The warehouse still held the scent of night. The faint sound of his classmates' sleeping breaths, huddled against the walls, reached his ears. Only a few hours had passed since last night's explosion experiment. That bursting sound and white flash were still seared deep in everyone's ears. Shinjou Kamiki sat on the floor, hugging his knees. He couldn't sleep. No, he hadn't intended to sleep at all. The black powder from the gunpowder still clung to the fingertips of his left hand. Beneath the scraped skin of his hand, blood had dried and turned brown. Right beside Kamiki, Kaga Hiroto had his eyes closed behind his glasses. It was impossible to tell if he was asleep or just staying silent. Beyond the iron door, the sound of a sentry's military boots paced back and forth with mechanical regularity. That sound stopped abruptly. Other footsteps mixed in. Two people. Kamiki's spine straightened instantly. "[whispers] Souta." Kaga spoke in a small voice. He hadn't been asleep. "[whispers] Yeah." Outside the door, low voices could be heard whispering. It was Lieutenant Watanabe's voice. The other was probably the duty soldier. "[cold] ...The factory director will hand down his decision at seven tomorrow morning. The Colonel went to negotiate directly." "[scared] What?! The Colonel himself?" "[cold] He submitted a report stating that the madman named Bandou should be separated from the group and processed as mentally deranged. The remaining fifty-one, as possessors of future knowledge, would be of benefit to the Empire." The voices sounded muffled through the iron door. But Kamiki's ears didn't miss a single word. His heart pounded heavily deep in his chest. Kaga slowly raised his face. Their gazes met in the dim warehouse. "[whispers] The Colonel... he's actually doing a pretty good job for us, huh." A faint hint of a smile mixed into his voice. "[serious] We don't know that yet." Kamiki pressed his fist against the floor, putting strength into it. The Colonel had moved. He understood that. But whether the factory director would accept those words was a different matter entirely. Kaga was looking at Kamiki's fist. A long silence passed. Then, a voice came from the corner of the warehouse. "[whispers] ...I'm hungry." It was one of their classmates. Leaning against the wall, he was staring blankly at the ceiling. He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular; his true feelings had just slipped out. "[sarcastic] How can you be hungry in this situation?" Another boy next to him replied, sounding exasperated. "[sad] But... we haven't eaten anything since yesterday..." A small, stifled laugh arose. The tension eased for just a moment. Kamiki felt the corners of his mouth involuntarily relax. (*What are these guys saying at a time like this?*) But thanks to that, he felt a little of the strength drain from his shoulders. Kaga spoke while scratching his messy brown hair. "[gentle] Well, you know... when everyday things still feel like everyday things, it's kind of nice, isn't it?" "[laughing] I don't really get it, but maybe you're right." Kamiki laughed quietly. Outside was growing brighter. Through the window grating, the morning light streamed in thin lines. ――Just before noon. *Clank.* The iron door was opened from the outside. The air inside the warehouse tensed instantly. Everyone's eyes focused on the door. Lieutenant Watanabe stood there. He wore a tense expression. He held a bundle of keys in his hand. "[serious] The confinement is lifted." He said just that, curtly. Kaneda Shizuka stood up in the corner of the warehouse. Her disheveled ponytail remained frayed. With her eyes still red from crying, the teacher's voice caught in her throat. "[crying] ...Y-yes... thank you... very much." But the Lieutenant continued. "[serious] However, leaving the factory grounds continues to be prohibited. You will remain under the supervision of Colonel Arisaka." There were conditions attached. Even so, Kamiki felt his chest tremble with relief. (*We can get out.*) The students began to stand up timidly. No one raised their voice. Their faces showed they still hadn't fully grasped the situation. When Lieutenant Watanabe stepped aside, the hallway was visible beyond the open door. At the far end of that hallway, a single man stood. Major General Kuwahara. The factory director. His rank insignia gleaming on his shoulder, he watched them silently. He was nearly an old man, but his back was straight, and his gaze was that of a soldier through and through. His eyes met Kamiki's. A crossing of gazes, for just an instant. The factory director said nothing. He just looked at Kamiki. Then, he slowly turned his back and disappeared into the depths of the hallway. Kamiki felt it clearly: those eyes held a cold light, as if appraising his worth. (*We're still not trusted.*) Rather, it was a look that said he believed he could crush them at any time. Kamiki bit his lip. It wasn't over yet. He couldn't let his guard down. "[gentle] Everyone, let's go outside. Take your time, it's okay." Ms. Kaneda called out to the students. Her voice was still trembling, but it was a little steadier than before. One by one, the students filed out of the warehouse. The outside air, for the first time in six days. The moment they stepped onto the factory grounds, the smell of soot stung their noses. Smoke from the forge covered the sky like low-hanging clouds. But it was far better than the closed-in air of the warehouse. No one raised their voice loudly. They just squinted and looked up at the sky. ――The vacant official residence northwest of the factory, Second Residence. The building they were guided to was much larger than the Sixth Residence. It was a single-story wooden structure, but both the hallways and rooms were spacious. Midday light streamed in through the sunlit windows. "This is your new living quarters." The