The sky gradually darkened.
Oil lamps lit up throughout Aragane Station, like stars decorating the earth, making the air seem a little warmer.
A silver moon hung high in the sky.
Cicadas chirped among the trees.
Outside the crude houses, people chatted and laughed together, turning the warmth in the air into something cozy.
No one knew.
That on the railway several hundred meters from Aragane Station, a train was speeding toward it.
The train was made entirely of steel, resembling a steel fortress that could run.
The iron-clad fortress barreled into a tunnel, racing toward Aragane Station.
On Aragane Station's Steel Walls, a warrior standing guard peered toward the tunnel through binoculars and spotted the Hayajiro speeding their way.
He immediately called out.
"Fusang Fortress is here!"
At those words, the surrounding warriors all reacted and turned toward the tunnel.
"Finally here?"
"Right on time."
"That should be Fusang Fortress, the Hayajiro scheduled to arrive today, right?"
"There's no other possibility."
The warriors sounded fairly relaxed.
After all, Fusang Fortress was the Hayajiro scheduled to arrive that day. Since it had arrived on time, nothing should have gone wrong.
That thought marked the beginning of every tragedy.
"Open the gates! Lower the drawbridge!"
Amid the shouts, the gates in Aragane Station's Steel Walls, which protected humanity's last haven, slowly opened. The drawbridge outside was gradually lowered as well, connecting to the railway leading into Aragane Station.
"Whooooo—!"
A shrill whistle sounded.
The steel train known as Fusang Fortress sped toward Aragane Station, its body gleaming with an icy sheen.
At that moment, none of the warriors standing guard in Aragane Station saw it.
Spider-like black shadows clung to Fusang Fortress.
Looking more closely.
Each of those shadows had a glowing heart in its chest.
Fusang Fortress, loaded with monsters known as Kabane, charged straight toward Aragane Station.
At the edge of Aragane Station stood several buildings used as warehouses.
At that moment, the door to one of them opened.
Fang Li stepped out, wrapped in a cloth cape against the cold. Braving the howling wind, he headed toward higher ground.
Fang Li stood atop a cliff-like height, gazing in one direction.
That direction led to Aragane Station's only gate to the outside.
Looking at that gate, Fang Li first checked the items in his leg pouch.
Stamina Recovery Potion... unopened, carrying it with him!
Wound Recovery Potion... half a bottle left, carrying it with him!
Energy Compression Biscuit... completely intact, carrying it with him!
Water Bottle... filled with water, carrying it with him!
Then, touching the dagger sheathed at the small of his back, Fang Li muttered.
"Everything's ready. Now all that's left is to wait."
If he had guessed correctly, today was when the story began.
And by now, Fusang Fortress, packed with Kabane, should already have been racing toward Aragane Station.
"When that Fusang Fortress crashes into Aragane Station, the test will begin."
In the end, would Fang Li successfully die beneath the encirclement of the Kabane horde?
Or would he successfully meet up with Yomogawa Ayame, board the Iron Fortress prepared for escape, and flee Aragane Station?
"That depends on whether my luck holds."
With that, Fang Li leaped forward, slid down the steep slope, and ran off in one direction.
After spending three days at Aragane Station, Fang Li had not come away empty-handed.
Over those three days, Fang Li had worked hard to gather intelligence during his daily labor.
Thus, Fang Li knew exactly where the Iron Fortress prepared for escape was located.
Originally, Fang Li had wanted to simply find Yomogawa Ayame and protect her at close range until Aragane Station fell, then escape with her.
But Fang Li was only a Wanderer. If he kept hanging around Yomogawa Ayame, setting aside how Kurusu Kunoichi might react, the warriors of the Yotsuyu Clan certainly would not just stand by. They might even suspect him of having ulterior motives.
Therefore, Fang Li simply waited until nightfall, calculated the timing, and headed directly toward the Iron Fortress prepared for escape.
If the original story unfolded smoothly, Yomogawa Ayame would definitely arrive there under the protection of Kurusu Kunoichi and a group of warriors.
Then, Fang Li could board the Iron Fortress prepared for escape with Yomogawa Ayame after meeting up with her, flee Aragane Station, and complete Main Mission Two.
"If it were that easy."
Running along a path leading toward the bustling streets, Fang Li narrowed his eyes slightly.
In the original story, Yomogawa Ayame had successfully escaped Aragane Station and had not died at the hands of the Kabane.
In other words, as long as he did nothing and followed the plot, Main Mission Two could practically be resolved without Fang Li lifting a finger.
However, Fang Li did not believe the space would issue a mission that was practically equivalent to stuffing Exchange Points into the Main God Envoy's pocket.
"If something unexpected happens..."
Then Main Mission Two would fail.
"At the very least, nothing should go wrong before I meet up with them at the Iron Fortress."
Just hearing those words made that hope sound like a luxury.
"I can only leave it to fate."
Leaving those words behind, Fang Li adjusted his breathing and picked up his pace.
Just as Fang Li was about to rush into the street, an accident occurred.
"Bang—!"
An exceptionally loud crash rang out beneath the quiet night sky.
Fang Li abruptly turned his head toward the source of the sound.
He saw an armored train violently smash through Aragane Station's gates. Like a rag flung into the air, it spun several times before crashing into a building near the street with terrifying force and weight, kicking up dust and shattered stones everywhere.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Golden bells atop watchtowers scattered throughout Aragane Station rang one after another, echoing across the entire station.
It was the alarm.
The alarm used to notify the residents to take shelter when Kabane invaded.
For a moment, Aragane Station fell completely silent.
After a while, terrified screams began to rise one after another.
"K-Kabane!"
"Kabane!"
"The Kabane are here!"
People began fleeing in panic.
Aragane Station had fallen into complete chaos.
The fall had begun.
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