When I woke up, I found myself in a dim, otherworldly place that closely resembled a familiar Japanese town.

Wandering the streets were bizarre monsters that seemed anything but human. I kept running without understanding why, and as I dashed into a back alley, I collided with a man.

A man who, rare for this world, looked entirely human no matter how you looked at him.

Panicking, I asked for help. Without a word, the man took my hand and led me somewhere.

——For some reason, it was a butcher shop.

The man appeared to be the shop's owner, and he offered to hire me, a person with no one to turn to, as an employee.

And so, from that day on, I began running the butcher shop together with the silent, expressionless owner.

Cutting and processing meat of unknown origin, displaying it as products. Dealing with customers, cleaning the shop.

Amidst this strange daily life, I would gradually come to learn about this world.

By the way, when I asked the owner his name, he thought for a moment and then said,

"...Tanaka."

——It seemed highly unlikely to be his real name, but if that's what he called himself, I decided not to pry any further.