It is possible that the chapter contains translation errors.)
The room was almost completely empty. The four walls looked like blank canvases waiting to be painted.
They were dull gray—like the sky seemed to be all the time.
He sat down on one of the four benches, also gray.
"They don't even try to decorate… Are they so important that they don't bother thinking about something like that…?"
Shiro stared at the ceiling, searching for calm. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Kaede to his left—arms crossed, legs together, eyes closed. She breathed every now and then in a slow, steady rhythm.
"Did she fall asleep?"
He only glanced at her briefly, pretending to show the bare minimum of interest. Eventually, he rested his arms between his legs and let out a quiet sigh. The room had a small opening where oxygen flowed in.
At least they weren't planning to suffocate anyone.
"Good… finally some time alone. This waiting room is way too plain…"
Shiro subtly drifted back to his meeting with that card the previous night. They were just scattered thoughts—until he closed his eyes for a moment.
[Shiro's consciousness — the previous day's dream]
—"So… you can't tell me your name or why I can talk to you… I can't fully trust you like that. And besides… you being inside me like you say… that sounds weird…"
Shiro stood in darkness. If he stepped forward, it felt as though he would fall into an abyss. If he stepped back, it seemed he would be swallowed by a dense mist.
The card floated before him—the main entity. Its faint, green, flame-like glow was noticeable, and its white surface made it shine even brighter.
—"Yes, something like that. I'm sorry if it sounds distrustful on my part, but… I have my reasons. Normally I would say it's water under the bridge, but… that water could harm you sooner or later if you drink it while pretending it isn't there. You know what I mean, don't you?"
—"…Yeah."
The card spoke with a female voice. And as he thought about it more carefully, he remembered—that was the same voice that had asked him about the sakura trees. It didn't seem important at the time.
Or at least, that's what he thought that day outside the desert.
—"Well… maybe I can at least tell you my name."
The card remained completely still in the air. Not even the apparent wind in this place moved it. Shiro simply nodded, waiting for his curiosity to be satisfied.
—"…Alma Rig—"
A sharp snap echoed.
Shiro felt as though he had been forcefully expelled from his own mind. When he suddenly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Mizuki standing in front of him—the apparent source of the snap.
—"…You wake up easily. I came for two things."
Shiro straightened slightly—he had been leaning back too much—but Mizuki was already speaking.
—"First, everything is ready to register you as a member of Department 9. Don't ask how, but I managed to get your fingerprint and facial data. Also a basic record—your age and things like that. It updates monthly. It's a headache. You understand?"
Shiro listened to all of it. Hearing so many words after almost drifting off into past thoughts was a strangely new sensation. Not even wearing the same clothes every day—like everyone else did—had felt like this.
He simply nodded.
—"Um… is that all?" Shiro asked with half-lidded eyes, finally opening them fully as he spoke.
—"No. One more simple matter. I know you're not the type, but I'd be worried if you disrespected someone. And if I send you out there without explaining the hierarchy of this place, you might feel like people are watching you too much."
Shiro listened carefully. There were still things he needed to process, but this felt more important at the moment.
—"Alright, alright… you can talk," he said, looking straight ahead at her.
She glanced down briefly and sighed.
—"Just don't disrespect anyone. Especially the Hinokami. Though I doubt you're capable of it."
—"Yeah… wait. Who are the Hinokami?"
Mizuki walked to the side, already on her way out. Without fully turning to him, she answered:
—"People you don't want to mess with. They're strong. At least one of them is kind and understanding—but he doesn't tolerate disrespect toward his comrades. So… that's it. You and Kaede leave in five minutes. Everything's ready. I just bought you a little time to mentally prepare."
Shiro exhaled.
He couldn't help the chill that ran down his spine. His hands trembled slightly for a moment.
—"Thanks, Mizuki…"
She didn't respond. She simply left the room, closing the door behind her.
Shiro let out a soft sigh, trying to steady himself alone. But he couldn't stop noticing the faint trembling in his hand. The cold atmosphere didn't help.
He closed his eyes.
Maybe remembering would help.
Someone gently took his right hand—the one hanging loosely at his side. The grip was slightly clumsy, but it tried to calm him.
