There were lectures in the morning, and afternoon tasks began at one o’clock after lunch. Near the entrance to the urban training ground, Kafka joined Reno and the twenty-seven other newly minted Defense Force officers.
Lined up in front of them were Hoshina the vice-captain, Okonogi the operator, and the squad captains. The news crew were also present, over by the wall. Their equipment, including drone-mounted cameras, was ready to go.
“Well then, today we’re doing the obstacle course,” Hoshina said as he surveyed everyone assembled. “It’s been about two months since you all joined the JDF at the start of April. You seem to be settled in and are even getting used to your training. So for all of you, this exercise is a turning point—or maybe I should call it a baptism.”
Hoshina’s narrow eyes opened, and he smiled. Reno had also heard from senior officers that this obstacle course was quite harsh, and there were even officers who couldn’t finish it.
“Maps of the area have been distributed.”
Reno and the others projected their maps in the air using their dedicated terminals. They displayed a course that started at the present position and looped around through a dense array of deserted buildings.
Hoshina continued, “What you’re doing is simple. You’ll break into pairs and run the route that’s marked on your maps. Each pair must destroy ten targets we’ve prepared, complete the course, and get back here within the time limit. That’s the goal. Plus this.”
Backpacks were lined up in a row on top of a vinyl sheet. Each one was bulging outward, ready to burst at the seams. “There are relief supplies inside. I’d like you all to go into this wearing one on your back,” Hoshina explained.
The size of the baggage caused a stir among the officers as Hoshina continued. “You should’ve learned this from your lectures, but there have been cases where officers successfully hunted down kaiju while surviving in the mountains even after their supply lines had been cut.”
Aoi, who had come over from the Ground Self-Defense Force, was wearing a more severe expression than usual. “This is a lot like ranger training in the JGSDF,” Aoi said. “Doing it on this course may be even more punishing.”
This was an exercise that could make even Aoi say “punishing”—and prior to joining the Defense Force, he had placed first on the physical fitness test. The tension continued to climb among the officers. Reno swallowed nervously.
The pairs were decided. Reno’s partner was Kafka. “Pleased to work with you, sir. How are you feeling?”
Kafka answered with a thumbs-up. “Rarin’ to go. I can handle any course they throw at us.”
The two were then called to the front, where they were given their weapons and backpacks. “Well now, which team will go first?” said Hoshina, looking around at the assembly.
“If you’re asking, I’d say that’s us,” said Kikoru, raising her hand nonchalantly. Wearing her suit, she easily shouldered her backpack. Her partner Akari had an uneasy look on her face, though.
“What? Kiko-baby! Is that okay?”
“It’s fine, Akari. The first team in is bound to have the easiest time of it.”
The instant Hoshina gave the signal to start, Kikoru and Akari got moving. Kikoru took the lead. Among the newcomers, she had the greatest unleashed combat power, and she leapt from rooftop to rooftop with effortless movement.
“All righty, launch the drones. I need a camera on each officer,” the director said, and the news crew’s drones set off after them as well. The crew didn’t have enough drones to follow all the teams. It seemed like they were focusing all their attention on Kikoru and Akari.
“We just got passed over while you were loafing around, Haruichi.”
“I was just about to get going, Aoi.”
Next onto the course were Haruichi and Aoi, the officers possessing the second- and third-highest unleashed combat powers, after Kikoru.
“I won’t be able to stand it if we lose to Kikoru,” Kafka said. “All right, Ichikawa, let’s go!”
“Yes, sir! But are you okay?” Reno asked.
Kafka’s footsteps were unsteady as he hefted the backpack onto his shoulders. “Yup, 1 percent is still 1 percent. The suit’s supplementing my muscles!” But he had spoken too soon. “Whoa! Almost tipped over!” It was true that Kafka seemed able to move normally even while shouldering heavy baggage. But in his condition, was it really possible for him to get through this course in the time allotted?
Kafka could hear the voices of the receding news crew carried on the wind.
“Okay, let’s follow Hibino,” one of the crew said.
