The door shut behind them with a heavy thud, and for the first time in a while… nothing followed. No darkness, no pressure, no voice in their heads. Just a room. Wide space, scattered beds, a long table at the center. It looked normal—too normal—and that alone made it uncomfortable.
Corjaudo looked around carefully. "…We're not fighting?"
Kaito dropped into a chair with a tired sigh. "You want to go back?"
"…No."
"Then don't complain."
Jenres flopped onto a bed with a soft thump, stretching like nothing had happened. "If this is another test, I'm sleeping through it."
Daigo leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "What's the point of this?"
Arai didn't answer. She walked toward the window, her reflection staring back at her. Something about her had changed—less tension, more control—but she didn't say a word.
Shizuma observed the room silently. The structure, the spacing, the way everyone naturally positioned themselves. "…A controlled setup," he said.
Corjaudo groaned. "Stop saying things like that. Makes it sound worse."
"You are in a controlled setup," Jenres replied lazily.
"…I don't like you."
"I know."
The door opened again with a soft click. Kaizen entered, and the room instinctively straightened. No one spoke, but everyone focused.
"You will stay here," Kaizen said calmly.
Corjaudo blinked. "…All of us?"
"Yes."
"In one room?"
"Yes."
"…That's illegal."
"It isn't."
"…It should be."
Kaito rubbed his face. "Just listen."
Kaizen's gaze moved across them. "You faced yourselves. You saw your flaws. Now you will see them in each other."
Silence followed.
Daigo frowned. "We're not fighting, right?"
"No."
"…Good."
"You will live together."
Corjaudo dropped his head. "…That's worse."
Jenres laughed under her breath. "You're scared of people now?"
"I just met myself. That was enough trauma."
Kaizen ignored the exchange. "Understanding others reduces your own weakness."
Shizuma's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Rest," Kaizen said, turning away.
The door shut again.
For a moment, no one moved. Then Corjaudo collapsed onto the floor. "I'm not built for this."
"You're not built for anything," Jenres replied.
"…That's unnecessary."
Kaito leaned back in his chair. "So we're stuck here."
"For now," Shizuma said.
Daigo cracked his neck. "Then we train."
"No," Jenres said instantly.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Shut up," Arai said without turning.
They both stopped.
Corjaudo pointed at her. "…See? She's still scary."
"I heard that."
"…Of course you did."
Tetsuya stood near the wall the entire time, arms crossed, silent. He hadn't reacted once. Just watching.
Kaito glanced at him. "…You ever talk?"
"No."
"…Great."
Corjaudo whispered, "He's worse than the chamber."
"I heard that too," Tetsuya replied flatly.
"…Why does everyone hear everything?"
"Because you're loud," Jenres said.
Shizuma stepped forward slightly. "If this is about understanding, observation alone isn't enough. We need interaction."
Corjaudo groaned. "That sounds like effort."
"It is."
"…I don't like it."
Before anything else could be said, a sharp whoosh cut the air. Jenres kicked up from the bed, stopping just short of Kaito's face.
He leaned back instantly. "Oi!"
She grinned. "Reaction's still late."
Kaito stood. "You want to test that?"
"Anytime."
They exchanged a few quick moves—nothing serious, just instinct. Step, block, shift. Kaito reacted faster this time, not waiting, while Jenres adjusted instead of going wild.
Shizuma watched closely. "…Improved timing."
Daigo nodded once.
Corjaudo peeked from behind a chair. "…I learned nothing."
"Watch properly," Shizuma said.
"I am watching. I still don't get it."
"Then you're not understanding."
"Yeah, that doesn't help."
The exchange stopped suddenly.
Tetsuya stood between them.
No one had seen him move.
"…Enough," he said.
That was it. No pressure, no force—just final.
Jenres clicked her tongue and stepped back. Kaito exhaled and sat down again. "…You're fast."
No reply.
Arai finally turned from the window. Her gaze moved across all of them, sharp and clear.
"…You're all obvious."
Silence.
Kaito frowned. "…Explain."
She looked at him. "You hesitate."
"…Working on it."
She shifted to Daigo. "You force."
"…And?"
"…Refine it."
Jenres tilted her head. "What about me?"
"You overdo."
Jenres smirked. "…Fair."
Then Arai looked at Shizuma. A slight pause.
"…You hold back."
The room went quiet.
Shizuma didn't react immediately. "…Noted."
Corjaudo raised his hand slowly. "…And me?"
Arai looked at him. "…You panic."
"…I knew it."
A small laugh escaped Jenres, followed by Kaito. Even Daigo smirked faintly.
Corjaudo pointed at them. "I didn't run though."
Arai looked at him again. "…Yeah."
That was enough.
The tension eased slightly after that. Not gone—but lighter.
Shizuma stepped back, thinking. "…Understanding others reduces unpredictability."
Kaito glanced at him. "You turned that into math."
"…It works."
Jenres smirked. "You're slowly becoming normal."
"…Unlikely."
Daigo stretched. "We train tomorrow."
"No," Jenres said.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Shut up," Arai said again.
They both stopped. Again.
Corjaudo lay flat on the floor. "…This is better than hell."
A pause.
"…Slightly."
No one argued.
For the first time, they weren't fighting. Not surviving. Not breaking.
Just… existing together.
Slowly understanding.
Slowly adjusting.
Outside the room, unseen—
Kaizen stood in silence.
Watching.
"…They've started to understand," he murmured.
A figure stood beside him in the shadows.
"…Will it be enough?" the figure asked.
Kaizen didn't answer immediately.
A faint smile appeared.
"Not yet."
A pause.
"But soon… they'll have to fight together."
The air grew heavier.
"And when that time comes…"
"…hell won't be their greatest problem anymore."
Silence followed.
Because something far worse—
was already waiting.