"Can we reschedule the compatibility test?" Shinomiya Isao look up from his paperworks to you, seeing that you're clad in your combat suit. "I know that you'll be testing Hibino Kafka later on." Clasping your hands behind your back as you stared at him, his scarred face was formed in its usual frown expression.

He was busy with signing his paperworks when you entered his office. Knockijg your fist on the door, stating your name to announce your presence before you opened the door to see him quietly moving his hands as his eyes scanned the content of the letter before signing.

"Why?" All that left his mouth, you could see how his eyes squinted at your words. "You'll probably kill him." You straightforwardly stated, not backing down from his glare as you stand in front of him firmly.

Palpable tension formed around his office, you could slice through the tension with your mother's spear. The atmosphere was heavy along with his intense glare at your figure, but you're determined to look him in the eyes.

"I know you are also thinking that Hibino Kafka could be an asset to the Defense Force." You continued on. You know if he actually wants to neutralize Kaiju no. 8, he would've commanded that Hibino Kafka will be  executed for 'treachery' but no, he agreed to have him under custody.

And once again, the two of you were  envelope in silence. The fountain pen in his hand was long placed on top of his paper, propping his elbows on his desk as he rested his chin on the back of his hands, he never tore his gaze off of you.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. Startling the both of you, the silence was deafening that you didn't heard any footsteps outside of his office. You turned your head to face the door, hearing three consecutive knocks before it stops.

"It's Shinomiya Kikoru." Oh, it was your younger sister outside. You wonder what is her business with your father. "Come in." His voice was commanding as he looked back at his paperwork, picking up his pen and continue what he was supposed to do.

The door of his office once again opened, revealing your younger sister in her Defense Force uniform. You were in front of the door, your body facing your father but your head was turned to look at her. You could see the visible shock that flash in her eyes when she saw you there.

"Nee-san," she greeted you and you just nodded at her. Your father lifted his head to look at her, she walk towards your side and stand next to you. Kikoru was glancing at you for a few moments and saw that you're eyeing your father.

What a nice family reunion.

"Kikoru," your father called her name. There's visible nervousness in her face and she was sweating under the presence of her father. When she entered the room, she felt suffocated at the aura and atmosphere that immediately greeted her. "Chief Shinomiya!" She saluted at him, her voice almost cracking from the pressure.

"I've come to request for the withdrawal of Hibino Kafka's execution!" She loudly exclaim, you glance at her. She probably had heard that Hibino Kafka will be executed. "I, myself, have had my life saved by him." Bring down her arm to her side, as she stared at her father.

"I plead for clemency with your treatment of him." Isao shakes his head, going back to signing the paper and tore his gaze off Kikoru. "You fool." You could see how Kikoru flinched upon the tone that her father had used.

"I already received a report of that from Ashiro. Did you come here to talk about that stupid blunder?" Somehow you feel attacked by his own words. You had come into his office to ask him to reschedule the compatibility test, and also to talk about Hibino Kafka.

Kikoru was about to protest what Isao was saying, but cut off when he suddenly fling an envelope to your direction. Sighing at the harsh treatment, you walk towards his desk and grabbed the envelope. "That's the x-ray of its body," you took noticed at how he used 'it' instead of 'his', already objectifying the man.

Opening the envelope, you're not sure if you're surprised or not, but Kikoru is. Seeing the x-ray, and his supposed to be heart. "The thing on the left side of its chest looks very much like a heart... But it's a core." Kikoru was visibly shaken up by the news, eyes widening as her fingers shakes, slowly grabbing the x-ray in your hand.

"It's not human, it's a monster." His tone visibly changed, the atmosphere continue to get heavier by the second that passed by. Kikoru is suffocated by the air around the three of you, while you stayed there, firmly with your hands formed in a fist. "It's the same as what killed your mother. A monster." He had his eyes glaring at the two of you.

Recalling how you watched the news that day, nervousness creeping up your body as you silently hoped for your mother's safety.

"If you understand, leave." Kikoru had her head hung low, you grabbed the paper in her hand and placed it back inside the envelope. Putting the thread back on, and slowly placed it on your father's desk. "Papa, even so.. I want to believe in him." She turned around before leaving, opening the door as she glanced at you.