[Exclusive Combat Floor — Floor 50]
The place was filled with people in suits—both men and women. There was plenty of variety: tall figures, average heights, and everything in between.
The air almost felt suffocating. Building staff tried to maintain order, but everyone seemed intrigued—waiting for something.
Among the crowd, Yuzuki advanced, sliding sideways to avoid colliding with others. The corridor formed a circle, and at every turn there was a window without glass.
She kept walking, glancing at the people standing at each window she passed. When she spotted someone familiar, she calmly grabbed him by the shirt and moved him aside without even looking at him. She placed both palms on the ledge, turning her back to everyone and staring at what lay inside.
Curiously, no one complained.
Elsewhere on the same floor, something felt familiar.
Walking forward. Trying not to hide his hands in the pockets of his green jacket—because Kaede was holding his right hand as they advanced. Her expression was proud as she led the way down the corridor.
—"What do you think, Shiro? Is my glove soft?"
For once, no one else was nearby. The corridor was dimly lit.
Shiro hadn't refused to let Kaede hold his hand. In some way, it relaxed him.
"I have to focus… This is one of the only times in my life I'm irreplaceable. Though… maybe I'm getting ahead of myself…"
He continued forward under Kaede's guidance. The hallway grew darker. A faint bulb flickered on—barely enough light to avoid stumbling.
Kaede let go of his hand.
Shiro leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. The hallway was narrow—just enough not to get in the way.
—"I can't screw this up…"
He whispered to himself.
Beside him, Kaede suddenly crouched down and searched under the only bench in the corridor. She quickly pulled out a simple box and placed it on top of the bench.
When she opened it, she glanced at him.
—"Take off your jacket."
Her tone carried expectation.
—"H-Huh? My jacket?"
He flinched slightly—but if Kaede said so, there had to be a reason. He began taking it off.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her holding a dark green jacket—loose-fitting, simple, comfortable.
—"Do you like it? I had it made for you. I thought the one you had wasn't loose enough—you might sweat too much, and it'd get uncomfortable. So…"
His heart pounded.
He reached out and took it—but for some reason, it felt wrong to accept it.
Still, he quickly put it on. He lifted his arms.
Yes. It was loose—but efficient for movement.
—"Thank you…"
Kaede smiled awkwardly.
—"Don't worry. I'm sure you've gotten better gif—"
—"This is the first gift that hasn't come from a family member."
His words struck her straight in the chest.
Without reason—or maybe without wanting one—she stepped forward clumsily, searching for the right position to hug him. And when she felt it might be too late to pull away, she simply let herself fall against him.
She hugged him.
—"…W-Why all of a sudden…?"
Shiro didn't step back. He wasn't stupid—rejecting a hug would be worse. But he wasn't used to it.
—"Buy me something when we get out of here…"
Kaede whispered against his shoulder, her stutter something she tried to hide from herself.
She pulled away and turned her back without another word.
—"S-Sure. I'll buy you something…"
Then Shiro paused.
—"Wait… I don't even have money…"
Kaede snapped her fingers, prompting the system to respond. A door opened before them—the end of the corridor.
Above them, Yuzuki remained at her window.
Outside was a square field—uncared for. In the center stood a small table with a button that activated the glass golem.
She couldn't help glancing to the larger, more isolated window to her left. There was an empty chair there. Beside it stood two men in suits, and next to the chair, a turned-off screen pointed toward the battlefield.
A few seconds later, Kaede and Shiro stepped forward into the glow of the entrance.
The door behind them shut abruptly.
Shiro instinctively glanced back—but quickly recomposed himself.
—"Okay… this will be quick. In and out. I'll run without overthinking until the very last second…"
He looked up.
He fell silent.
They were surrounded.
Hundreds of windows encircled them from above. Shiro scanned them one by one.
—"Why are there so many people…? It's just a test…"
Kaede tried to steady herself.
—"Well… we told you our department was missing one member to become official—and that's you, right? People are interested. Probably because of Yuzuki…"
—"Yuzuki?"
Shiro searched the windows.
There she was. Alone. Watching them without showing emotion.
Beside her, Mizuki suddenly appeared—likely having just arrived, since the crowd had shifted to make way for her.
