Crimson blood splattered across the scene, staining Fang Li's face a deep red, resembling a macabre mask.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment of agony.
"Ugh…"
A groan escaped Fang Li's lips, a testament to the pain coursing through his body.
Mumei, snapped out of her dazed state by Fang Li's groan, slowly lowered her head, her eyes fixated on her own body.
There, a pitch-black blade pierced through her tender figure, a torrent of blood flowing forth, mingling with the droplets that stained Fang Li's face.
Drops of blood fell steadily, like tearful lamentations, tracing a trail of sorrow on Fang Li's countenance.
The reason behind Fang Li's pained expression became evident— his side had been impaled by the same pitch-black blade that ran through Mumei's body.
Finally, the excruciating pain reached Mumei's consciousness, snapping her back to the harsh reality.
With a dazed expression on her face, she turned her head slowly and her gaze fell upon her own back.
And there, standing behind her, was a figure she knew all too well.
A figure as resolute as a hero.
A presence as imposing as a general.
Amatori Biba loomed behind Mumei with a long sword driven through her fragile form. His face bore no trace of emotion upon it and his gaze was chillingly indifferent.
"Elder brother… My Lord…?" Mumei's voice trembled, her words addressing him in her own one-sided way.
However, Amatori Biba seemed to be deaf to her words, not even sparing a glance at Mumei's form.
His cold eyes remained fixed on Fang Li, who was also impaled alongside Mumei and shared the same fate, skewered by Biba's blade.
Amatori Biba saw this and spoke with an air of detached nonchalance.
"So, you managed to evade a fatal blow to the heart and you also saved Mumei by taking her away with you in your final moments? I must say, you have truly lived up to your reputation."
As he finished speaking, Amatori Biba withdrew his sword slowly, leaving both Fang Li and Mumei to bear the weight of their wounds.
Mumei's body, devoid of strength, gradually slumped onto Fang Li's, seeking solace in his embrace.
Amatori Biba, seemingly intent on delivering a final blow, raised his weapon high, ready to strike down upon them.
"Chi—!"
In that critical moment, a sharp dagger sliced through the air, propelled with deadly velocity, aimed directly at Amatori Biba's eye.
Amatori Biba's expression froze, his instinctive reflexes kicking in as he hastily raised his weapon, blocking the incoming attack.
"Clang—!"
The clash resounded with crystalline clarity as the dagger was deflected, ricocheting off the surface of the Hunters' Hayajiro and plummeting down.
However, accompanying the deflection, a swift kick landed squarely on Amatori Biba's chest.
"Thud—!"
The impact sent Amatori Biba hurtling through the air, his body crashing forcefully onto the nearby car's roof. Rolling several times before coming to a halt, he lay still, his coughs punctuating the stillness.
Fang Li coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body trembling as he struggled to rise, never releasing his embrace on Mumei.
Mumei, too, coughed up blood, her injuries far more severe than Fang Li's.
Fang Li's wound was a mere stab to the side, allowing him to endure the pain and press on.
But Mumei's abdomen had been pierced directly, her injuries grievous and life-threatening.
Had Fang Li not sensed Amatori Biba's approach, defying the threat of the kunai at his throat, and desperately moving sideways with Mumei, they would have both met their demise at this moment.
After all, Amatori Biba's original intent had been to strike their hearts.
Disregarding the pain that ravaged his body, Fang Li stared ahead, his voice laced with mocking disdain.
"I must say," He sneered, his words dripping with contempt, "You truly live up to your reputation as a celebrated hero. No hesitation in striking from behind, not even sparing your own comrades. How despicable and shameless, what a true hero."
Amatori Biba paid no heed to Fang Li's mockery as he slowly regained his footing, his gaze fixed upon Fang Li, who knelt on one knee with his arms encircling Mumei's weakened form.
"Do you know?" A distant look flickered in Amatori Biba's eyes, devoid of any emotion as he spoke, his voice carrying a trance-like quality. "You have disrupted all of my plans."
"And what then?" Fang Li controlled his breathing before he responded calmly. "Do you wish to add a Wanderer like me to your list of revenge targets?"
"No, I am simply feeling nostalgic," Amatori Biba murmured, his gaze fixed on Fang Li. "The fate of the Hunters is sealed now. This Hayajiro has fallen, and we will never reach Kongoukaku. Perhaps I no longer possess the means to exact revenge."
"Do you regret it then?" Fang Li's tone carried an air of detachment as he spoke. It was as if he was conversing with a stranger. "Do you regret inviting me to join your cause?"
"No, I do not regret it. In fact, I am grateful to have crossed paths with you," Amatori Biba shook his head, his expression revealing an inscrutable indifference. "Since I was young, I have been forced to comprehend this world, its cruelty, and the depths of the human heart."
"My father regarded me as a mere tool, choosing a cautious approach to avoid risking everything in a full-scale battle against the Kabane. He was selfish and cowardly."
"In the past, the high-ranking officials who constantly praised me for being the son of a General also viewed me as an anomaly for fighting on the front lines against the Kabane. They kept their distance from me while maintaining their reverence."
"People did not truly fight against the Kabane; they merely sought survival within their steel cages, clinging onto their last threads of existence."
"That is why this world has long been twisted."
"All of this stems from fear."
"People fear the Kabane."
"People fear the future."
"People fear conflict."
"People fear others, and they even fear themselves."
With these words, Amatori Biba shifted his gaze toward Fang Li, and a glimmer of admiration shined through his eyes.
"But you, you are a peculiar existence."
"You do not understand fear."
"You do not comprehend death."
"For the goals you pursue, you charge forward without the slightest hesitation, whether it is facing me or confronting the entire Hunters. You fear nothing and ultimately succeeded in defeating us."
"That is why I admire you, and I bear no regrets for your actions. On the contrary, I find solace in it."
As Amatori Biba spoke, the glimmer in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by ashes.
"Unfortunately, unlike you, my existence only held meaning in seeking revenge."
"Now, that purpose has been shattered by you, and I am left with only one path to take."
Having said that, Amatori Biba retrieved a syringe from his pocket.
A syringe filled with a pitch-black liquid.
At the sight of the syringe, Fang Li's complexion turned grave.
Without a moment's hesitation, Amatori Biba forcefully plunged the syringe into his own heart.
…