"What… what?" Fang Li's words left Mumei completely stunned on the spot.
But at the same time, a sense of panic surged within her heart.
It was the kind of reaction one would have when their innermost thoughts were exposed.
Seeing Mumei like this, Fang Li's eyes glittered slightly, and shortly afterward, Fang Li ruthlessly exposed the deepest desire in Mumei's heart.
"Do you want me to help you become human again?"
At that moment, Mumei's heart trembled.
Yes.
That was the reason why Mumei sought out Fang Li.
Perhaps even Mumei herself wasn't aware of it?
Just like Ikoma, this young girl also longed to become human again.
So, after witnessing Ikoma's transformation back into a human because of Fang Li, the desire deep within the girl named Mumei arose. Although this desire was suppressed for a while, it never disappeared.
It compelled Mumei to subconsciously take action and find Fang Li.
However, Mumei had always been unwilling to admit this thought.
Not that she didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't admit it.
"No way!" In an instant, Mumei took a step back from Fang Li, her gaze fixed on him.
"I can't become human again!" This statement, rather than telling Fang Li, seemed more like a warning to herself.
"If I turn back into a human, my power will undoubtedly decrease significantly, and I may not be able to fight against the Kabane anymore!"
"If I can't fight against the Kabane, I will become useless!"
"At that time, I will definitely be abandoned!"
Mumei's voice echoed throughout the surroundings as she spoke to herself.
Only at this moment did Mumei realize it. She had unknowingly shouted at Fang Li without any control.
"That… that…" Mumei suddenly felt at a loss.
On the other hand, Fang Li didn't show even the slightest hint of surprise throughout the whole ordeal. He looked at the bewildered Mumei with a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
Then, Fang Li spoke. "To be honest, I know that you didn't willingly become a Kabaneri."
Fang Li's words startled Mumei again, and she immediately shook her head, saying, "No, I willingly became a Kabaneri."
Mumei knew it herself.
The reason she became a Kabaneri was not that she was bitten like Ikoma, forced to suppress the Kabane virus in her brain to save her own life, and involuntarily became a Kabaneri.
In reality, Mumei had never been bitten by a Kabane.
So, she did it willingly.
But Fang Li said otherwise.
"What you did cannot be considered as willingness," Fang Li smirked and said, "You only became a Kabaneri based on the desires and expectations of others. It can't be called willingness at all."
Mumei clenched her fist tightly when she heard Fang Li's words.
"Even though you don't know anything…" Mumei stared at Fang Li, speaking in a low voice, "Even though you don't know anything, you act like you understand me."
"…Don't know anything?" Fang Li met Mumei's gaze and retorted.
"How do you know that I don't know anything? Maybe I know more than you do?"
Leaving behind these words, Fang Li seemed to lose interest in Mumei and walked toward the direction of the cave.
Witnessing this, Mumei's delicate and cute face showed signs of struggle. After a while, as if giving up, she followed behind Fang Li and walked towards the cave.
…
The cave that Fang Li and Mumei found seemed to be an abandoned mine.
So, inside the cave, there were not only railway tracks used for transportation but also lights to illuminate the surroundings.
However, perhaps due to the Kabane, the mine had been abandoned, and all the equipment bore traces of time. Only the lights seemed to be functioning.
Fang Li ignited the lights, filling the cave with a faint glow and warmth. Then, Fang Li and Mumei found a random spot to sit down.
For some reason, Mumei sat across from Fang Li, silent, resembling a sulking child.
Watching Mumei like this, Fang Li couldn't help but chuckle. He took out water and biscuits from his leg bag and asked Mumei, "Want some?"
"No." Without thinking, Mumei replied directly. But immediately, she realized her response and glared at Fang Li. "You already know that I'm a Kabaneri and only need blood to sustain myself."
"But I'm not asking with prior knowledge, you know?" Fang Li leisurely opened the biscuit, sipping some water, and said, "Even if I know the other person doesn't need it, it's still polite to ask in such situations. That's what we call etiquette."
"That kind of thing, I don't understand at all," Mumei said sullenly. "I was only taught how to fight against Kabane."
"Is that so?" Fang Li casually asked, seemingly indifferent. "Didn't your parents teach you?"
Mumei fell silent and the atmosphere around them suddenly became heavy.
In this era where man-eating monsters roamed everywhere, asking about someone's family would inevitably lead to such a tense atmosphere. Even a fool would know that the other person's family was no longer alive.
Fang Li, not a fool and familiar with the original work, should have known better than to touch upon this forbidden topic.
However, it seemed as if Fang Li was intentionally pushing forward, as he continued to inquire, "What? Your parents really didn't teach you?"
"…Maybe they did, but I've forgotten," Mumei buried her head between her knees, unable to see her expression. Only her voice continued to echo, saying, "That was a long time ago."
"Is that so?" Fang Li shrugged and suddenly said, "So, in other words, you don't have any family now?"
"That's not true," Mumei directly rejected, resolute in her response. "I also have Ani-Sama."
Mumei, answering in this manner, didn't know that when she mentioned this so-called 'Ani-Sama', Fang Li's eyes didn't show curiosity but rather sarcasm.
"Ani-Sama, huh," Fang Li nibbled on the biscuit and calmly said, "I suppose he's not your biological brother, then?"
"He's not related to me by blood," Mumei raised her head slightly and looked at Fang Li, her eyes filled with a radiant expression as she spoke. "But Ani-Sama is good to me. That's enough."
"Good to you?" Fang Li couldn't help but laugh when he heard this and this time, even his smile was filled with sarcasm.
The meaning of that sarcasm was understood even by Mumei, who didn't have much knowledge of the ways of the world.
In such a situation, a strong emotion surged within Mumei's heart like never before.
"What are you laughing at?"