The First Request: A Date
"Right then. This is the first request. The first request is to go on a date with me."
"...Yes?"
"If you complete the first request safely, I'll tell you what the second one is."
A date, of all things. It caught me off guard, but I nodded anyway.
"Oh. The brunch is here."
While we spoke, the brunch arrived. Estelle began eating as though nothing unusual had happened. I moved to follow her lead when she suddenly pulled out a Polaroid camera, as if the idea had just occurred to her.
"Look over here. Cheese~"
"Ch-cheese~?"
Flustered, I struck a pose as instructed. A click sounded, and a photo slid out of the camera in her hands. Estelle smiled, satisfied.
"It turned out nicely."
"Is photography a hobby of yours?"
"Yes. On my days off, I wander the streets taking pictures. Living healthily in a place like this means having at least one hobby."
"A hobby, huh. I'm not sure I'll have time to enjoy anything like that."
"You have to make time. Simply struggling with everything you've got isn't enough to survive here."
Estelle gave a bitter smile after answering, her words carrying the weight of something deeply personal.
"From the beginning, no one who comes to this city lacks effort. Everyone arrives in Shion, the city of possibilities, to achieve something. Tourists might be the exception, of course."
"That's true."
"Personally, I believe the healthiest attitude is to observe the city from a slight distance, like a tourist. Look too closely and you'll either be devoured or left with nothing but disillusionment."
There was something in her warning that felt familiar, as though we were cut from the same cloth.
"You don't seem to like this city much, do you?"
"That's right. How could I? This place is far more horrific than you can imagine."
"I didn't come here because I liked it, either."
"Really? That's unexpected. I assumed you were fond of Shion."
"Haha. No way."
How could I possibly like Shion? The city was essentially the culprit that had stolen my sister from me. Without Shion, she would never have been swallowed by that gate.
"For someone who says that, you seemed pretty excited earlier."
"That was..."
But it appeared my behavior looked different through Estelle's eyes. I'd been visibly excited in front of her the whole time, so I could understand why she'd think so.
"It's because I got to meet you in person, Estelle. That got me excited."
"What kind of line is that?"
"I'm serious."
"Oh? Quite the smooth talker, aren't you?"
Estelle chuckled softly at my reply. Did she think I was making an excuse? It was the pure truth without a single lie. The excitement had come from encountering a character from Last Shion.
As we continued the conversation, a question rose in my mind.
"But if you dislike this city so much, why work in the Special Task Force?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, isn't the Special Task Force a job you couldn't do unless you liked the city?"
It was a position that required handling every dirty job as the Hunter Guild's blade. So why was she the team leader of the Special Task Force while claiming to hate Shion? I tilted my head, openly puzzled. Estelle answered with another bitter smile.
"Well. Hmm. Honestly, I could quit even now if I wanted. But..."
"But?"
"...I hate Shion, but I really like its streets."
"What?"
She hated the city of Shion but loved its streets? What did that even mean? I tilted my head again, but Estelle offered no proper explanation.
"You might not understand right now, but once you live in this city, you'll come to feel what it means."
"Hmm. It's a little difficult."
"You don't need to strain yourself to understand. It's not that kind of thing."
Estelle clapped her hands as though a good idea had struck her.
"All right. After we eat, I'll give you a proper guide."
"A guide?"
"Yes. I was only planning a simple walk at first, but it seems you don't know much about the charm of these streets."
"Works for me."
If Estelle was offering to show me around the city, I had no reason to refuse. Even with future sight, the smaller, everyday details rarely surfaced.
Once we finished eating and talking, Estelle led me through Central Street, weaving in every direction.
"This area is the shopping district. If you need something the Hunter Guild shop doesn't carry, this is the place. You'll be coming here often."
"Is the guild shop that bad?"
"Yes. The government runs it directly, so the selection isn't great. For weapons, though, it's better to buy directly from the Forge District."
The first place we visited was the shopping district in the southeast corner of the street.
"To find proper goods, you're better off searching other districts instead of sticking to Central Street. Places like Demon King's Street or the Factory District. The shops here mainly cater to visitors rather than hunters. Still..."
Estelle pointed to a smartphone case hanging in a roadside shop.
"Items like this are easiest to find here."
"What is it?"
"A phone case. It automatically sends a rescue request, so it's worth keeping one. Light items that both hunters and civilians can use are most common in Central Street."
I browsed the displayed products. So this was the source of all those bizarre goods I'd occasionally seen outside Shion—Bluetooth showers, waterless humidifiers, and the like.
"There really are a lot of interesting things."
"Come browse sometimes and you'll lose track of time. Oh, right."
Estelle examined the cases carefully before pulling out one featuring a frog character.
"You need at least one commemorative gift for arriving in Shion. I'll buy this for you."
"Eh, really?"
"Yes. In return, let's keep looking at each other for a long, long time, okay?"
"If possible."
"Good. Promise?"
While Estelle stepped away to pay for the case, I quietly gazed up at the Babel Tower still soaring into the sky. The same tower that would be brutally destroyed when the story of Last Shion began.
"Here."
"Thank you."
"Hehe. What were you looking at? Ah, the Babel Tower?"
"It's amazing. I still can't believe it's supposed to reach all the way into space."
"Ah. True. From its current appearance, it just looks like an ordinary skyscraper."
The Babel Tower. A massive structure the Hunter Guild was building to serve as Shion's symbol. Every ounce of the city's technological power was being poured into a tower literally intended to pierce the heavens.
