"Should I go inside?"
Kawashima Toya debated the idea for a moment, but ultimately decided against disturbing the scene. His primary concern was triggering an uncontrollable chain reaction. After all, this world was suspected to be the Past, and meddling with it could have unforeseen consequences.
"Hey! You there! What are you sneaking around for?"
A harsh shout suddenly broke the silence.
A security guard, looking as faded and yellowed as an old photograph, shined a dim flashlight in Toya's direction.
This world really knows how to test my patience...
Despite the growing sense of wrongness, Toya kept his composure. He put on a gentle, troubled expression. "I just had a fight with my girlfriend."
"I was looking for a quiet place to cool off. I'm trying to decide whether we should break up or if I should just leave quietly."
The security guard paused, his stern expression softening into sympathy. He walked over and patted Toya on the shoulder. "Young man, don't think like that."
"A good woman is hard to find. Unless the relationship is truly broken beyond repair, try not to end things so hastily."
"Look at you, dressed so sharply in that tuxedo. I'm sure your girlfriend wouldn't want to lose a handsome guy like you."
With that piece of advice, the guard lowered his flashlight and walked away, shaking his head.
"I can communicate with them, and it didn't trigger any anomalies."
"Maybe I should check out the agency."
Having confirmed that interaction was possible, Toya decided to take the risk. If a random passerby could hold a conversation, then the people in the agency should be approachable too.
"Scathach-shishou's disguise techniques are truly practical."
A moment later, Toya's handsome features shifted into something plain and unremarkable—though his exquisite black tuxedo still made for a jarring contrast.
He walked up to the Trash Fox Agency.
The familiar sign still hung there: 'Accepting all supernatural requests. Price negotiable.'
"Excuse me? Is this the agency that handles supernatural requests?"
Toya called out, disguising his voice.
Inside, a version of Kasugano Sora, who looked like she belonged in a vintage photo, ran out. She spoke sweetly, "I'm sorry, but the agency isn't taking requests right now."
"What?" Toya feigned panic. "When will you be open again?"
"I have a really urgent matter!"
"Money isn't an issue!"
"I'm truly sorry. The owner of the agency has gone missing, and we don't know where he is," Sora explained, bowing apologetically over and over.
"I see... I'll come back another time then."
Just as Toya was preparing to press for more information, the sense of dread he had felt earlier suddenly returned.
Under his gaze, Sora's expression began to stiffen. Her sweet demeanor faded, replaced by a blank, emotionless mask. Invisible black flames began to flicker around her body.
Inside the agency, the laughter died instantly. The other figures stopped moving and turned their heads slowly, their faces equally void of emotion as they stared at him.
"Something's definitely wrong."
Toya sighed softly.
Without him realizing it, the street around him had filled with people. They all wore the same blank, puppet-like expressions, staring at him in dead silence.
"Retreat is the best option!"
With that, Toya vanished from the spot.
.....
Moments later, he reappeared on the roof of a towering skyscraper.
Looking down at the city, which had suddenly turned eerie and hostile, he chuckled dryly. "This is turning into quite the puzzle."
"Where exactly is that mysterious cry for help coming from?"
"The whole city has turned into a ghost town."
The massive metropolis of Tokyo had gone from bustling to deathly silent in a matter of minutes.
He had no idea what triggered the change. Even though he had the power to destroy the city, he didn't dare use it lightly. Facing the silent, staring gaze of the "ordinary" citizens, his only choice for now was to retreat and observe.
Toya sat on the edge of the roof, leisurely observing the anomalies of the city below. Even the breeze that brushed past him carried a strange, stale scent of decay.
Ping—
Suddenly, the sound of a text message notification broke the silence.
Toya looked at his phone in surprise. "The system-issued phone certainly earns its keep."
"It can even receive texts in a different dimension."
But his amusement vanished as soon as he read the message.
"Save me!"
The message contained only those two words.
Toya stared at the screen. He was certain this message came from the same person who had cried for help earlier that morning.
"Should I reply?"
He hesitated, noting the "No Signal" icon on the status bar. Despite the lack of signal, the message had arrived, which meant a reply might go through.
But given the sudden shift in the city's atmosphere, replying felt risky. One wrong move could trigger even more trouble.
Just as he decided against replying, another message arrived.
"I'm at [Address] in Tokyo..."
"Please save me!"
Toya's eyes flashed. "That address... it's a wealthy residential area."
"Who could be living there?"
Without wasting another second, he moved toward the location mentioned in the text.
Ten minutes later, Toya arrived at the outskirts of a luxurious villa district. From a distance, he spotted a figure that clearly didn't belong in this sepia-toned world.
The figure was cautiously tearing up small pieces of paper and scattering them around a house.
"Eriri?"
Toya stared at the familiar blonde twin-tails and the petite figure. "Why is she in this world?"
The person scattering the paper scraps was indeed Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
Since he saved her during the attack at Toyogasaki Academy, they hadn't had any contact. He never expected to run into her here.
"Let's go down and talk." Toya's doubts vanished. "There shouldn't be any issues. Eriri is definitely real."
Eriri was fundamentally different from the others in this world. Like him, she retained her original colors and vibrancy. The "locals," on the other hand, looked like walking, faded photographs—cloudy and eerie.
Toya's figure blurred and vanished, reappearing instantly on the roof of Eriri's villa.
Sitting comfortably on the tiles, he called out to the girl who was trembling like a frightened rabbit. "Yo, Eriri."
"Long time no see."
"The monsters are back!" Eriri's instinct was to scream, but she slapped a hand over her mouth just in time to stifle the sound.
"No screaming! Whatever happens, I have to stay absolutely quiet."
"It's Death Time right now. If I make a sound, the whole city will wake up."
Toya smiled calmly at her. "Eriri, care to explain what's going on in this world?"
The fact that she didn't turn into a blank-faced puppet the moment she saw him proved she was either a survivor or had accidentally stumbled here from reality.
"You are...?" Eriri looked up toward the voice. Her fear turned into overwhelming relief when she realized it wasn't a monster, but a normal human being.
"You're... Kawashima Toya!"
Her hazy memories suddenly sharpened. Eriri cried out in joy, "Kawashima! You got my distress signal?"
"I don't think this is a good place to chat. Shall we move?"
Toya pointed toward the distance, where a crowd of "people" was slowly drifting in their direction. "Do you have a safe house?"
"Or should I take you somewhere else?"