Yūto—Ren Kuroda in this world—had only just arrived in Little Garden.
Although Black Rabbit had explained quite a lot, his understanding of this place was still patchy at best.
As for the so-called "Community" Black Rabbit belonged to, he had no real sense of what kind of organization it was. And unlike the reckless problem children standing beside him, Ren wasn't the type to leap before looking.
So he decided to observe first—and choose later.
When Black Rabbit led the four of them out of the forest, her mood was surprisingly bright.
True, Ren hadn't agreed to join her Community yet.
But with Izayoi, Asuka, and Yō already on board, she firmly believed her Community could finally escape its current crisis.
Since the three had accepted her invitation, she no longer concealed anything from them. Instead, she began explaining the true state of their Community.
The world of Little Garden had a surface area comparable to that of a star.
And even the smallest stars possessed a surface thousands of times larger than Earth's.
Within this vast world, the land was circular in shape and divided into seven distinct layers. Each layer was encircled by an enormous outer wall.
If viewed from above, it would resemble concentric circles—one wrapped around another.
The outermost circle was known as the Seventh Layer, also called the "Outer Gate."
The gates set into each outer wall were numbered according to their layer. The lowest possible designation was seven digits.
The fewer the digits, the closer the territory was to the city's center—and the stronger the inhabitants residing there.
Seven-digit and six-digit territories belonged to the Lower Levels.Five-digit territories were Middle Level.Four-digit, three-digit, two-digit, and one-digit territories comprised the Upper Levels.
According to Black Rabbit, her Community had once been one of the largest alliances in Little Garden, spanning the East, South, and North sectors.
But after an attack by a Demon Lord, their name had been stripped away.
Originally a top-tier five-digit Community—one whose strength rivaled even some four-digit powers—everything had collapsed after the Demon Lord's assault.
Its members scattered. Many were lost.
What remained now was little more than a shell.
From the strongest force in the Eastern District, they had fallen to a nameless existence—"No Name"—a Community without even a banner to call its own.
Without a name. Without a flag. And marked by the stigma of having been attacked by a Demon Lord.
No one dared to join them.
With only minors left behind, they couldn't even participate in Gift Games. And so, even at Eastern Outer Gate 2105380, survival had become a daily struggle.
If not for Black Rabbit's status as one of the "Little Garden Nobles," and the frequent support she received from the Eastern District's Floor Master—Shiroyasha—through her work as a Gift Game referee…
"No Name" might have already vanished.
It was precisely because of this desperation that Black Rabbit had sent invitations to Izayoi and the others, clinging to the faint hope that they could save her Community.
Her attachment to "No Name" ran deep.
She had grown up there.
It was her home.
No—more than that.
For the children who remained, "No Name" was the only home they had.
Black Rabbit's greatest wish was to one day bring back all the former members—and restore the Community to its former glory.
After a long walk, they finally arrived at the territory of "No Name."
And just as Black Rabbit had said…
Everywhere they looked, there were children.
Boys and girls barely in their teens.
Even the current leader of "No Name" was only newly of age—a young man named Jin Russell.
Jin had become leader not because he was the strongest, but because he was the only adult left.
All the powerful members had been lost in Gift Games, claimed by other Communities.
He was the last one standing.
"Black Rabbit," Izayoi said, glancing around the territory, "you said the Demon Lord's attack happened just a few years ago, right? But this land… these buildings… they look like they've been abandoned far longer than that. Was the Demon Lord really that strong?"
Even in ruins, it was clear that "No Name" had once been powerful.
A territory like this, at the Outer Gate, wasn't something an ordinary Community could possess.
And yet, despite that former strength, they had been crushed so completely.
Izayoi's grin widened.
The idea of a Demon Lord capable of that fascinated him.
"Yes," Black Rabbit nodded. "The buildings were destroyed. The land lost its vitality. Crops can't grow properly. And many members were taken away after losing Gift Games."
Her ears drooped slightly.
"And I don't think the one who attacked us was an ordinary Demon Lord. Back then… everyone in our Community was very strong."
