The sudden ascent yanked my stomach into my throat, wind blasting against my face as the world below shrank fast. My grip instinctively tightened on my chopsticks—because priorities—and my free hand latched onto Nejire's wrist before I could even think.
I stared at her resentfully.
"Nejire..."
"Huh? You okay?"
Her voice was annoyingly calm for someone who had just abducted a man via supersonic flight.
I took a slow breath.
Inhale. Exhale.
Maintain control. Assess the situation.
"...Next time, warn me," I said slowly.
"Oops! My bad!" she laughed.
Nejire twirled mid-flight, spinning us both like a carnival ride, before righting herself again.
I swallowed down the instinct to curse.
"Sooo, you wanted a map, right?"
"...A paper one."
"But this is way more fun!"
I would've argued. I could.
But—
The city stretched out below us.
Lights. Streets. Buildings stacked like Tetris blocks. From this height, everything looked impossibly vast—an urban labyrinth of skyscrapers, neon signs, and bustling streets, stretching into the horizon.
It was reminding me of Tokyo.
And yet… not.
I spotted elevated highways curving through the skyline, futuristic structures that shouldn't exist, and—most notably—massive billboards featuring costumed people posing dramatically.
"...Huh."
Nejire giggled. "Pretty cool, right?!"
I was too busy processing to answer.
I wasn't in my world anymore.
That much was clear.
It felt a bit unreal.
"So! Where do you wanna go first?!"
I sighed, adjusting my grip on my half-eaten bento.
I stared down at the living, breathing city beneath us. "I'll leave it to the tour guide."
Nejire beamed.
"Okay! Then, tour start~!"
And without warning—
She dived.
Gravity yanked my stomach into my ribs as the city below rushed up at terrifying speed. The sheer velocity flattened my breath.
"We'll start with downtown!"
We almost crashed into a giant billboard. Some guy in a red and white spandex suit grinned down at us, flashing a thumbs-up. We whipped past it, narrowly avoiding the structure by mere inches.
And then, the skyline exploded into neon chaos.
A bustling district flashed by in a blur—towering department stores, rows of brightly lit restaurants, and massive crowds moving like waves. Billboards flickered with advertisements, storefronts boasted over-the-top sales, and somewhere in the distance, I swore I heard Ai Hoshino's song blaring through speakers.
I might've appreciated the view—if I wasn't actively fighting for my life.
"Nejire, slow do—!"
She swerved right.
"Oh, and over there—"
We zig-zagged between skyscrapers, twisting through alleyways, highways, and suspended walkways at speeds that shouldn't be legal. My grip on her wrist tightened instinctively—not because I trusted her, but because I valued my continued existence.
"Look, look! See that street over there?" Nejire's voice was filled with pure, innocent excitement.
I glanced down hesitantly.
A narrow road lined with izakayas, street vendors, and food stalls blurred beneath us. The scent of grilled skewers, fresh takoyaki, and deep-fried cutlets hit me like a truck.
My stomach growled.
I eyed the half-eaten bento still clutched in my other hand.
"...Maybe I should've waited."
Nejire just giggled.
Then—
She shot upwards.
Another sharp ascent—stomach flipping—air rushing past—skyline stretching out beneath us.
And after a while—
We stopped.
Suspended in the night sky, the city sprawled beneath us like a glowing circuit board, streets illuminated by headlights, neon signs, and the rhythmic pulse of life. From this height, everything looked small, distant—like another world entirely.
The sight was…
Breathtaking.
Nejire stretched out her free hand dramatically. "Tadaaa~! Nice view, right?"
I chuckled. "...Yeah, this is impressive."
"I know, right?! It's soooo pretty at night!"
She spun midair, kicking her legs excitedly.
I took another moment to just take it in.
The sights. The lights. The sheer, overwhelming energy of this place.
I voiced the thought lingering in my mind.
"You fly like this all the time?"
Nejire grinned. "Yup! I love it! I can go really fast, too!"
That explained a lot.
I glanced at the city again.
"Must be nice, huh?"
Nejire tilted her head. "You don't like flying?"
"It's not that," I said, adjusting my grip on her wrist. "I mean, it's a refreshing activity, but I'm just used to keeping my feet on the ground."
Nejire hummed, twirling a lock of her hair.
"Hmmm~ I guess that makes sense. But don't worry, you'll get used to it."
"You sound pretty sure of that, huh?"
"Of course! Because I'll make sure to take you flying again~!"
"You're already planning a second round?"
"Yup!"
Nejire giggled. Without warning, she let go her grip.
"—huh?"
And just like that—I dropped—for the second time in this world.
"—!"
Gravity yanked me down. Wind rushed past. Buildings zoomed up toward me.
Oh, hell no—
For half a second, my mind was running calculations, scanning for buildings to grab onto, structures to slow my fall, the best way to land without shattering my spine—
But a blur of blue whooshed past.
And suddenly, Nejire was below me, catching me effortlessly.
I quickly scoffed. "Was that necessary?"
"It was fun though, right?" she giggled innocently.
She dipped slightly midair before stabilizing again.
"Alright, guess I should drop you off now~. That was the express version. If you want the full tour, you gotta book another flight!"
"Put me down somewhere safe. Please."
Nejire saluted. "Aye-aye, passenger~!"
And with that, she soared downward, slowing as we approached a quiet alleyway.
She gently set me down, then hovered a bit above the ground, hands on her hips.
"Alrighty~! That concludes today's special tour! Thank you for flying Nejire Airlines!"
I smiled faintly. "Sure. Thanks for the ride."
And just like that, she took off.
I stood there for a moment, watching the fading trail of her flight.
Then, sighing, I stretched my arms, rolled my shoulders, and glanced around.
Alright. Time to get back to figuring out where the hell I actually was.
I had already decided on my next destination.
Somewhere from above, there's a lot of places I see where I could get people talking to clear my questions—somewhere with enough chatter, enough energy, that I could extract information without making myself look suspicious.
Nejire seemed like that type of person, but I'm still suspicious about her. If she noticed that I have no recollections of anything about my life in this world before today, that would be problematic, I assumed.
Well, before that, though—
I needed to check that damn UI-like thing from earlier.
It said something about Ten Shadow Technique and Chimera Shadow Garden. They sound useful in this world.
I took a slow breath, focused inward, and willed it to appear.
A faint flicker in my vision—like a heads-up display in a game—and then…
───『 CHIMERA SHADOW GARDEN 』───