A crew member who was readying drones replied: “That guy? I’d rather chase a different group.”
“At times like this, I get footage of all kinds of subjects. Officers Shinomiya and Izumo are the main focus. Officer Hibino’s team is a secondary concern. ‘He entered the JDF when he was over the age of thirty, but reality was unforgiving.’ We can go for an angle like that.”
Most likely, the television crew bore him no malice. Kafka was getting this attention simply because he was the oldest recruit. Reno got that. Still, it did nothing for his mood to have Kafka made light of behind his back.
“Okay, ready to go! Let’s do this, Ichikawa! We can’t let Kikoru whup us!”
“Yes, sir! Let’s go, Mr. Hibino! We are absolutely gonna beat them!”
“Oh? You’re kinda fired up, ain’tcha?”
At the same time Kafka and Hibino took off running, the TV news crew’s drone came flying after them from behind. Reno shot a silent sidelong glare at its camera lens.
Just you watch!
A crumbled cinder block wall became visible up ahead. They leapt over it, and then cut between a pair of houses. A sound played from the projected map. Ahead of Reno, a target marker appeared.
Following the map’s directions, he found the target standing on the roof of a house. Still running, Reno raised his weapon and looked through the scope. He squeezed the trigger and fired. Even before he saw the result, Reno could tell from the recoil that the bullet would hit. Indeed, it blew a hole right through the middle.
“Nice one, Ichikawa!”
Not yet, it isn’t.
The shots Reno had seen Kikoru fire back during the selection exam had been faster. More precise too. And more powerful. Reno held his weapon close and went on dashing through the ruins.
Fifteen minutes after starting, the fourth target came into Reno’s view. It was standing on an electric pole that had tilted over into a diagonal slant. Reno climbed onto the roof of a wrecked house and peered through his scope.
He took aim and squeezed the trigger. The bullet blew a hole through the center of the target. “Good, let’s get to the next one!”
Kafka had his hands stretched out against a wall. His breath was ragged, wheezing.
“Are you okay, sir?” Reno asked.
“Y-yeah! Energy to spare!” Kafka gave him a thumbs-up, but it was plain to see he was pushing himself too hard. Even Reno, with his 20 percent unleashed combat power, was starting to feel the weight of the oversize backpack. At 1 percent, Kafka must have felt like he was lugging around a boulder.
“Hey, Reno! Old-timer! Comin’ through!” Iharu let out a loud shout and came bounding over rooftops with his partner. Both were moving at a mind-boggling speed. Pairs that had started their runs later than Reno and Kafka were now passing them by, one after another.
Reno finally destroyed his sixth target. Kafka’s movements were sluggish. It was taking everything he had just to keep walking. The drone hovered high up in the sky, filming the whole thing. “I’m sorry, Ichikawa,” said Kafka.
“You don’t have a thing to apologize for,” Reno replied. “Come on, let’s go.”
“You’re falling to the end of the line too. Even though you ought to finish ahead of them with your unleashed combat power. That’s on me. So I want you to—”
“If you say ‘go on ahead,’ the answer’s no.”
Reno and Kafka each threw an arm around the other’s shoulders, and Reno said, “I’d just as soon drop out here than leave your behind.” Reno had zero intention of doing such a thing to reach the goal. That would be a far cry indeed from his ideal image of a JDF officer.
Kafka, who’d had a bewildered expression on his face, now grinned. “All right, I got it. You’re just that kinda guy. As things stand, we’re falling behind on my account. But seeing as I don’t know when to quit, would you stick with me to the end?”
“Absolutely!” Reno said. “One person could finish this course alone. The fact that they paired us all off means that they want us to help each other.”
“Okay, thanks. Even though I’d turned thirty-two, I still set my sights on the Defense Force. No way this little jog’s gonna break me!”
Kafka set his teeth and tried forcing himself to walk. Slowly but surely, the pair destroyed target after target. But something went wrong at the eighth target, just shy of the goal. “Well, crap. The way’s completely blocked,” said Kafka.