At the Third Watch, the World Government Showed Its Hand Against the Shogunate!
The Kabane World.
The black Armored Train "Kokujo" was undergoing its usual evening maintenance. The civilians and soldiers inside began to disembark and move freely within a certain area.
Three hours later, they would continue their journey towards Iwato Station, the final gateway to Kongokaku.
"So, any new instructions over there?"
Inside the car, Mata didn't get out. When she saw Laskey return from outside and sit down next to her, her soft body, clad in a pale yellow kimono, snuggled up to her, like two lovers still deeply in love.
This caused some of the women around to blush and turn away, quickly leaving the carriage at the far end, thus giving them a brief moment of privacy.
And that's exactly the result Mata wanted.
Through her interactions with these people, she discovered that they were still quite conservative in their thinking; even slightly inappropriate jokes could make them blush, regardless of whether they were men or women.
In their minds, or rather, in their hearsay, people from the Europa Continent are more open and enthusiastic in character, and coincidentally, they Dadu hooked noses, blue eyes, and various shades of yellowish hair.
Therefore, their current actions actually align with how the Hinomoto people feel about them.
"We need to stop Biba Amatori from destroying Kongokaku."
"When do we move?" Mata looked at Laskey eagerly, who glanced at her speechlessly and asked in a low voice, "How many targets can the two of us control?"
"This."
"Let's wait. It's not too late to make a move after we regroup at Iwato Station and the other groups. For now, we just need to follow them."
Mata was somewhat disappointed after hearing this, but she didn't say anything more. It was just one more day; she had that much patience.
Her idea was correct.
With the 'Kokujo' starting up again, a night indeed passed in the blink of an eye. The wailing horn signaled their imminent arrival outside Iwato Station.
This excited everyone in the 'Kabaneri of the Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress', young and old, and the atmosphere in each carriage became much more lively. Laskey and Mata exchanged a silent glance.
It's time.
They knew the World Government was finally about to make its move, and from this moment on, they no longer needed to hide their identities so much!
"Everyone, because the Hunters's 'Kokujo' is prohibited from entering the Iwato Station, we will need to disembark here and walk into the Iwato Station. Please be prepared and line up to disembark."
At that moment, the pleasant voice of Ayame Yomogawa rang out through the communication channel, but this news left the people inside the 'Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress' feeling confused.
"Why? Why aren't the Liberators allowed to go in together?"
"Exactly! How could they treat Lady Mima like that!"
Despite the murmurs and discussions, everyone obediently got off the vehicle when it was time to do so. No one was willing to stay outside the city with the Hunters because they had been treated unfairly; it was all just talk.
"What should we do?" Mata sensed something was wrong.
"Get off the vehicle first, but don't enter the city. Our first and second targets are both in the Hunters. Then wait for the other groups to arrive!"
Once most of the people in the carriage had left, Laskey pulled off his loose kimono and threw it aside, revealing a black suit and a crisp white shirt underneath. He then took out dark red sunglasses from his pocket and put them on.
Seeing this, Mata casually took off her kimono, and in the blink of an eye, the two of them returned to their elite CP9 appearances, then quickly drove away from the back of the car.
At the same time.
Inside the cab of the 'Kokujo', Biba Amatori and the executives of the Hunters were gathered together, and even the Red-Clad Girl named 'Mumei' was there.
This is strange, since she had been working with Ayame Yomogawa and others from 'Iron Fortress'.
"They said it's the latest instruction from Kongokaku: the Hunters cannot be allowed to pass through here."
The man with short, light green hair Sharyo. He is considered the top officer of the Hunters. He is skilled in shooting, likes to wear night vision goggles, but is also quite good with a knife.
"That's really an unreasonable request," Mumei complained, frowning.
"It's obvious the general is afraid of Lord Mima!" Sharyo said, looking at Biba Amatori. "And the Iwado Gate is the last stronghold leading to Kongokaku."
"So that means it won't be that easy to pass~" one of the cadres, Uryu, joked.
This person is about 1.7 meters tall, with medium-length light blue hair. His attire has a ninja style, and the two short swords crossed on his back are his weapons. He is considered to be the ordinary person with the highest combat strength among the Hunters.
"That's precisely why we've made so many preparations, isn't it?" Biba Amatori smiled nonchalantly, saying, "We just didn't expect to use it here first."
Meanwhile, hidden in the wilderness, Laskey and Mata stared at 'Kokujo', which was not far from them.
"Tell me, if Biba Amatori's goal is to destroy Kongokaku to avenge his general father, and now that he's trapped here, what will he do next?"
Upon hearing this question, Mata pondered for a moment and guessed, "If this truly is the only passage, then unless the Hunters choose to abandon their carriages and walk around Iwato Station, they only have one option."
"Force a breakthrough!"
Laskey nodded, agreeing with the other's idea, but this also made him hesitate, wondering whether he should intervene now.
However, if we act now, the possibility of unexpected events is too high, mainly because we don't have enough manpower and there are too many targets.
"Let's wait a little longer. The other groups should be arriving soon, definitely before this afternoon at the latest!"
The Hunters will likely be more cautious, since taking action would be tantamount to a complete showdown with Kongokaku's side.
Furthermore, the gate of Iwato Station truly lived up to its reputation as the gateway to the Shogunate. Whether it was the height of the gate or the number of soldiers guarding it and the number of Defense Cannon, it was clearly several times stronger than the previous Shitori Station.
In Laskey's view, even if Biba Amatori imprisoned hundreds of Kabane in the carriage, he might not be able to easily break through the city gate's defenses.
After careful consideration, he decided to wait and see.
"Look, Biba Amatori is out!" Mata's voice reminded Laskey, who was deep in thought, and he quickly looked up.
As expected, Biba Amatori, accompanied by a blonde woman with short hair and Red-Clad Girl, rode a tall Malaysia, guarded by four armed cavalrymen, toward the open gates of Iwato Station. However, the two women were riding the same horse, presumably because Mumei was still too young.
However, the other officers and soldiers of the Hunters remained around 'Kokujo'.
"It seems the steward of Iwato Station invited him in for a talk. Is it possible to resolve this issue through discussion?" Mata asked softly.
"But for us, the longer we mop the floor, the better. If the Hunters are allowed to pass through here immediately, then we'll have to find a way to stop them."
For Laskey, the best outcome would be for both the Ayame group from "Kabaneri of the Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress" and the Hunters from "Kokujo" to stay obediently at Iwato Station.
Once all the CP9 members arrive, we can take them down directly and use this place as a base for the World Government to negotiate with the Shogunate under Kongokaku's control.
"You sneak into the city and follow Biba Amatori. Although the three of them are Kabaneri, judging from their combat performance, they're not yet capable of taking on a large force. Keep an eye on him and don't let him die!"
"Good!"
Mata nodded, then vanished in a flash, disappearing into the distance. She needed to find a secluded spot to enter the city.