You just nodded for her to go on as you stand in front of your father's table. "When you said that it's the same thing that killed our mother," Isao freezes in his movements, even though he was the one who brought it up, he was the most affected one, memories flowing in his mind when he said that.

"I want to tell you that it's not the same." His eyes were glaring into the papers as you continued on, "Kaiju no. 6 killed her. Hibino Kafka, as what you address as Kaiju no. 8, had never killed nor harmed a human." Putting your hand on your hair and brushing it off your face.

"He had saved our lives during the Tachikawa Raid." Your gaze never falter, he could feel you drilling holes into his head. "Just as what Kikoru had said, I'll believe in Hibino Kafka." You slowly turned around, not casting him another glance as you placed your hand on the handle of the door before pushing it open.

"Thank you for your time, Chief Shinomiya."

. . .

Hibino Kafka sat restrained in a chair, his body bound by metallic cuffs around his wrists and ankles. Thick cables extended from the chair, snaking across the sterile, brightly lit floor of the containment room. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the hum of machinery and the faint buzz of electric current running through the cables.

Eyes focused on the ground, he was nervous about what you had told him earlier before Ashiro fetched him to be transferred to the Headquarters. He is very aware of what Shinomiya Isao can do. After all, he was stated to be the strongest soldier in the Defense Force before becoming the Chief.

He looked up when he heard the door of the containment room slides open with a sharp hiss, his heart hammers against his chest. The nervousness that he felt earlier just intensifies when he saw bunch of soldiers emerges from the door, and the who is leading them was none other than Shinomiya Isao.

Shinomiya Isao is clad in his battle suit that is made of the fibers and muscles of Kaiju no. 2. His fierced look made Kafka be shaken up in his position. He can't do anything but just stared at the man in front of him. Dew meters way from where he sits.

Guns were aimed at him, being cautious of what he could do. Ready to aim and attack him the moment he makes the slightest mistake.

"Chief!" Kakfa called out loudly to the man. He thought that if he were to talk it out with him, he might believe his words and that he would hear him out. "I'm not a monster!" Isao stopped in his tracks, the soldiers that were with him had lined up on the wall, while three remained to stay by his side and pointing their firearms to the said monster.

"Release the restraints." Isao commanded, his emerald eyes looking into Kafka. The 32 year old man could feel how intense his gaze were. He remembered your warning earlier, when you visited him while he was restrained at the Tachikawa base.

"Be careful of what you'll do. Your every move is being observed. And that he will surely fight you."

"But sir!" The Leader of the Operation Unit in the First Division, Kurusu Arima, shouted at the man. "You're dealing with Kaiju no. 8. It's far too dangerous!" But with just a glance, Kurusu was silenced when Isao had glared up at him, his gaze piercing through the thich glass.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" His voice was deep with authority, cutting off Kurusu with a strong rebuke. "If it's truly a mega monster class, it would be able to easily break out of this. It's only sitting here obediently out of its own will." Kafka took noticed of how Isao is addressing him.

Isao is right, Kafka could easily transform into his Kaiju form but had chosen not to do it. It's not like they have the material and technology to keep him from transforming, since this is the first case where a human can turn into one of those monters.

"Chief Shinomiya, I'm human," Kafka repeated, trying to get the chief to hear him out. He didn't anticipate Isao's cold reaction as the chief simply stared at him, raising a handgun and aiming it with precision.

Kafka's eyes widened in shock as Isao pulled the trigger, unleashing a barrage of bullets. The sharp retorts of the gunfire echoed in the room, causing everyone present to flinch and witness the tense standoff unfold.

Instinctively, Kafka transformed his arms into his Kaiju form, blocking the bullets. He grunted with the impact, his eyes frantically searching for the man who had just shot him. But before he could locate Isao, the chief suddenly appeared beside him. Isao's hands dug painfully into Kafka's sides, his grip crushing Kafka's flesh.

"Let me teach you one thing," Isao murmured, his voice cold and unyielding. His hand tightened, causing Kafka to wince in agony. Blood spurted from Kafka's mouth as he struggled to endure the pain.

