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Something didn't add up.
The bad feeling that arose after defeating Kaiju No. 9 hadn't disappeared, even though its body was crumbling before his eyes.
The words he'd spoken to No. 8 still echoed in his mind: "I will kill you and obtain that immense, monstrous power."
What was No. 9's true objective? To kill No. 8? Or was it something else?
There was also the fact that it wasn't that difficult to kill, although, of course, for him, being the strongest in Japan, it shouldn't have been surprising. But based on reports from the Third Division, Kaiju No. 9 evolves and increases its power with each encounter. It wasn't unreasonable to assume that during its period of inactivity, it was studying and learning in the shadows, increasing its power.
So, the fact that this fight wasn't difficult left a bad taste in Narumi's mouth. As he plunged his bayonet into the ground, he crossed his arms and mentally replayed his fight against the ninth kaiju.
While receiving real-time reports of Hibino transforming into kaiju no. 8 and counterattacking, Narumi was engrossed in his own fight, but despite the noise of his attacks, he could hear when the kaiju said it couldn't reunite.
Reunite? With the kaiju Hibino was fighting?
That meant they were both a single kaiju. Could it be that their separation diminished its power, making it easier to defeat?
Even so, while they fought, he learned to counter its attacks until Narumi activated RT-0001, not giving him enough time to adjust or defend himself.
"I will obtain that immense, monstrous power."
He still wondered what it meant... oh well. The best thing would be to finish off the remaining units and return to base to study the information and figure out the meaning of those words. Besides, he had an important matter to attend to with Isao. He wouldn't forget that Isao congratulated him, and everyone heard it. He couldn't deny it even if he wanted to.
Just as he was about to draw his bayonet again, Kurusu's voice crackled over his communicator.
"A new reading detected?!"
"Another kaiju?"
"Captain Narumi!" Hibino's voice burst into his ear. "This isn't the main body!"
Hibino hadn't even finished speaking when Narumi's senses were triggered. He quickly drew his bayonet and spun around to block the blow aimed at him.
The force was enough to send him flying across the street. His arm muscles protested the impact.
"The new reading is right in Captain Narumi's location!"
In front of him, where the clone's corpse had been, stood the main body of Kaiju No. 9
As soon as Kuruso mentioned where the new reading originated, Isao wasted no time. He grabbed the briefcase containing his numbered weapon and headed for the exit.
Itami immediately followed him. "Isao, wait! You can't go!"
The director didn't even acknowledge him. He left the base and headed to the location of his protege.
Was the Ninth's target Narumi?
"Send all available support to his location!"
He wasn't going to let anything happen to Narumi. He'd rather die than be killed.
A new burst of bullets from his bayonet rifle struck the Ninth, but as before, it created limbs that acted as a shield.
Since the kaiju landed its first blow, it was followed by ranged attacks that, were it not for his retinas, he wouldn't have been able to dodge in time. Some grazed him, but none seriously damaged him.
Narumi noticed how the kaiju's appearance had changed compared to what the 3rd Division had described. It was now larger and more robust, its skin was darker, and compared to its clones, much more powerful.
His concentration was on defending against the simultaneous attacks it launched at him. He dodged thanks to his speed and reflexes, which, along with his anticipation of these attacks, had kept him alive so far.
"You're using what you used against Beta."
" The kaiju raised its hands, and another barrage of blasts shot from its fingertips toward him. Quickly, he used his weapon as a shield and moved out of the attack's path.
"You also wield the power of a kaiju."
With impressive speed, Kaiju No. 9 approached him, its right arm poised to strike.
"Damn, it's too fast."
In a fluid movement with the blade of his weapon, he deflected the blow, managing to slice part of the arm. He immediately created a considerable distance before firing again.
"According to Beta, you use your rifle and the blade to attack at different ranges."
"What the hell do you want?"
The kaiju tilted its head.
"I want your power."
That confused Narumi. During his and Hibino's battle against the clones, there had never been any indication that it was after him. What had changed? Or was he really the target from the beginning?
