"Okonogi, update me on Kikoru's vitals." Tapping your earbuds as you follow behind Ashiro and Hoshina. You heard her answer you but your mind was blank and everything she had said was muffled. You could bear explosions inside the arena, there were also cries of the examinees and you're not sure if she's apart of that. The only thing that runs in your mind is her safety.

"Shinomiya Kikoru is nearby and injured!" Gulping as you heard that, you alreadt expected that after the Honju had been revived and had a fortitude level of 6.4, she would received wounds and injuries. "What's her stats?" You huff a breath, feeling annoyed that even though you had unleashed your combat power to 80% you're still running slow when you have to save youe sister right now.

"There are multiple fractures detected. Possible organ damages as well." As more information she keeps saying to you, the more anxious you've become. Darting back to what happened a decade ago, you don't want that to happen. "The Honju is condensing energy for attack." You could finally see the gate of the area two, you wondered why is it sp far away from the operation room.

There were multiple what ifs that flash in your mind. What if you stayed in the area two and oversee the exams there?

"I'm detecting a mystery ultra-powerful energy source near the Honju!" Okonogi suddenly exclaimed, you were faced with more challenges ahead. "It might be a new kaiju!" As you finally arruved at the area two, you could see darkness looming over the arena.

"Do we have visuals?" Hoshina couldn't help but to glance at you, knowing how worried you are to your sister right now. You huff a breath as you jump over from building to building, trying yourself to be faster to reach where the Honju and Kikoru is. "The explosion knocked out our comms network. We do not have visuals." Smokes were everywhere, you could see few examinees evacuating and some of them are injured.

As much as you want to help them, you have to prioritize the Honju first. They're safe until there's no Yoju in sight.

"Wait. Is this numbers right? Fortitude 9.8?" You almost stopped in your tracks after hearing that. "That's impossible, Okonogi." You mumbled, leaping and propelling yourself as you run on the building. "The blast must have scrambled the measurement system." Hoshina reasoned out since it seems impossible for that.

"Otherwise it would be one of the most powerful Kaiju in history." The vice captain continue to speak, your respiratory gas over your mouth and it was a good idea to do so. There were lots of smokes and dust floating in the air.

Your eyes scanned the area, trying to find where Kikoru might be. Your heart dropped when you see lightning strike a particular place and was followed by a massive explosion making the three of you to halt your steps.

Thrusting your blade into the ground, holding onto it to not  be swayed by the gust of wind. You eyed the two and saw that they were covering their faces as the harsh wind blew past them.

"What was that?" Putting a finger on your earbud as soon as the harsh wind died down. "T-the Honju's vitals can't be detected. It had been defeated..?" Okonogi wasn't sure of her own answer too, you could feel the hesitation in her voice as she said those.

You aren't sure if you should be relieved or what. Putting your palm on your ear as you look around. "Okonogi, do you have a visual of Kikoru?" Fingers tapping on the keyboard was heard before she give you an answer. "She's safe with Ichikawa Reno carrying her and Hibino Kafka." That's where you got relieved, Hoshina glanced at you then at Ashiro.

"So they're safe, huh?" The three of you maneuver towards the location of the Honju. And when you arrived, it was a gruesome sight. You got déjà vu looking at it, the body of the Honju couldn't be found but its vital organs are scattered on the ground and there were few bones laying on the ground as well.

"What would you have to do to cause this?" Hoshina mumble a query as he squat down, looking at the blood. Ashiro was walking around with her pet tiger following her, while you glanced towards an untouched sigh. It was in a shape of a triangle, like an island that is surrounded by bodies of water, but this time, it is with blood.

There were no traces on the part where you are, multiple organs that are diced up are seen but the part you're standing on was levitated more than the whole area.

Hoshina stands up and walk towards you, both of you glance at each other with a knowing look before looking at Ashiro. "I know that Shinomiya Kikoru is strong," he started off, his eyes focused on the scene. "But she can't have done this." You agree with him, after all, she had received multiple injuries because of the Honju but to have an explosion like this that expands widely?

