The sound of the alarm echoed through Liliane’s room, jolting her out of sleep. Her body reacted before her mind did, flinching slightly as she blinked into the dim morning light. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was.

  She was no longer in the Spiritual World.

  No longer the legendary heroine everyone knew.

  Just a regular employee in this world, living a routine like everyone else.

  With a quiet sigh, she shut off the alarm and rubbed her eyes. There was something oddly numbing about the monotony of these past few days. At first, everything had felt like an incomprehensible mess, but after four days of work, the structure had begun to feel… comforting, in a way.

  “So this is how humans find stability?” she wondered aloud as she stood from the bed.

  She walked to the wardrobe and pulled out her work clothes: a black skirt and a button-up white blouse. It still felt strange to dress like this every day—but at least it wasn’t as uncomfortable as that very first time.

  While brushing her hair in front of the mirror, she thought back to the interview.

  They had said they’d let her know if she was accepted.

  And a couple of days later, the message arrived.

  “Congratulations, Miss Tsukihi. You’ve been hired.”

  That was the moment it really sank in: this was her new life now.

  “I should hurry…” she murmured, adjusting her tie before stepping out of the apartment.

  Across the city, in a much messier apartment, another alarm blared without mercy.

  Hollow ignored it.

  It wasn’t that he couldn’t hear it—he just had absolutely no intention of moving until it was unavoidable.

  After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached out and shut it off.

  He stared at the ceiling for a while, searching for some kind of motivation to get up.

  He didn’t find any.

  Still, he moved.

  Without urgency, he sat at the edge of the bed and ran a hand down his face.

  Four days working in this world.

  Four days pretending to be part of it.

  And still, he couldn’t find the point in any of it.

  But staying in bed wasn’t going to change anything either.

  He forced himself to stand and went to the closet, pulling out the same outfit as always—gray button-up shirt and dark slacks.

  He didn’t care how he looked.

  He didn’t care about any of this.

  But it was still better than being locked in his room all day.

  He got dressed without enthusiasm, grabbed his phone, and left the apartment without even looking back.

  Liliane walked briskly toward the office building. The morning air carried a slight autumn chill, but it didn’t bother her much.

  “Fourth day... I should be used to this by now,” she thought.

  The company building no longer felt as overwhelming as it had on that first day. She’d learned to navigate the halls, find her department without getting lost, and recognize a few faces along the way.

  It was a slow process, but she was making progress.

  Once inside, she took the elevator to her floor and headed straight to the filing section. Her trainer greeted her with a polite smile.

  “Today we’re assigning someone to help you get used to the workflow faster,” the woman informed her.

  Liliane nodded, slightly nervous.

  The woman walked her towards a worker that was in her station. “Mei, this is Liliane, the new recruit you’ll be assigned”

  Liliane turned to see a short girl with dark hair and a much more casual look than the rest of the office. Mei looked her over for a moment before giving a sly, playful grin.

  “Oh, a new recruit. How exciting,” she said with a mischievous tone.

  Liliane felt a slight unease at her voice but smiled back out of courtesy.

  “Take care of her,” the trainer instructed before walking off.

  The moment she was gone, Mei dropped the professional act and clicked her tongue.

  “Okay, now that we are alone, I’ll show you the most important part of this job.”

  Liliane straightened up, ready to learn something useful.

  Mei smirked.

  “I’m gonna teach you how to unlock the computer so you can watch videos during work hours.”

  Liliane blinked.

  “…What?”

  On another floor of the building, Hollow stepped into the room where his assigned team worked.

  The atmosphere was different here—louder, busier.

  He walked toward the front desk without much interest.

  “Hunter Nagashi,” he said, using the name given to him.

  The supervisor glanced at the list and nodded.

  “We’re assigning someone to show you the ropes,” he replied, barely making eye contact.

  Hollow waited, completely unbothered.

  “Felix, over here.”

  A tall young man with golden hair and bright eyes stepped up energetically.

  “Right here!”

  Felix wore a beaming smile and had the kind of presence that was completely opposite to Hollow.

