, splashing onto Kurumi's lower leg.

Feeling the sudden chill against her skin, Kurumi glanced down at the glaring bloodstain on her calf, then turned her gaze back to the hulking Kabane behind her.

"I'm mad now."

The enormous Kabane slammed its fists down toward the small figure in front of it.

But Kurumi's gunblade was faster, slicing through the air.

In a single swipe, she severed its arms, then continued upward, splitting the Kabane clean in half.

The gunblade's sharpness was unmatched, beyond even blades reinforced with Kabane heart iron plating.

As the blood and entrails were about to spray out, Kurumi stomped down on the armor, propelling herself into the next car in an instant.

She landed lightly.

Behind her, the massive Kabane collapsed in two, its organs bursting outward.

Kurumi was relieved she dodged in time.

More Kabane were drawn by the scent of fresh blood, surging toward her.

She tilted her head up, catching a glimpse of a sky scattered with stars, a pale crescent moon hanging in the distance.

Ignoring the horde of dark-red creatures charging at her, it was almost a picturesque view.

She moved as if carried by the wind, weaving fluidly through the swarm of Kabane. Lunging forward, she slashed with her gunblade, the blade leaving a long scarlet arc.

Several Kabane were decapitated as blood arced through the air.

Kurumi was already moving forward, advancing towards the Kabane in the rear.

Another Kabane wielding a long blade lunged at her from behind, while another rushed toward her from the front, claws stained with dark blood.

Unfazed, Kurumi slashed down with both hands in an X-pattern, her gunblade's teeth biting deep into the Kabane before her, shredding it. Before the blood could spatter, Kurumi twisted around, sweeping her leg into the Kabane wielding the blade.

Her kick shattered the Kabane's blade, and its head exploded in a burst of dark blood, spewing like a fountain.

Blood spilled around her like a veil, inescapable.

More Kabane, drawn by the scent, charged towards the top of the adjacent car.

Their pounding footsteps reverberated through the car, filling the cramped quarters with terrified cries.

"Shh." Kurumi lifted her gunblade to her lips and made a hushing gesture.

A dark red light flickered, swelling from a few faint sparks into a blazing glow.

Shadows spun outwards in spiraling tendrils, engulfing everything around her.

In an instant, the car's rooftop was cleared, leaving nothing but blood and the twisted remains of severed limbs.

The Koutetsujou gradually picked up speed, racing through the ruins of Haruhiko Station.

In the desolate night, the only sounds were the rumbling of the steam engine and the mechanical clangor of the Koutetsujou, along with the empty, hollow wails of the Kabane.

Across the abandoned town, dots of fiery red light shimmered sporadically.

Kurumi lightly leapt down from the walkway, making her way toward the front of the train.

Her blood-stained wooden sandals echoed as she knocked on the side door.

"Open up!"

Hearing Kurumi's voice, Mumei used both hands to twist the valve open, catching sight of her.

Her hair was only slightly tousled, and she hadn't even broken a sweat.

Mumei's gaze swept over the blood-soaked scene, taking in every detail.

"Kurumi-nee… is that… how strong you really are?"

Mumei's understanding of Kurumi's strength grew deeper.

Kurumi looked down at her blood-soaked sandals, frowning. She stepped out of them, her delicate, bare feet stepping into the Koutetsujou.

As she swept a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, she looked breathtaking, like a vivid painting coming to life.

Her elegance was enchanting.

Yet, everyone watching couldn't help but recall that brutal kick Kurumi had once delivered to Ikoma.

Yes… they definitely couldn't let themselves be fooled by her looks.

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