After all, she was a Sage.
About ten meters ahead of Shiro and Kaede stood the center of the field—a small circular table with the button resting on it.
They were about to approach it.
Unbeknownst to them—
A disturbing presence watched from afar.
An empty chair between two suited men. A perfect view of the battlefield.
—"Good. This will be quick…"
A calm yet refined male voice approached the chair. His dark blond hair shifted in the wind as he sat comfortably.
—"I, the Sage of Department Number 1, have the honor of witnessing this test—alongside the esteemed Chief."
He snapped his fingers. The man to his right turned on the screen.
Shiro couldn't see who appeared on it—it was too far—but it must have been that so-called Chief.
The blond Sage narrowed his eyes briefly before speaking more quickly:
—"You—the one in the green jacket. You're that Shiro? The guy with no records, no card—who suddenly becomes the next member of the department that has rejected the most applicants. Right? Mizuki?"
He glanced toward one of the windows surrounding the battlefield.
Mizuki met his gaze directly.
She didn't answer.
They held the same rank. He wasn't her superior.
—"Fine, fine… We won't waste time. Let's keep it simple. Head to the button. Press it. And pray to God."
He crossed one leg over the other, seeking entertainment.
Shiro began walking—but Kaede took the lead. He couldn't stop glancing sideways now and then.
"Why are there so many people…? I can feel every stare on me. N-No… I can't let this distract me. It'll be worse if I don't do what I'm best at…"
His thoughts swirled—but he focused on not stopping.
The loudest sound now was the murmur of the crowd.
Shiro understood they were members of other departments.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of being judged.
"Seriously… what have I gotten myself into…?"
He closed his eyes briefly, trying to relax—trying to throw the pressure away and become as light as possible.
—"Shiro."
Kaede's voice came from beside him.
He inhaled deeply, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled a breath heavy with relief.
He put on a serious expression and looked directly into her eyes.
—"…Yeah?"
She almost smiled at his newfound determination—but only lifted one corner of her lip slightly.
—"When I press the button, step back."
He nodded and subtly moved his right foot behind him in preparation.
"Good… I doubt she wants to do this alone. After all, being near me is vital for her… her card."
His mind tried to think quickly, practically.
But he stopped himself.
His thoughts needed to remain natural.
This was his first real combat experience.
The instincts he had forged through holographic simulations needed to surface now.
Kaede felt the wind entering through the slight openings of the surrounding windows. The wind was strong today.
She glanced sideways at Shiro.
—"By the way… about what you told me this morning before coming here… are you sure?"
Shiro parted his lips slightly—but said nothing at first.
Then he looked at her directly.
—"…Completely."
Kaede nodded and prepared to press the button.
Higher above, at the windows—
Yuzuki and Mizuki remained still.
—"You have faith in them…?" Yuzuki asked without taking her eyes off the battlefield.
—"All of it."
Mizuki looked up at the cloudy sky, tilting her head slightly.
—"It's going to be bad weather…"
Kaede finally placed her hand over the button. Her glove brushed lightly against it before applying pressure.
The instant she pressed it, she stepped back—Shiro doing the same.
A towering creature manifested before them, refracting the sunlight through its body—if there had been any sun at all.
It was entirely made of compact dark-blue crystal, its interior visible through its translucent mass.
Inside, a completely black vortex churned—seemingly serving as its heart.
The entity had no face, yet it was unmistakable that it was watching them.
It materialized over the span of a few seconds, as if summoned by a sequence of commands executed by its unseen master.
Shiro and Kaede exchanged glances. His was slightly nervous.
Kaede nodded.
A signal.
Something she had likely explained before coming here.
Shiro understood.
He ran to the left.
She sprinted to the right.
The golem stood nearly ten meters tall, its arms the size of an average car. Without fully understanding their intentions, it raised both fists and slammed them down side by side without mercy.
Kaede reacted instantly, forcing herself into a roll toward the left and rising at once.
Shiro, seeing the fist about to crush him, had only one brave reaction—
He ran right.
They crossed paths mid-run.
Kaede extended her hand toward him.
Just as their fingers were about to touch—
The golem would not allow it.