Luckily for him, either Kaiju No. 9 was a chatterbox, or he liked to think out loud.
"Changing targets wasn't in my plans, but I can always achieve it once I obtain your power." He tried again to approach Narumi to strike. "So I have to kill you first, to then go after the power of the second kaiju."
Anticipating where he would strike, Narumi moved away from the point of impact, causing the blow to hit the concrete street square. A crater formed where he had been standing; the shockwave of power destroyed the vehicles and windows of the surrounding buildings. Narumi had to use his arms to protect his face from the debris that flew after the impact.
If that blow had hit him directly, it could have seriously injured him.
"My power?"
The Ninth Kaiju reared up again and prepared four limbs for another barrage of attacks. "Your power to see the future, the power of the first kaiju."
His words made it clear that the original and primary target had always been the commander; Narumi was merely a bonus, like a reward for a side mission before continuing with the main story.
Ah, he finally understood. He sought to fuse not only the "future vision" ability of the first kaiju, but also the destructive power of the second kaiju with his own body, and for that, he needed the current wielders of such power. The safest way to obtain them, he assumed, was by absorbing the current wielder.
After the attack on Tachikawa Base, it was confirmed that the Ninth Kaiju had been studying not only humans in general, but also the soldiers of the Defense Force. The information about Commander Isao as the only wielder of a numbered weapon in all of Japan had always been public knowledge; Unlike him, who never revealed to the public that he was the wielder of the country's oldest numbered weapon.
When tests conducted after his discovery in Sakuragi revealed that his cells were compatible with Weapon No. 1, it didn't take long for him to be fitted into the suit once he joined the JAKDF; not to brag, but it didn't take him long to synchronize with the suit.
The complications arose later, when retinal tissue from the Daikaiju's primary eyes was implanted into his own. Once he recovered from the surgery and used them for the first time in the subjugation mission in Koshigaya, testing began for the use of both weapons. It should be noted that, being so young at the time, the strain the suit placed on his body, as well as the strain on his brain from using RT-0001, was a near-fatal combination, leaving him incapacitated for over a month in a medical ward the first time they tried.
He couldn't confront Isao when he decided to seal the numbered suit and continue using only the retinas (which he didn't activate continuously unless necessary). Because of this, he never used his suit in battle, and it wasn't publicly revealed that he was the wielder of that weapon; only the high command of each division knew that his eyes were those of a kaiju.
Narumi reactivated RT-0001 and used his weapon to block the attacks he couldn't dodge with his body.
"Power released 98%"
His muscles had been protesting for several minutes; the blood on his face wasn't from any wound, but the continuous use of RT-0001 had caused the blood vessels in his eyes to burst and burn; and he hadn't even used his ace in the hole.
"Let's finish this, asshole."
Shinomiya Isao knew he no longer had the same speed as before, but it didn't lessen the frustration he felt knowing it had taken him so long to reach Narumi's location. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Hibino Kafka and his daughter arriving at the same time as him.
The area was a disaster, the streets destroyed and the secondary buildings on the verge of collapse. A thick layer of smoke and dust covered the area.
"Narumi!"
Advancing cautiously, they entered the area. Little by little, the layer dissipated, revealing two figures.
The captain of the first division lay a few meters ahead, using his bayonet for support to stay upright. In front of him was what was presumed to be Kaiju No. 9, its body parts destroyed, even its core exposed, advancing toward Narumi, its limbs outstretched like wings, about to envelop him like a cocoon.
Kikoru quickly raised his pistol and fired several shots in quick succession, drawing the attention of the ninth kaiju.
"Ah," the kaiju said, retracting its limbs, and turning towards them. "It's the compatible human and kaiju no. 8."
Without wasting any more time, Isao and Hibino, in their kaiju forms, charged forward. Isao gathered energy in the weapon on his right arm and proceeded to strike the ninth kaiju while Hibino grabbed Narumi and pulled him away.
