Fifteen minutes had passed since Kaito and Yume had waved goodbye to Hauromi.

Left alone, Kaito watched the carriage in silence, letting his eyes roam over the red curtains, the small sofas paired with little tables, and the curved ceiling above his head.

«They rebuilt the train... exactly like it was before the fight with Shirogane...» he murmured to himself.

Nothing seemed out of place. Every detail had been reproduced with an almost maniacal precision.

—Shinkase... I wonder what awaits us—, he thought, folding his arms.

Then he heard light footsteps in the corridor.

Yume returned to the carriage. She had changed: she wore a simple short white T-shirt and tight black jeans. Her hair, still damp from the rain, was tied up in a high ponytail that left her neck exposed. 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 averted his gaze, not thinking much of it.

«I’m back, Kaito,» she said, sitting naturally on the sofa opposite him.

«You’re late...» he commented, trying to sound casual.

Yume gave a small smile and shrugged. «I felt like taking it easy.» She made a little joke.

«Kaito, I want to ask you something,» she said, tilting her head slightly and resting it on her right palm. «What’s the plan once we reach Shinkase?»

Kaito looked at her. «The plan is simple—we’ll wait for the Mugentamashii at the auction,» he answered.

«I don’t think they’ll let us in just like that, without saying anything...» Yume retorted, visibly skeptical.

«I did some research,» Kaito resumed.

«From what I found, Shinkase’s market is called Kageichi,» he said, turning his gaze to watch the rain falling. «And it’s run by the Fuyumi family.»

«And what does that have to do with anything?» the girl asked, puzzled.

«I’ll get to that. There’s not much known about the Fuyumi, except that the family head died in an accident. Since then, they’ve become obsessed with money. Apparently, you can take part in the auction by paying a rather high fee.»

«How high, exactly?» she asked.

«Four thousand brish.»

Yume fell silent for a moment, then sprang up. «Four thousand brish!? Where are we supposed to get that!?» she exclaimed.

«Yume, everyone’s looking at you...» Kaito warned.

She glanced around, a faint flush rising to her face, and sat back down. «S-so... where do we get it?» she asked again, this time in a lower voice.

«Well, I didn’t want to accept it... but he insisted.» Kaito took his backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a paper envelope, handing it to Yume. «Tsk... that old man could’ve spared himself,» he grumbled, trying to hide his gratitude toward Hauromi.

«But these are...» Yume peeked into the envelope: there were six thousand brish. Her surprise melted into a smile.

«That’s so like him,» she said, returning the envelope to Kaito.

«So, money-wise, we’re covered. But there’s another problem,» Kaito added, his expression serious.

Yume waited in silence.

«We don’t know when the Mugentamashii will attend the auction. Nor do we know where it will be held, or whether paying will even be enough for entry. We’ll have to stay in Shinkase for a while.» He paused. «And I’m not sure we’ll be able to beat them.»

«Are they really that strong?» Yume asked.

«I’ve never faced them, but... Shirogane went so far as to offer me an alliance just to fight them.»

Yume stared at him, then smiled faintly. «I get it. But don’t worry. Somehow we’ll manage, I’m sure of it.»

Kaito relaxed a little. Then, with a hint of resolve, he replied: «Yeah. You’re right.»

They talked for hours as the train rolled through a variety of landscapes. Then, suddenly, the convoy slowed with a hiss until it stopped.

«We’re here,» Kaito said, rising from the sofa and peering out the window.

«This is Shinkase,» Yume began.

«Exactly.» he confirmed with a small smile. «Let’s go.»

Yume nodded. They gathered their luggage and left the car. The train had stopped in an underground subway station.

«I’ve never seen one like this...» Yume murmured, amazed.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were threaded with bands of blue light that lit the entire area with a cold, pulsing glow. The screens and advertisement posters weren’t hung — they were projected by two linked black poles, generating floating images in the air.

«Seems we’re in the south district of the city,» Kaito told her, approaching one of the projected panels and brushing it with his hand.

Yume’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched the holograms all around.

«If we take those stairs, we’ll exit the metro and come straight into the city,» Kaito explained, pointing in the direction.

«Great! Let’s go see Shinkase!» Yume exclaimed, raising an arm in excitement.

They approached the stairway, but suddenly stopped.

«And what is this supposed to be!?» they said in unison, exchanging a puzzled look.

«How is this stairway supposed to work?» Kaito exclaimed, visibly confused.

There were no steps in front of them, only a sort of moving belt dotted with fixed rotating discs.

«Well... I don’t know, but I think you have to do it like this...» Yume set down her bags. She carefully placed her feet on one of the discs and, the moment she did, the mechanism activated.

«Kyaaah!» she cried in surprise as she was carried upward in seconds.

She fell silent for a moment, then breathed, «Kaito, put your feet on the discs!»

He did as told, and he too was transported upward until he reached her companion. «This city is insane...» Kaito whispered.

They walked a few meters and reached an exit that opened by itself.

«Even this?» the boy exclaimed, watching the doors close behind them.

A few moments later they looked out and were speechless. Both of them widened their eyes.

The city was a riot of skyscrapers; vehicles didn’t touch the ground but hovered in the air. Shops and stalls were lit by neon lights.

Even people’s clothes were different: men wore jackets with wide sleeves over the forearms but tight at the wrists and elbows, paired with slim pants; the girls wore long sweaters that reached mid-thigh and black stockings.

—So this must be Shinkase— the boy thought, his hands trembling.

—This is where I’ll meet them again—.

Meanwhile, inside a hotel room, a man was looking out at the view from the windowsill.

«Hey, Mr. Jin, when will the auction be?» someone asked, lying on a soft spherical chair.

«Mr. Jin?» the voice called again, receiving no answer.

—What’s wrong?— he rose slowly, almost annoyed.

Not a moment later, his head was severed, dropping to the floor.

Blood splattered across the windowsill.

A figure appeared before the dead man.

A young boy with long black hair tied back and ice-cold eyes. He wore an elegant suit and black gloves.

«You’re always in the way... scum of the Reikeitai,» he murmured, looking at the body on the floor.

«Hey!» a voice drew his attention.

Another man emerged from within the apartment and reached the terrace.

Bigger than the boy, he had silver hair falling to his neck, red eyes, and a scruffy beard.

He wore a long black coat that reached his legs, left open to show his musculature, and black trousers with a belt. Around his neck hung a black necklace.

His mere presence inspired fear.

«You never change... look what you’ve done to him.»

«Shut up. They’re members of the Reikeitai, after all,» the boy replied, his tone vague.

Kaito and Yume had just arrived in Shinkase... and they had no idea what was about to happen.