BANG! BANG! BANG!
On the open plains filled with flames and walking corpses, the bikers along with other soldiers were firing gun shots.
Their aim was so precise that with every bullet fired, sparks flew as the kabanes number decreased by one.
"Theyre fighting outside the safety of our walls!"
"That's amazing!"
The regular soldiers could only watch on as the 'Hunters' put on a wonderful spectacle.
Some might have had the chance to see them in action before and most might not… but they all could collectively say they're amazing.
"Hmm. I can see why they're well known. They're pretty coordinated and swift."
Within the skies above Shitori station, floated Kaelis, overseeing the entire performance.
BANG!
"If we want to stop them… we have to get in real close."
At some point during the ordeal, Ikoma found himself on the battlefield taking part in kabane extermination.
"The hell?" Kaelis was bewildered.
When since this guy got on the field? Did he do what I told him to?
Kaelis looked towards the koutetsujou and saw Ayame and Ikoma's chubby friend directing people towards it.
There's not much outside so it's safe to say that he did.
"Looks like he did. I won't say anything else then."
While he went back to watching the action, someone was observing ikoma from a distance.
"A maverick kabaneri? Heh! Must have quite the pain tolerance for pain, he's tough."
Soue Arata. The lead scientist that travels with the hunters on biba's kokujou.
He has a strong fascination for kabaneris, that means ikoma's existence intrigues him.
Hmm?
Kaelis noticed a peculiar kabane walking towards Biba's location.
A wazatori.
Unlike the one he met back then, this one was quite large and it wasn't just one singular life form, but instead three.
The big one, a normal body that looks like it does most, if not all the movements wielding a sword and a…kabane?
One on its back whose mouth was covering the former's head like a cap.
And the last which was in front wrapping the body, hugging it like a lover.
It was a weird sight to look at and anyone with extensive knowledge of kabane could gather that it's on its path to becoming a fused colony… maybe.
BANG!
Someone on a steam bike fired at its chest aiming to destroy its heart, but the wazatori shifted slightly.
It used the kabane strapped to its chest as a shield allowing it to absorb the damage.
"Rrrgh?"
It caught sight of the gunman and quickly threw the kabane it had knocked the man off his bike, crashing.
"Brother, I got this!"
Mumei, who was there with her brother, ran towards it.
"Good, mumei. We're counting on you." He then turned to horobi, "Go help her."
"Right." She immediately caught up to mumei.
She pulled a mask over face as a red glow noticeable to Kaelis, lit up her eyes.
"So she's like mumei and ikoma then, a kabaneri. Hm?"
Both girls began double teaming.
It swung its sword at them.
Mumei leaped overhead with horobi sidestepping it's strike.
BANG!
Using the opportunity, mumei fired a shot, destroying the hat kabaneri.
She landed into horobi's hand and used her as a spring board to reach even higher before firing again, shooting the main kabane's head.
Horobi immediately pulled her sword made from kabane heart and stabbed the heart, destroying it and effectively killing the monster.
Whew~
They both took a small breath.
On another side of the battle field~
"Enoku…"
Enoku drew his sword and began,
"I came in service to you. You don't realize how many people want you dead. They sent me here to do just that.
This whole battle is a setup. They told me to wait for a moment when your guard was down and strike."
"I see." Was all Biba said in return.
"I will gladly tell you who they are and where they're hiding. Just ask me to do so. Please, I'm desperate to return to your fold.
Give me the word and I will join you in the fight once again."
Biba just gave him a two-second glance before looking away.
"There is n—"
"Pathetic, right?"
"!!!" Both were surprised at the sudden voice beside them.
"Kaelis, it's you!"
"It's you again!"
Enoku took a defensive stance and Biba had his hand on his gun-sword ready to put a bullet through Kaelis.
Kaelis had noticed Enoku stumbling his way towards Biba before the girls had begun fighting and came over.
Due to this he missed seeing the girls dogging the kabane.
But in exchange, he got front row seat to watch a man beg another to follow them.
He hadn't seen someone so desperate to hear someone say "follow me" before.
That was something someone like Kaelis could barely understand.
If Enoku was simply trying to get into the group to take over from the inside, then he would simply watch.
But the sincerity in his voice made him raise his eyebrow.
Although Kaelis was a human in his past life and was reborn from a human womb, he is not completely human.
As half veyl'korr, in other worlds, if seen, they would be classified as demons.
They had looks—black skin, horn and fiery nature.
But as the name translates, "veyl" means "soul flame" and "korr" means "stone".
Unlike the classical demons from old tales—those vile creatures born of sin and chaos—the Veyl'korr were a ritualistic and ceremonial race.
Rituals were the heartbeat of their culture, woven into every aspect of life.
They held ceremonies for nearly everything they deemed significant—from birth to war, from the forging of weapons to the changing of seasons.
A baby born—ritual, getting a wife or husband—ritual. Hell, at least one ritual a day as soon as they are awake.
Another thing about the Veyl'korr—they absolutely hate being referred to as a follower.
They don't like being under anyone's rule or command. You can ask them for just about anything, and they'll probably hand it over without a fuss.
But try to put them beneath you? Yeah, don't even think about it.
They won't kill you… but they will beat the hell out of you just to make a point.
To them, living under another's command was like snuffing out their own fire, and they believed that if you wanted to lead, you had to carry your own flame first.
Mediocrity was their greatest insult.
Everything they did—training, fighting, crafting, even speaking—had to be done with purpose.
Anything less wasn't just sloppy; it was dishonoring their ancestors.
Cultural practices done repetitively inevitably become engraved in biology.
And although Kaelis's half human nature dampened those traits extensively, they are still within him.
So at this moment, seeing someone so desperate to be under someone, he couldn't help but feel nauseated.
"Pathetic, right?"
Chapter 29 end.