"In this world, a living being capable of stopping bullets with its own flesh," Isao continued, raising his hand to reveal a glass tube as his clench fist was filled with Kafka's blood that drips down inside the tube. "Is not called a human, Kaiju No. 8."

From the shadows, you observed their heated exchange, staring at the on-going fight as you, along with the other soldiers, are hiding into the shadows, meters away from the two. Leaning casually against the wall with your polearm secured on your back, you remained unnoticed, your presence concealed by the visor that covered your face entirely. Your eyes followed Kafka as he desperately tried to convince Isao, repeatedly asserting that he was no monster and that his name was Kafka.

Chief Shinomiya approached the container box where his personalized weapon lay, opening the lid with a hiss that reverberated through the tense silence. Inside the box gleamed his two gauntlets, their heavy metal construction making a clinking noise as he lifted them out and began to methodically equip them on his arms.

The gauntlet was placed on his arms perfectly, crafted for him and only for him to be able to wear and wield such weapon. You unconsciously grasp your polearm, remembering his words about you being nothing with that weapon, but here he is.. using a gauntlet to fight in close combat. But you knew the difference, your polearm isn't made with fine and strong materials such as his gauntlets.

But is that the right to say about his late wife's weapon?

The atmosphere in the room grew palpably heavier. You could feel the soldiers around you stiffen, their anxiety and apprehension almost tangible. The air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe as everyone anticipated what would come next. They all feel suffocated, meters away from the fight but the tension could still be felt even from outside of the room.

But not for a certain someone.

Glancing to your side, you excused yourself to stand next to a soldier. He was standing firmly, exuding a presence you had only felt from one person before. Clicking your tongue against your cheek, you watched as lightning and sparks crackled around Isao's gauntlets when he bumped his fists together, his face displaying the same stern look you had grown accustomed to over the past ten years.

You remained unfazed when Isao landed a punch on Kafka, sending him flying to the other end of the room with a deafening explosion, and in a blink of an eye—even when afar—Kafka had lost his arm, the arm that he transformed into his Kaiju form. Dust filled the air, creating a smokescreen that obscured your view and made it difficult to see how Kafka was faring.

"What are you doing here?" The soldier next to you spoke, but he didn't glanced at you but focused his gaze on the fight. The smoke slowly lifted, revealing Hibino Kafka in a partial transformation of his Kaiju form, for him to be able to handle that kind of attack, he need to transform his body for him not to be affected by such impact. "Shinomiya [Name]." You felt his gaze on you, you could already see the annoyed look on his face even though it was hidden by the mask.

"Nothing. Just wanna see my dear father fights Hibino Kafka." You shrugged, focusing on the on-going fight. Kafka leap away from Isao when he noticed that he'll be landing another hit on him, but he successfully dodged it and Isao had hit the floor, making a huge dent on it.

"What about you, Narumi Gen?" Tick marks fomed around Narumi's face when he heard you call him by his name. "I'll punish you for addressing a higher ranking soldier without their title." A scoff left your lips, you wanted to laugh at him. Remembering the time when he had asked you multiple times to be his vice captain a few years back.

For him to be rejected multiple times.

"Still mad I rejected your offer?" With every blow and hits that the two man sends each other, more like Shinomiya Isao is the only one who's attacking while Kafka was left on Defense, large gust of winds blew harshly at your directions, even few meters away from them, you could still feel the tension like you're in the same room as them. "Shut up." He snarked at you with an annoyed tone.

"I'm here because the chief didn't asked for any back-ups." He mumbled, you eyed his weapon behind him. A double blade bayonet. "Aww, you're worried for your papa." You felt him glare at you through his visor.

Shaking your head because of how Hoshina's attitude had rubbed off on you. The two of them was using the entire room to their own pleasure—not entirely pleasure, but you know what it means—as they jump into the high ceiling, running across walls and denting the material walls with their every attack. Creating a vibration on the ground, like an earthquake was happening.

