The train continued its journey along the tracks, cutting through the landscape with its usual steady and reassuring sound.
It had been fifteen minutes since Kaito and Yume had said goodbye to Hauromi.
Left alone, Kaito observed the carriage in silence, letting his gaze wander over the red curtains, the sofas next to the small tables, and the curved ceiling above his head.
"The train… they've rebuilt it exactly like before the fight with Shirogane," he murmured to himself.
Nothing seemed out of place. Every detail had been recreated with almost obsessive precision.
Shinkase… this city really defies all logic. Rebuilding everything so quickly? It's almost unsettling, he thought, crossing his arms.
That was when he heard light footsteps coming from the hallway.
Yume returned to the carriage. She had changed: she wore a short, simple white T-shirt and tight black jeans. Her hair, still damp from the rain, was tied in a high ponytail that revealed her neck. She wore no accessories, no makeup.
Kaito stared at her for a moment, caught off guard.
Since when does she dress like that?
He quickly looked away, embarrassed, as a faint blush rose to his cheeks.
"I'm back, Kaito," she said, sitting naturally on the sofa in front of him.
"You took your time…" he commented, trying to sound casual.
Yume gave a faint smile and shrugged.
"I felt like taking it slow."
She paused.
"Kaito, I want to ask you something," she said, resting her tilted head on her right hand.
"What's the plan once we reach Shinkase?"
Kaito looked at her.
"The plan is to wait for the Mugentamashii at the auction."
"I doubt they'll just let us in without a word…" Yume replied, visibly skeptical.
"I did some digging. From what I found out, the market in Shinkase is called Kageichi," he said, turning his gaze to the rain still falling outside. "And it's managed by the Fuyumi family."
"And what's that got to do with anything?" Yume asked, puzzled.
"I'm getting there. Not much is known about the Fuyumis, except that the head of the family died in an accident. Since then, they've become obsessed with money. Apparently, you can enter the auction by paying a pretty steep fee."
"How steep, exactly?" Yume asked.
"Four thousand brish."
Yume fell silent for a moment, then shot to her feet.
"Four thousand brish!? Where are we supposed to get that kind of money!?"
"Yume, people are staring…" Kaito warned.
She looked around, blushing slightly, then sat back down.
"S-so… where are we going to get it?" she asked again, this time in a quieter voice.
"Well, I didn't want to take it… but he insisted."
Kaito grabbed his backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a paper envelope, handing it to Yume.
"Tsk… that old man really didn't need to go that far," he muttered, trying to hide his gratitude toward Hauromi.
"These are…"
Yume peeked inside the envelope: there were six thousand brish.
Her surprise melted into a smile.
"That's just like him," she said, handing the envelope back to Kaito.
"So, as far as money goes, we're covered. But there's another problem," Kaito added with a serious expression.
Yume waited in silence.
"We don't know when the Mugentamashii will show up at the auction. We'll have to stay in Shinkase for a while. Fortunately, the entry ticket is valid for several days…" He paused again.
"And I don't know if we'll even be able to beat them."
"Are they really that strong?" Yume asked.
"Yeah… Shirogane even offered me an alliance just to face them."
Yume looked at him, then smiled slightly.
"I see. But don't worry. We'll get through it somehow. I'm sure of it."
Kaito felt a bit calmer. Then, with a hint of confidence, he replied,
"Yeah. You're right."
The two of them talked for several hours as the train continued its journey through various landscapes. Then, suddenly, the train began to slow down until it came to a stop with a hiss.
"We're here," Kaito said, standing up and peering out the window.
"This is…" Yume began.
"Exactly. This is Shinkase," he confirmed with a faint smile.
"Let's go."
Yume nodded. The two gathered their bags and exited the carriage. The train had stopped in an underground subway station.
"I've never seen anything like this…" Yume murmured, amazed.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were laced with bands of blue light that illuminated the entire area with a cold, pulsing glow. The screens and ads weren't hanging — they were projected into the air by two interconnected black poles.
"You're right… and to think this is just the beginning," Kaito commented, equally impressed. He approached one of the projected panels and touched it.
"Looks like we're in the southern district of the city," he said, turning to Yume.
Yume's eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked around at the floating holograms, like a kid in a theme park.
"If we take those stairs, we'll exit the metro and get right into the city," Kaito explained, pointing.
"Alright! Let's go see Shinkase!" Yume exclaimed, raising a fist enthusiastically.
The two approached the staircase but suddenly froze.
"What the heck is this!?" they said in unison, exchanging confused looks.
"How is this even supposed to work?" Kaito exclaimed, visibly baffled.
In front of them, there were no steps — just a kind of moving platform dotted with fixed rotating circles.
"Well, I… I think you do this…" Yume said, setting her luggage aside. She cautiously stepped onto one of the circles, and the mechanism activated instantly.
"Kyaaah!" she shrieked as she was swiftly lifted upward.
She stayed silent for a moment, then called out,
"Kaito, step on the circles!"
He did so, and was also lifted up to join her.
"This city is insane…" Kaito muttered.
They walked a few more meters to the exit, which opened automatically.
"This too?" he exclaimed, watching the doors close behind them.
Moments later, they looked ahead — and were left speechless. Both of them widened their eyes.
The city was a spectacle of skyscrapers; vehicles floated mid-air instead of resting on the ground. Shops and market stalls were bathed in neon light.
Even the fashion was different: men wore jackets that were wide on the forearms but tight on the wrists and elbows, paired with fitted pants; the women wore oversized sweaters reaching their thighs and black tights.
"This is Shinkase?" Kaito said, still stunned, but smiling — knowing that his goals lay somewhere in this city.
Meanwhile, inside a hotel room, a man stood at the window, observing the skyline.
"Hey, Mr. Jin, how long until the auction?" asked another man lying on a soft, orb-shaped chair.
"Mr. Jin?" he repeated, receiving no response.
What's going on? he thought, getting to his feet… when, without hearing a single sound, his head was sliced off and hit the floor.
Before the corpse stood a figure.
The killer was a young man, about twenty-five years old, with long black hair tied back and icy blue eyes. He wore a sleek suit and black gloves.
"You're always in the way… scum from the Reikeitai," he murmured, gazing down at the body.
"Hey!" a voice called out.
Another man stepped onto the terrace from inside the apartment. He looked to be about thirty-five, with silver hair down to his neck, red eyes, and a scruffy beard. He wore a long black coat that reached his legs, left open to reveal his muscular build. His pants were also black, fastened with a belt, and he wore a black necklace.
His very presence radiated menace.
"You really haven't changed… just look at what you did to him."
"Shut up. Unlike you, I can't stand this situation anymore," the younger man replied vaguely.
Kaito and Yume had just arrived in Shinkase… and had no idea what was about to unfold.