The street was still trembling from the echoes of battle, dust curling through the air like ghostly smoke. Akira stood surrounded, his sword discarded at his feet, the soldiers' rifles never wavering from his chest. The tension was unbearable; even the night air felt brittle, ready to snap.
Soushiro Hoshina's hands hovered near his twin blades, eyes fixed on Akira as if waiting for the slightest excuse. He clicked his tongue and shifted his weight forward. "Captain, this is reckless. Look at him—standing there like nothing happened after being skewered through the ribs. You call that human?" His voice rang sharp, his grin stretched thin but his shoulders taut, ready to strike.
Kikoru stepped further between them, her back straight though her breathing was ragged. "Enough! I told you already—he's not what you think he is. I'll vouch for him. If you doubt him, then doubt me too." Her voice cut through the fog like a blade.
The soldiers faltered. Some glanced at one another, unease flickering. Few dared to defy the daughter of Shinomiya.
Akira watched her quietly. He had seen plenty of people draw weapons for themselves. Rarely did anyone stand with another when every gun in the room was aimed at them.
Mina's gaze hardened, her coat swaying lightly in the night wind. She had said little so far, but every soldier seemed to hold their breath, waiting for her verdict. Byakko padded at her side, golden eyes fixed on Akira, its low growl reverberating through the cracked pavement.
Soushiro snapped again, his voice rising. "Shinomiya, step aside! Don't you understand what you're gambling with? If he's a kaiju wearing human skin, your name, your career, your life—everything—ends here."
"I understand!" Kikoru shot back instantly, her hands tightening on her rifle. "And I'll bear it. He saved me when it mattered. That's all that counts."
Her words hung in the air, and Kafka couldn't stay quiet any longer. He shoved forward, almost stumbling from the weight of his own desperation. "She's not wrong! Akira's reckless, sure, but if he was one of them, we'd all be dead right now. You think I don't know him? He's been my partner since day one! I'll stake my neck on it too." His voice cracked, too raw, but it carried.
Reno's stare stayed locked on Akira. He didn't lower his weapon this time. Instead, he muttered, "If he's lying, we'll all regret it. But… I'll trust you two. For now." He gave a sharp exhale and forced his arm to his side, though the suspicion in his eyes never dimmed.
Akira almost laughed at the irony. Distrust from Reno felt more honest than Mina's cold silence or Soushiro's sneering rage. He didn't need devotion—just space to breathe.
His voice cut through the stillness. "You want me to prove I'm human? Fine. But I'm not stepping into one of your cages. No labs, no chains. Take me to a hospital. Run every test you want, bring your experts, I don't care. And Kikoru comes with me. She's the only one here I'll trust to watch."
The soldiers stirred, rifles shifting. To them it sounded like arrogance, maybe even a hostage demand. Soushiro bristled instantly, his blades ringing faintly as he unsheathed them an inch. "You little brat. Using her as cover now? Captain, let me cut him down before he makes it worse."
Akira's eyes narrowed, voice calm but cutting. "If I wanted a hostage, she'd already be bleeding at my feet. I asked for a witness. Someone to make sure you don't decide halfway through that I'm a monster and carve me open on an operating table."
Several soldiers stiffened. They didn't need to imagine it. They all knew too well the rumors about classified dissections, the treatment of irregulars.
Mina's eyes stayed locked on Akira's, unreadable. Time stretched painfully. Even Soushiro hesitated, waiting for her to break the silence. Finally, she spoke.
"You would risk Shinomiya's life on this?"
Akira shook his head once. "Don't twist it. She already made that choice herself. I'm just refusing to let you erase it."
Kikoru's chin rose higher, her jaw tight. "I'm not taking a step back. If you doubt him, then doubt me. I'll be his witness."
The floodlights flickered slightly as a generator sputtered, throwing the scene into harsher shadows. Kafka swallowed hard, praying Mina would see reason. Reno stood stiffly, like a bowstring pulled to the edge of snapping. Soushiro's knuckles whitened on his hilts.
Finally, Mina raised her hand. Byakko froze mid-step, its growl silenced at once. Every soldier straightened.
Her voice rang cold and final. "Fine. He goes to a hospital. Full guard. If he's human, no harm will come to him."
"Captain!" Soushiro's protest tore through the night. "This is madness. If he changes in a civilian zone, the casualties—"
"I'll bear all the consequences," Mina cut him off, her tone unyielding steel.
The words landed like hammer blows. Soldiers shifted uneasily. Soushiro's jaw locked, but he forced his blades back into their sheaths with a harsh scrape.
Akira exhaled softly, though his shoulders never eased. Kikoru lowered her rifle, steady now. Kafka sagged in relief, Reno's lips pressed into a thin line.
Ravan's voice hummed in his mind, cold and exact. [Ravan: Host designated under escort. Probability of hostile betrayal during transit: 64%. Suggestion: maintain heightened vigilance.]
"Yeah," Akira murmured under his breath. "Tell me something I don't know."
Engines roared as armored carriers rolled into position. Orders barked through radios, soldiers tightening formation around Akira. He wasn't cuffed, but the rifles trained on him were constant reminders. Kikoru strode beside him, head high. Kafka trailed, biting his lip, while Reno marched stiffly, his suspicion never leaving Akira's back.
Mina led at the front, her coat flaring behind her, Byakko's massive frame keeping pace with silent menace. Soushiro lingered at the rear, eyes locked on Akira, his grin stretched thin but his gaze sharp with promise.
As the convoy rolled out, Kawasaki's ruins shrank into the darkness behind them. The battle was over, but the war of trust had only just begun.
Inside the armored carrier, the air was stifling. Soldiers sat rigid, rifles resting but never lowered. Akira sat still, Kikoru beside him, Kafka fidgeting in the opposite corner. Reno's eyes bored holes into him, silent judgment in every glance.
Soushiro leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, his grin returning like a knife. He spoke low, just loud enough for Mina across the cabin. "Captain, this is a mistake. If he snaps, I'll end him before he takes anyone else down."
Mina didn't look at him. "Do it. But avoid unnecessary conflict."
Soushiro chuckled, the sound carrying like a blade being sharpened. His gaze lingered on Akira with the hunger of a predator waiting for its chance.
Akira stared out the narrow slit of a window, city lights flickering faint in the distance. Ravan's voice whispered again. [Ravan: Escort destination: civilian facility. Unknown parameters. Probability of betrayal: 72%. Recommendation: prepare contingency.]
A faint smile tugged at his lips, humorless but steady. "Seventy-two, huh? Still better odds than I'm used to."
Kikoru's shoulder brushed his lightly, silent but resolute. Kafka was still chewing his lip raw, Reno's suspicion drilling into him like a blade. Mina's eyes, reflected faintly in the glass across from him, never wavered.
The convoy rumbled into the night, carrying them toward uncertain ground. For now, the guns were holstered, the tiger leashed, the blades sheathed. But Akira knew none of that would last forever.
And yet, for the first time since stepping into this world, he wasn't walking alone.
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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