Mizuki was seated in the same place where Yuzuki had been sitting earlier. Her expression was calm, yet slightly serious and thoughtful. She rested her elbows on the table and pressed her palms together. To her left, in the dining area, Shiro and Kaede remained seated in the same spots. By this point, Shiro was somewhat hungry. He had gone the entire time without even a snack, on top of nearly vomiting while in motion. He chose to stay quiet for now.
"You bring good news, right?" Kaede asked, somewhat animated. She couldn't hide it—she wanted an answer that Shiro didn't yet understand.
"I wouldn't say that. Normally I'd call it good, but…"
"But what?!" Kaede said naturally, in an almost childish tone.
Mizuki let out a tired sigh and simply ignored that before continuing.
"Don't complain. This situation is your fault. Under normal procedure, Shiro wouldn't even be here."
Hearing that, Shiro felt a chill run down his spine. Thinking about what might have happened to him—or where he would be—was beyond him. His thoughts were interrupted when Mizuki spoke again.
"I'll explain everything first, and then you'll give me your opinion. Even if Shiro doesn't understand most of it, his opinion is still valid."
She looked at Shiro, who glanced at her occasionally with discomfort before simply nodding.
What will happen to me depending on the answer… Shiro thought, slightly worried, trying to remain calm.
"Are you listening, Yuzuki?" Mizuki asked, looking toward the kitchen just a few steps away.
When Shiro turned, he noticed how orderly everything was. The refrigerator stood open. On the other side, Yuzuki was checking inside, two fingers resting against her chin. She got distracted for a second when she heard Mizuki.
"A-ah, yes, I'm listening," Yuzuki said, glancing sideways toward the table before continuing to check the fridge.
"Well… I'll start with the first thing. Neither the sages nor the other apartment heads fully agreed to admit Shiro into Apartment 9. Considering we've rejected stronger agents without even testing them, and now we want to recruit someone without a soul, without combat experience, and without even giving him a trial… well, you can imagine what they thought."
Mizuki spoke while occasionally glancing around.
"Combat experience…?" Shiro murmured almost to himself.
Mizuki heard him. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at him.
"I'll explain everything tomorrow. It's already late today. We haven't even had dinner…"
"Why tomorrow? I want to start training with him already!" Kaede said, slightly turning her head. She looked excited just thinking about it.
"You just want to overwork him, don't you…?" Mizuki muttered quietly to herself before looking back at Shiro.
"I'll put it simply. You are a host, and Kaede is the shuffler."
Shiro took a breath before speaking.
"I'm a host? I'm not that important—"
A voice from his left interrupted him.
"We all know that. You're the host of Kaede's card, idiot."
Yuzuki placed a bag from the fridge onto the counter, closing the refrigerator with her thigh.
"O-oh… of the card…" Shiro said after understanding how simple it apparently was.
Mizuki sighed.
"You'll have to undergo the trial. It's unfortunate."
"What trial?" Shiro asked, confused.
Kaede snapped her fingers and spoke proudly.
"Since you're my host, I can take the trial with you!"
Mizuki interrupted before Kaede could continue.
"The trial consists of enduring five minutes in a fight. Since it's only a recruitment test, it's nothing extreme. But you don't even have a soul to place your own card into. I'll think of something by tomorrow."
Shiro heard a snap beside him. Kaede was smiling.
"I already thought of something! So he doesn't have to physically keep up with me, he could use some kind of maneuver gear!"
Mizuki slammed her hand on the table with feigned anger.
"Do you know how long it would take to get one and have Shiro learn to control it?!"
Maneuver gear… Shiro thought. He had never seen one, so he couldn't imagine it. But then he understood part of what Kaede was implying.
"H-hey, I'm not lazy. I did track and field before coming here!"
Shiro said, looking at Kaede, who looked surprised.
"That's great!"
"Right?" Shiro replied with slight enthusiasm at finally being praised for doing some kind of exercise.
"And what's that?"
Kaede asked.
His mood dropped instantly. From the kitchen, Yuzuki let out a faint laugh.
Above Shiro—without him noticing—four cards with purple flames floated. From each card extended a thin purple thread holding what looked like a plate. It descended suddenly onto the table in front of him. Shiro was startled and almost stood up, but when he saw what was on the plate, he felt a tingling in his stomach.
Is this… bacon?
Yuzuki looked at him calmly.
"Give me those clothes later so I can have them cleaned."
Shiro nodded without hesitation. He didn't even question whether the food might taste strange. He grabbed a piece and began eating immediately.
Mizuki stood up.
"We have things to do tomorrow. I recommend at least ten hours of sleep."
She walked toward the hallway with six doors that also led to the exit.
"Ten hours? I only need six!" Kaede said cheerfully, though she also stood up, stretched her arms a little, and walked away without giving Shiro a smile.
From behind him, a hand touched his shoulder.
"Don't go near the hallway. I'll bring you something to wear later. The bathroom is the first door on the left once the hallway begins. Understood?"
Shiro felt a slight chill before nodding.
The place was somewhat dark, lit only by a few lamps. Shiro sat on the living room sofa wearing loose black pants and an oversized shirt.
