The captain laid out the mission with precision—what we'd do, what we might face, and how to handle every possibility.
"And the most important thing," he added, "as I said before, is teamwork and following the leader's orders. Hayama's in charge for this one. I'll get his report when I'm back. Don't forget—plenty of people would kill to be in your shoes. Follow orders, or you'll lose your spot."
I felt his eyes on me, even though I knew he was staring into a camera.
Once the online meeting ended, Hayama stood facing Kirishima and me, still seated.
"We'll meet on the hotel rooftop at 9:00 PM sharp," he said. "I'm heading out to scout the victim's apartment and pinpoint the room before we regroup."
His eyes flicked to me, but his tone was clearly aimed at Kirishima.
Kirishima left, and Hayama and I resumed our video game session.
"So, you were an official Muma Hunter in Arashima for a whole year?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Why'd you move here, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I do mind, actually," he said flatly. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Sorry." I scratched my head, shifting awkwardly. "I'd probably say the same if someone asked why I left the capital and came all the way to Shira City."
Instant regret. This is why I don't have friends.
The mood shifted. Hayama's expression darkened, and I felt the urge to bolt from his room. But he soon relaxed, and we kept playing until 6:00 PM. Then he dragged me to the gym for an evening training session.
After dinner, we went for a walk—deciding to scout the victim's apartment on foot.
We thoroughly mapped the area and the apartment building before heading back to our rooms to prepare for the spirit world dive.
---
At 9:00, as planned, I met Hayama, and we raced up the hotel stairs, using it as a mission warm-up. The rooftop door was already ajar, its lock clearly broken.
"Looks like your girlfriend beat us here," Hayama said with a smirk.
I punched his shoulder lightly, and he laughed, stepping through first.
Kirishima stood at the edge of the roof. She wore a short skirt and a different jacket than last night, but the same necklace hung prominently around her neck. She turned as we approached.
"We've located the apartment. You ready?" Hayama asked.
"Yes," she said.
Without another word, Hayama sprinted and leapt, flipping midair toward a nearby rooftop.
Kirishima glanced at me. As I approached the ledge, she gestured with her hand and nodded for me to go first.
I smiled, took a step back, then charged forward and jumped. Midair, I flipped—half to compete with Hayama, half to impress Kirishima.
I landed on the next roof and resisted the urge to look back at her. Instead, I bolted after Hayama, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until we reached the target building.
Hayama dropped straight to the victim's balcony. I landed beside him moments later. Seconds after that, Kirishima touched down to my left.
The window was locked. No view inside. Hayama checked the door—also locked.
We couldn't break the window; damaging it could have repercussions in the physical world and possibly harm someone. Strict rule for Muma Hunters. The door, tied to the victim's psyche, was even trickier. Forcing it open might destabilize his psychic world.
So Hayama drew his sword and sliced through the wall like it was paper, carving a new doorway.
He stepped through first.
I turned to Kirishima and gestured for her to go next, trying to be polite since she'd let me jump first. She just stared at me, unblinking, until I squirmed. Scratching my head awkwardly, I climbed through before her.
Inside, beside Hayama, a young man crouched in front of a large TV, gripping a controller, his thumbs flying over the buttons. On-screen, a 3D anime-style girl with a massive sword battled a towering monster. Her short skirt flashed her underwear with every leap.
That's why Kirishima insisted I jump first earlier. And why she didn't want to enter the room before me. I'm such an idiot. She probably thinks I'm a pervert now. Damn it. Why wear a skirt on a mission anyway? Shorts exist. I'll never understand girls.
Hayama glanced at us. "You two ready?"
"Yeah," I muttered.
He approached the man—who, of course, couldn't see us—and tapped his head three times. Then he stepped back, hand hovering over his sword hilt.
I braced myself.
Thick black smoke poured from the man's head, swirling into shape and solidifying into a stone door, intricately carved. It appeared between him and the TV.
Hayama sighed. "Here we go."
He opened the door. Black smoke filled the frame, completely obscuring what lay beyond. He stepped through and vanished. Kirishima followed. I exhaled, then stepped after them.
I wasn't scared. Or nervous. I was excited—curious what kind of psychic world an anime- and game-obsessed mind would create.
---
On the other side, I stood beside Hayama in a vast, green clearing surrounded by strange tents and towering trees. A campfire smoldered nearby. It resembled a campsite, but the tents were oddly shaped—almost alien.
A pack of wolf-like monsters stood before us, upright on two legs. All of them turned to stare.
But the weirdest part was the floating text that followed my gaze wherever I looked:
Top Right Corner:
Lv. 1
EXP: 0
To Next Level: 100
Top Left Corner:
HP: [██████████]
♥️♥️♥️
Hayama's voice was low and grim. "Looks like this bastard's psyche is an RPG world. Have fun."
He drew his sword.
The monsters charged. I squared off with one—unarmed, except for long, sharp claws.
Above its head floated:
Werewolf
Lv. 1
HP: [██████████]
I dodged its swipe and stabbed my sword through its chest. It dropped.
A soft chime echoed in my ears. My HUD updated:
Lv. 1
EXP: +10 XP
To Next Level: 100
We cleared about twenty werewolves without breaking a sweat or using any special abilities. None of us leveled up yet.
"First time in an RPG world?" Hayama asked, probably noticing my excitement.
"Yeah. It's awesome," I grinned.
Kirishima shot me a look of disdain.
"Search the tents," Hayama ordered. "We'll regroup and plan our next move."
I found dried meat, bone knives, and leather scraps. The others gathered similar loot.
We circled up. Hayama crossed his arms.
"I was hoping this wouldn't be an RPG world. But here we are."
"Why's that bad?" I asked.
"Because they're more dangerous and take longer to resolve. We'll need to level up, unlock areas, and complete quests to reach his spiritual core. I'm hoping we find a shortcut."
"What do the three hearts mean?" Kirishima asked.
"Same as games. Run out of HP, you lose a heart. Lose all three, and it's game over."
"What happens if we lose?"
"Same as any psychic dive," Hayama said, disturbingly casual. "Best-case? You get ejected. Slightly worse? You become a Muma—we might be able to save you. Average? You're trapped in the spirit world forever. Worst-case? You die. So… don't screw around."
I looked around the clearing. "Where to now? And what do we do with all this? We can't carry everything."
"Pack the food and water into leather scraps—make bags," Hayama said. "We'll carry them."
"We don't need food," I said. "Is it bait or something?"
"No. If we lose HP, we'll need to eat to restore it—so we don't burn through hearts."