Chapter Text
Chapter 1 “Death Zone”
The smell of dust hung in the air so thickly that it seemed almost tangible. It clogged the lungs, settled on the tongue with a bitter taste, and mixed with the metallic tang of blood. The ears rang from explosions and the crack of crumbling buildings, but thoughts still clung to something strangely mundane.
Fresh baked goods.
The scent of a new Gundam box.
A new level in the game he never got to pass.
Quiet evenings when no one needed saving.
Gen Narumi exhaled sharply through his respirator. The hot air touched his skin, leaving a sticky sensation of sweat. It was almost funny—standing in the middle of a battlefield thinking about such things. But it was these little details that reminded him what was worth fighting for, worth living for.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, analyzing hundreds of parameters at once. Allies' biometrics. Trajectories of debris. Kaiju impulses. His retinas pulsed from overload, but he didn't look away.
And then he saw him.
Hoshina was running straight at No. 9.
Idiot.
He was in his suit, already without that ridiculous tail, probably lost it along the way. Even from a distance, it was clear: he knew he couldn't handle it alone. If he missed even one strike—it was the end. But he kept going forward anyway.
Under his respirator, Narumi barely smiled.
Of course. He felt it.
Their eyes met. RT-0001 began scanning the vice-captain's status. Hoshina's voice came over the comms channel:
— Captain, I'll take No. 9 on myself, get Kafka and retreat!
There was a pause on the communicator. Then Mina's voice, tense and angry:
— Don't talk nonsense, you can't handle it alone!
— Well, I wasn't planning to, he's too much for me, so please allow one more fighter to join the battle!
Narumi laughed quietly.
This bastard knew that would piss me off.
— Have you all completely lost your minds?! — he barked into the communicator. — For me, the commander of the main division, the strongest captain of the Defense Force, to need permission from the third?!
I stood on the debris of a collapsed building's beam, shielding my eyes with my hand, the pain was infernal. Blood flowed down my cheeks, but it didn't matter, my gaze was fixed on Soshiro who had treated me so boldly.
— If I want to—I'll fight. You got that, bowl-head?!
My gaze fully scanned the status of everyone on the battlefield. I knew Mina and Kafka needed time to rest, Hoshina's impulses were erratic, but he could still fight, so that would be enough.
— Careful! — he shouted, changing position. — And try not to get underfoot, Captain Narumi.
I grimaced. Even now, he found the strength to annoy me. Looking into Mina's eyes, I saw hope; my very presence on the battlefield changed the situation. Now we had a chance.
Kaiju No. 9 wasn't going to allow even a spark of hope to flicker in their eyes. With one barely noticeable hand movement, he destroyed the building Narumi was standing on. Concrete scattered through the air like paper. The roar hit the ears, the ground shook. A cloud of dust instantly rose up, engulfing everything around, tearing visibility apart and leaving only chaos.
Through this gray veil, something flashed to the right of the monster. Captain Narumi landed lightly on the ground, as if this destruction was a familiar scene to him. The bayonet in his hand glowed softly, and his green eyes looked at No. 9 calmly, coldly, and confidently.
In this silence before the storm, Japan's strongest fighter against kaiju suddenly saw everything. Thousands of possible future scenarios flashed through his mind.
Thousands of scenarios.
Thousands of deaths.
Thousands of paths.
And among them—one.
The only one.
The one where they survive.
— Better watch yourself, bowl-head, — he said calmly. — If you slip up, it's not my fault. - watching the vice-captain who took a fighting stance and drew his blades for attack, of course his words were sharp, but he knew for sure he wouldn't let anyone die today, what happened to Isao wouldn't repeat.
— Oh well, — Hoshina smiled, winking. — You don't think I won't dodge your strike?
Flirting in the middle of battle??
Insane.
Soshiro slowly opened his eyes and became serious. In the next moment, we attacked simultaneously.
Without a signal.
Without a plan.
Just… knowing.
When captain-level fighters battle at full strength, this zone is deemed dangerous and forbidden for anyone with potential below 60%. An ordinary fighter would simply be swept away in the chaos of battle, because captains' power rivals that of grand kaiju, and what to say about a fight led by the strongest fighter of the Defense Force. No one could survive within 100 meters of Gen Narumi and his Weapon No. 1. That's what I thought, and everyone in the Defense Force did too, until they saw Vice-Captain Hoshina discard common sense and stand on equal footing with me.