"The Kaiju coming back to life and this blast zone..." You stayed quiet as the two converse. "There are a lot of things we don't understand." As they glanced at one another, you eyed Nakanoshima's figure running towards you.

"Bring in an investigational unit and a disposal unit. The three of us will neutralize the remaining revived Yoju." Ashiro ordered them and they immediately salute to her. You walk towards the two higher position ranking than you. "This scene is exactly theee months ago." You mumbled, pointing at the flesh that's left on the ground and the organs that is the remnants of the Honju.

"No human being, no matter how strong, could give an explosion like this." You stated then looked at the drone. "Also, we're not entirely sure about the fortitude level of 9.8 that Okonogi had read earlier." Even though Hoshina had stated that it is probably messed up because of the explosition, there's still something in you that thought the otherwise.

"Let's talk later." Hoshina glanced at you, slightly opening his eyes. "Let's neutralize the Yoju first." You just nodded at his words and stared at Ashiro, she's been quiet and hadn't said any except for orders, she was also focused on a certain person during the examination.

"Roger."

. . .

"Captain?" You were shocked to see Ashiro be inside of Hibino Kafka's room. She stared at you as she stops in front of you, before her eyes stared inside of the infirmary. "What are you doing here?" A hum left your lips as you approach her, you were about to visit Hibino and thank him and Ichikawa personally for saving your younger sister.

"I just thanked them for carrying Shinomiya Kikoru to the shelter." You smiled at her, she then pointed at the brown paper bag that sits on the palm of your hand, you could see that she's wondering what is inside of it. "Oh, it's just a thank you gift.. to the both of them for saving my sister." Ashiro was quiet for a few seconds before she nodded in understanding and wave her hand at you.

You just smiled at her and watch as she walk pass you, her hair swishing along the movements of her body as you felt her took a one last glance on the paper bag in your hands.

Turning your head towards the open door of the infirmary, you took a step and halt your movement. Raising a hand to knock on the door, announcing your presence to the two male.

Ichikawa and Hibino stared at you in shock, they just saw the captain dew seconds ago before you appear. Then, their eyes slowly went on the paper bag on your hands. "Oh, Lady Shinomiya!" Your eyes widen upon hearing what they had use to call you, heat creep up to your cheeks and blush dusted over the apple of your cheeks.

"[Name] is fine." You wave at them, you don't typically like to be called by your family name, that's why you allowed almost everyone to address you in your given name. "What are you doing here, [Name]-san?" Ichikawa stands up, greeting you as he then watch as you walk around Hibino's bed and stands on his right side.

Slowly bringing down the paper bag on top of the cabinet that stands next to Hibino's bed. "I came here to thank you personally." You flash them a smile, pointing your index finger at the gift you decided to give them. "And a small thank you gift for the both of you." Ichikawa couldn't help but to blush at the way you smile.

The both of them actually had an impression of you for being cold and stoic, not someone who would let others call them by their first name and would casually smile at them.

"You shouldn't have bothered, [Name]-san." A small smile formed on Ichikawa's face, you also saw how Hibino glared at him, holding his stomach that was grumbling under the palm of his hands. "No, it's fine." Bringing your hands behind your back as you stared at them.

"I'm really grateful that you saved her. I didn't even know what would I do if something bad had happened to her." A sigh left your lips, already knowing that something bad did happened to her already. "I should've been there, overseeing the whole thing in person to stop any casualties to happen." Ichikawa couldn't help but to give you a sympathetic look, he doesn't know what should he say in the first place.

"Anyway, I should get going now." Another smile left your lips. "I'll be visiting Kikoru in her room." Tucking a strand that had fallen on your face, you placed your hand on your head, giving them a salute in which they reciprocated.

"I hope the two of you will like the food."

. . .

You bumped into Hoshina on the way to Kikoru's room, she had a private room in where she was still being examined because of the injuries she had received from her fight with the revived Honju and the attack she had taken from an unregistered Kaiju.

"Ashiro told me you brought food to Hibino Kafka and Ichikawa Reno." A pout was seen on his face and you just rolled your eyes at him. "Why didn't you do that to me?" Sighing at his question and just brushing him off as the two of you made a turn on the hallway.