Possessing awareness honed over decades, it understood what a host and a shuffler could do.
It brought both fists together and smashed them downward toward the two of them.
Kaede knew Shiro's reaction speed wasn't the fastest.
So she shoved him toward her left—away from the colossal strike.
That brief contact was enough for a simple attack.
With almost no time to react, she dropped onto her back and raised her right palm.
A black card with blue flames appeared—
And exploded.
The impact forced the golem's fist to recoil.
That single instant was enough.
She rolled aside and stood.
But when she turned—
Shiro was already running along the golem's right side.
The colossus slammed its fist down again.
Shiro narrowly dodged.
Improvising entirely—summoning courage from somewhere deep—he leapt onto the massive fist.
The sudden physical effort cost him, but he managed to climb up.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Kaede as he began sprinting along the golem's arm.
Kaede ran toward the golem and launched herself upward.
Before Shiro could lose balance, he threw himself toward her.
They met midair.
Their fingers nearly intertwined—
But the golem did not rest.
It raised its left arm to strike them while airborne—where they had no way to dodge.
—"Shiro, you talked about that thing all morning—do it already!"
With trembling fingers, Shiro lifted his hand.
He was falling.
A fist that could kill him with a single blow loomed before him.
Yet even so—
His palm began to glow in a soft, grass-green light.
[Shiro's consciousness — previous night]
—"So… you call yourself Alma Rigel. Your objectives are secret. You can communicate with me. And you're saying… you fell into my body?"
Shiro tried to understand.
He was so focused he didn't mind sitting in the darkness.
The card before him descended slightly.
—"Yes. Something like that. Consider me an ally. And before you ask why… I could have dominated and controlled you long ago."
Shiro swallowed.
It was his own consciousness—yet it felt real.
He forced himself to confront her.
—"…Then why don't you?"
—"…That's part of my secrets. Anyway, you have a test tomorrow. So… let's say I'm lending you my power. I'll teach you something basic you can learn here. Even if you don't have ether, I'll handle that. Think of it as artificial ether. As for where that ether will go… that's also a secret."
Back in reality—
Shiro's palm blazed.
A white card ignited with pale green flames.
It detonated—not violently, but effectively.
The golem's fist recoiled again.
Kaede reacted instantly, grabbing Shiro's hand.
They landed with surprising ease.
Even Shiro was startled his feet didn't ache—but he staggered slightly.
Kaede used that excuse to pull him closer.
Their chests collided.
Between them—
Their two cards began to shine.
The spectators at the windows watched intently.
Not out of admiration for combat—
But out of astonishment.
The Sage of Department 1 nearly rose from his seat but remained composed for appearances.
At the windows, Mizuki and Yuzuki observed silently.
—"Wait a second. Since when does Shiro have a card? And that type of—"
Mizuki made a subtle gesture for Yuzuki to stop.
Perhaps it was better not to show concern.
Back on the dusty battlefield—
Shiro and Kaede struggled not to sneeze from the stirred debris.
Their cards glowed brighter.
—"Let's improvise something…"
Kaede murmured, raising her fingers.
More black cards materialized, circling Shiro's white one faster and faster—
Until they merged.
They shot toward the colossus, stopping just before impact—
Ready to explode.
But—
They halted midair.
After making enough contact with Shiro, Kaede separated slightly.
With a snap—
All the cards scattered around the golem.
Kaede advanced slowly.
—"How much time left?" Shiro asked.
She glanced at him.
—"Three minutes."
Shiro laughed softly and began jogging forward, preparing to sprint.
His heart pounded violently.
Adrenaline shook his body.
But he would turn it into strength.
—"Good. Don't laugh if this is the only thing I can do with this card…"
He ran.
For the first time—
He felt useful.
Kaede followed.
—"I wish it had been that easy for me…"
She whispered to herself before accelerating.
The colossus, as if following a script, tried once more to crush them both simultaneously.
A mistake.
A fatal one.
Kaede dodged left, surprised at how predictable the movement was.
Shiro refused to stop running.
He shifted his direction toward Kaede.
They collided shoulder to shoulder.
Kaede raised her right palm, guiding one of the scattered black cards toward Shiro's.
