Cold. Trembling.
The sensation of ice being shoved down her neck jolted Ayano Kannagi awake, her eyes flying open as she gasped for air.
"What...?"
Her muddled consciousness gradually cleared. Staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling, Ayano muttered:
"Wasn't I fighting zombies?"
"Wait—why was I fighting zombies?"
"Right! During the Hidden Management Department exam, a zombie outbreak suddenly occurred, and the entire Tokyo Metropolis was overrun... Eh? Overrun by zombies?"
In that instant, Ayano finally realised the problem.
If zombies had overrun Tokyo, where was everyone else when she was being surrounded and hunted by monsters?
Where were the Bujin-shū? The military? Most importantly, where were the Hidden Management Department's elites? Where was Luo Shu, the Demigod?
Was she the only sorcerer left in the world?
As Ayano stood frozen in shock, a chorus of female screams erupted around her.
"No! Stay away, you goblins! Die!!"
"Mum, mum, there are ghosts here—ghosts!"
"Damn it, why are high-ranking demons appearing in Tokyo?!"
The cacophony of panicked voices assaulted Ayano's ears until she instinctively covered them—just as a cold snort echoed in everyone's minds.
[Silence!]
Immediately, all sound ceased as if someone had pressed a mute button.
In this forcibly imposed calm, Ayano finally comprehended her situation.
She seemed to be inside a vast hall now, lying in something resembling a nutrient pod from a sci-fi film. Beside her were rows of identical pods, each containing a dozen or so girls lying as calmly as she was.
'Is this... an assessment?'
Ayano Kannagi finally realised what was happening.
But she had no idea when her assessment had begun, or when she'd been placed here.
Just then, a cold voice spoke.
"Those whose names I call next will remain."
Hearing the voice, Ayano Kannagi turned towards its source and immediately spotted a composed woman standing at the centre of the hall. Dressed in an ornate, dark-coloured twelve-layered kimono with fiery red eyes, her presence was striking.
The words she had just heard had clearly come from this woman.
At that moment, Aya Tokoyogi addressed the crowd with detached indifference:
"Lingyin Huang."
"Kanae Kocho."
"Shinobu Kocho."
"Aya Natsume."
"Ayano Kannagi."
"Those whose names were called will remain. The rest may leave—your assessment is over."
The cold witch offered no explanation for the abrupt conclusion, yet everyone understood: those not named had already failed the evaluation.
Without questioning why, the forcibly calmed examinees rose and filed out of the venue.
Once the hall had emptied, Ayano suddenly found her breathing easing, as if some oppressive weight had lifted.
It was then she realised she could move again.
Meanwhile, Aya Tokoyogi, standing at the centre, spoke coolly:
"Kanae Kocho, handle the rest."
"Yes," Kanae Kocho promptly replied with a bow.
Only then did Ayano notice the pair of strikingly similar sisters now standing beside Aya Tokoyogi.
'What...?'
With a faint pop, Aya Tokoyogi's figure dissolved like a bubble, vanishing from the hall.
After her complete disappearance, Kanae clapped her hands twice lightly and addressed the remaining candidates with a smile:
"Greetings to all assessment participants. I'm Kanae Kocho, currently responsible for your newcomer orientation."
"Next, please follow my instructions for the enrolment procedures."
"Of course, before the formal introduction, you'll have three minutes to compose yourselves."
"Something feels off..."
Ayano blinked in confusion at Kanae, whose gentle demeanour was evident at a glance. Wasn't she a newcomer, too? How had she become their guide?
"Wait, where's Lingyin? Wasn't she fighting zombies with me before diverting those monsters halfway?"
"What zombies? Weren't we battling those disgusting insects?"
From a nearby nutrient pod, Lingyin Huang—seated in a duck-sitting position—looked over in bewilderment:
"And I distinctly remember you getting killed by a spider monster, Kannagi?"
"Huh?" Ayano froze. Since when had she died?
Just then, a childlike voice chimed in:
"You were all in a virtual world. Before entering, you'd been under an illusion spell—that's why your memories don't align."
Turning towards the voice, Ayano saw a small girl with flaxen hair.
Most strikingly, the long ahoge atop the child's head left a deep impression.
However...
"Does the Hidden Management Department really allow children to take these assessments?"
"I'm hardly a child," said Aya Natsume, whose appearance resembled an eight-year-old's, seemingly accustomed to such reactions. "I merely maintain this form to conserve energy."
Hearing this, Ayano—formally educated—immediately grasped the implication:
"Maintaining a child's form... conserving energy... Are you from the Natsume family?"
"Direct descendant of the Akabane Twelve Families of the Bujin-shū?"
"Yes, I am the second daughter of the Natsume family, Aya Natsume."
Aya Natsume glanced at Ayano Kannagi and Lingyin Huang before stating calmly:
"As I foresaw, there are indeed five female candidates who passed this time."
"What do you mean by that?" Lingyin Huang immediately grew alert upon hearing this. "Are you saying you already knew five people would pass?"
"Correct."
Aya's adorable face wore an exaggeratedly serious expression, as if mimicking an adult:
"Aside from the three branch talents who passed in the male division, the five of us were always destined to pass the female division from the moment applications began."
"Everything is the will of god. All outcomes were predetermined in the future."
Hearing this, Ayano Kannagi hesitated before asking, "Isn't the Natsume family known for martial arts? Since when did they dabble in Shinto practices?"
Where did this 'will of god' come from?
Just as Ayano was puzzling over this, Aya gave her a look and muttered:
"The bearer of Enjutsu seems a bit dim-witted... Did I choose the wrong recruitment cycle to join the Familia..."
She had hoped her fellow recruits could become comrades-in-arms against Luo Shu, but they seemed somewhat lacking in intelligence.
At this rate, she might have been better off joining the previous cycle with Origami Tobiichi. At least that Spirit girl had formidable combat abilities.
Unfortunately, that had been an emergency situation in America, making it impossible for Aya to participate.
Even this time, she'd had to pester Maya Natsume relentlessly before finally leveraging Meer's connections to sneak into the assessment.
Ah, having such a useless older sister truly pained Aya.
With this deadweight holding her back, when would she ever be able to attract the Chief God's attention through the classic sister combo?
As Aya lamented her incompetent sister, Kanae Kocho, having timed it perfectly, clapped her hands with a smile:
"The three minutes are up. Before meeting the Director, let me explain some basics to you three."
Producing the contract scrolls, Kanae narrowed her eyes and said:
"First, let's begin with the contracts..."