"You're not bedridden. And, they saved my younger sister." Biting the insides of your cheeks when he suddenly nudge you on your shoulders but you just wave him off.

"Do you think she'll tell us what happened?" Hoshina then became serious, he had a neutral look on his face as he match your pace. "Probably.." you lowly muttered. Silence then engulf the two of you as the both of you stride your way to her room.

And moments later, you could see the white door. You already heard from one of the staff that was working and observing her that she had received injuries but it didn't put her life in danger, except for the attack that pierced her heart, well almost, if only she didn't focused on protecting that part of her body that time.

The door opened when you had typed in the code, you daw Kikoru laying on a capsule type bed, she had a bandage wrapped neatly on her right arm. An oxygen mask was hovering over her mouth, and you could hear the word that escaped her lips as she flutter her eyes open to see who was the one who entered.

"Papa?"

Biting your lower lips as you stayed quiet, staring at the scientist that typed something onto the machine that is attached on her bed and the door of the bed opened upwards as Kikoru tried sitting. "Oh, just stay there." Hoshina stopped her from moving even further, she eyed him before her eyes darted towards your figure.

"Vice Captain Hoshina, nee-chan." She greeted the two of you with a weak and meek voice. "How are you?" You muttered softly, walking towards her and standing beside her as you place a hand on top of her head. She grabbed the oxygen mask on her face and lifted it off before placing it on her back.

"We dealt with all of the Kaiju that revived. Fortunately, nobody was killed." A relief sigh seemed to escape her lips upon knowing the information. "It is all thanks to you for defeating the Honju." At his last sentence, you could see hesitation in Kikoru's eyes, like she wanted to tell something and there's some stuff that she's holding back to blurt out.

"Oh? Is that now what happened?" Hoshina took a quick glance at you, you already knew what he had meant with that as you place a hand behind Kikoru's back. She was taking a moment to answer back, trying to be careful of the words she had to choose and to say to the two of you.

"No." She responded after hesitating for a couple of seconds. "I defeated the Honju." There was a profound confidence in her words, convincing the two of you that what had left her mouth was the truth. Hoshina stayed silent as he stared at her before looking back at you, there was something that your younger sister don't want to say.

"I see." All that left his mouth, he hummed after before taking another glance at Kikoru. "Take your time to recover." He gave her a small smile, Kikoru only nodded, appreciating his concern.

"I'll be going now too, Kikoru." Brushing her hair as you felt her tilt her head to look at you. "We will be investigating about how the Kaiju got revived. Take as much time you want to heal your injuries." You gave her smile and she weakly nodded at you and a small smile formed on her lips.

Leaning down on her temple and placing a soft kiss on top of her head, as the words that your father hadn't said to you nor to her, and you knew he wasn't even planning on actually telling to the both of you so you'll be the one telling her.

"I'm so proud of you, Kikoru."

There was a lump that seem to get stuck on her throat as she heard those words that she's been wanting to hear from your so-called father. Her eyes sting as she watch you walk behind Hoshina, she was tearing up when she heard how soft your tone was and how genuine you're saying that to her.

You glanced at her for one last time before the door close, the hallway was quiet once again, you could hear few sounds of the machine whirring and being muffled as the two of you walked away from the room.

"She's hiding something." Hoshina started, still walking on the same pace as you but isn't looking at you. "Yeah, I wonder what's up." You replied, glancing at the door that is now beinf enguld with darkness that surrounds the hallway.

'What are you trying to hide, Kikoru?'

♡︎༄,'; ALSEPHINA'S NOTE:

INTOXICATED! some of you might think that her character ([name]) isn't consistent or have a solid personality. she's actually supposed to be cheerful, but I want to tone it down since she's a soldier, even though Hoshina is somewhat between 25 or 26 years old and a high ranking soldier acts so.. childlike with how he laughs at certain situations. i want to balance them out, like having the reader understand his own 'humor'.

So yeah, how do you guys like the story so far? It follows the plot of the anime and the manga... Which is kinda pain in ass to writeಥ⁠_⁠ಥ