It wrapped around his white card—
And together they unleashed a combined blast.
The explosion struck the golem head-on.
It staggered backward.
Kaede's card vanished.
But Shiro's card—
Or rather, Alma Rigel—
Remained.
Unmoved.
As if the attack had cost it nothing.
Kaede grabbed Shiro's hand and pulled him just in time to evade another crushing blow.
—"Your card is strange, Shiro. It seems reusable…"
She said while running.
—"I… don't fully understand it either."
She stopped abruptly.
He did the same.
She smiled.
—"This is too easy. About 48 seconds left…"
The golem, angered at missing repeatedly, began slamming its fists into the ground again and again.
Kaede weaved through the impacts.
She trusted Shiro to handle himself.
Shiro, panting from constant movement, searched for Kaede through the dust.
Miraculously, none of the strikes hit him.
But—
When he thought everything was fine—
To his right—
He saw nothing.
Just a distorted reflection.
Like shattered crystal.
Suddenly—
Something lunged at him.
Cold skin.
Pain.
Impact.
The fist struck, unleashing a cloud of smoke.
Shiro rolled across the ground several times.
He didn't feel terrible.
His right arm was tense—but nothing serious.
Miraculously, he had avoided the worst of it.
But when he lifted his gaze—
Kaede was on the ground.
Gasping.
—"N-Next time… remind me to train your reflexes…"
Her knees hit the dirt.
She had taken most of the blow.
Real blood dripped from her forehead, thin streaks down her cheeks.
Nothing that wouldn't heal in a few days.
But—
The golem's fist rose again.
Ready to finish her.
And like that time before—
Kuze began to run.
—"I-It's… it's simple, right? Th-The card will help me again, won't it, Alma? Please… this is real… I… I'm the one who caused this. I'm the useless one. Help me… fix it…"
Kuze stood in front of Kaede.
Waiting.
Seconds stretched painfully.
—"I stayed for her. If I let her die for a stupid test, then none of this meant anything…"
He closed his eyes.
Waiting for the card to answer.
Instead—
He heard a blade cut once.
Yuzuki.
Descending at a speed no one predicted.
She severed the golem's fist cleanly.
Her eyes were closed.
Calm.
The golem resisted, raising its other fist.
Yuzuki opened one eye.
Disappointment flickered across her expression.
She lifted her sword slightly.
A card materialized—purple flames emanating from it.
It split at blinding speed around the golem.
Then—
She unleashed a concentrated ether blast.
A firm violet line of energy.
It struck the golem.
But that wasn't the true attack.
The surrounding purple cards replicated the same strike—
Simultaneously.
The impact shattered the golem into pieces.
The Sage of Department 1 frowned and stood.
—"Hey! Why are you interfering?!"
Yuzuki turned her gaze toward him.
Cold.
Murderous.
—"From the moment I intervened, exactly one second passed. In that second, they passed the test. I merely defended my officers. Any complaints?"
Her glare sharpened.
He clicked his tongue and shut off the screen, dismissing the Chief's presence.
—"Fine… I hope all those flawless missions haven't gone to your head, Yuzuki. We'll see how well you do when it's your turn to lead in the desert…"
Yuzuki ignored him.
She walked toward Kaede and Shiro.
Shiro couldn't stop panting—trying to stop only made it worse.
Yuzuki looked at him with faint understanding.
She placed her fingers under his chin and forced his mouth closed.
She glanced calmly toward Mizuki.
Mizuki turned slightly.
—"Medics. Now."
She descended to the field.
Shiro sank to the ground.
He had no serious wounds.
But he wished the pain had been his.
Not Kaede's.
He felt like dead weight.
—"I… I'm… s-sorry…"
He whispered.
Yuzuki heard him clearly.
She sighed heavily and spoke firmly—but not unkindly.
—"Calm down. She chose to jump in and help you. And… I doubt you'd have survived that hit. We'll talk when we get back."
When Mizuki reached them, she signaled Shiro to help lift Kaede.
Miraculously, she was unconscious.
She allowed herself to be supported.
And just like that—
The spectators were gone.
Only Department 9 remained—
Helping their first injured officer.