Kaiju no. 9 tried to dodge the blow, moving as far out of its path as possible, but even so, Isao managed to tear off one of its limbs, the shockwave pushing it back.
"It took me a while to master the power of kaiju no. 1. I'll have to try again another day."
Narumi's voice interrupted Isao's reply.
"Where do you think you're going, you bastard? We're not finished yet."
Narumi tried to push away from Hibino and stand on his own. Isao didn't need to look twice to know that Narumi was in no condition to continue fighting due to fatigue and his suit overheating; only his own pride and stubbornness were keeping him going.
His face was covered in blood, and it wasn't hard to guess that most of it was coming from his eyes; eyes that usually glowed magenta when active, but he was sure he'd seen a flash of green before RT-0001 deactivated, leaving Narumi's natural reddish hue.
"Captain Narumi, please, leave him to us."
Kikoru, who had stayed close to Hibino, held Narumi as he approached Isao.
"And leave all the fun to you? Not even…”
“Narumi,” the director’s firm tone was enough to stop the captain of the first division from finishing his sentence. “Let us finish this.”
Buzzing his fists together at chest level, he assumed a fighting stance. Beside him, Hibino, in kaiju form, did the same.
Kaiju No. 9, which was slowly regenerating its body, retreated. “Ah, this would be a bad time to fight.” With a flick of his wrist, two ant-like kaiju emerged from the rubble and leaped to attack, while the ninth tried to escape.
“I won’t let you escape again!”
With impressive speed, Hibino pierced one of the ants, extracting its core and crushing it between his hands as he pursued the ninth, which began to flee rapidly.
But Isao Shinomiya wasn't about to be left behind. Crushing the second ant under his fist, he followed closely behind Hibino, beginning a chase with the goal of killing Kaiju No. 9.
And that was the last thing Narumi Gen saw before collapsing into the arms of her young recruit.
Hoshina Soushirou only went to the Ariake base for official business or scheduled joint training exercises; otherwise, he had no reason to go.
He was currently walking through the corridors of the First Division's maritime base on his way to meet with the Director General and other high-ranking members of the Defense Corps. He wasn't keen on leaving Tachikawa base solely in Captain Ashiro's hands, as he didn't want to increase her workload, but he trusted his platoon leaders to help her instead.
He arrived at the conference room, where upon entering he noticed the Director General and the high-ranking officers already in their seats. The screens where the captains who couldn't attend in person would participate via video call were still dark.
Isao Shinomiya looked toward him as soon as he entered and gestured for him to take a seat. "Vice-Captain Hoshina, thank you for coming on such short notice."
"Don't worry, Director Shinomiya."
"No worries." Giving a slight bow, he took his seat in the designated chair.
Hoshina could tell how tense the director looked; not only that, his usually stoic and serious face showed worry. And she couldn't blame him, because he shared the same feeling.
Less than 48 hours ago, Shinagawa had been the scene of the appearance of Kaiju No. 9, where it controlled hundreds of ant-type Kaiju that destroyed a large part of the city. It was also responsible for Captain Narumi now being bedridden, recovering from his injuries and exhaustion after facing it for an extended period, pushing his abilities and the power of his numbered weapon to the limit.
Hoshina had no reason to go to Ariake unless it was for official business, because her personal reason was that they would prefer to meet at home after work, in the comfort and privacy of her own home.
Just that morning, before the attack alarm sounded, they had been discussing what to have for dinner that night. He was eager to get home and eat something Gen had cooked after a long day of reconstruction in the 3rd Division, and then relax in his boyfriend's arms. Instead, he received a call from Vice-Captain Hasegawa informing him that Narumi was hospitalized in the medical ward of the Ariake base after a one-on-one battle with the kaiju that had been giving them headaches ever since it first appeared.
Hasegawa explained that he had overheated after using his battle potential twice in quick succession, deactivating his suit to prevent the operating room from deactivating it so he could continue fighting and deny control of RT-0001, nearly frying his brain in the process.
