Hilda had propped herself up into a sitting position, although she was still bent over at the hips with her head in her hands. Alarm gripped Duncan, so he opened his third eye to scan the girl for any injuries.
Fortunately, she seemed to be mostly fine, except for the fact that her blood sugar was lower than the average seventeen-year-old girl. It was probably just due to a lack of physical exercise, considering how skinny she was.
“Mister Ward?” Hilda looked up. “What are you doing here—”
A ship’s foghorn blared, and she gasped in realisation. Duncan turned around just in time to see the last ship bound for Japan leave the docks.
“No, NO!” Hilda yelled, chasing after the ship to the edge of the docks as though it would somehow turn back for her. “Bugger, that ferry ticket cost me ten quid…”
Duncan kept his arms folded, making sure his expression betrayed not even a hint of the relief he felt. With the last ship gone, it would be months before the next ship to Japan came in. And since the war was pretty much already over, it would be a lot safer for Hilda to roam around by then.
Hilda, of course, did not seem to share his sentiment.
“Did you come here to stop me from getting on the ship?” She glared at him accusingly. “You stalker!”
“Like an old pal of mine used to say, manners maketh man. I just saved your life, lass. How about some gratitude, eh?”
The girl slumped her shoulders. “Thank you, I suppose. And you win. Looks like I’m not going anywhere. Or doing anything. Back to being cooped up at home.”
Duncan’s expression softened as he watched Hilda pick up her bag and brush the dust off listlessly.
“Your mother would be glad to see you safe and sound,” he spoke up, hoping it would help lift her spirits at least a little.
Hilda shook her head with a dry chuckle instead.
“She isn’t home. She barely spends time at home, and neither did Father,” she said. “They were always busy with their own activities, leaving me to do what I wanted in our house. That’s why I had enough time to obsess over medicine, you see. And after learning about my interests, they pushed me to spend the rest of my time studying at home. I wasn’t even aware that the Second Great War had broken out until last year.”
Duncan frowned. It might just be his age speaking, but this was no way to treat a kid. Children like her should be spending their time exploring the world and gaining new perspectives, not being imprisoned away from it.
Then again, who was he to judge?
He, too, had chosen to shut the world away from himself, even if it was because humanity had disappointed him time and time again. And he’d be lying if he said it made him happier. Stubborn as his age had made him, he couldn’t deny that such a life only made him feel lonelier. And the lonelier he got, the more bitter he would become.
Sure, he had Lucy. But she was the type who preferred throwing herself into the mortal world and mingling with humans. Unlike Duncan, Lucy had no shortage of friends in the supernatural world, either.
As close as he was to that vampire, they were simply different types of people.
Duncan glanced at Hilda, who was squatting with her head between her arms now. It was obvious that throwing herself into this ‘investigation’ was the girl’s way of coping with the grief of losing her father. Perhaps a trip into the wide world was just what she needed to tide her through these tough times.
And perhaps, the same could be said for himself.
“What are you doing?” The man crouched to look at Hilda, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Making you feel guilty,” Hilda mumbled her reply, still keeping her head buried below her arms. “Is it working?”
“What? No! No— Does it look like it’s working?”
She shifted her head to reveal an eye as she stole a peek at Duncan. “Yes, I think it is.”
Duncan took a deep breath. He had never been good with children, and Hilda Harvey was no exception. But as much as his pride wanted him to deny it, this was no time to be playing such petty games with a teenager.
“Alright, come on. On your feet, Harvey.” He stood up with a loud sigh and gestured to her bag. “If you’ve packed already, I know another way to get to Japan.”
“Really?” Hilda lifted her head, and her eyes slowly widened in realisation. “Of course, you’re a witch doctor! Oh, thank you so much, Doctor Ward! Are you going to open one of those magic rectangular gateways to Japan?”
Duncan shook his head. “No, my magic can’t take us that far. We will be going by train. The Witch’s Train.”
The girl broke into a bright smile.
~ ~ ~
For all his fearsome reputation as Japan’s most efficient commander, ex-General Masao Kubo had his plans delayed yet again. What was supposed to be a simple extraction disguised as a robbery couldn’t even be accomplished. He truly was surrounded by imbeciles.
Kubo had decided not to reply to the telegram his two terminally useless men had sent just five minutes ago. If they were loyal, they’d take their own lives anyway. And if they were smart, they’d stay out of Japan forever.
Still, the appearance of that strange Westerner was an unexpected turn, even for someone as calculated as Kubo.
According to the two spies he had sent to London, they had been observing the mansion ever since their tracking of the Kiseigumo had led them there. Although they were tasked with extracting the parasite from Bertram Harvey’s body covertly, they were also instructed to let its ill effects take their course.
And so they did.
That much was obvious enough, since they did not have to wait long before a funeral for their target’s host was held. Their next set of instructions was simple: Wait for the funeral to be over before breaking into the nearby mansion and properly extracting the parasite from Harvey’s corpse.
As such, Kubo had instructed them to make sure that they knew every funeral attendee’s identity just to be careful. And so they did.
At least, they thought they did.
