Likewise with Mono's passage, they emerge out of darkness, and fall to the ground at incredible speed. Mono and Came successfully land on their feet, while Kazuya's face once again meets the ground. Kazuya gets up, rubbing his face after the fall.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that."
As Kazuya looks around, he notices that the ground is no longer a dull gray, but a bright beige concrete, that is split into a rectangular pattern. Additionally, looking above him showed a dull, yet prominent blue view. What was around the three of them were what seemed like endless food stalls, cafes, shops, and restaurants. There were no houses to be seen, and the majority of people there looked to be ghosts, while others were creatures Kazuya has yet to meet.
"Uh, where exactly are we?"
"This is the shopping district 'The Green Hole'. It's how we on the upper layers are forced to survive. Down here, you're able to buy all your necessities, and then some." Said Came with slight enthusiasm.
"So this is how you get supplies for your people?" Asked Kazuya.
"Correct. Every few level there'll be a gap that caters towards strictly the purchasing of goods. However, the lower down you go, the less prominent they'll be, as they eventually merge to be both."
"It's also the reason why us ghouls lived in poverty for so long. The only way we could come down here was by negotiating with the ghosts, who always turned us down." He said while glaring straight at Came.
"We can continue talking in a bit, for now let's find a place to sit down and talk."
They then walked through the distract, garnering many eyes staring at them.
"Why are they all staring at us like that?"
"Isn't it obvious? You've got the last remaining ghoul in the sky, and a human who shouldn't even be IN the sky. Why wouldn't they stare? I'm surprised that's all they've done so far."
Kazuya lets out a nervous sigh, as they approach a cafe on the edges of the district. It was a small wooden hut that had no name, and only seemed to serve water. It was far away from a lot of the other shops however, so it was a perfect location for their chat.
As they sit down, they are greeted by a young looking waitress, who was the closest thing to a human Kazuya had seen. While ghosts had the most human properties, their translucency voided a lot of those properties. However, she was fully visible, and almost looked human, but had what looked like goat horns on either side of her head, and yellow glowing eyes.
"Hello, welcome to our little cafe. May I get you some water to drink?"
"Yes please, three waters." Came asked.
"Okay, comin' right up!"
"What is this dump you dragged us to? It's all cramped, and has no food! All its got is water! What kinda place did you even bring us to?" Complained Mono.
"My apologies, but this is the only location hidden enough in this area for the guards to not find us."
"Man, and here I was thinking we could get some quality food..."
"But you just ate though..." Kazuya thought to himself.
"Let me get straight to the point. Mono, I would like to join you and Kazuya to the bottom of the sky."
"Hmph, and why should I team up with a ghost? All y'all do is depict us as beasts!"
"I understand your resentment towards me. However, I have seen what the sky has been through. This place was once fully lush, the gray dullness seen in other layers wasn't present, and bright light and energy was distributed throughout the sky! I wish for those days to return, but so long as *he's* in power, it can't be done."
"So our goals are in common then?"
"Correct. Though I do not wish to kill the king, I do wish that he no longer possesses power over the sky. I don't disagree with regulating the sky for safety, but this entire divide is truly cruel."
"Well, I don't want'cha on our team! Even if you end up helping us here and there, how do we know you won't hand us in last minute! What if this is all some glorious act you made up?"
"Wait, Mono. I think he's being sincere about this."
"AS IF! His face is completely blunt and uninterested! This guy hasn't shown a hint of emotion up until now!"
A short silence broke, and Came proceeded to look at his right hand blankly, before looking straight back at Mono.
"I have emotion." Said Came bluntly.
"THEN SHOW IT!" Yelled Mono.
Silence broke out between the three of them. Kazuya was contemplating whether or not Came should join them, as he may still pose a risk. If this truly was an act, then everything they would do from now would be for naught.
"Came, how can we make sure that we can trust you?" Asked Kazuya.
"....I can't provide you with a reason to trust me, other than that I swear to put my life on the line in order to protect you two and for you to achieve your goals. After all, me and Mono's target is the same."
"Thing is, I don't really care about this king. I just want to know how I can get my memories back."
"Hm? Your memories?"
"Yeah, he sorta lost his memories from the shock of merging with me. But at least he still remembers some stuff vaguely, right? The fact that he's alive at all is incredible!"
"Well, there is *one* way you can restore your memories, but..."
"But...?"
"Even though we are to venture many levels regardless, there is one level that possesses something that could end our lives, and is thus sealed away from the public."
"Okay, and why is this important?"
"The thing I'm talking about is called the Clouded Mirrors. They are a space that places whoever enters into a blank void that shows a person's deepest desires, regrets, and hidden memories. Essentially, they open the door to things that shouldn't be opened within a person's brain. Entering this space is forbidden, as many who have come out either go insane, or die due to the mental trauma. However, you Kazuya have no memories, and as such it could be a case that it simply opens the doors that have been locked when they shouldn't have."
"And then I... could regain my memories!"
"Precisely"
"The Clouded Mirrors, huh... It sounds dangerous, but if it actually works then maybe I could uncover some hidden memories in myself as well, eh? Perhaps gain some super unique power!" Mono exclaimed with sparkles in his eyes.
"Did you not hear what I just said? People who enter it usually go insane."
"I've already *been* through insanity. Plus it sounds super cool to unlock 'hidden memories'!"
"...I see."
"Oi. Don't give me that "this guy is a complete moron and is going to get himself killed" face."
"Came. Thank you for telling us all this. It would be incredible to have you supporting us on our journey!" Kazuya said.
"Oi, wait I never agreed to-"
"Mono, think about it. If he joins us, we can get a lot of delicious food since he's a ghost right? He has more respect than ghouls at least... no offence."
"Hmm... well that is a solid point"
"That's what's convincing him...." Thought Came
"Alright, fine! So long as he's able to provide us with a buncha tasty food and get us down to the king easily, then he's on board!" Mono proclaimed with an arrogant tone.
"Thank you very much. I promise on my sword that I shall escort you both down to your goals safely. And while ghosts are on the second highest level, I assure you that we have garnered more respect than ghouls, and can get rather good service on most levels."
"Oi. You didn't have to add that last part."
Kazuya put on a grin and started to chuckle, causing Mono to get angry. Came put on a smile and drank his water to avoid attention from Mono (who noticed right away). As they sat there, laughing, things seemed like they would turn alright on their journey.