To say he was worried was an understatement, but he couldn't just barge into the 1st Division demanding to see his captain without a valid reason other than being a concerned boyfriend who might be widowed before even getting married.
They both decided to keep their relationship private to avoid mixing their professional and personal lives. Those who knew were Mina and Okonogi on Hoshina's side, because they were her closest friends, and on Narumi's side, Hasegawa and the Director General himself, because even if he wouldn't admit it (even under penalty of death), he saw them both as father figures.
So, being summoned to the base as the 3rd Division's representative after reporting the information shared by No. 10 gave him the perfect excuse to show up in Ariake and then visit the medical area.
After a few minutes, the screens lit up, and the faces of the captains from the other divisions appeared, including that of his annoying older brother.
Director Shinomiya cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"Since we're all here, we'll begin the meeting to develop combat strategies against Kaiju No. 9."
With the mention of this daikaiju, Hoshina noticed the tension in the room; no one had yet addressed the elephant in the room. The captain of the second division, Jura Igarashi, asked the question everyone was probably wondering.
"Is it true that Narumi still hasn't woken up?"
A few worried murmurs arose.
"Silence," ordered Director Shinomiya, sighing as he turned to the second captain. "Yes, it's true, Narumi is still recovering, but he's stable."
With an amused snort, Itami Keiji said, "We'll probably have him back in a couple of days, bothering us again."
That made Hoshina smile with amusement.
Juzo Nogizaka spoke next. "That brings us to the reason for the attack on Shinagawa."
"You're right. During Narumi's fight with Kaiju No. 9, we discovered that its primary target was me, not him," explained Principal Shinomiya. "Narumi wasn't part of its plan, but for some reason, it went after him."
"Based on what we heard over the communicators, No. 9 was planning to somehow obtain the power of Kaiju No. 2's numbered weapon, and with that, we believe it also had the numbered weapon of the first Kaiju."
Hoshina felt a chill run down her spine. No. 9, which likely had a strength greater than 9.0, was unsettling, almost terrifying to imagine the chaos it would unleash if it possessed the destructive power of the second Daikaiju plus the foresight of the first. It would be unstoppable and impossible to defeat.
"With that in mind, we'll move on to the other matter that brought us to this meeting." Turning to Hoshina, the director indicated it was her turn. "Vice-Captain Hoshina, please."
Taking a breath, he stood and went to the front of the room.
Inwardly, he just wanted it to be over so she could go see Gen.
Once the meeting concluded, Hoshina approached Vice-Captain Hasegawa, who had remained behind after the others had left the room.
"Soushiro"
"Hasegawa-san"
Without further ado, Hasegawa led him through the base to where Captain Narumi was being held. The advantage of being a captain was that, once they confirmed he was stable and out of danger, they moved him to a private room to wait for him to wake up.
Upon arriving at the room, the first thing he noticed was that it was almost completely dark, except for a lamp on the nightstand in a corner of the room, away from the bed. He figured this was for Gen's comfort when he woke up, since his eyes would likely still be irritated and light could worsen the migraine he would probably wake up with. The second thing he noticed was that they weren't the only ones inside. His former rookies stood up from their seats and saluted as soon as they saw him.
"Vice-Captain Hoshina!"
She hadn't expected to find Shinomiya Kikoru and Hibino Kafka there, though Shinomiya shouldn't surprise her too much, because if Gen's complaints about her had any other meaning, he might have grown somewhat fond of her after spending some time with her when he deigned to train with her.
Hasegawa spoke up. "Shinomiya, Hibino, what are you still doing here?"
So they were there before the meeting even started, and it lasted almost three hours.
"Kikoru was worried that the captain hadn't woken up yet... Ouch!"
Lowering the fist with which she had just punched her companion in the arm, Kikoru almost screamed before remembering where she was, her cheeks flushed as she hissed. "Hey, Hibino Kafka! You don't have to say anything!"
"Relax," Hoshina said, approaching them, glancing sideways at the reclining figure. "It's late, you should return to your dorms."