  “This is Hunter. Make sure he learns everything he needs to.”

  Felix turned to Hollow with a friendly look and extended his hand confidently.

  “Nice to meet you, man. We’ll be working together from now on.”

  Hollow looked at the hand for a second, then shook it as he thought it would be the only way he would put it down.

  Felix grinned wider.

  “So! What do you think of the job so far?”

  Hollow stared at him flatly.

  “I don’t have an opinion.”

  Felix let out a short laugh.

  “Straight to the point, huh? I respect that.”

  Hollow didn’t respond.

  Felix seemed like the type who liked to talk.

  And Hollow had no interest in keeping up with that energy.

  So, he simply let him talk.

  Liliane nervously adjusted the hem of her skirt as she tried to make sense of her job.

  Her trainer was doing rounds across the filing floor, checking on Mei and Lily’s progress.

  “How’s it going? Are you training her properly, Mei?”

  Mei looked up with a flawless smile—the kind you only show to higher-ups to fake professionalism.

  “Of course, ma’am. I’m doing my best to train her thoroughly.”

  The trainer nodded, satisfied. “Good. I’m counting on you.”

  With that, she turned and left without further concern.

  The moment the door closed, Mei spun in her chair, her smile morphing into something far more feline and mischievous.

  “Well, well, well… new recruit. How cute.”

  Her eyes scanned Liliane from top to bottom, like she was trying to assess what kind of creature she was dealing with.

  She looks kinda normie, doesn’t she? Mei thought to herself.

  Liliane, feeling a bit intimidated, carefully sat down at her desk.

  “Th-thank you. I’ll do my best.”

  Mei narrowed her eyes, amused.

  “Tell me, Lily—can I call you Lily?—how much do you know about computers?”

  Liliane swallowed. “Um… yes! I mean… just the basics.”

  Mei raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.

  “Mhm. ‘The basics,’ huh?”

  Without waiting for a response, she spun her monitor around and started typing with ease.

  “Alright, let’s start with the simplest thing. Watch closely.”

  Liliane leaned in as Mei opened several programs with fluid, practiced movements.

  “This is the primary file system. It’s where we input, categorize, and organize documents. Now try the same thing on your station.”

  Liliane settled in front of her computer, placed her fingers on the keyboard… and froze.

  Mei waited a few seconds.

  “…Well?”

  Liliane pressed her lips together. Then, with excruciating slowness, she moved the mouse and tried to mimic Mei’s movements.

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  She managed to open a window… only to close it by accident.

  Then opened another one—and immediately lost track of how to get back.

  Mei leaned back in her chair with a grin growing wider by the second.

  “Don’t tell me…”

  Liliane tried again, this time pressing several keys randomly in an attempt to fix her mistake. The screen flickered, and a strange menu popped up.

  Mei tilted her head, now truly baffled.

  “Lily… have you ever used a computer in your life?”

  Liliane’s face lit up with embarrassment.

  “W-well… not exactly…”

  Mei crossed her arms, staring with complete disbelief.

  “You’re joking.”

  Liliane looked down, feeling like a total idiot.

  “It’s just… I-I grew up in the countryside…”

  Mei blinked. Then blinked again. And finally burst out laughing—quietly, but completely entertained.

  “The countryside?! What kind of countryside—like, ‘barely-has-electricity’ countryside?”

  Liliane squirmed in her chair.

  “Not that bad…”

  Mei rested her chin in her hand, staring at her like she’d just discovered a rare animal.

  “Wow. That explains a lot…”

  Liliane frowned, slightly defensive.

  “…Explains what?”

  Mei smirked mysteriously.

  “Oh, nothing. Just… I never thought I’d be assigned someone from the last century.”

  Liliane shrank in her seat.

  “P-please just teach me properly…”

  Mei let out an exaggerated sigh.

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let you drown. Although honestly? This just got way more fun.”

  With that, Mei turned back to her screen, grinning in quiet amusement.

  She was already plotting something.

  This girl… wasn’t just some normie. There was something more—something she could work with.

