Kafka’s POV:
I stood in Mina Captain’s office, anticipation thrumming through me. Today was the day. After this meeting, I would officially be an officer of the Third Division. The reality of it, after all this time, made a strange sensation creep up my back, not quite discomfort, but a noticeable awareness – a premonition, perhaps the first weight of the uniform settling on my spine.
“Kafka Hibino,” Mina Captain stated, her expression unreadable as she fixed her gaze on me. “Effective immediately, you are formally promoted from cadet to Defense Force officer.”
We exchanged salutes. “I solemnly swear to fight with all my heart and soul,” I declared, the words resonating with a newfound gravity. We broke the salute, and an awkward silence hung in the air. “Well then, I’ll be going,” I said, feeling a rush to leave and process this moment.
I barely reached the door when her voice stopped me, “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Officer Hibino.” Mina Captain said, her back still to me. “You’re nowhere near ready to fight alongside me.”
‘She does remember,’ I thought, a flicker of our shared past igniting within me. “Oh yeah?” I challenged, a grin spreading across my face. “Just you watch, Captain.”
A small chuckle escaped her before she turned slightly, her eyes glinting. “Fifty push-ups for failing to address a superior officer by their title.” She said, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Then you are dismissed.”
“AHHHHH!!” I exclaimed internally, already dropping to the floor. “Crap, I did it again!!”
As I finished the push-ups, a shift in Mina Captain’s tone made me pause. “Kaiju No. 8,” a chill, sharper than any physical exertion, went right through me, making my spine stiffen under my new uniform. “And Kaiju No. 9’s incidents necessitate my presence at headquarters. I will be leaving the base.”
‘Whew, she had me spooked there for a moment,’ I thought, trying to shake off the sudden tension.
“I’m placing Vice-Captain Hoshina in charge during my absence,” she continued. “Consult him for a full briefing.”
“Yes, Captain!” I responded, the formality returning automatically this time.
“Also,” she added as I was about to finally leave, “Just so you are aware, Vice-Captain Hoshina was a strong advocate for your promotion to general officer. Naturally, your performance in the last engagement also factored into the decision.”
‘The Vice-Captain?’ I mused, surprised by this revelation.
“He has faith in you, Hibino,” she stated firmly. “Don’t disappoint him.”
“Yes, Captain!!” I affirmed, feeling the weight of her words, and the unspoken weight of expectation, press down on me.
Timeskip
I stretched in my chair, a yawn escaping my lips. “Aww, man,” I muttered to myself. “Guess I should call it a night. Or else Vice-Captain will give me another lecture.” I stepped out into the hallway, locking my office door, when I noticed another door ajar, light spilling out from within. “Hm? Isn’t that the training room?”
Drawn by curiosity, I approached cautiously and peered inside. “Okay, who forgot to turn off the lights?” I wondered aloud, then froze, a shiver running down my spine not unlike the one Mina Captain had induced. There, in the training room, was Vice-Captain Hoshina, a whirlwind of motion with his blade.
I watched, mesmerized and slightly terrified, as he moved with practiced precision, the movements eerily familiar from archival training videos. ‘He’s recreating his fight against a medium-class Kaiju,’ I realized, the thought sending a fresh wave of unease through me. These weren’t just practice moves; these were potentially the moves he would use against me if he ever discovered my secret. The realization made my legs weak, and I stumbled, falling heavily onto my backside.
The noise startled him, breaking his concentration. He turned, his gaze sharp, then softened slightly as he recognized me. “Oh, it’s you, Kafka.” He said, his voice calm despite the intensity of his recent movements. “Burning the midnight oil again, I see.”
“I could say the same of you, sir,” I replied, managing a nervous chuckle. “What’s got you so fired up to be practicing? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Well, following the Sagamihara incident, we now have two identified class Kaiju at large,” he explained, his tone serious. “Both are within the threat range I am specialized to counter. I am honing my skills, prepared to defend this division should they attack.”
“Oh, you really care about us that much, huh sir?” I probed, trying to sound casual, while my insides twisted with anxiety.
“I protect my men, nothing more, nothing less,” he stated solemnly, his gaze unwavering. “Besides, only a couple of you might actually be of any real help if one were to attack right now. And one of them is accompanying the Captain to headquarters in the morning.”
“Oh, is Izuku’s meeting with the higher-ups finally happening?” I asked, seizing the change of subject.
“Yes, we should finally get some answers regarding him,” he muttered, almost to himself, the last part barely audible.
“Oh, and Captain Mina mentioned you had faith in me, sir,” I added, wanting to acknowledge her words and gauge his reaction. “I appreciate the encouragement.”
“Let me be perfectly clear, Hibino,” he said, his gaze hardening, a terrifying intensity returning to his eyes. “I have faith in four percent of you. You still have a long way to go, Kafka Hibino. Now, let’s turn in for the night.” He grabbed his jacket, the brief moment of almost-camaraderie vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, and headed for the door.
“Right, sir!” I replied, relief flooding me as I followed him, closing the training room door behind us, the image of his blade work still vivid in my mind, a constant reminder of the precariousness of my position, the weight of the Kaiju No. 8 secret pressing heavily on my spine, even more so than the new uniform.
Izuku’s POV:
I woke before dawn, the nervous energy of the day ahead already buzzing within me. I quickly dressed in my uniform, preparing for the journey to headquarters with Captain Ashiro. Just as I finished lacing my boots, a soft knock echoed at my dorm room door. I looked up to see Captain Ashiro standing in the doorway, a stern expression etched on her face as she waited for me to complete my preparations.
Once we were a safe distance from the dormitories, I broke the silence. “So, how far away is headquarters, Captain?” I inquired.
She glanced sideways at me before answering. “It’s located at the Ariake Maritime Base. It’s a shared facility between us and the navy,” she explained, her tone suggesting I should already know this. “You should be aware of that from your academy training.”
“Oh, well, I didn’t actually attend the academy here,” I admitted, a slight hesitation in my voice.
“Really? But you seem like a native Japanese person?” she questioned, her brow furrowing slightly.
“I’ll explain everything during my meeting with the upper brass,” I replied, hoping to deflect further questions for now. “I assume you’ll be present at the meeting, given your command of our division. I’d prefer not to repeat the explanation unnecessarily, if you don’t mind, Captain Ashiro.”
“That’s reasonable, I suppose,” she conceded. As we walked, we approached a military truck. “Hop in. We have a long drive ahead of us.”
I followed her instructions, and soon we were on our way. The journey stretched for several hours, but we were expected to arrive at headquarters by afternoon at the latest.
