Faint black smoke drifted at the mouth of an alley in the Culling Game, and chunks of concrete littered half the street.
Nanami leaned against a broken wall, panting, his white shirt stained red across the shoulder and arm, his tie hopelessly askew.
He tugged at his collar.
"Seventh straight day of overtime. If HR doesn't give me triple pay when I get back, I'm quitting on the spot."
Yu Haibara crouched beside him, wiping his blade, his forearm covered in bruises. He looked up with a smile.
"It was worth it to save so many people."
Over the past few days, the two had cleared hostile Players from three or four blocks, escorting a group of civilians into a safe house.
Nanami never stopped complaining, but he never hesitated when it came time to charge.
"When the Culling Game ends, I'm definitely going to the Maldives."
Nanami took out his phone and lit up the screen.
His wallpaper showed a clear blue sea, with white sand stretching to the horizon.
"Turn off my work email, turn off emergency contacts, wake up whenever I want every day, walk on the sand and drink cold drinks. Missions, reports-I won't think about any of it."
That concrete hope had kept him going through all those days and nights.
"Sure."
Yu Haibara took the half-full bottle of water he offered, gulped down a mouthful, then stood and straightened his crooked tie.
"I'll go with you."
"Who wants you along?" Nanami refused to admit it. "I'm going alone for some peace and quiet."
Despite his words, he failed to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting slightly.
A little head with pigtails suddenly peeked around the alley entrance.
Yu Haibara recognized her at once: the child he had saved from a Cursed