Chapter 158: Lucci's Key Target!
[Clatter clatter, clatter clatter]
"Wake up."
At the rear end of the black Iron-Armored Train, a slightly tired Lucci gently nudged Mata, who was leaning against the carriage wall, sleeping. She slowly opened her eyes, going from groggy sleepiness to fully awake in less than two seconds.
"Is it morning already?"
"Mm."
For the past three days, due to their Height issues, the two of them ultimately couldn't change clothes and blend into the Hunter Guard. Having no other choice, they had to play hide-and-seek with these people.
When Soldiers came to patrol this rear end, they would jump onto the top of the carriage to hide. If they needed Food and water, Lucci would sneak inside the Train.
Relying on the Speed of 'Shave', the fine control over his Body provided by 'Paper Arts', and his professional Ability as an Agent, he was able to remain silently in people's blind spots at all times.
If there were many people, he would dig his fingers into the Iron Plating above the carriage, sticking to the ceiling like a gecko, and then find an opportunity to get water and Rice Balls.
Honestly, the difference in Strength meant Lucci hadn't been discovered yet.
As for the call of nature.
These Hunter Guard weren't always on the Train. Every evening, they would stop the Train along the way. Based on the two's secret observation, they needed to replenish the Steam Boiler at the front of the Train with Freshwater, check the Train's Situation, hunt and store Meat, and let people get some air around.
This Time was enough for the two of them to take care of their needs.
The only thing that was particularly annoying was that whenever the Train passed through areas with Mountain Slopes on both sides, many Kabane would frantically jump over.
This forced them to take action and deal with them, ensuring the small space at the rear end remained clean.
Fortunately, the two quickly adapted. After discussing, they decided that one would sleep while the other kept watch.
Relying on their trust in each other's Strength and their Will, which had long been accustomed to dangerous Environments, the one who was sleeping didn't need to worry at all, and their sleep quality wasn't much of an issue.
At this moment, it was morning.
"Huh, I really didn't expect that our Height would bring us such great difficulty. Why are the people in this World so short?"
Mata complained while standing up and tidying her Clothing. Lucci didn't respond to her words because he had already complained about it in his Heart.
"This Mima Amatori has a problem!"
"Last night, I went from the roof to the front of the Train and found a large amount of Kabane Aura below. Among them, there was one whose Mental Fluctuation was very special and strong, filled with unpleasant Negative Emotions. Combined with their previous Situation of capturing Kabane alive, he must be planning to use these Kabane for something..."
[Alarm Whistle----]
Just as he was about to continue speaking, the sound of the Alarm Whistle came from the front of the Train, indicating that the Train was about to stop.
"Huh, what's the Situation?" Mata looked over in confusion, because this black Train had never stopped this early in the past few days.
Lucci looked at the clear blue River appearing before them and the City gradually becoming clearer ahead, reminding her, "We've arrived at the Station!"
"Great, finally a chance!" Mata laughed with Excitement.
"Let's get off the Train first, then walk into that City. Otherwise, we'll definitely be discovered by the Soldiers Inside the City."
After speaking, Lucci jumped down without hesitation, completely disregarding the fact that the Train was still moving at high Speed. Seeing this, Mata didn't hesitate either, decisively turning into an Afterimage and following closely.
The black Train continued along the Railway towards the City Gate of the Station. When it approached a certain distance, the huge City Gate was seen slowly lowering, and the Railway on it connected perfectly with the Railway at the broken bridge.
Beneath the Great Bridge, a clear River meandered through, shimmering under the reflection of the morning Sunlight, welcoming this noisy arrival.
Its arrival woke up the people Inside the City who were still in their dreams.
"It's the Hunter Guard!"
"Liberator! Long live!!"
"Ah, we can be with the Hunter Guard again, the sense of security is overwhelming!"
Whether it was the Gun-wielding Soldiers guarding the City Gate or the Residents who surged out after receiving the News, everyone's face was filled with bright smiles of Excitement and adoration, cheering towards the black Train slowly entering the City Gate.
"What's the Situation? Who are those people?"
But clearly, there were also some people in the crowd who didn't recognize the Hunter Guard. They asked those around them with faces full of confusion.
"The Hunter Guard."
"An independent Troops formed to eliminate the Kabane."
"Winning battle after battle against the Kabane, wherever they go, the Kabane are swept away, and the land returns to the hands of Human once again!"
Just then, from the black Train that had come to a stop, a group of Gun-wielding Soldiers wearing Black Uniforms and possessing a powerful Aura walked down. The Expression on each of their faces was so indifferent, showing no concern for the enthusiastic welcome from the Citizens on both sides.
But the people didn't mind their Attitude either; instead, they felt that Experts should be like this.
And when a handsome man with pink long hair, holding a red-sheathed Long Saber in his Right Hand, walked over with the golden short-haired Beauty behind him, surrounded by a group of capable Cadres.
The atmosphere instantly reached its peak.
"It's Lord Biba!"
"What a heroic figure!"
"Truly worthy of being the General-sama's Son!"
Lucci and Mata, who were already hidden in a corner, had somehow put on loose Kimonos, making themselves less out of place in this City.
At the same time, the two carefully observed every detail around them.
"What do we do next?"
"First, contact the Base and listen to the Intelligence gathered by the other Teams. Then, report the Matter of the Hunter Guard to the Base, especially the Aura I sensed at the front of the Train."
"Hmm?"
As soon as Lucci finished speaking, his gaze suddenly focused on a small Red-Hair Girl in a red dress who had run up to Mima Amatori. He narrowed his Eyes and said, "Another person emitting a Kabane Aura."
Back on the Train, he and Mata had already noticed that Mima Amatori and that blonde Woman were emitting a unique Aura.
After comparing, the two found that this Aura was very similar to the Kabane Aura. Furthermore, judging from their Combat performance the first time they saw them clear out Kabane.
Mima Amatori and that blonde short-haired Woman with her hair tied up, whether it was their Strength, Speed, or Reaction, were clearly 'supernatural', meaning they exceeded the level of other Human in this World.
"She seems to call Mima Amatori 'Brother'..." Mata said after listening closely.
"No, there's another one!"
But Lucci didn't care about that. His sharp gaze, like an arrow, accurately fixed on a Boy standing behind the crowd on the opposite side.
That was a Boy with grey-green hair, wearing Glasses with a light green lens only over his Right Eye, and dressed in an emerald green top. At this moment, he was looking seriously at Mima Amatori, who was talking to the red-dressed Girl In the Court.
"What exactly is going on with them, or are there actually quite a few people like this?"
At the same time.
A beautiful young Woman wearing a pink Japanese-style Formal Dress, with a black ponytail, and quite attractive, walked up to Mima Amatori and the Red-Hair Girl, accompanied by a black-haired Samurai also with a ponytail, wearing blue-black Attire and carrying a Blade at his waist.
"You must be Lord Mima Amatori? I am Ayame, the Commander of the Yomogawa Family."
"Yomogawa... that's the Rōjū's..."
Lucci narrowed his Eyes, watching this newly appeared young Woman. Her claim of being the Commander of the Yomogawa Family piqued his interest.
"A young Woman serving as a Family Commander?"
Seeing this group follow Mima Amatori towards the black Train again, Lucci concluded that this group, which gathered four people emitting Kabane Aura, was a key target.
(End of this chapter)