Hoshina was normally working over near Kansai, but that day he had been in Tokyo on a business trip. He had a meeting to attend for the interdepartmental kendo tournament that was coming up the following month with the Third Division. The sword-slay instructor for the Third Division had been an acquaintance since early childhood—one reason being that Hoshina’s father was on friendly terms with him.
Hoshina greeted the instructor. “It’s good to see you’re doing well, sir.”
“Oh no, these days not even my body does what I want it to. Recently, I’ve been thinking about resigning as an instructor. What do you say, Soshiro? It’d be a big help if you’d come work over here.”
Hoshina smiled and dodged the offer. “Ha ha ha, well, I’ll give it some thought.”
“Why don’t you become an instructor?”—they were words Hoshina had heard many times before. “Swordplay skills, roundly acknowledged, but not cut out for combat.” That was the usual appraisal of Soshiro Hoshina within the Defense Force. He’d been urged to take an instructor position by both his father and his supervisor. And that would mean withdrawing from the field.
Hoshina wished to remain on the front line, however.
It’s not that I disagree with them. I know I’m stubborn and hardheaded.
The meeting finished up, but just as Hoshina was about to head back, he was stopped in the General Affairs Division. Apparently, there had been a message from the Third Division’s captain. She wanted him to drop by her office.
A message? From the captain to me?
Hoshina had no idea what it could be about, but since he’d been summoned, he had to show up. Feeling a bit on edge, he knocked on the door to the captain’s office.
“Come in,” a crisp, dignified voice said.
When Hoshina opened the door, a woman was facing her work desk. Mina Ashiro—the new arrival who, at quite a young age, had taken up the position of Third Division captain. She seemed roughly the same age as Hoshina. He had seen her before during joint training exercises, but this was his first time speaking with her face-to-face. Hoshina straightened his posture and saluted. “Pardon me for coming in while you’re busy. I’m Soshiro Hoshina.”
“I’m Third Division’s captain, Mina Ashiro. I’m sorry for calling you here.”
“Not at all. I’ve got nothing else to do, after all. Was just thinking of doing a little Tokyo sightseeing before heading home. Anyway, what can I do for you?”
Ashiro turned away from Hoshina and gazed at the thinly clouded expanse of sky outside her window. “I saw you before at the joint training exercises. I only saw it from a distance, but that was superb swordplay,” she said.
“That’s much appreciated.”
What’s this all of a sudden? Hoshina thought suspiciously.
“Soshiro Hoshina, you’re a katana specialist, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Hoshina had a feeling he knew what Ashiro was about to say. A silent sigh escaped him.
Oh, it’s going to be that again. Please give it up, already—
Third Division needed a new instructor for sword-slay techniques. She was probably going to tell him to give up on fieldwork and transfer over here.
Ashiro slowly turned toward him, and then said her piece. “We need your help. Would you be willing to join my division, Hoshina?”
There was a break in the clouds, and sunlight came streaming into the room. The thinly clouded sky cleared. Ashiro’s crystal clear eyes were locked on Hoshina.
“Uh?” His thoughts had frozen at her unexpected words.
“Going forward, we can’t discount the possibility that powerful enemies may appear with small bodies,” Ashiro explained. “And unlike you, I’m utterly useless with bladed weapons. I don’t even like holding a kitchen knife.”
I get the feeling the kitchen knife’s a different issue, though.
“When I need to shoot a threat, can I trust that you’ll clear a path for me?” Ashiro asked.
Hoshina realized his heart was deeply moved. No one, not even his father, had ever said those words to him. If it were under this woman’s command—yes, he would end up embracing her fighting spirit.
No.
Hoshina took in a silent breath and then released it. His agitated mind was already peacefully settling down.
Don’t take what she said at face value—it’s only lip service. I’d make a fool of myself if I said yes on the spot. Answer lip service with lip service. That was what decorum was all about.
Hoshina began to speak, “I’m happy to hear you say that, but—”
And then it happened. A shrill alarm rang out from the hallway. The door swung open forcefully, and a male officer with a shaved head burst into the room. “Captain, I beg your pardon!” he said. “Kaiju emergence reported in Oume. It’s a small one, but a large number of yoju have also been confirmed. As many as a dozen casualties at the emergence point already. Details on the scale of the damage are as—”
Ashiro listened to the officer’s report, and then nodded. “Understood. Ebina, call up all officers, including those off duty.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The man called Ebina saluted. “Still, they’ve got the drop on us, don’t they? This is coming right when we’re full of greenhorns.”
“These are kaiju we’re up against. They don’t take our convenience into account,” Ashiro cooly replied.
She picked up the phone on her desk and quickly began firing off orders. But Ashiro had just recently assumed the office of captain, and her chain of command didn’t seem to be performing optimally quite yet. If they were going into battle against kaiju, they probably needed all the help they could get. Which was exactly why the suggestion came naturally to Hoshina’s lips.
“Captain Ashiro. If it’s all right with you, how about I go to the scene as well?”
Ebina’s expression twisted as if he were saying “Huh?” at Hoshina’s words. “You’re here on a business trip, aren’t you? And you’re from a different unit,” Ebina said.
“I brought my suit and my weapons here with me,” Hoshina replied. “I figure I can make myself useful for dealing with yoju, at least.”
“But still —”
Before Ebina could speak any further, Ashiro broke in. “Hoshina, as Third Division captain, I would definitely appreciate it. I’ll make arrangements with your division captain as well.”
“Captain, is this really okay?” Ebina shouted. “Going off their estimated fortitude, this is going to be a dangerous operation.”
“He’s a close-combat expert. I’m sure he’ll be a great help. Isn’t that right, Hoshina?”
In answer to Ashiro’s question, Hoshina gave a simple nod and said, “Yes. When it comes to killing small kaiju, I’m second to none.”