The streets of Yokohama were still trembling from the clash. Smoke and crimson mist drifted lazily in the rain, veiling the wreckage where Kafka Hibino had just unleashed the first true strike of his monstrous form.
Reno Ichikawa staggered to a halt a block away, the little girl clinging to his neck and her half-conscious mother slumped across his back. His legs shook under the burden—not just their weight, but the image seared into his mind of Kafka glowing with destructive light.
"...Senpai," Reno whispered, his throat tight.
He set the survivors down gently against the wall of a storefront, then spun back. His instincts screamed to run to Kafka's side, but he froze. For the first time since joining the cleaning company, Reno felt utterly small.
A shadow landed beside him without a sound.
"You did well, Ichikawa."
Reno flinched and turned. Akira Kurogiri stood there, rain beading off his jacket, his calmness so unnerving it made Reno's pulse spike.
"Y-You… Akira?!" Reno blurted. "How long—? No, wait… you knew?"
Akira's gaze didn't leave the battlefield. Kafka's hulking silhouette loomed through the haze, claws flexing as the defeated parasitic kaiju twitched in its death throes.
"I saw it happen," Akira said evenly. "Back at the hospital. I tried to warn you, but you couldn't hear."
Reno's lips parted in disbelief. "And you didn't tell me?!"
Akira finally looked at him, and Reno saw no fear—only a quiet certainty.
"Would you have listened?"
Reno bit down hard on his retort. Akira wasn't wrong. If he'd heard those words mid-crisis, he probably would've rejected them outright.
Kafka, panting heavily, finally turned toward them. His monstrous armor was cracked and steaming, faint blue glow leaking through fractures. He lumbered closer, shoulders heaving, his eyes wide with something between terror and hope.
"Ichikawa… Akira… I-I didn't want you to see me like this," Kafka rasped. His voice was warped, but his desperation cut through.
Reno clenched his fists. "Senpai, are you… still you?"
Kafka froze. The question stabbed deeper than claws ever could.
But before he could answer, Akira stepped forward, his tone decisive.
"He is."
Both Kafka and Reno stared at him.
[Ravan: Emotional input detected. Analysis—reckless trust. Recommendation: reassess.]
"Not now," Akira muttered under his breath. Then louder, to Kafka, he added: "Your form may have changed, but the man inside hasn't. That punch back there—" he pointed at the collapsed parasitic kaiju still smoldering in the rain—"wasn't just instinct. You chose to protect them. That choice tells me enough."
Kafka's throat worked soundlessly. No one had ever spoken to him with such unshaken certainty—not Mina, not his colleagues, not even himself.
Reno exhaled shakily, torn between disbelief and relief. "Damn it… you're both insane. But…" He forced a wry smile. "I guess I'd be a coward to back out now."
For the first time, the three stood aligned—not as cleaner coworkers, not as rivals, but as something closer to comrades bound by shared secrets.
Farther down the street, sirens blared. The Defense Force was closing in.
Akira's eyes sharpened. "We can't stay here. Mina's unit is on the move."
Kafka's panic spiked. "If they see me like this—"
"They won't," Akira cut him off. "You'll shift back. You have to."
[Ravan: Observation. Kafka Hibino's transformation is unstable but reversible. Probability of reversion: 68%.]
"Sixty-eight percent?!" Akira hissed.
Kafka blinked. "Wait—was that… your system again?"
Reno groaned. "Oh great, we're back to this. You've got to explain someday, Akira."
Akira ignored him, stepping closer to Kafka. "Focus. You want to remain yourself, right? Then force it. Don't let the kaiju instincts control you."
Kafka trembled, his claws digging into the asphalt. His monstrous frame shuddered, blue light flickering unevenly. For a moment it looked hopeless—until Kafka clenched his jaw and roared, the sound echoing off ruined buildings.
The armor cracked, then shattered. Steam burst out in waves, and within seconds Kafka collapsed onto the ground—human again, drenched in sweat and rain.
Reno rushed forward, catching him before he hit the pavement. "Senpai!"
Kafka wheezed, but a shaky grin broke across his face. "...Still me."
Reno tightened his grip, relief washing over him.
Akira crouched beside them, his expression softening almost imperceptibly. "Good. Now let's move before the Defense Force gets eyes on us."
Minutes later, Mina Ashiro and Soshiro Hoshina arrived with their squads. They swept the area quickly, securing civilians and inspecting the remains of the parasitic kaiju.
Mina crouched by the rescued girl, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. "Are you hurt?"
The girl sniffled. "A monster saved me and Mommy…"
Mina's eyes flickered. "A monster?"
Hoshina frowned. "What kind of monster?"
The girl hiccupped and tried her best to explain—the jagged teeth, the glowing body, the scary grin. She called it the "good monster."
The Defense Force soldiers exchanged uneasy looks.
Mina straightened slowly, her gaze distant. A "good monster"? There was no such thing in their doctrine. And yet…
"Captain?" Hoshina pressed.
"Keep this between us," Mina said finally, her tone clipped. "We'll report the kill, not the witness account."
Hoshina's lips tightened, but he nodded. He knew better than to question her judgment outright.
On a nearby rooftop, Akira watched with Reno and Kafka concealed in the shadows.
"That girl…" Kafka whispered, voice raw. "She saw me. And yet…" His eyes shone, haunted yet hopeful. "She thanked me."
Reno looked at him in surprise. "Seriously?"
Kafka nodded, trembling. "I thought I'd lost everything. But if even one person can see me as… more than a monster, then maybe…" He clenched his fists, newfound fire in his gaze. "Maybe I can still fight for humanity."
Akira studied him quietly.
[Ravan: Subject Kafka Hibino has formed a core resolution. Mental stability increasing. Potential trajectory—aligned ally.]
Akira allowed himself the faintest smile. "Then hold onto that, Kafka. Because the road ahead will only get harder."
The trio sat in silence, rain pattering against broken glass, the sounds of the Defense Force fading as the squad moved out.
For the first time since this chaos began, their paths felt truly bound together.
And from the depths of Yokohama, the name whispered in secret reports, rumors, and frightened breaths began to spread—
Kaiju No. 8.
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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