The convoy thundered through the night, armored carriers rolling heavy over cracked asphalt. Their floodlights painted the ruined Kawasaki streets in stark white, chasing shadows into the rubble. Inside the vehicles, silence reigned—tense, suffocating silence.
Akira sat in the central carrier, wrists uncuffed but flanked on both sides by Defense Force soldiers. The muzzles of their rifles glinted under dim cabin lights, following his every shift. Kikoru sat rigidly beside him, chin lifted, as though daring anyone to suggest she didn't belong there. Byakko padded silently beneath the moon outside, a pale predator shadowing the caravan.
Across from Akira, Mina Ashiro sat with perfect composure, her gaze fixed straight ahead, unreadable. Soushiro leaned against the wall near the rear hatch, arms folded, twin blades gleaming faintly in their sheaths. His crooked grin was gone now, replaced by a watchfulness that was sharper than any drawn weapon.
[Ravan: Escort status stable. Probability of sudden execution attempt: 47%.]
Akira smirked faintly at the whisper in his mind. Almost half. Better odds than usual.
Beside him, Kikoru shifted slightly, her eyes darting toward his face. Her voice was low, sharp enough that only he heard. "Don't look so smug. They're still one order away from riddling you with bullets."
Akira tilted his head toward her without answering. He didn't need to. The very act of sitting calm under the weight of twenty rifles was its own kind of statement.
The convoy rattled over uneven ground, then smoothed as they hit the highway toward Yokohama. Beyond the thick steel walls, the ruins of the city gave way to pale lights of suburbs untouched by the kaiju raid. The contrast felt surreal—inside this vehicle, every second was a breath from bloodshed. Outside, streetlamps glowed quietly over houses where people slept in peace.
In another carrier, Kafka sat hunched forward, knuckles pressed to his knees. Reno sat across from him, posture stiff, his weapon holstered but his hand hovering close. Soldiers filled the cabin around them, but their attention was mostly fixed on the two cleaners—civilian liabilities caught up in military business.
Kafka finally broke the silence. "Reno… you saw it too, right? Akira… if he wanted to kill us, back at the kaiju's nest, he could've done it. He didn't. Doesn't that count for something?" His voice cracked with a desperate kind of conviction.
Reno's eyes narrowed. He answered evenly, but his words cut like glass. "Or maybe he didn't need to kill us yet. Don't mistake convenience for proof."
Kafka flinched, his shoulders hunching tighter. "You think he's lying to us? All this time?"
"I think," Reno said coldly, "that people aren't as simple as you want them to be. Power like his doesn't come without cost. If he really is just a human cleaner, then why does the Defense Force look at him like he's a ticking bomb?"
One of the soldiers shifted uncomfortably at their raised voices, rifle clinking against his armor. Another barked, "Keep it down. This isn't your playground."
Kafka swallowed hard and looked away, guilt flashing across his face. Reno kept staring at him, but his voice softened just a fraction. "I'm not saying abandon him. But don't throw yourself in blind, either. You'll drown before you realize he pulled you under."
Kafka didn't answer. He clenched his fists and stared at the floor until the hum of the engine swallowed their voices.
The convoy rolled on.
By the time they reached Yokohama, the city was quiet, its skyline cut by the glow of the Defense Force's spotlights. The convoy didn't enter through public routes—they veered toward the restricted military sector, where hospitals were reinforced and sealed off for defense purposes.
When the carriers stopped, soldiers moved quickly, forming a double line around Akira as if he might bolt at any second. He didn't move. Kikoru slid out beside him, defiant, daring them to question her presence. Mina exited first, her voice cool as she issued orders.
"Clear the ward. He'll be placed under full guard. No leaks. No exceptions."
Akira's eyes tracked her as they entered the hospital—sterile white walls, the faint sting of antiseptic in the air. A VIP wing, no doubt cleared of ordinary patients. His boots echoed against polished floors, each step shadowed by soldiers who kept their rifles a hair too ready.
[Ravan: Host surrounded. Containment protocols likely. Probability of covert elimination attempt within facility: 38%. Recommend contingency planning.]
Akira gave the mental voice a faint smirk. Always so optimistic, aren't you?
The doctors moved quickly, a stern woman with black hair and thick glasses at their lead. She barked orders, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Full scan. Blood work. Cellular resilience tests. Begin immediately."
Kikoru stepped closer to Akira's side. "I'm staying with him."
The woman's eyes flickered with irritation. "This is an examination, not a family visit."
Mina's voice cut in, calm but sharp. "She stays. She is the designated witness."
The doctor pursed her lips but said nothing more. The soldiers filed out, though their presence lingered like the weight of the rifles they carried. Mina left last, Byakko padding silently at her side, its tail lashing once before disappearing down the hall. Soushiro stayed near the door, leaning casually against the wall, but his eyes never strayed from Akira.
The tests began. Cold instruments, needles, humming machines. Akira sat through them all without complaint, his expression unreadable. The doctors whispered occasionally, their confusion growing with each new result.
Kikoru sat near the bedside, watching him intently. Her arms were crossed, but her gaze betrayed the thoughts racing in her head. He looked… ordinary like this. Bruised, cut, pale under fluorescent light. But she had seen him stand against kaiju like no ordinary man could.
Who are you really? she wondered, though she knew she wouldn't ask.
When the examinations finally paused, the lead doctor stepped out with a thick folder. Mina met her in the hallway.
"Preliminary results?" Mina asked.
The woman adjusted her glasses. "Type O blood. Height and weight within standard range. Numerous fractures, puncture wounds, and blood loss consistent with battle injuries. Healing accelerated, but not outside the limits of serum response. For now, nothing non-human has presented itself."
Mina's eyes narrowed slightly. "For now?"
The woman nodded. "We'll need further tests. He should remain under observation for at least two weeks."
Mina didn't reply. She simply closed her eyes for a moment, the weight of her gamble settling heavier on her shoulders.
Inside the ward, Kikoru smirked faintly as she glanced at Soushiro. "See? He's human. My judgment was right."
Soushiro straightened, towering over her. His grin returned, lazy but edged with steel. "This is just a first glance, Shinomiya. Monsters don't always bare their fangs right away." His eyes flicked back to Akira. "I'll be watching. Closely."
Kikoru scoffed and returned to her chair beside Akira. Soushiro chuckled lowly and folded his arms, the predator waiting just beyond the cage.
Elsewhere, Kafka and Reno were dragged back to their cleaning company. The premises were swarming with Defense Force investigators, searching every corner, hauling out records, combing through equipment. Kafka was pushed into an interrogation room, the glare of lights blinding. Questions came fast, sharp, accusing.
"How long have you known Akira Kurogiri?"
"Has he displayed abnormal strength before?"
"Did he ever speak of kaiju, or… hear voices?"
Kafka's palms sweated. He answered with half-truths, fumbling, tripping over his own words. He didn't betray Akira, but his nerves painted him guilty all the same.
Reno's interrogation was different. He sat straighter, his voice clipped and precise. "I've worked with him since joined the company as an intern. He's always been… unusual, but nothing that screamed kaiju. Today he fought harder than I've ever seen, but that doesn't prove anything.". He fought like a mad man . If he was hiding something, I didn't see it." His answers gave nothing away, his sharp gaze unsettling even the officers questioning him.
By dawn, the interrogations ended. Kafka slumped against the wall of their company hallway, exhausted. Reno stood silently beside him, expression unreadable. Soldiers still moved throughout the building, collecting evidence.
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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