Ishiki stared at her for a long moment, genuinely shocked by the sudden question.
"Wh... what are you talking about?" He tried to sound confused, gesturing at the registration card in his pocket. "See? I don't have any. The registrar marked it."
Kaori lingered for a moment, staring daggers at him. Then she sighed and slapped her own face in exasperation. "That mark means you didn't tell him, not that you don't have one."
Ishiki flinched.
She leaned closer, voice dropping. "Moreover, if you didn't get a Title, how would you even know Titles exist?"
His eyes widened. 'Damn. Does that mean everyone gets one?'
Kaori backed away with a smile that suggested she'd already won this conversation. "And before you ask—no, not everyone gets a Title. Only a few. Very few actually." She tilted her head, studying him. "And judging by the timing. You took over a month to complete your trial—and the fact you already knew about Titles before anyone explained them... I'm guessing you have one. You just don't want to share."
Ishiki sat frozen, eyes locked on the beautiful, terrifyingly perceptive woman sitting across from him. Then he gritted his teeth. 'This... this woman is crazy. How did she even put that all together?'
Ishiki looked down and slowly spoke. "Yes I do have a Title."
Kaori's smile widened... showing her pearl like teeth. She opened her mouth to speak something, but Ishiki was faster.
He looked her in the eye and asked... "Why did you wanted to ask?"
The girl gave him a little smile. She stood and walked to the window, staring out at the ominous clouds churning overhead.
"How many days do you have until your Scenario?"
He froze at the words, they were just too unexpected... too much. 'What... why is she asking that?'
Ishiki slowly spoke with a bit of curiosity in his voice. "Why... do you want to know that? and what about it?"
Kaori stood silent for a moment, then turned to him with a dark expression and started. "Listen closely Ishiki, We are slaves now. Slaves to the system for survival. The trial doesn't end anything, its just the starting of it all."
Walking over to the chair she sat again and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "After you completed your trial, you must have been sent to your Nexus Chamber."
He nodded.
"There was a timer. A countdown to something called a Scenario, right? Well... mine shows 30 days right now. That means after 30 days i will be dragged by the system again, to where? who knows. How much time do you have?"
Ishiki hesitated a bit, but chose to spoke. "Same as you, 30 days."
A smile appeared on her face. "So Ishiki... I have a pretty good bet that we would be sent to the same scenario."
"How... how can you be sure?"
Kaori shrugged. "I never said i am sure. But about ten days ago, roughly a hundred Players vanished simultaneously. All at once, like someone flipped a switch." She paused, letting the information sink in.
"None had returned till now. I think they all went inside a single Scenario. And we... we will be going to the same scenario along with the people whose timer ends at the same time."
Ishiki frowned, processing the logic, that was a bit complicated but, it made sense. The system too must work on some kind of clockwork, as it sends the Xenons back once a week. So maybe... there is a chance she is right.
'If she's right, then I'm going into hell with a bunch of strangers in thirty days. Great.'
Kaori suddenly stretched out her hand, the motion startling him from his thoughts.
"Ishiki Senju." Her voice carried formal weight now, like she was making a contract. "Once again, I'm Kaori Matsumoto. My Title is 'Born of Steel'. Would you join me?"
Ishiki stared at her outstretched hand, mind racing.
'Damn. This is the first time a girl has offered me a partnership. Never thought it would be like this—in an apocalypse, planning for survival instead of a date.'
Objectively, it was a good offer. She was strong, reliable, clever enough to see through him, and apparently one of the rare few with a Title. That would put her in the upper tier of survivors.
But she'd seen through him too easily. That was concerning.
'This woman is too sharp. And why did she even consider me? I haven't used any skills. Haven't shown any real power. What did she see in me?'
"Hey! Don't zone out like that. It's rude, you know." Kaori's voice snapped him back, tinged with amusement.
"Yeah, my bad." Ishiki extended his hand and gripped hers—her palm was warm, callused and firm. "Ishiki Senju. My Title is... 'Ghost Blade.' Glad to make your acquaintance."
It was a lie wrapped in truth, but it was the best he could offer right now... without knowing the full scale about himself.
Kaori leaned back in her chair and threw her head back with genuine laughter. "So you'll be my knight in shining armor after dark, then?"
Ishiki frowned, confused. 'I'd gladly be one if I could see what knights get to see... wait, what did knights even get to see?'
Noticing him spacing out again, Kaori asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Ishiki flinched. His mouth opened before his brain could stop it.
"Nothing important. I just want to see what the knight got to see..."
Kaori stared at him with an expression somewhere between disbelief and irritation. Ishiki tried to form a weak, trembling smile that probably looked more like a grimace.
'What the actual hell?! Is this that Corruption? This is dangerous... too dangerous'
WHAM.
A fist crashed into the top of his skull—too fast for him to dodge, even if he'd seen it coming.
"Say one more perverted thing and I'll bury you," Kaori hissed, shaking out her knuckles.
Then she turned toward the window and froze mid-motion, eyes widening slightly.
When she spun back to face Ishiki, her expression had shifted to excitement and wariness. "Today's a lucky day, I guess. Come on, an important guest just arrived."
"Huh? What important guest?" Ishiki asked, still rubbing his aching head.
Kaori moved to the door and pulled it open, cool night air rushed in. She glanced back over her shoulder, and in the dim light, her smile looked dangerous and intimidating.
"The princess who runs this place just came back."