  She could shape her.

  Mold her into a true appreciator of the good stuff.

  Liliane had no idea…

  But she’d just become Mei’s next personal project.

  Meanwhile, on a different floor, Hollow sat at his workstation with an unreadable face. Felix, seated beside him, patted his desk cheerfully.

  “Alright, this is where the magic happens,” he said with a grin.

  “We take calls from clients, help them with their problems, and make sure they don’t end the call wanting to strangle the company.”

  Hollow slumped into his seat.

  “Why would that matter?” he asked flatly.

  Felix blinked.

  “Well… because we want them to stay happy customers?”

  Hollow tilted his head, clearly unconvinced.

  “If they already paid, why does it matter if they’re happy?”

  Felix stared for a beat. Then burst out laughing.

  “Man, you’re gonna be a project, I can feel it—but hey, I like a good challenge.”

  He turned on the screen and started explaining the call software, the script they had to follow, and how to defuse angry customers without getting cursed out. Hollow listened silently, absorbing everything without emotion.

  Once Felix finished, Hollow simply said:

  “So… fix their problem fast and hang up.”

  Felix put a hand to his forehead.

  “Not exactly. We also want them to feel like we care.”

  Hollow gave him a dry look.

  “Why?”

  “Because if they think we treat them like people instead of robots, they’re less likely to roast us online—and more likely to come back.”

  Hollow considered this, then muttered:

  “…Makes sense, I guess.”

  Felix sighed.

  “You’ve got the empathy of a brick, you know that?”

  Later that afternoon, with the heat starting to wear on them, Felix wrinkled his nose and glanced sideways.

  “Hey, Hunter… can I ask you something? Did you… happen to use deodorant this morning?”

  Hollow blinked.

  “…Why would I?”

  Felix leaned back in his chair like he’d just been spiritually wounded.

  “God, grant me patience…”

  Without another word, he pulled a small can of deodorant from his bag, dropped it on Hollow’s desk, and gave him a look that brooked no argument.

  “Use it… Every day.”

  Hollow stared at the can, then at Felix… then back to the can.

  Finally, with silent resignation, he grabbed it and applied it without complaint.

  Felix nodded in approval.

  “Good. Step one toward becoming a functioning member of society. Next, we’ll work on not ignoring people when they talk to you.”

  Hollow said nothing.

  Just stared at his screen, waiting for the next call.

  Felix watched him, both amused and slightly concerned.

  “It’s gonna be a long week,” he muttered to himself.

  The steady sound of keyboards and mouse clicks gradually faded in the records department, signaling the end of the workday. Mei let out an exaggerated yawn as she powered down her computer and stretched back in her chair.

  “And that’s it for today!” she declared with satisfaction, spinning toward Liliane, who was still organizing the last few documents in the pending tray.

  Liliane glanced at the clock on her screen and blinked. “Oh… is it that late already?”

  Mei rested her chin in her hand, observing her curiously. “You survived another day, rookie. How does it feel to have endured the infamous fourth workday?”

  Liliane gave a soft nervous laugh. “I still feel like there’s so much I need to learn.”

  Mei shot her a lazy look, then sighed dramatically. “Look, if you’ve learned how to look busy while sipping coffee, you’ve already mastered eighty percent of the job.”

  Liliane shook her head gently. “That’s… not really something I want to learn.”

  Mei grinned, amused by her partner’s incorruptible honesty.

  She’s weird… Too pure to be real.

  But she didn’t say it out loud.

  She stood up, bag slung over one shoulder, and motioned toward the exit. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before they rope us into extra work just for lingering.”

  Liliane finished tidying her station and followed her out of the office. As they walked down the softly lit halls, Mei kept sneaking glances at her. There was something oddly pleasant about having someone to share the day with.

  Liliane, for her part, was surprised at how much she enjoyed walking beside Mei. Maybe, just maybe… she wasn’t so alone in this world after all.

  Over in the call center, Felix was stowing away his headset with a relaxed smile.

  “Good work today, Hunter,” he said, stretching his arms overhead.