He struck the lower part of the kaiju's body, knocking it off balance. I attacked from above, blocking its field of view. We created chaos and controlled it.
Explosions.
Destruction.
Chunks of flesh flew around.
We moved as if we'd fought together our whole lives.
And it was terrifying.
When I attack, Hoshina manages to retreat to a safe distance and catch his breath, good thing we're in respirators. On the battlefield, it's impossible to breathe; the air is heavy with fumes and metals, collapsed buildings raised a mountain of dust, even keeping eyes open was hard, additional moisture on the eyes came from his own blood. In this death zone, we were like in our element.
Kaiju No. 9's arm fell to the ground with a dull, heavy thud. Just a moment ago, it was part of an invincible body, and now it lay among concrete debris, convulsing.
Hoshina stood opposite, blade lowered after the strike. His technique was so fast that even the air hadn't dispersed after the cut yet.
But the silence lasted only a second. In the next moment, the kaiju vanished and appeared behind him. The monster's second hand extended forward, fingers spread like gun barrels. Energy was already flaring at their tips—killer bullets, ready to burst, the same ones that wounded Reno Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi.
Narumi saw it.
His gaze froze.
The world slowed down.
Before his eyes, future scenarios unfolded.
One of them was so clear it took his breath away.
A bullet.
It bursts from No. 9's fingers, slicing the air. Pierces Hoshina's heart straight through. Hot blood splatters on my face.
The sound of metal falling. Blades slip from his hands.
Soshiro drops to his knees.
Slowly.
As if not believing it's the end.
Narumi looks at him.
And Hoshina—at Narumi.
In that gaze, something un describable could be read, only felt.
Was it regret?..
Silence.
Heavy.
Merciless.
Narumi blinked sharply.
The future shattered like glass shards.
He returned to the present.
No. 9 was already behind the still-living Hoshina.
His fingers aimed forward again.
The shot was about to ring out.
— Stand straight, bowl-head! - this time I won't stop even for a second, I won't let this future happen.
Adrenaline boiled in his blood, eclipsing fear, leaving only cold, sharp determination. He lunged forward. All his strength, all his speed, all his fury he poured into the bayonet technique. The blade sliced the air, leaving a blinding trail. The strike was aimed to split Kaiju No. 9 in half.
Hoshina felt the movement at the last moment. Instinct kicked in faster than thought. He ducked sharply, letting the strike fly over his head.
The world flashed white for a second.
The kaiju retreated, for the first time forced to react instead of attack. The ground under its feet cracked from the force of the blow.
Narumi didn't stop. He was already close.
His gaze slid aside for a moment—to Hoshina.
He stood behind, in a relatively safe zone.
Alive.
Unharmed.
Death no longer breathed down his neck.
So, Gen could focus on No. 9 again. But… Why did his heart clench so painfully when he saw the dead bowl-head?.. Why did that other variant still stand before his eyes—where the bowl-head falls, where blades slip from hands, where in his eyes…
Narumi sharply shook off these thoughts.
He'd think about it after the battle.
If he survived.
His smile grew wider, almost predatory.
— Well then, No. 9… now we're really starting.
— Hey, Hoshina! — an excited voice of Suit No. 10 rang in his mind. — Who's this guy? He's the strongest of anyone I know! We'll fight him later, right?!
— Don't talk nonsense, No. 10, — Hoshina replied dryly.
His gaze was fixed on the battlefield. Narumi moved forward like a force of nature. Each strike destroyed everything in its path, pressing on Kaiju No. 9 with such power that even the surrounding air trembled.
Hoshina smiled faintly.
— It's hard to even call him human… He's the worst kaiju on this planet. And I'd want to fight him last of all.
In the dispatch center, tense silence reigned. Operators, analysts, and command watched the broadcast, realizing: right now before them were the two best close-combat masters in the entire Defense Force. Their synchronicity could change the course of this war.
Narumi was already behind No. 9, the bayonet tracing an arc of death. At the same moment, Hoshina lunged forward, attacking from below upward. He took a deep breath.
— Hoshina Style… Katana Technique.
The blades flared, scattering into a series of deadly strikes the moment No. 9 turned its attention to Narumi.
But the next instant, everything changed.
Additional arms burst from the kaiju's body.
They caught the blades.
Stopped them.
Stopped even Narumi's bayonet.
The world seemed to freeze.
Both fighters' eyes widened in shock.