Even unfinished, its height seemed capable of stabbing the sky. Simply looking at it stirred something inside me. Estelle appeared to feel the same; she gazed at it with unmistakable pride.
"Isn't it magnificent? This street was once nothing but foggy ruins, and now it's come this far."
"Central Street wasn't here from the beginning?"
"No. The Hunter Guild created this new base to end the chaos. They connected all of Shion's districts with this street at the center."
After the simple explanation, Estelle continued proudly.
"Once that tower is completed, the fog will no longer cover the city. Things will improve, even if only a little. The city will become a little... more ordinary."
"I hope you're right."
Despite her pride, I could only answer awkwardly. After all, that tower would collapse on the day of its completion, signaling the start of catastrophe. Only the black afterimage Estelle left behind would remain.
"How much time is left until completion? Quite a while, I suppose?"
"From what I hear, two or three months. But my guess is closer to four."
"Four months? That's faster than I expected."
"Of course. The Hunter Guild has staked its entire existence on this project."
Four months until completion. Less time remained than I'd thought.
"Anyway, let's go. There are still many places I want to show you."
"Where next?"
"You'll see when we arrive. Hehe."
The next place Estelle led me was not far from the Hunter Guild.
"This is...?"
"The Hunter Memorial Park."
Estelle's voice had lost its earlier excitement and settled into calm stillness. Unlike the lively Central Street, the park felt frozen in time. A giant black monument stood at the center, surrounded by endless rows of small nameplates. The heavy solemnity in the air made me hold my breath.
"It's a place to honor the hunters who gave their lives protecting Shion."
"..."
"I said I hated Shion but loved its streets, remember?"
Estelle walked toward the black monument with her back to me.
"The reason is here. Because of these names. These people sacrificed everything so we could walk around laughing and chatting the way we did earlier."
Her fingers gently traced the cold surface of the monument. Countless names were carved into it—from weathered old ones to vivid recent ones.
"...Can't they just be revived even after dying?"
"Not if the body can't be recovered. And before Central Street existed, revival services weren't widespread. It was technology only a few worlds possessed."
Death might be light in this city, but here it still carried weight. Sensing my realization, Estelle shifted the mood.
"So don't cancel your rescue service just because you think it's a waste of money, all right?"
"I can't even afford to subscribe."
"That's a serious problem. You absolutely must subscribe to both the Airscreen and rescue services. They're practically essential."
"Understood."
Airscreen and rescue services. Since she insisted so strongly, I'd sign up the moment I had money. As I made that mental note, Estelle pointed to the statues scattered throughout the park.
"But be careful which service you choose, or you could end up like those."
"Statues? What are they?"
They were incredibly lifelike, as if real people had been turned to stone. While I stared in fascination, Estelle explained with a bitter smile.
"These? People petrified by monsters who couldn't afford the cure. They're displayed here until the effect wears off."
"Eek..."
"That's what those rescue contracts are like. There are no truly cheap contracts in Shion, so always read the fine print before signing anything."
As expected, this city was twisted. I let out a hollow laugh. Estelle muttered, clearly not fond of the sight either.
"Seriously. Just when I start to feel attached, something like this reminds me why I shouldn't. This city..."
After muttering to herself, Estelle took my hand and led me out of the park.
"Come on. What I really want to show you isn't here. We're almost there."
"Where exactly?"
"You've probably seen it already."
Once we left the park, a massive boulevard appeared. Estelle guided me onto an overpass crossing it and scanned the area from the center.
"It should be around here..."
"What are you looking for?"
"Ah. Found it. Right here."
What was she searching for? The moment the question formed, Estelle grabbed me and pulled hard. The world transformed.
"This is..."
"This is the true face of Central Street."
Normally the overlapping wasn't visible, but at the exact center it appeared like this.
"How did you find this place?"
"I stumbled across it while following afterimages. It's my favorite spot. What do you think? Do you like it?"
"I like it. Yes. This is... truly incredible."
Just watching the flow was overwhelming. I was literally seeing the lifeblood of Shion coursing before my eyes.
"People call Shion the city of possibilities while thinking of the guild's grand goals—building that tower, overcoming death, exploring the void, reaching into space. But real possibility isn't any of that. It's this."
Estelle's finger pointed at the chaotic road.
"It doesn't matter where they came from, what they're riding, or even whether they're human. Everyone simply moves toward their own destination. Without colliding, each travels their own path. Life miraculously sustained within disorderly chaos. This is the street I want to protect."
Watching Estelle smile like a child as she gazed at the road, I found myself unable to look away. As I stared at her profile, she turned to me with a warm smile.
"How was it? Did you like it?"
"...Yes. I like it."
I still didn't know whether I could come to like this city. It had taken my sister, after all. But at least I could appreciate the way Estelle loved these streets. With that thought, I gently stroked the phone case she had given me.
"Hehe. I'm glad. Shall we continue our date then? The last schedule is coming up soon."
"Already?"
"The last one might take a while."
We crossed the overpass and kept walking until the dark back alleys of Central Street began to appear. Each district seemed to span roughly two or three blocks.
"Ah. There they are. Those are the back alleys—the end of this street. It's best to avoid them unless you have business there. They're shortcuts to other districts, so the normal rules of the street don't apply."
"What happens if the rules don't apply?"
"It means you won't be punished even if you commit a crime. They're a kind of blind spot."
So they really were back alleys in every sense. As I stopped to consider that, Estelle snapped a photo of the entrance and beckoned to me.
"What are you waiting for? Come on—this is the final schedule for today's date."
"The final schedule?"