"Hoshina is right, it's been an hour past curfew, you should have been back."
They both paled slightly at the reminder, bowed, and left. Hoshina didn't miss the moment when Shinomiya gave his current captain's wrist a light squeeze before leaving with Hibino.
Well, it seems Gen wasn't the only one who grew fond of him.
Once the door closed behind them, Hoshina quickly approached Gen, took his hand in hers, and studied him closely. His bangs hid almost half his face, so she carefully moved them aside to get a better look. His eyes were closed, making his face look peaceful, as if he were in the middle of a pleasant dream.
He could see how his wounds had been treated and covered; his face was clear of any trace of blood that might have sprung from his eyes, his breathing was calm, and according to the monitors, his vital signs were normal. He also had an IV drip connected to his arm, probably with some painkillers. Just as Director Shinomiya had said, he was stable; it was just a matter of waiting for him to wake up.
He didn't hear Hasegawa approach him until he spoke.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine." He placed a hand on Hoshina's shoulder in a show of support. "He's too stubborn to die."
That elicited a soft laugh from Hoshina.
"Yes, you're right."
The sound of the door opening and the person who crossed it made them both stand at attention and greet each other. He wondered if Hibino and Shinomiya had felt this way when he entered.
"Director Shinomiya."
Shinomiya Isao approached one of the chairs in the room and slumped down, letting out a tired sigh. He gestured for them to do the same.
"I should have guessed one of you would be here."
"My apologies, Director. I needed to see him."
"Don't worry, Hoshina, I understand."
"Forgive me for asking, I don't mean to be intrusive, Director, but shouldn't you be resting?"
Shinomiya couldn't help but slump slightly at Narumi's vice-captain's question. Since Kaiju No. 9 had escaped from him and Hibino, he hadn't had a moment's rest, from taking charge of controlling the damage caused by the attack, once he was sure Narumi was on his way to treatment, to the subsequent office work that entailed, not to mention the meeting organized due to the new information about the ninth that No. 10 provided as soon as he woke up yesterday.
He hadn't even managed to take a nap because his concern for Narumi prevented him from even thinking about resting.
"Hasegawa is right, you look exhausted, Director."
"I appreciate your concern, but I wanted to make sure Narumi was alright."
" The aforementioned continued to show no sign that he was about to wake up.
"It's the first time in almost nine years that he's been this calm."
Hasegawa couldn't help but sigh. "As soon as he wakes up, he'll be back to his usual headache."
To Hoshina and Hasegawa's surprise, Shinomiya Isao laughed at the comment.
"I don't doubt it."
The three remained silent, which, while not uncomfortable, made it impossible not to feel the tension and worry that still lingered, all because of one person.
Hoshina wouldn't lie to himself; fear gripped him when they were notified of the appearance of Kaiju No. 9 during the neutralization operation, which Gen was in charge of. He was afraid something would go wrong, but he decided to trust in the abilities not only of Captain Narumi, but also of his entire division. But despite his unwavering faith in his boyfriend, it didn't dispel the anxiety that plagued him for the rest of the day, an anxiety that turned into pure terror when, just before leaving the base, he received a call from Hasegawa explaining the situation.
If it weren't for the fact that he was with his captain and friend at that moment, who helped calm him down, he would have jumped in his car and driven to Ariake to see Gen, disregarding traffic laws.
He had to remain calm, a difficult task, but he couldn't simply go to another division without a valid reason. And Director Shinomiya gave him one when he summoned him for an emergency meeting this morning to share information about the Tenth, who had only just woken up yesterday.
If these last 48 hours had been stressful for him, he didn't even want to imagine what they must have been like for Director Shinomiya, who had to manage and take command of everything, in addition to the worry he must have felt for his protégé.
Looking again at the sleeping body, he couldn't help but ask in a slightly trembling voice, "Will he...will he really be alright?"
In the silence of the room, the question sounded loud and clear.