Could it be… all their attacks were just a game to him?
— How?.. — Hoshina didn't finish.
No. 9's body began to swell rapidly, as if explosive energy was building inside.
— Retreat! — a cry rang out over the communicators, but it was too late.
The world exploded in pain.
Everything around turned white.
The shields couldn't hold.
The shockwave covered them both, tearing them from their spots. The fighters' bodies were thrown in different directions, like debris amid chaos.
Hoshina gathered his strength and lunged back into battle. He was at his limit. This was his only chance, before everything got even worse. Looking back, he saw Narumi already on his feet and attacking No. 9 again. The First Division captain carefully analyzed every movement of the monster, every change in its biometric impulses, realizing something was off and not as simple as he thought. Sensing hundreds of signals from various kaiju, he transmitted this information to HQ. The suit instantly read the signals, and the dispatch center decoded them and relayed the info to all units.
The captain acted differently, and Hoshina understood.
— He really did it… The main monster here is him. - Soshiro's gaze was fixed solely on Gen Narumi.
Changing strategy according to Narumi's plan, they began pressing No. 9. Strikes became more precise, harsher. For the first time, the kaiju took real damage.
Both understood: they were at the edge.
So each in their own way tried to squeeze out even more power.
— You're slacking, bowl-head! — Narumi shouted.
— Took the words right out of my mouth. Not exhausted yet?
They smiled—briefly, almost predatory, pouring all their strength into the final attack.
But Narumi's suit shut down first. During the strike, he choked on blood, and the retinas that allowed him to predict enemy movements went dark. Darkness fell before his eyes, his body grew heavy, as if someone had suddenly cut the power.
Hoshina cast a quick glance at him. Even through the chaos of battle, Narumi understood: he had already decided to pull him out of here.
In the next moment, RT-0001 activated. Gen Narumi moved into battle again.
Panic screams rang out over the communicators from dispatch:
— You've gone mad! This will fry your brain, Captain!
— Suits me fine! — Gen replied.
It was the only option. He saw no other future.
The battle continued at the edge of human capabilities. Narumi thought only of the next generation. Even if this decision destroyed his brain, the main thing was to pass the baton. Many rookies had grown into good warriors; they could finish this.
Swinging his bayonet, he suddenly felt sharp pain.
He looked down.
Kaiju's arm had pierced his chest. His left lung was skewered through.
Hoshina got distracted. He sees what's about to happen, but his body doesn't react in time…
Narumi only managed to extend his hand.
In the next moment, No. 9's second arm struck the vice-captain, throwing him into the building ruins.
Narumi remained on his knees, with the monster's arm inside him. He didn't try to free himself. Didn't even allow himself to flinch.
Any movement could change the signal pattern that the suit was continuously reading now.
Any mistake—would cost everyone their lives.
So, they needed this data.
The analysis system worked at its limit. Impulses, trajectories, future scenarios flashed before his eyes. Reality broke into fragments, turning into cold numbers. He breathed slowly, forcing his body to obey, even as his lungs filled with blood.
This was his task.
His role.
His choice.
And yet…
Thoughts returned.
Again.
And again.
Hoshina.
He didn't see him. Didn't hear him. The comms channel was silent. Sensors in that sector were destroyed by the explosion. If Soshiro was still alive, it was a miracle. If not…
Gen clenched his teeth so hard he felt the enamel crack.
Check.
One word. One impulse.
He could.
Had to do it.
He just needed to look away. Just for a second.
Just to make sure.
His fingers even twitched.
And he stopped.
No.
No. 9 couldn't be given any chance.
No change in rhythm.
No emotion.
Everything happening now would determine if humanity survived this day.
He was a soldier.
He was a captain.
He had no right.
Anger rose in a wave, hot, suffocating. At himself. At this monster. At the world where he had to choose.
Did he survive or not?
Did his suit reach its limit?
The thought cut sharper than the pain in his body.
His gaze became empty. Cold. He forcibly narrowed his field of view, leaving only the kaiju. Only data. Only the future where others could still live.
Losses are inevitable.
He always knew that.
Then why…
From his eyes flowed not only blood, but tears.
Blood—overload, burst vessels, side effect of the system, something Narumi was used to, but the drops were too light. Too hot and salty.
Gen didn't blink.
Didn't allow himself.
His brain screamed from overload, but he forced it to work. Analysis. Weak points. Biometric field. Future attacks. Kaiju No. 9.