Everything would have proceeded according to plan until a mysterious stranger turned up without an invitation. Or any form of identification, in fact. And as luck would have it, Bertram Harvey’s daughter spotted him.
The spies had remained concealed, overhearing their conversation until the young daughter of the house suddenly decided to bring the stranger into the mansion.
But the strangest part was that he never left the mansion. Not only that, but the spies’ sensors that had been detecting the parasite’s presence suddenly registered its absence as well. If their sensors were still working perfectly, the only conceivable explanation— absurd as it sounded— was that the stranger somehow extracted the parasite without any equipment and vanished into the air.
As such, the spies chose to follow the girl instead when she left the house with a bag in her hand. After all, men don’t simply vanish into the air. Their sensors must have been faulty, and the parasite had probably snuck itself into the girl’s bag.
Upon reaching the ferry station, they immediately pretended to be muggers so that they could search her belongings for the parasite. Unfortunately, they had no luck, and that same stranger showed up again somehow.
Kubo almost flew into a rage when he received the absurd telegram; he had assumed his men were simply making excuses for failing their mission. But after spending a few moments thinking about it, their story may very well hold true. There were simply too many unanswered questions.
Who— or rather— What was this strange Westerner known as Duncan Ward? How did he get to the ferry station before the spies did? And how was he acquainted with this girl?
Kubo adjusted the golden decorations on his khaki uniform unconsciously as his brain worked out his next course of action. Although discharged from the military a few years ago for crimes against his own soldiers, the ex-general had chosen to keep wearing his uniform.
After all, he was still loyal to Japan, even if nobody in the government agreed with his solutions for the country. And above all, he was a leader chosen by the emperor. Nothing could change that.
Those other weak-minded generals were too narrow-minded to bother with power they couldn’t understand. All they could see was conventional warfare and personal glory. They didn’t know what power they could wield for the country— No. They feared what they didn’t understand.
And if Kubo was being honest, so did he.
But unlike those spineless cowards, his love for the country was greater than his fear. The supernatural world was something humans knew frighteningly little about, and experimenting with it often only brought about disaster. It had turned his soldiers into mindless abominations that needed to be put down, after all.
Still, greatness was never won without sacrifice, even if he had to sacrifice his own people to save the world.
Kubo got out of his desk and looked out of the window. A musty warehouse stared back at him. It wasn’t the best living conditions for his new, much smaller team of soldiers, but it was isolated enough to deter the government— or any wandering fool in general— from disturbing his work. Only a handful of men had chosen to follow him after his disgrace, but he was grateful for them nonetheless.
Courage. Loyalty. Grit. These things still existed, even as the world threatened to crumble on them. Tension built up near his left temple—
“General Kubo.”
He turned back, eyes weary but strong.
“I am sorry to report that Experiment Subject Two Zero Two did not survive the symbiotic procedure. He has been neutralised.” The man standing before him was also dressed in an Imperial officer’s uniform, and he sported a crew cut. “We are running out of both genetic iterations and parasites. Perhaps we need a stronger candidate; these prisoners of war may not have the mental and physical fortitude to withstand such a procedure.”
“Halt the experiment for now until we find more appropriate subjects.” Kubo waved his hand, not bothering to hide his disappointment. “Perhaps it is time we used something a little… less human.”
“With all due respect, sir. Japanese people are strong enough to take anything. We mustn’t give up yet.”
Kubo shifted his narrow eyes at his subordinate. “What are you trying to say, Yoshida?”
Yoshida sank into a deep bow. “Please, General! Allow me to be the next subject for this experiment! I have trained my mind and body for many years; I am sure I will survive the procedure.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Then it will be an honourable death. I am more than willing to die for—”
“Lieutenant Yoshida,” Kubo said curtly as he walked up to the man, hands behind his back. “How much do you believe in our cause?”
“For the world to know peace again, it must be cleansed with force. It is up to us to take the world so that the sting of war will never touch the world again.”
“If you understand that, then you know wars are won by competent men, not mindless soldiers,” Kubo said. “Perfecting the procedure only means creating the best soldiers, but I need men who can get things done. Only together can we take the world.”
“But—”
“Dying as a soldier is easy; living as men is harder. The world still needs people like you, Yoshida.” The general turned to the window again, watching a group of soldiers prepare the stage for the next round of experimentation. “Keep your head up high. We still have work to do.”
The lieutenant straightened his back, although he remained silent.
“Since the dawn of time, men have always coveted that which is not theirs. There are others who seek Japan’s gifts, and they have already succeeded in stealing from us,” Kubo said. “They will be after the same thing tonight as well. Take the Ghost Train, Yoshida. They will be waiting for their prey, and we will wait for them.”
Yoshida furrowed his eyebrows slightly. “Are you referring to that girl? But doesn’t she have that strange… Westerner protecting her? Pardon me, but I have a feeling he is empowered by the demons. Our supernatural weapons may not be advanced enough to deal with him and our enemies.”
“That, I have noticed as well.” Kubo nodded. “Don’t reveal yourself unnecessarily. Keep your distance and observe as much as you can.”
His hand moved to his head, massaging his left temple. “And let us see just how well this Westerner can protect his ward."
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