shiki's throat went dry.
'Why the heck did you have to ask that question first, out of the hundreds?'
He stared at the registrar with an expression so strange that the young man shifted uncomfortably, clearly wondering what he'd said to agitate the newcomer. It was just a simple question, wasn't it?
It wasn't.
Ishiki couldn't say it. Could never say it. Not without turning himself into a weapon aimed at whoever heard.
The registrar waited patiently, pen poised over paper.
And Ishiki realized he was about to tell the first of many, many lies he'd need to tell in near future. Not for his survival... but for the betterment of those around him.
Ishiki grimaced, that was a... bother. But then again, If he wanted to survive in this ruined world, he would need people around him, he was not so almighty, and certainly not so full of that useless thing called pride.
Suddenly a troubling thought clicked into place. 'I am not so strong... so how would i even kill someone who is stronger than me if they said my Title? I will need to find out, but then again. If i somehow kill someone, that... would be a problem. This is such a pain.'
"Uh... excuse me, sir?" The registrar's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts, polite but edged with awkwardness.
Ishiki blinked. "Yes?"
"Ah..." The man straightened, adjusting his taped glasses. "I asked you a question. Did you receive a Title from your trial?"
Ishiki stayed silent for a while thinking over his options. 'Hmm... what to do? What to do? This is such a mess. I am an idiot.'
Of course, lying wasn't going to be that easy. There were too many things to consider. First, if he said that he didn't receive any title, that might cause a problem on its own. What if everyone who survives the trials gets one?
Second, and most critical: he absolutely could not reveal his true Title or its Mythical rank. That would paint a target on his back the size of Neo-Tokyo's fallen pillars. Attention was the last thing he needed.
'I'd prefer staying out of everyone's spotlight. Attention is only good when it comes from beautiful women, not from desperate survivors.'
'On top of that, I can't be utterly useless too. That would make me a target of bullying and what not. Ahhh... so much complications.'
Finally he settled over with a simple lie. 'I have that Skill I've got [Ghost Blade]. It has a nice ring to it, plus uh... an Epic rank title, would put me in middle, not too high and not too low.'
Ishiki finally looked towards the registrar, who looked somewhat annoyed by his new friend sitting without a care in the world and ignoring his questions.
Then, Ishiki smiled innocently and said in a nonchalant voice.
"I have a Mythical Title."
The smile froze on Ishiki's face, his eyes twitched as he tried his best to suppress the urge to curse aloud.
'WHAT THE! why did i say that? Hell... have i finally lost it? Why the fuck is my mouth spouting nonsense on its own?'
Meanwhile, on the other side the poor registrar boy momentarily froze. His eyes practically as wide as they can be, he looked at Ishiki as if looking at a drunk man trying to jump off a cliff.
Then he threw hands at the table and laughed...
Ishiki stared at him with a frown. 'What happened to him? Did he loose his mind or something?'
The laughter stretched on, growing more manic. The situation felt so awkward that Ishiki—joined in with forced laughter of his own in his strange ritual or whatever it was.
After a while, the young man put his glasses down and wiped a tear from his eyes and said with a friendly voice. "That was very nice joke."
'The heck you mean joke... that was the truth, four eyes.' Ishiki bit down hard on the thought, refusing to let his treacherous mouth speak it aloud.
The registrar replaced his glasses, picked up his pen with renewed composure, and drew a simple line through the Title section of the form. Then looked up with a genuine smile.
"You're a peculiar man. I like you. What—"
"But I don't like you," Ishiki interrupted.
Then immediately slapped put a hand against his mouth. Looking at the man, who now looked back at him like a heartbroken puppy who'd just been kicked.
'What the hell is happening? I need to shut up.'
The registrar coughed a little, fixed his glasses and looked down at the paper. After some time he asked a few perfunctory questions about Ishiki's age, prior residence, and basic information.
Then gave him a makeshift card, with his information written on it and let him go without another word.
Ishiki was absolutely certain he'd traumatized that poor man.
Walking out of the hut, Ishiki exhaled heavily, rubbing his face with both hands. 'That was one heck of an interview. But its fine for now.'
Kaori was leaning against a nearby tree, arms crossed. When she saw him, she pushed off and walked over.
"So, how did registration go?" she asked.
"Wonderful," Ishiki said flatly.
Kaori laughed. "I could hear you both laughing from out here. Made a new friend already?"
Ishiki shot her a dubious look. "Something... like that."
She stayed silent for a moment and then looked at her watch. "Well, it's getting late. But I think I should teach you a few things about our new reality. As much as I know, anyway. We're all still learning."
Then she prompted him to follow behind. They walked through the camp—past some tents, cooking fires, makeshift medical stations. The garden had been transformed into a functioning settlement, complete with designated zones and patrol routes.
Kaori led him to a small building on the camp's edge. Probably former teacher housing. She pushed open the door to a modest room with a sleeping bag and some supplies.
"My quarters," she said simply, gesturing for him to sit on a wooden crate while she took the only chair. "Not much, but it's private. Something that not everyone can get."
Ishiki sat, suddenly aware of how exhausted he was. His body ached everywhere. "So, Why do you have a room to stay while others stay out in those tents?"
Her expression darkened. "They are mundane humans, I am a Player. They are useless and we Players, we represent hope."
Ishiki grimaced. That was actually true. "But... they didn't say anything?"
She chuckled, "Why would they? They know they can't survive without our help."
Then, Kaori studied him for a moment, then spoke. "You survived your trial. That alone makes you valuable here, a lot more than normal humans."
She leaned forward. "So tell me Ishiki... what Title did you get?"