A young samurai named Kurusu stood at the edge of the train roof. The instant he saw that White Hair boy pinch Ayame's chin, his eyes nearly burst with fury.
He was a young samurai serving the Yomogawa family, responsible for Ayame's personal protection. Protecting his lady was his duty.
Seeing his lady humiliated, the anger in his heart instantly overwhelmed his fear.
With a roar, he drew the katana at his waist and leaped, charging straight at Saint Dio.
Then a massive hand descended from above.
"Thud!"
Sandersonia's enormous hand seized Kurusu's entire body in her palm as though she were catching a bug.
Her hand closed around him, leaving only his head exposed. No matter how he struggled or hacked at the fingers of that enormous hand, he could not budge them.
His blade struck the bronze scales, throwing up only a few sparks without leaving so much as a scratch.
"Let me go! You monster! Fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Kurusu roared, but the enormous hand did not move an inch.
Chapter 25: A God Descended from Heaven to Save the World
"What is your name?" Saint Dio asked.
"Yomogawa... Ayame." Her voice trembled slightly, yet she still tried to maintain the dignity of the Yomogawa family's heir.
A flicker of understanding passed through Saint Dio's eyes at the name. It seemed he had found the right person.
He was about to say something when panicked shouts suddenly rang out from the samurai on the roof:
"The Kabane are coming-!"
Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a black tide rapidly approaching from the distant horizon.
It was a dense mass of Kabane, hundreds upon thousands of them, perhaps even more. They surged forward like floodwaters bursting through a dam, their footsteps shaking the earth and raising clouds of dust.
Their sheer numbers were enough to make anyone's scalp prickle.
The samurai on the roof immediately fell into chaos. Some raised their Steam Rifles, some began retreating, and others shouted for ammunition to be loaded.
Ayame's face also turned pale. She struggled to stand, urgently telling Saint Dio, "My lord! Whatever you wish to say... please come aboard first! The Kabane will be here soon!"
Saint Dio merely snorted.
"They dare interrupt me."
Saint Dio was deeply displeased. To him, the approaching Kabane were not a deadly threat, but a swarm of flies that knew no manners.
He released Ayame's chin and casually waved his hand.
Behind him, Sandersonia and Marigold received his command, and their massive bodies began shrinking rapidly,
Their scales receded and their snake tails contracted. In the blink of an eye, they changed from two terrifying serpentine beasts back into human form.
Although they had regained human form, both women were still nearly three meters tall, standing head and shoulders above everyone around them.
The samurai on the roof stared in stunned disbelief.
Those two terrifying monsters were actually two young women? What on earth was going on?
Saint Dio ignored the shocked gazes behind him.
He turned to face the surging black tide, slowly tightening his grip on Jörmungandr and resting it on his shoulder.
He intended to use these oblivious Kabane to demonstrate his strength.
Jörmungandr's weight began increasing sharply.
Tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold!
That terrifying gravitational force traveled through the hilt into Saint Dio's entire body. His feet sank abruptly, and the ground cracked and collapsed around him, sending stones flying in every direction.
Veins bulged on his arms, and his muscles trembled slightly under the extreme strain, but his expression remained perfectly calm.
His power was gathered.
Saint Dio swung his sword!
An indescribably massive wave of sword energy tore free from Jörmungandr's blade and roared outward.
The sword energy was so immense that it seemed ready to split heaven and earth in two. Wherever it passed, the air ripped apart with piercing booms, and a deep furrow was plowed into the ground.
Like the Grim Reaper's scythe, that wave of sword energy swept through the advancing tide of Kabane.
Every Kabane it touched was instantly cleaved in two! Whether running, leaping, or roaring, they were all as fragile as paper before that sword energy. Severed limbs and shredded flesh flew through the air, yet not even a drop of blood had time to stain it.
The sword energy continued unabated for several hundred meters before finally striking the ground.
"Rumble!!"
With a deafening crash, a canyon hundreds of meters long and too deep to see the bottom was carved into the earth.
Rubble and dust shot into the air, forming a small mushroom cloud that rose toward the sky.
Aboard the Kotetsujō, everyone stared dumbfounded.
The samurai's mouths hung open, their Steam Rifles nearly slipping from their hands.
They looked at the canyon stretching across the earth, then at the White Hair boy with the sword resting on his shoulder, his breathing not the slightest bit disturbed. Only one thought remained in their minds—what kind of monster was he?
Saint Dio casually slipped Jörmungandr back behind his waist. Turning around, he rested his gaze on the pale-faced Ayame Yomogawa and asked evenly:
"Any more questions?"
Ayame knelt on the ground and looked up at the White Hair boy. Her lips moved several times before she finally managed a trembling reply. "N-no."
Her mind was completely blank.
Wisps of smoke still rose from the canyon stretching across the earth. That terrifying sight had been seared deep into her retinas; she would probably never forget it for the rest of her life.
The tall man before her actually possessed such inconceivable power.
It went far beyond her understanding of the word "strong."
Saint Dio withdrew his gaze in satisfaction. Just then, Stussy and Hancock also jumped down from Sandersonia, landing lightly beside him.
Stussy straightened her slightly disheveled clothes and gave Saint Dio a small nod, indicating that she could handle the negotiations from here.
Saint Dio left the subsequent discussions and explanations to Stussy.
