Tokyo's Phantom Thief

The world shaped by public cognition...

Listening to what Rinto had just explained, Yoshizawa Sumire glanced nervously around her surroundings.

She clung tightly to Rinto's neck with both arms, afraid he might suddenly let go.

The streets and buildings in this world looked exactly the same as in the real one.

But the difference was glaring—everything here was steeped in a desaturated, shadowy gray, like the color had been drained from the world.

Even the sky overhead was murky and filthy, instinctively unsettling to look at.

Sumire couldn't help but wonder: If this world is formed by the subconscious of all people… does that mean everyone's mind is really this dark…?

The thought sent a chill through her, and she quickly pushed it away.

For now, what really needed to be addressed was: what the heck happened to Shujin Academy to make it turn into a castle?

Given the situation, Rinto couldn't really hide the truth from her anymore.

So he explained:

"When a place in the real world gets completely transformed like that, it's called a Palace. It's no longer formed by general cognition—it becomes a private domain shaped entirely by someone with overwhelming, twisted desires. You could call them a Palace ruler."

"Sometimes these people might seem normal enough on the surface in the real world, but mentally, they're completely unstable. Basically no different from being clinically insane. Like this guy Kamoshida—he's convinced his workplace is his personal castle. He sees himself as the king. It's completely delusional."

Exactly… Sumire shivered at the thought.

It was terrifying to realize a person's mind could distort reality to such an extreme degree.

Rinto didn't intend to go into more detail.

Sumire had stumbled into the Metaverse by accident—her mind had clearly taken a huge shock, and what she needed most now was rest.

Once they were far enough from the Palace—outside the range of its ruler's influence—Rinto stopped in a small park.

The river here, which would've looked lovely during the day in the real world, now looked muddy and sickening in this distorted place, with none of its usual beauty.

Still, there was a bench at least. Rinto carefully set Sumire down:

"Careful. Your feet must be freezing, huh?"

He gently lifted her bare feet, propping her so she could rest comfortably on the bench.

His thoughtful actions made Sumire's heart flutter. Her face flushed red with heat.

But before she could get swept up in that feeling, the guilt came flooding in.

She had come here more or less on purpose. And she had to apologize for it.

Rinto had told them before: the Metaverse was dangerous, and "stealing hearts" was no glamorous job. He had warned them not to dig too deep.

But she hadn't listened. She'd still crossed that line.

Afraid that Rinto would be angry or disappointed in her, Sumire clenched her hands tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Rinto-senpai… I'm really, really sor—"

"Sorry, Sumire. I should be the one apologizing," Rinto cut her off gently. "I completely overlooked how much pressure you've been under. I had no idea you felt cornered like this. If you're ever troubled by something, just tell me, okay? Please… don't ever do something reckless like this again."

…Eh?

Before she could even finish her apology, Rinto had already taken her hands in his and knelt before her on one knee—like a proposal scene straight out of a drama.

The mask he always wore—shaped like a waterbird—vanished from his face as he willed it away, showing her his unguarded expression.

Sumire's heart pounded wildly, and her toes curled in embarrassment.

"R-Rinto-senpai… what are you saying? Is this… a confession?"

"Huh? Nah." Rinto tilted his head. "Didn't you come here to do something reckless? I thought… you were gonna kill yourself."

Eh!?

Sumire, whose eyes had practically turned to sparkles a second ago, now looked like she'd been doused in cold water. Her expression went stiff with confusion.

She frantically shook her head.

"N-No way…! Why would I ever do that!? I was just researching Kamoshida on my phone, and I must've accidentally activated some weird Metaverse navigation app… That's how I got pulled in…"

"Wait, what? Metaverse navigation app? …What the hell is that?"

…Eh!?

...Ehhhhhhhh!?

The two of them stared at each other in stunned silence, realization dawning slowly.

It took a while before they figured out their perspectives had been completely off.

And so, a little while later—

Realizing they had a lot to talk about, Rinto brought Sumire back with him to his room in the real world.

Technically, Rinto could travel in and out of the Metaverse freely. He could've sent her straight home.

But since she'd just been through something terrifying, he was worried something else might happen. Keeping her nearby felt safer.

Under his urging, Sumire quickly made a call home:

"Hello, onee-chan? Mm, it's me… I'm at Rinto-senpai's place right now."

"Y-Yeah… I know… I'm sorry, okay? …Ah, yes yes yes, just tell them I snuck out in the middle of the night to elope with Rinto-senpai or something! Yeah, just say that to Mom and Dad!"

Rinto, sitting nearby, looked extremely awkward as he listened.

Since Sumire had technically warped into the Metaverse and come out at his place, the truth was way too complicated to explain.

Rather than coming up with a lie that might fall apart later, it seemed smarter to just admit part of it outright. At least that way, it would hold up better under scrutiny.

Usually so shy and obedient, Sumire was surprisingly firm this time, insisting she'd snuck out in the middle of the night.

As the conversation went on, her tone gradually softened.

Finally, she turned and nervously handed the phone to Rinto:

"Rinto-senpai… um, my dad says… he wants to talk to you…"

She looked like a cartoon cat caught stealing fish—(.>x<.)—pleading with wide eyes for Rinto to cover for her.

With the weight of fate on his shoulders, Rinto took the phone and pressed it to his ear:

"Hello, sir. This is Asakura Rinto… Ah—yes, I'm very sorry. Then I won't call you ojisan, I'll just say Sumire's father… Ah, sorry again. I shouldn't call her by her first name either… Yes, understood, I'm truly sorry…"

He could only keep apologizing over and over, bowing his head respectfully to the voice of Sumire's terrifyingly intense father on the other end of the line.

Even though he hadn't done anything wrong, somehow, he still felt completely at his mercy. It was like he was born to be one step below this man.

Fortunately, despite being a bit of a doting father, the man was at least reasonable.

After what felt like ages, Rinto finally got permission and assured him that he'd take proper care of Sumire.

When he hung up, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Your dad said your sister's coming to pick you up first thing tomorrow morning. He told you to behave yourself. And he ordered me to protect you no matter what. If I make you cry… he'll have the prosecutor's office send someone after me."

"~~~I'm so sorry, senpai!! Really, really sorry! (.>x<.)"

Sumire's face was red as a tomato, like an embarrassed little monkey. Honestly… it was kind of adorable.