"Where did they even get this size…" he muttered, looking at the shirt.
Footsteps came from the hallway. It was Kaede. She wore loose black pants and an oversized shirt as well.
Kaede's clothes are the same as mine… Shiro thought, watching her before speaking.
"Where do you even get these clothes?" he asked calmly.
"What do you think? They're mine," she replied as if it were obvious.
Shiro looked down at what he was wearing and swallowed.
"It's clean… right?" he asked, glancing sideways at her.
She crossed her arms.
"Hey, I don't smell bad!" she said with feigned anger before laughing.
"Yes, it's freshly washed. My usual clothes are being cleaned too."
Kaede leaned against the wall beside the hallway and let out a calm sigh.
"What do you think, huh? Wearing the clothes you like every day without being judged."
Shiro looked slightly to the side, thinking about it. He let out a soft, calm laugh and closed his eyes.
"Sounds interesting."
Kaede started walking back toward the hallway. She raised her hand toward him before disappearing into the darkness.
"Sleep well. Like Mizuki said—ten hours!"
Shiro was finally alone after so many hours. The last time he had truly been alone was before entering that alley.
Maybe I'd be eating junk food and drinking soda in my room if I hadn't gone into that alley.
He glanced toward the immense glass wall that rose beside him, revealing towering buildings that still didn't compare to Building 9.
"My mother would probably be scolding me… maybe."
He said it more quietly this time. He swallowed and lay down on the sofa, pulling a black blanket Kaede had lent him over himself. At this point, he didn't care whether it was hers or someone else's. It was soft. He used a pillow they had given him instead of the sofa cushions for some reason, lying on his side facing the photo-decorated wall, which couldn't be seen at night even with the surrounding lamps. He would have to turn on the lights to see them—but his eyelids were too heavy to focus. He blinked more and more, his eyes sometimes remaining closed under their weight… until he fell asleep.
Shiro sighed frequently in his sleep, restless. His vision was covered in blackness. Was he even dreaming? Indistinct whispers reached his ears constantly.
W-what… what's happening, stop…! he thought.
How could he even think clearly at a moment like this? The whispers seemed to pull him into—or out of—a dream, as if refusing to let him rest. Just before he could understand a single word, everything stopped.
A chill ran down his spine. A real chill. Too real to be dreaming.
"Do you like sakura trees…?" a whisper brushed against his ear—a feminine, somewhat sweet voice, yet one that felt as if it wanted to kill him just by being heard.
He tried to open his eyes, though he didn't even know if they were closed. He felt two pale hands on his shoulders—one on each. A sensation that would normally relax anyone. But Shiro felt an enormous weight instead. When those hands began to massage him, he felt as though he were descending suddenly into the abyss.
"Wait… something's not right."
His voice echoed through the darkness. Was he thinking? Speaking? Murmuring?
His figure was visible in the distance—unchanged. His hair completely still. Not even a trace of wind.
"It's like hell… there's no escape…" Shiro murmured, staring into nothingness. His speech felt strange—automatic.
"I can't find anything here. Do you… know something about this?"
He looked into the void. He began walking with clumsy steps, his mind drifting with automatic thoughts.
"Now that I think about it, the encounter was very simple, but… my head just keeps spinning…"
"That was when our eyes met."
Shiro turned toward the nothingness again at that voice—one that echoed his next thought. That feminine voice…
Before he could move toward it, his body shifted. As if none of what had just happened mattered. He was back on the sofa. Everything was darker than before—as if someone had turned off the lamps.
He tried to stand, but felt immense weight on top of him. The blanket was raised—there was something underneath it. A female figure emerged from the blanket without moving off him. Shiro struggled slightly to breathe.
The figure wore a loose black shirt and large black pants. Pale skin touched his own. She opened her mouth slightly, revealing fangs, bringing her face close to his neck.
"For this fleeting sensation… I will dedicate my life and heart to Kaede…"
Shiro didn't know what he was saying. His lips moved on their own, awakening emotions one by one. He felt dizzy. He opened his eyes, needing to scream—but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.
The more he forced his eyes open, the more they closed on their own—shifting him into another scene filled with debris and fire. Shiro stood surrounded by flames, suddenly feeling intense heat, sweating. It felt so real.
A strong удар struck his chest. He spat saliva automatically, though no one had hit him. He looked up. A card with green and white flames rose before him.
"Wait… I can't use a card. I didn't even know I had one. This is too risky…"
Suddenly, he felt his internal energy draining. His legs trembled. The card began spinning, creating a tornado that exploded and extinguished the fire. Shiro vomited. The card continued moving—now exploding itself to clear a path through the rubble.
"Again and again, again and again, again and again…"
He heard it in his head. It hurt slightly. It was his own voice. Every sensation awakened inside him. He dropped to his knees, grabbing his head, clutching his hair, on the verge of vomiting again.
Wait… it's a loop again.
The voice was Shiro's—but distant. Not from his mind. Not from his lips.
It came from the… card.
"Do you know something about this…?"
The card spoke with Shiro's own voice.
But Shiro had neither the strength nor the will to answer.
He simply fainted.