  Hollow, who had only just removed his headphones, looked over with the same neutral expression as always.

  Felix, not expecting much in return, chuckled to himself. “Every day’s a new chance to improve. You’ll be a pro in no time.”

  Hollow put away his equipment with detached movements. Improve at what? Answering phones? Was that his future now?

  Felix glanced sideways at him while gathering his own things. He still didn’t fully understand his coworker.

  He didn’t complain… but he didn’t seem truly present, either.

  “See you tomorrow,” Felix said, as cheerful as always.

  Hollow gave a simple nod, watching as Felix left with the rest of the team. He lingered for a few seconds, then stood and made his way out of the building.

  He didn’t want to admit it…

  But he was starting to get used to this.

  Liliane boarded the bus and found a seat by the window. She sank into it gently, feeling the day’s fatigue weighing on her body. As the bus pulled away, she watched the city glow in neon lights through the glass.

  This was her fourth day on the job. Four days waking up to an alarm, dressing in modern clothes, following a structured routine…

  Four days without her powers, without her sword, without her purpose.

  She clasped her hands lightly over her skirt.

  “So this is… what it means to live as a human,” she whispered.

  When she accepted this life, she thought it would be temporary.

  She just had to live long enough to return to the Spiritual World… reclaim her power… protect everyone again.

  But… was it really that simple?

  The people around her didn’t seem to be suffering.

  There were no constant wars, no monsters attacking villages, no Abyssals devouring people.

  This world had its own challenges—but it was peaceful.

  She remembered her talk with Mei in the break room. The way Mei tried—awkwardly but earnestly—to look after her, even if she masked it with teasing. Mei was strange, shameless, and a little chaotic…

  But somehow, she felt genuine.

  Liliane placed a hand over her heart, feeling the steady beat in her chest.

  How different was this world, really?

  Could she find a new purpose here… even without her powers?

  The bus reached her stop. She stepped off and walked slowly toward her apartment.

  Hollow climbed the stairs of his building with the same blank expression as always.

  The city was too bright. Too noisy.

  People talked about meaningless things, worried over pointless concerns: money, work, entertainment, relationships… Human things.

  He pressed his lips into a thin line and fished the keys from his pocket. This world made no sense to him.

  He turned the lock and stepped inside.

  Silence.

  He dropped his bag on the floor and scanned the apartment. Everything was tidy, perfectly clean—no sign of life. As always.

  He kicked off his shoes and made his way to the small kitchen. Opened the fridge.

  There was food now.

  A roof over his head.

  A job.

  A system that kept him alive—no fighting, no killing, no devouring.

  Wasn’t this peace and security better than living in the wasteland of the Spiritual World?

  He collapsed onto the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

  There was no more endless hunger.

  No need to feed on flesh.

  No constant desire to fight.

  So then…

  Why was there still that empty feeling in his chest?

  He closed his eyes and let out a breath.

  Maybe it wasn’t something food could ever fill.

  Liliane closed the door behind her and exhaled quietly.

  The silence of the apartment embraced her immediately.

  She took off her shoes and walked toward the small table where she had left her bag. Her fingers brushed across its surface slowly, as if still adjusting to the idea of having a place to call her own.

  A home…

  She remembered the temples of the Spiritual World—the vast halls where she trained with her sword, the corridors where warriors gathered, the nights spent planning strategies to protect the living.

  That was her home. Her purpose.

  So why did this place feel so… warm?

  She pressed her lips together and walked to her bed, collapsing into the sheets with a sigh.

  She closed her eyes, letting the weight of the day settle into her bones.

  Maybe she didn’t have the answers yet.

  Maybe she’d find them tomorrow.

  Until then…

  She would sleep.

  Just like any other human.

  Hollow lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

  The empty ache in his chest still lingered—but there was no point in dwelling on it now.

  He didn’t have all the answers.

  But if there was one thing he had learned in this world…

  It’s that humans didn’t have them either.

  He closed his eyes.

  And for the first time in a very long while…

  He allowed himself to sleep without thinking of war.