Focusing on the battle, your eyes widen when you saw that Kafka had fully transformed himself into his Kaiju form. He was holding Isao's fist, gripping it as he blocked the punch. Isao's arms were shaking as he pushed his fist into the palm of the beast, but it was not budging on its position. His iris-less blue eyes were gawking at him, his feature seems to be more sharper than what you had last seen.

Though, you've only been in the same area as Kaiju no. 8 for two times, the one is a few nights back and the other is today. But there's something off about it. Kaiju no. 8's form began to crack, a cricking noise resonate the room. Isao removed his fist on his hand, pulling away when he felt the immense pressure from the monster.

Kaiju no.8's eyes open grotesquely, his mouth wide open as a loud roar escaped it. A scream that sends everything on its place flying, blowing away the debris that surrounds the two of them. Crossing your arms over your face, you could feel the palpable tension of that. Even when they were behind the thick glass, they could feel the pressure from the battle, and with its loud roar, the thick glass cracked.

"There's something wrong." You muttered to Narumi who's been quiet since your last chat. Biting your lower lip in anticipation, watching as Kaiju no. 8 dash his way towards Isao's figure—you could see a looming shadow over him, sending his fist towards the man's face who had dodge it successfully. You could hear surprised noises escaped everyone's mouth when no. 8 suddenly twisted its body, trying to punch Isao once again.

His fist seemed to had create an explosion, self-destructing upon contact with the gauntlet that Isao used too shield himself. Blocking the continuous attacks from no. 8, he had layed on the floor, trying his best not to received the attack with his own body or else, something worst will happen.

Chief Shinomiya raised his feet to kick no. 8 away from him, sending the beast up in the air that gives him time to slide away from its view. Stomping his feet on the cracked ground, his gauntlet seem to tighten around his arms making a 'kschnk' sound escaped it. He steadied himself to hit Kaiju no. 8, right where his core lies, as a surge of air knocked him off the ground and the shockwaves reverberated throughout the entire room.

But no. 8 immediately regenerated the wound he received from the chief. His chest completely healed up, sealing away his core to Chief's Shinomiya's gaze. Their fist collided with one another, upon contact, the entire room shook from the floor to the ceiling, it had been raptured and it had created cracks.

"You've got to be kidding me! This is the sturdiest shelter and it's... O-only two layers were damaged! Theoretically, it can withstand a resilience of 10." You heard Kurusu's voice boomed in the four corners of the room. They were shocked to see the two fight like their life depends on it, creating shockwaves after shockwaves with each fist colliding with one's armor.

The two keeps exchanging blows after one another, the sound of their fist echoes in the room. You had a bad feeling about this, you're sure if you butt in, your ass would be whooped in a second and you'll just become a liability. That's what your father will think about it, that you're much of a disgrace to actually match his power.

Kaiju no. 8 loomed over Chief Shinomiya's figure. Your eyes stared at his new form, you hadn't noticed that no. 8 was slowly growing in size during the time of their battle.

"Papa..!" You heard Kikoru's voice in the intercom. You're immobilized where you stand when you saw how Kaiju no. 8 had slammed your father into the wall, creating a huge hollow on where he was slammed. Blood had spurted out of his mouth upon the colliding on the wall, he couldn't move because no. 8 had him enclosed in his hands.

Grabbing the chief by his legs, no. 8 swing him around and slamming him on the ground, another sonic boom had vibrated in the area. The soldiers beside you had their guns raised up, aiming at the Kaiju in front of them, waiting for the signals of the other presence of a higher up.

"Don't lose to the likes of monsters, Kafka! You idiot!" Kikoru's cries was once again heard in the speakers. Narumi beside you seems to be agitated at the situation, his hand was gripping the handle of his bayonet, ready to cut through no. 8's core.

As his fist was about to strike Chief Shinomiya, who had layed motionless but still conscious, he was not even planning to order the soldiers to fire at the Kaiju. His bloodied face looked at the monster, blood dripping down his face as he leaned on the dented wall. Suddenly, the motion of no. 8's fist changed in trajectory, his aim that was supposed to be at Chief Shinomiya changes.

Instead of striking the immobilize chief, his hands digged through his chest, touching his core.

Even Chief Shinomiya was surprised