For a moment, deep sorrow crossed her face.
But it vanished quickly.
Because now, with Izayoi and the others here, there was hope.
Besides her own income as a referee, Izayoi and the others could now participate in Gift Games.
With their strength, she was certain that "No Name" would gradually recover—and perhaps even reclaim its former glory.
"My lords and ladies, please have some tea. And these are sweets prepared to welcome you."
The voice came from the doorway.
A petite girl entered, carrying a tray.
She had short golden hair and a pair of fox ears atop her head. Her movements were composed and polite as she served black tea and delicately crafted pastries.
Ren judged her to be around the same age as Jin.
But her demeanor was far more mature than her years.
"She's called Lily," Black Rabbit explained softly. "She's fourteen—one year younger than Lord Jin. She's the oldest child in the Community now. Most of the household duties are organized by her."
Ren only half-listened.
His gaze had shifted toward the doorway.
Several small heads peeked in, trying to spy on them.
To be precise—
The older children were studying them cautiously.
The younger ones, however, had eyes fixed solely on the pastries on the table.
"Hey, Black Rabbit," Ren said quietly.
"You mentioned 'No Name' is struggling just to get enough to eat, right?"
His eyes moved from the elegant pastries and steaming tea…
…to the children staring hungrily from the doorway.
"These sweets and tea," he continued, "they're not cheap, are they?"
Black Rabbit froze for a second.
"W-Well… since Mr. Izayoi and Miss Asuka are visiting for the first time, we had to prepare something proper. Of course, if you'd like this kind of treatment every day… that will depend on how hard you all work in Gift Games."
The pastries had been purchased from the famous Community "Six Scars."
They were anything but inexpensive.
Because of this expense, the children's meals for the next few days would likely suffer.
But to Black Rabbit and Jin, it was worth it.
They had nothing else worthy of welcoming such powerful new members.
And besides—
The children were used to hardship.
With only minors left, they handled chores and labor themselves.
They endured hunger without complaint.
"I'm sorry," Ren murmured.
"Even if this were the finest delicacy in existence… I couldn't swallow a bite right now."
Watching Black Rabbit and Jin treat the children's hunger as something inevitable…
The pastry in his hand suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
Hot.
Ren stood up.
Pastry in hand, he walked slowly toward the doorway.
The children who had been staring at the cake widened their bright eyes.
When they saw him approaching, they panicked—
As if caught doing something wrong—and turned to run.
But the moment they spun around—
Ren was already standing behind them.
They froze.
"You like this cake, don't you?" he said gently.
"Here. Share it among yourselves."
He placed the pastry into the hands of a small beast-eared girl.
"After you've eaten, how about playing a game with big brother? If you win, I'll buy you cake every day."
The way he smiled—
From a distance, it almost looked like a suspicious man luring children with sweets.
Black Rabbit opened her mouth to object.
But Izayoi reached out and stopped her.
"You want the kid to join 'No Name,' don't you?" Izayoi murmured. "This might be the perfect opportunity."
"He said he had no reason to join. Looks like he just found one."
Izayoi smirked.
"Though I didn't expect him to be into little girls. No wonder he's not interested in your overly seductive body, Black Rabbit."
"Wh-What do you mean 'overly seductive'?! Black Rabbit is one of the Little Garden Nobles! I'm not some indecent bunny! And I dress like this because of Lady Shiroyasha's instructions!"
She sputtered.
Then froze.
"Wait—what do you mean Ren might join us?"
Izayoi shrugged.
"I don't know what he's thinking exactly. But didn't you hear him?"
"He said he wants to play a game with the kids. And in this world… what kind of 'game' do you think that means?"
Black Rabbit blinked.
"But children can't participate in public Gift Games. Only Lord Jin can."
She paused.
"Though… private Gift Games aren't prohibited."
Her eyes widened.
"But why would Mr. Ren want to hold a Gift Game with children?"
Across the courtyard, Ren watched the children carefully.
A faint smile curved his lips.
Because in Little Garden—
There was no such thing as an ordinary game.