"Hurry!"
"Run for your lives!"
"The Kabane are coming!"
One by one, the crowd panicked completely and they no longer cared about Fang Li's intimidation from earlier and lost their composure once again. They rushed towards the direction of the Hayajiro Train, jostling to get ahead of one another.
At this moment, Fang Li could no longer maintain order. He could only grip his dagger tightly in his hand and sigh silently in his heart. He had done so much just to increase the number of surviving civilians and secure greater rewards, but now he had to forget about it.
He had already done everything he could, and now he couldn't afford to worry about these ordinary people anymore. After all, what Fang Li truly needed to protect was Yomokawa Ayame, not the common people of Aragane Station.
In that instant, Fang Li turned to Yomokawa Ayame and said, "Ayame-San, please go up first."
"But… but…" Yomokawa Ayame seemed reluctant to leave her companions behind to endure the hardships without her, she did not want to abandon those around her.
However, Fang Li directly stated, "I understand your feelings, but the Hayajiro Train is the most valuable thing in the station. Only you, as the eldest daughter of the Yomokawa family, possess the master key to it. If you don't go up, the Hayajiro Train won't be able to operate, and no one will be able to escape. Everyone will die here."
"This guy is right, Ayame-Sama." Konochi Kurusu looked at Yomokawa Ayame with great seriousness and said, "Please go up first. Leave this to us."
"…I understand." Yomokawa Ayame remained silent for a while and then nodded.
"You guys!" Araka Kibito finally spoke up again and pointed to a few samurai, commanding, "Take Ayame-Sama up first!"
"Yes!" The Samurai responded simultaneously and escorted Yomokawa Ayame towards the Hayajiro Train.
"Everyone…" Yomokawa Ayame glanced at Fang Li, then at Konochi Kurusu and the other samurai. Finally, with the support of the samurai, she moved toward the direction of the Hayajiro Train.
"Form up!" Konochi Kurusu immediately ordered, shouting, "Don't let a single Kabane pass through!"
The Samurai quickly formed a defensive line before they raised their Steam Guns and continuously pulled the triggers, aiming at the incoming Kabane army.
"Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!"
The chaotic sounds of gunshots echoed incessantly in the air as each Steam Gun fired at full force, sweeping through the approaching Kabane army.
"Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang!"
The bullets from the Steam Guns landed on the bodies of the Kabane, creating sparks and knocking them down like hitting steel. But the Kabane quickly rose again and continued their relentless charge.
At this moment, even Konochi Kurusu had no time to say anything. Together with Araka Kibito, he raised his Steam Gun and kept shooting, creating a continuous symphony of gunshots.
Among the people present, besides the Samurai shooting their guns, there were only Fang Li, Mumei, and Ikoma.
"Damn it!" Ikoma cursed inwardly and wanted to charge forward.
However, before he could do so, Mumei suddenly spun around and swiftly swept Ikoma's legs out from under him.
"Bang!"
With a stifling sound, Ikoma let out a painful cry as he fell to the ground, crashing down hard.
"What… What are you doing?" Ikoma glared at Mumei in anger. "What are you doing?!"
"That line should be ours, shouldn't it?" Fang Li said with an exasperation expression on his face as he looked at Ikoma and said. "Just a moment ago, you were planning something bad and you are asking us 'What are you doing?'"
"Of course, I'm going to fight!" Ikoma said without hesitation. "The Steam Guns can't defeat the Kabane. Only my Tsuranuki Zutsu can pierce through their heart skin membrane. So, I must go into battle!"
"Are you an idiot?" Fang Li rolled his eyes and said bluntly, "Setting aside what just happened, your non-human identity has already been exposed. If you charge in like that, do you think those cowardly Samurai, who are so afraid of death, will hesitate to shoot you down to hell along with the Kabane?"
Ikoma was momentarily speechless upon hearing Fang Li's words, he looked at the Kabane army that continued to advance amidst the hail of bullets and was greatly shaken and said, "But if we continue like this…"
"If we continue like this, the Kabane will eventually reach this place," Fang Li looked ahead and said, "But our goal is only to delay and activate the Hayajiro Train. We're not here to fight the Kabane. As long as the Hayajiro Train starts successfully before the Kabane arrives, we can consider it a victory. Our objective is not to kill all the Kabane, so make sure you understand the premise."
This time, Ikoma had nothing to say.
"Anyway, if you want to stay alive, it's best to get on the train obediently. Otherwise, even if you're the lucky Kabaneri, if you get submerged by the Kabane army, you'll definitely meet your demise," Fang Li said directly. "Once you get on, stay in the last compartment and avoid contact with anyone."
"And what about you?" Ikoma almost instinctively asked, "Aren't you getting on? It's too dangerous to stay here!"
Fang Li remained silent when he heard this and his gaze fixed on Ikoma, making Ikoma feel uneasy.
After a while, Fang Li smiled and said, "Just a moment ago, we were confronting each other, and now you're worried about my safety. Indeed, the so-called 'main characters' are such good people."
"Eh?" Ikoma was stunned.
Main character?
What does that mean?
"Alright, hurry up and get on," Fang Li didn't give Ikoma time to react and looked ahead.
"I don't hate people like you, so don't die, you are a good person."
After saying these words, Fang Li stomped the ground forcefully and leaped directly over the defensive line formed by the Samurai, charging toward the direction of the Kabane army.
"What…?!" Ikoma was taken aback.
Konochi Kurusu, Araka Kibito, and the group of Samurai were equally shocked.
However, Fang Li seemed as if he hadn't noticed anything as he gazed at the Kabane army advancing relentlessly amidst the hail of bullets. He wasn't afraid that the Samurai's bullets might hit him. His eyes, suddenly turning ice blue, revealed his Mystic Eyes.
As Fang Li fearlessly rushed forward, the nearest Kabane roared at him.
"Bang—!"
At that moment, a gunshot sounded.
The roaring Kabane was directly hit by the shot, trembling all over. Sparks erupted in front of its body, freezing its figure in place.
Fang Li hardly needed to turn around to know who fired the shot.
"Really?" The girl named Mumei held a red Steam Pistol as she slowly undid the ribbon around her neck.