"Mochi-senpai, Kotone, wake up. We're here."
Miyu's voice broke the silence inside the train car.
Mochi opened her eyes with a yawn, still groggy from sleep. The trip had been long and monotonous, and the constant rattling of the train had eventually lulled even the two noisiest girls in the group to sleep. That repetitive, almost hypnotic sound had worked like a lullaby, and both she and Kotone had fallen fast asleep.
She blinked a couple of times to clear her head... and then realized something.
They were leaning against each other.
"W-What are you doing, brat?! Stop sticking so close to me!" Mochi exclaimed, jumping away.
Kotone reacted exactly the same way, though with a much more indignant expression.
"I'm the one who should be saying that! Look at this!" She pointed at a small wet stain on her shoulder. "You were drooling on me while you slept! You can't even keep your mouth shut when you're unconscious."
Mochi's eyes went wide.
"What?! Stop blaming everything on me! I'm sure you're the one who was drooling!"
"Are you implying that I drool in my sleep?"
"Yes!"
"The nerve!"
Miyu let out a long sigh as she pressed a hand to her forehead.
"I wish you two got along as well when you're awake as you did while you were asleep..."
The two of them turned toward her at the same time.
"What do you mean by that?"
With a mischievous smile, Miyu pulled out her phone.
"Well... this."
She showed them a photograph.
In the picture, Kotone was fast asleep with her head resting on Mochi's shoulder. As if that weren't enough, she was hugging one of the catsith's arms with both hands while Mochi slept peacefully, completely unaware of the situation.
Absolute silence filled the air for several seconds.
Both of their cheeks gradually turned bright red.
"DELETE THAT!!!" they shouted in unison.
Miyu couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Alright, alright."
Right in front of them, she pressed the button to delete the photo.
"Happy now?"
The two of them nodded with embarrassed expressions.
What neither of them knew was that it hadn't been the only picture Miyu had taken.
Hiding a satisfied smile, she slipped her phone back into her pocket without saying a word.
After getting off the train, they had a quick lunch at the station before continuing their trip to the exam site. The group split into two taxis, and after a relatively short ride, they finally reached their destination.
Mochi stepped out of the vehicle and froze.
"...Whoa."
She hadn't expected to find something like this.
Stretching out before them was a massive danchi—a gigantic abandoned residential complex.
Dozens of concrete buildings rose toward the sky in a vast grid. There were around forty apartment blocks, each ten stories tall and nearly identical in design. Endless rows of dark windows, empty balconies, and facades worn down by time turned the place into a true island of concrete.
From where they stood, it was impossible to take in the entire complex at a glance.
The silence was even more unsettling.
There were no birds, no insects, not even the sound of the wind rustling leaves. Nothing. A silence so absolute that it felt artificial.
Mochi felt a chill run down her spine as she stared at the abandoned buildings.
There was something about this place she absolutely didn't like.
She couldn't explain what it was, but her instincts told her there was something wrong with it.
She silently gave thanks that it was still daytime.
Just imagining that enormous complex swallowed by the darkness of night made her stomach tighten uncomfortably.
Rei stepped forward and cleared his throat to get the three girls' attention.
"This place has been completely abandoned for over thirty years. No humans live here anymore, and because it's fairly far from the city, very few people have any reason to come here. That's exactly why it became the perfect home for anomalies."
As he spoke, he looked toward the immense cluster of buildings stretching out before them.
"According to our estimates, several dozen anomalies currently inhabit this place. Most of them are Rank E, so they don't pose a significant threat, although it's possible you'll also encounter a few Rank D anomalies."
He then explained the true objective of the exam once again, although both Mochi and Miyu already knew it thanks to Zeke.
Somewhere inside that enormous maze of buildings was an anomaly that had reached the peak of Rank D and was only one step away from evolving into Rank C.
Their mission was to find it and eliminate it.
The three of them would have to act as a single team, without receiving any outside assistance.
They had thirteen hours to complete the mission.
Until dawn the following day.
During that time, neither Zeke, Rei, nor Takahiro would set foot inside the complex under any circumstances. Once they crossed the entrance, they would be completely on their own.
Rei let a few seconds of silence pass before asking,
"Any questions?"
Miyu raised her hand as naturally as if she were still in a school classroom.
"What happens if we can't find it before time runs out?"
"In that case," Rei answered bluntly, "all three of you will fail the exam and will have to wait until another evaluation is scheduled."
Kotone raised her hand immediately afterward.
"There's something I don't understand."
Rei gestured for her to continue.
"If this place gets as few visitors as you say, then normally a hostile anomaly of that level would have migrated long ago in search of prey. Why would it still be here? It doesn't seem to make any sense."
A faint smile appeared on Takahiro's face.
He was clearly proud that his niece had noticed that detail.
Rei nodded in approval as well.
"That's a very good observation. And you're right—that would be the usual behavior for almost any hostile anomaly."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But this one is a special case. It's a corrupted Zashiki-warashi."
The three girls paid even closer attention.
"As you already know, Zashiki-warashi are household spirits. Their nature is to protect the home they inhabit and remain by its side."
Rei pointed toward the immense apartment complex.
"Even after becoming corrupted, they retain part of that nature. They are bound to the place they consider their home and are incapable of leaving it of their own free will. That's why we're completely certain the anomaly is still here."
His expression grew slightly more serious.
"But don't let your guard down. They're extremely territorial."
Mochi raised her hand next.
"And what should we do about the other anomalies living around here?"
Rei remained silent for a few moments, carefully choosing his words.
"This time, there is no specific protocol. You'll have to assess each situation for yourselves and decide how to act."
He then added in a more relaxed tone,
"My personal recommendation is not to attack them unless they're hostile. Remember, the objective of this exam is not to exterminate every anomaly in the complex, but to demonstrate that you know how to evaluate a situation and make the right decisions."
Mochi nodded slowly.
That answer gave her much more freedom of action, but it also meant the responsibility would rest entirely on their shoulders.
Rei looked over the three young women and, once he confirmed there were no more questions, took a small step back.
"Very well. If there are no further questions... I hereby officially declare the exam begun."
The three exchanged one last glance.
Without saying another word, they crossed the entrance to the danchi and stepped into the vast abandoned complex.