Lieutenant explained matter-of-factly. Kamiki looked around the room. The tatami mats smelled new. At the very least, it was much better than the cold floor of the warehouse. The students timidly carried their belongings into the rooms. Though, they had almost nothing to carry. Everything had remained confiscated since their confinement. Kamiki was about to enter his own room. "Shinjou." A low voice came from the hallway. Turning around, he saw Lieutenant Watanabe standing with his back against the wall. "[serious] Do you have a moment?" Kaga looked back and forth between Kamiki and the Lieutenant with concern, but Kamiki gave a small nod and sent Kaga to the room. The two of them were left alone in the hallway. The Lieutenant was expressionless as always. But the tone of his voice was slightly lower than usual. "[cold] Colonel Arisaka put his neck on the line for you people." He spoke as if chewing over each and every word. "[cold] The petition to the factory director was approved under the Colonel's full responsibility. If you cause any more trouble, this time the Colonel will literally lose his head." Something tightened sharply deep in Kamiki's chest. (*Put his neck on the line...*) The Colonel was trying to protect them, even at the cost of his own position. "[cold] I'm still only half-convinced that you understand the weight of that." The Lieutenant's eyes stared straight at Kamiki. Kamiki didn't back down a single step. He stared straight back into the Lieutenant's eyes. "[serious] I understand." His voice was quiet. But he forced the words out from the bottom of his gut. "[serious] I will absolutely not betray him." The Lieutenant said nothing. Silence fell over the spot for a while. Eventually, the Lieutenant gave a single, small nod. Then, he turned on his heel and walked down the hallway. The sound of his military boots faded away. His back seemed just a little softer than usual. ――Evening. Kamiki gathered everyone in the largest room of the residence. "[serious] I have something to say." When he said that shortly, the murmuring students fell quiet. Inside the room, the gazes of over fifty people gathered on him. Among them, some faces still looked at Kamiki with suspicion. He thought that was only natural. He had put everyone in danger multiple times. Being locked in the warehouse due to Mr. Bandou's rampage was, in the end, because he couldn't handle it. Kamiki didn't have any prepared words. No cool lines, nothing. He just looked at the faces of everyone in front of him, one by one. "[serious] I've dragged you all this far, and I've put everyone in danger many times." His voice began to tremble. "[sad] I think that's my fault." Ms. Kaneda had both hands over her mouth in the corner of the room. "[serious] But." Kamiki squeezed out his voice. "[crying] I won't let anyone else die. That much, I promise." The moment he finished speaking, his voice broke. Tears spilled from his eyes. He couldn't stop them. He tried to hold them back, over and over, but the hot drops kept overflowing one after another. A long silence fell over the room. No one moved. ――*Clap, clap.* There was a small sound of applause. It was Kaga. His eyes behind his glasses were slightly moist. "[gentle] ...You did good, Souta." Another clap joined his voice. It was Ms. Kaneda. Wiping away her tears, the teacher was slowly clapping her hands. *Clap, clap, clap.* It spread, from one person to the next. The applause, sparse at first, soon became a loud sound that filled the entire room. Kamiki couldn't raise his face. He just kept wiping his tears with his sleeve. Amid the applause, footsteps approached. "[whispers] You did well." Ms. Kaneda was standing right next to him. It was a small voice, quiet enough that no one else could hear. Kamiki couldn't manage a proper reply. All he could do was give a small nod. The back of his ears burned hot. ――Night. When the residence had fallen completely silent, Lieutenant Watanabe came to get them. "[serious] The Colonel is calling for you. Shinjou and Kaga." Kamiki and Kaga exchanged glances. When they were shown into a small room in the main building, Colonel Arisaka was already waiting with a map spread out. The lamp light illuminated the Colonel's short black hair and the white at his temples. "[cold] Sit." The Colonel spoke curtly, then pointed at a spot on the map. "[cold] Russian military forces are being reinforced in the Manchuria region." The Colonel's finger traced over the map. It was his right hand, the one with the burn scars. "[cold] Even after the conclusion of the Boxer Rebellion, their southward advance continues unchanged. By our estimation, a conflict between Japan and Russia is unavoidable within three to five years." He could tell Kaga was holding his breath. Kamiki also pressed his lips together tightly. (*The Russo-Japanese War.*) He knew it from history. But now, he could hear the footsteps of that war right before his eyes. The Colonel took his hand off the map and looked straight at Kamiki. "[cold] The knowledge you people possess may change the shape of that war." The lamp light flickered deep within the Colonel's eyes. "[cold] That could be for better, or for worse." Silence enveloped the room. Kamiki couldn't reply immediately. His throat was completely dry. Beside him, Kaga was holding his breath anxiously. "[cold] There is time. Think it over." The Colonel stood up from his chair. "[cold] However, your work as the technical advisory group begins tomorrow." Saying just that, the Colonel left the room. The sound of his military boots faded into the hallway. Kamiki remained motionless, staring at the map. ――On the way back to the residence. Kamiki and Kaga walked side-by-side down the hallway. The factory night was quiet. When they left the main building, the sky was clear. The stars looked unnervingly close. Kamiki suddenly stopped and looked up at th