Shiro nearly stumbled at the sight of the simulation. Everything was rocky—an immense landscape that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Kaede looked around with a radiant smile.
"Look, look, Shiro! It's huge!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms toward the horizon.
Shiro ran his right hand along the back of his neck, trying to analyze the place. Before he could say anything, Kaede grabbed his other hand and pulled him toward her with energy.
W-wait… why this? Shiro thought, feeling slightly nervous.
His chest collided with hers, and a dark blue ethereal flash burst between them. The energy dissolved gently as Kaede raised a finger toward the sky. Instantly, a completely black card with blue flames appeared above her hand. She smiled and clenched her fist firmly. The card split rapidly, creating multiple copies that began spinning around her.
"I don't feel anything… it all goes to you," Kaede murmured, her voice calmer.
Shiro felt a knot in his stomach, as if he had overeaten—though, thinking about it, he hadn't eaten in quite some time.
What am I supposed to do? I feel like I'm going to throw up… he thought, trying to suppress the discomfort.
Kaede took his hand again and looked at him with a warm smile.
"It's interesting, isn't it? We keep all the senses of a human body, even though this is a simulation."
Shiro sighed, realizing she was only trying to help. But before he could respond, Kaede launched herself upward with monstrous force. The ground beneath them cracked, and dust rose into the air. Shiro felt his stomach lurch as Kaede laughed energetically.
"Let's have some fun!" she shouted from the air.
The flaming cards surrounding her began splitting and spinning faster, forming a bluish tornado that dispersed when she snapped her fingers. One of the cards descended softly into her hand. She tossed it upward, and it exploded, releasing a black vortex that Kaede absorbed before hurling it forcefully toward one of the distant mountains.
The impact was devastating.
Kaede laughed lightly at the result, and as she descended, she held onto Shiro to soften their landing.
Shiro, meanwhile, was still trying to process everything. It all felt too real.
Why is the simulation so perfect? he wondered, slightly dizzy.
Kaede grabbed his hands again.
"Let me test you, Shiro!"
As they were about to touch the ground, one of the cards created a vortex that slowed their fall enough for a smooth landing. Kaede looked around, searching for something else to experiment with.
"Hey, Mizuki! Can you hear us? There's more we can do here!" Kaede shouted into the air.
After a brief moment of silence, a portal materialized in front of them. A strange, dense, imposing energy emanated from it.
"Look, Shiro! These kinds of portals let all sorts of things through!" Kaede exclaimed, approaching without hesitation.
Shiro reacted instinctively, rushing toward her and pulling her aside just in time. From the portal emerged a train made of smooth rock, speeding forward on invisible tracks suspended in the air. Both of them stared at it in silence, their breathing heavy.
"Just because we're in this simulation doesn't mean we're puppets…!" Shiro exclaimed.
Kaede burst into laughter and, without releasing his hand, propelled them upward again. Holding a card between her fingers, she threw it at the train, which exploded partially.
"With you, I have no limits!" Kaede shouted, exhilarated.
But Shiro's discomfort was getting worse. His stomach ached intensely.
Maybe I'm not a suitable vessel… he thought, fighting the dizziness.
In the blink of an eye, everything faded.
Shiro opened his eyes and found himself lying inside the simulation capsule. Above him, Kaede looked down with a warm smile before helping him sit up.
The door to the room opened, and Mizuki entered.
"Shiro, Kaede will guide you for today. We've been summoned to a meeting… you know, the sages."
Before leaving, Mizuki paused briefly.
"Kaede, consider Shiro part of Department Number 9."
Kaede remained silent for a moment, surprised—then she smiled from ear to ear.
"We're officially partners, Shiro!"
"E-eh?" Shiro stammered, confused.
Kaede grabbed his hand and led him to a window in the hallway. She pointed toward a gray, monochromatic city filled with towering buildings.
"Shiro, from now on, you'll live there… with me."
In front of them, a black building stood among nine others just like it, rising through the shadows of a dim, colorless city.