Duty.
He chose this himself.
— Commander Narumi! It worked!! - voices echoed from the communicator.
Gen shifted his gaze.
Something was approaching.
By the impulses—it was Kafka Hibino. Alive after a fatal blow. This guy is truly incredible, no wonder I relied on him. The next generation.
— Show everything you're capable of, Hibino Kafka.
When Kafka entered the battle, the shockwave destroyed the drones around. Debris flew in all directions, hitting Mina.
— Let's move to another place, — Kafka said calmly. — Otherwise, we'll kill someone. - his gaze burned with something else, this wasn't the same soldier I knew, something had changed in him.
Narumi closed his eyes; he had done all he could. The new plan for battling Kaiju No. 9 was transmitted to the team. Kaiju extermination isn't solo work; it always needs support.
Everything around became too dark, sounds of explosions and battle remained somewhere on the periphery of consciousness. Breathing grew harder with each breath, plus this unpleasant metallic taste of blood in his mouth.
— Cap…
Someone was calling him?.. His body became too heavy. I want to sleep..
— Captain Narumi! — the grip on Gen's shoulders was strong, they were shaking him with all their might.
Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was indigo-colored hair, cut in the familiar "bowl" style, and a lot of blood.
His heart immediately felt lighter. The stone that had been pressing on his chest all this time vanished.
— Already dead? — Hoshina asked again.
He noticed the traces of tears but said nothing.
— You wish, — Narumi's voice was quiet, he subconsciously checked his breathing; it had become a habit.
They could only watch as Kafka fought No. 9, both having exhausted their strength.
Narumi remained on his knees, gritting his teeth in helplessness.
— Let's go, Captain… — he said quietly, kneeling beside Narumi, raising the shields on his suit and blocking the view of the battlefield. All debris flying at Gen bounced off Soshiro's shields. He knelt down waiting for the medical team that was to take the captain.
— Why are you here? - Narumi's voice was hoarse, but the usual arrogance hadn't gone anywhere. — Want to get hit by debris too? Or is this a new way to commit suicide?
Hoshina snorted.
— Me? Suicide? Nah, Captain. I'm too good-looking to die so stupidly.
— Didn't notice, — Gen muttered, trying to stand but only coughing up more blood. — Then why aren't you running after your precious Hibino? He's the star of this battle now.
— Star? — Hoshina tilted his head a bit, shielding him from a new rain of debris. — Don't exaggerate. I prefer old, proven disasters.
— Oh, so I'm a disaster? - Narumi's eyes widened in surprise.
— The worst of all I know. - Hoshina confirmed nonchalantly.
Narumi grimaced, but a shadow of a smile flickered at the corner of his lips.
— Do you even realize you almost died because of me just now?
— Really? — Hoshina replied lightly. — Funny, I thought you almost died because of yourself.
— I'm serious.
— So am I.
For a few seconds, they were silent. Around them, strikes thundered, the ground shook from Kafka's battle.
Narumi looked away.
— Did you see…? (when Narumi was pierced by Kaiju No. 9's limb)
— Saw.
— And you still came.
— And you still used RT-0001.
— That was an order.
— To yourself?
— Shut up.
Hoshina laughed quietly.
— You know, Captain… if you die, I'll have to work with another First Division captain. And I've already gotten used to your awful personality.
— That sounds like an insult.
— It's a compliment.
Narumi looked at him again. This time longer.
— You're weird, bowl-head.
— You say it like you just realized.
— Why did you come back?
Hoshina froze for a moment. His smile became a bit softer.
— Someone has to cover you while you act like a hero.
— I'm not a hero.
— Yeah. Just an idiot.
— You're crossing the line.
— I don't even see it.
Gen exhaled quietly. His gaze was fixed on Hoshina. The guy's condition was as bad as his own. Blood dripped from his forehead, closed eyes bleeding from suit overload, right hand trembling.
— …Fool.
— Same to you.
At that moment, the sound of medical transport appeared in the air. A group of people with stretchers and everything needed for first aid were already running toward them.
Hoshina rose slightly but didn't step back.
— See? I waited. Now they'll take you and patch you up again.
— And you?
— And I… — he shrugged. — Will annoy you for many years to come.
Narumi snorted.
— Don't promise what you can't deliver.
— This isn't a promise.
Hoshina leaned closer, so only Gen could hear him.
— It's a threat.