"Hey Inu, what's that about?" Kami asks, while showing Inu the message on his phone.
"Oh that? We're buddies now. What that means on the other hand? I don't know"
"You don't know?" Kami was visibly confused. "I thought you knew what was going on here? I thought you understand what these coder abilities are and how everything revolving around them works, or was that a lie?"
"No of course not. I.. just follow me. He will be able to explain it way better than me, I promise."
"Who?" kami asks.
"The one I want you to meet, you'll see. Just follow me and you are going to understand everything."
With a face that didn't seem happy at all he accepted and followed Inu further down the street.
The two kept walking a while, until they arrived at a side alley, ordinary as any street. They turn into it and after a glitch-like shimmer runs across Kami's vision. Within an instant the sound of the neon signs stopped, the cold air of the empty city of Tokyo vanished and in front of Kami a little village, filled with a relaxing dim light, shows up, with an atmosphere so warm and cozy that he immediately feels home and safe.
"How can this be? One couldn't see this village from outside the alley?" Kami asked, very confused.
"That's the point, only coders can enter, normal people that enter the alley will just walk along a normal road."
Kami didn't understand how that worked and just followed Inu.
As they walked through the village, Kami saw many different and interesting things.
As Inu previously said, every single person in this Village was a Coder. And they all used their abilities for everyday life.
Kami saw one Man that kept his icecream cold with what seemed to be an ice ability, and another one that generated energy by creating wind with his powers.
"Wow, it's great how everyone here lives in peace and uses their power so freely" Kami thought to himself.
He remembered how he got attacked by Umbra and how he kidnapped his sister, reminding him of what's at stake, what he's here for and what he wants to accomplish. He didn't understand this strange new world to its fullest yet, but that was exactly why he was here now.
"Here it is, that's where he lives" was what Inu said, when they arrived in front of the biggest house in the village.
It was a massive, two-story estate of dark timber and white plaster, topped with a heavy, tiled roof that loomed against the night sky like a sleeping beast. A wide wooden porch, the engawa, wrapped around its perimeter, polished so brightly it reflected the stars.
Unlike the flickering neon and shifting shadows of the city outside, this house felt solid, anchored to the earth. Two large stone lanterns guarded the entrance, emitting a low, golden hum that made the hair on Kami's arms stand up.
"He's inside," Inu whispered, her green eyes reflecting the steady gold light. "The man who can tell you why the world that you know stopped existing."
With shivering legs Kami walked towards the entrance of the building, heading inside. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a man standing at the end of the room.
His shoes made little to no sound as he walked over the wooden floor of the building, a few people standing across the room, looking confused towards kami.
"So you're the new one, I take it? Looks like Inu finally found someone to partner up with" the man turned around and looked Kami straight into the eyes.
He wore a traditional white kimono and pleated hakama, the fabric so bright it seemed to catch the dim light of the lanterns and hold it.
He looked to be in his early fifties, with sharp, angular features and hair the color of burnt wood, bound together to a tail behind his head.
"Hey there mr…?"
"Akira, Call me Akira" the man said.
"Sit down boy, I have quite a lot to tell you"