Stussy did not disappoint. With her silver tongue, she told Ayame and everyone aboard the Kotetsujō a carefully woven account of their origins, Saint Dio's identity, and the purpose of their visit.
Naturally, she could not reveal the whole truth.
In her account, Saint Dio was portrayed as a god who had descended to save this world ravaged by Kabane.
Of course, the prerequisite was that the people must hold this god in awe and worship him devoutly.
As for the two enormous serpent-women, she explained that they were divine guardians serving under the god.
Having personally witnessed Saint Dio's world-shattering power, Ayame believed every word.
If he was not a god, how could a mortal possibly possess such power?
Everything supported Stussy's account.
The Kotetsujō returned to the tracks. Its steam engine roared once more, and its wheels rolled over the rails with a rhythmic clatter as it continued toward Kongoukaku.
Only this time, there were several uninvited guests aboard.
Ayame specifically ordered her subordinates to clear out one of the freight cars, making room for Saint Dio and the others to rest.
Although the accommodations were basic, they were already the best this armored steam train could offer.
As for Sandersonia and Marigold, both stood nearly three meters tall, and ordinary carriage doorways could not accommodate them. They had no choice but to sit on the roof, exposed to the wind and sun, though they were happy enough to enjoy the peace.
Inside the carriage, the light was dim, and the air smelled of coal and rust.
Supply crates and miscellaneous items were piled around them, and traces of coal ash that had not been swept away remained on the floor.
Saint Dio sat atop a stack of freight crates with his legs crossed, propping his chin on one hand as his indifferent gaze swept over his surroundings.
He frowned slightly.
Accustomed to the spotless, luxurious, and exquisite surroundings of Mary Geoise, he found this dusty freight car rather difficult to adjust to.
Still, he was not the sort to lose his temper over poor conditions.
When necessary, he could endure any environment.
Before him, Ayame Yomogawa knelt formally, her hands overlapping before her knees and her forehead almost touching the floor. It was a proper dogeza, expressing the utmost respect and submission.
After hearing Stussy's account, she no longer dared show the slightest neglect toward this White Hair boy who called himself a "god."
Whether out of reverence or fear of his power, she understood that the person before her was absolutely not someone she could afford to offend.
Chapter 26: Believe Me When I Say You Can't Catch Me?
The carriage door suddenly slid open a crack, and a small figure slipped inside like an eel.
"Stop! Don't run!"
A samurai's shout came from outside, followed immediately by an armored samurai rushing in and reaching for the little girl.
But the little girl was extraordinarily nimble. With her hands behind her back, she darted lightly about, sometimes turning sideways, sometimes ducking, sometimes spinning gracefully, evading the samurai's grasp perfectly every time.
The two chased each other back and forth through the cramped carriage several times, filling the previously quiet space with commotion.
"Enough!"
Ayame abruptly stood and shouted sternly, "Stop! You must not disturb God!"
Only then did the samurai stop. He looked at the mischievous little girl, then at Ayame's stern face, caught in a dilemma and unsure what to do.
Ayame looked toward Saint Dio, seeking his opinion.
Saint Dio raised his hand slightly. Understanding, Ayame instructed the samurai, "You may withdraw."
As though granted a pardon, the samurai bowed and quickly left the carriage, sliding the door shut.
The little girl watched the samurai leave and blinked her bright eyes. Only then did she turn to look at the White Hair boy sitting on the freight crates.
Saint Dio was studying her as well.
She was a little girl who appeared no older than eleven or twelve. Her figure was quite well developed for her age, already showing distinct curves.
She wore a red kimono with a broad sash around her waist and wooden sandals on her feet, exposing two slender, straight calves.
Her glossy black hair was tied into two short ponytails that fell to her shoulders, swaying gently with her movements.
Her features were delicate and adorable, and her large eyes were clear and bright. At that moment, she was looking Saint Dio up and down with undisguised curiosity.
She walked lightly up to Saint Dio, tilted her head, and asked in her clear voice, "Were you the one who made that huge commotion just now?"
There was no fear or reverence in her tone, only pure curiosity and a little excitement.
Saint Dio looked at the innocent little girl before him, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
He had guessed her identity-Mumei.
The heroine of this world, and one of the talents he wanted to recruit on this trip.
Saint Dio had clear objectives in coming to this new world: first, to plunder its unique resources, and second, to recruit valuable talent.
In a low-powered world like Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, there were few resources for him to plunder, and valuable talents were even rarer.
But the little girl before him was undoubtedly one of them.
Kabaneri blood flowed through her veins, giving her the traits of both humans and Kabane. Her physical abilities and combat potential both far exceeded those of ordinary people.
More importantly, she was still young and highly malleable.
With discipline and training, combined with a Devil Fruit, she could very well grow into an outstanding fighting force.
As Saint Dio looked into her clear, unblemished eyes, he was already considering how to bring this future "blade" into his possession.
Saint Dio nodded slightly and admitted, "That's right."
Mumei's eyes instantly lit up, like a child who had discovered a fascinating new toy.
She stepped closer, tilted her head, and continued asking, "I heard you killed loads of Kabane with one swing! They all say you're a god who came down from heaven!"
Her tone brimmed with curiosity and excitement, without the slightest trace of the restraint and fear others showed before Saint Dio.
Looking into her sparkling eyes, Saint Dio curled his lips slightly and asked in return, "What do you think?"
Before you continue