Who hid My Corpse!-Chapter 132: Twenty-nine They’ve gone mad

The last gear train slowly moved along the tracks, with the carriage so quiet that only the sound of gears turning could be heard.

Inside the carriage were just two people, sitting in the corners at opposite ends, seemingly unrelated, yet they wore identical uniforms—one new and one old.

Neither spoke, but in one's mind, a voice arose.

"Do you think this squad leader is here to kill you?"

Naturally, it was Bai Wei speaking, and indeed, the ones seated at the front and back of the train were Kude and Gerard.

"Why would he want to kill me?"

To Gerard's query, Bai Wei chuckled lightly, "Are you playing dumb or can you not bring yourself to believe it?"

Gerard slowly closed his eyes and after a long moment, replied, "I don't know."

He still remembered what he had been told at the Skeleton Corps' headquarters.

Now, it seemed people were starting to deal with him using means beyond the Rule.

Over the past decade, although countless individuals had wished for Gerard's death, his survival to this point was precisely because those who wanted him dead wouldn't act directly but sought to send him to his demise within the confines of the Rule. They'd assign him to missions with extreme danger and provide the least support—sometimes none at all—such as abandoning him in the perilous Mud Swamp Forest with the hope that he wouldn't make it out, or by striking deals with forces not from Lyra to target him.

Regardless, the bottom line was that no one would lay hands on Gerard personally, for that would cross the line.

However, now even without Bai Wei's explicit warning, Gerard could sense the increasing frequency of such boundary-crossing acts against him.

Actions that would have been unthinkable before were now happening regularly.

So when Kude offered to accompany him, Gerard had anticipated this turn of events.

Although he didn't want to consider it, his body had already reacted by maintaining a state of tense readiness from the moment he boarded the train, to ensure he could respond instantly should any emergency arise.

After all, he wasn't facing a novice like Ocot this time.

...Kude.

Including those past comrades who were no longer among the living, Kude was one of the strongest individuals Gerard knew. In the Skeleton Corps, Kude was the youngest squad leader and frequently undertook missions outside the Faction.

The Skeleton Corps was divided into two parts: one responsible for city defense and the other charged with liaising with other Churches, often without the possibility of supply from within Lyra for extended periods. Consequently, they couldn't rely heavily on mechanical augmentations but had to excel in other aspects.

In this regard, Kude was similar to the one known as Night Star, who emphasized that machinery should be an augmentation to the body.

Both Gerard and Kude excelled in this area, and Gerard sometimes saw a part of his younger self in Kude, especially since they had been partners for a significant stretch and had come to know each other well.

This was why, emotionally, Gerard didn't want to regard Kude as an enemy in a life-or-death struggle.

However, from a rational standpoint, he couldn't help being extremely cautious around Kude, not just because of Kude's formidable strength but also because... Gerard was now without a weapon.

Indeed, Gerard currently had no weapon; his Chainsaw Sword had been left at the Skeleton Corps.

The Corps had provided a simple reason: his weapon was too old and needed maintenance and inspection.

That was the official Rule, and Gerard had no grounds to refuse.

It was an open conspiracy.

Kude, on the other hand, carried his Folding Chopping Axe with him, which Gerard had seen in action. Under the effect of "Overload," Kude could fully deploy and unleash a thunderous chop with the axe in just a second, which was very difficult for Gerard to defend against without his Chainsaw Sword, especially as his own mechanical augmentation was far inferior to Kude's.

Therefore, as soon as he entered the carriage, Gerard took the seat farthest from Kude to give himself enough time to react.

But Gerard knew that even so, it would be very hard for him to defeat Kude.

"If we really start fighting, will you make a deal with me?" Bai Wei's languid voice echoed in Gerard's mind, "I'll come and help you slaughter him."

By the time he asked this question, Bai Wei had already guessed what Gerard's answer would be.

And sure enough, he hadn't guessed wrong; Gerard refused.

"No."

"Why is that?" Bai Wei asked, "He is truly going to kill you. Are you still clinging to some principle about not using my power to harm the people of Lyra? Don't you think that's just fooling yourself?"

"I have never stolen any bells," Gerard said, "But I know that he is not the mastermind behind this, nor does he know the truth behind it all; he's just following orders from above."

"So you'll just let him kill you without resisting?"

"Of course, I will resist," Gerard said, "But I will only use my own power to fight back, not yours."

Tsk, such a hassle.

Bai Wei felt that Gerard was truly stubborn as hell, like a stone in a latrine.

Just as Bai Wei was pondering how to guide—no, persuade—this guy, Kude had already stood up, raising his Folding Chopping Axe.

...Is it starting?

Bai Wei squinted Gerard's eyes, sensing that Gerard, too, had tensed his body, fully prepared.

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But Bai Wei was also well aware that Kude was not like Ocot, loaded with divine gear but clueless in combat. From a certain perspective, Kude was a younger version of Gerard, equipped with a more advanced body enhancement and armed with weapons. In such a case, Gerard had no chance of winning; if Kude decided to fight to the death, then surviving would be very difficult for Gerard.

Was there no way out?

Bai Wei's pupils slightly froze.

If things really came to that point, even if Gerard was unwilling, then he would have to intervene by force.

He would not allow Gerard to die here.

Nobody would be allowed to.

"Thump, thump."

The gear train passed the penultimate station and headed toward the last stop.

The lights of the penultimate platform faded into the distance, their flickering shadows dancing in the eyes of the two men.

Kude slowly raised the Chopping Axe in his hand.

Bai Wei's eyes gradually widened.

And then...

"Bang."

A crisp sound.

Kude tossed the Chopping Axe out of the train, the weapon that embodied both elegance and brutality instantly disappearing into the darkness.

Gerard was stunned.

"I had always been uncertain, but when they explicitly ordered me to kill you, I understood... They have truly gone mad."

Kude looked straight at Gerard.

"We need to have a proper talk, Night Star."