"The doctors said that while his injuries were serious, thanks to the suit and the first aid he received, there shouldn't be any lasting effects." With some hesitation, Hasegawa listed his captain's various injuries. He could see Hoshina's body tense with each new piece of information, and even noticed Director Shinomiya's expression hardening.
When Hasegawa finished, Isao spoke up. "There's also the fact that the operations center and the technician in charge of monitoring Narumi's suit along with his numbered weapon were worried about the consequences of denying him control."
“The doctors said he’s physically stable and will recover soon, but the technician reported that during the fight, RT-0001’s data spiked considerably—too much information that put a physical, but especially mental, strain on Narumi. The pressure on his cranial nerves made us think his brain was going to fry at any moment.
Hoshina didn’t know that part, only that he had used his retinas the entire time during the fight. He knew that continuous use of them left Gen with severe headaches, very sensitive to light and loud noises; the migraines tended not to last long, since over time his body had adapted—Gen’s words, not his. But the fact that somehow using them had generated more pressure and that it could have some consequence made him fear for how Gen would wake up.
“And not only that,” Isao continued, “the data recorded by the retinas of the first kaiju indicated several signals originating from No. 9.”
Both Hoshina and Hasegawa remained Slightly in shock.
"What do you mean?"
Isao sighed in defeat. "We're not sure, that's why we're waiting for Narumi to wake up so we can hear his theories."
"I hope it's soon."
The three of them stayed with Narumi for a while longer, not speaking, simply remaining silent, watching the slow rise and fall of Narumi's chest, indicating that he was alive.
It was difficult, but Hoshina and Hasegawa managed to convince the director to go and rest.
"I'll stay with him," Hoshina said. "He'll be the first one to inform you of any developments."
Isao sighed. He wouldn't deny that a rest would do him good. Knowing that Narumi's partner would be with him at all times gave him a little peace of mind. He just hoped it would be enough to help him sleep, even if only for a little while.
"Okay. Please, Hoshina, let me know if anything happens."
"Of course, don't worry."
Both Isao and Hasegawa left, leaving Hoshina alone in the silent room.
Pulling the chair closer to the bed, Hoshina took Narumi's hand in hers.
"You know, for someone so calm, you've worried us all."
The steady sound of Narumi's heartbeat on the monitor was her only response.
"You should wake up soon; you still owe me dinner." They say unconscious patients can hear when you speak to them, so Hoshina continued, telling him about her day, an update on what had happened at the meeting, and so on.
A couple of hours passed, and by the time Hoshina finished talking, she realized it was past 2 a.m.
She couldn't blame Director Shinomiya; he didn't think he could sleep even if he wanted to. He was still too worried about Gen to even try to rest, so she settled herself as comfortably as possible in her chair without letting go of Gen's hand.
She closed her eyes for a moment, but opened them immediately when she felt a slight movement in her hand.
"Gen?"
She remained motionless, waiting for it to happen again. And it did; Gen's hand twitched once more, and Hoshina felt his eyelids flutter until they slowly opened, revealing the beautiful reddish hue of her partner's eyes.
"Ho...Hoshi...?"
Hoshina stood up and moved closer to Gen, squeezing his hand in response. "Yes, I'm here."
Narumi turned his face toward him, blinking slowly. "Soushirou..."
Gently, Hoshina stroked Narumi's cheek, causing him to rest his face in her hand.
"How are you feeling?"
Narumi cleared his throat slightly, and Hoshina understood, offering him some water to help him. Once his throat no longer felt like sandpaper, he answered. "Like I was run over by a kaiju. Did you get the license plate?"
Against her better judgment, Hoshina laughed.
"You made me really worried sick, idiot."
Narumi squeezed Hoshina hand. "I'm sorry..."
Hoshina shook her head. "It's not your fault. I'm glad you're awake." She sighed. "I'll let them know you're awake. They need to check on you and make sure everything is alright."
Narumi didn't respond, so Hoshina pressed the button to call the nurse on duty and send a message to Director Shinomiya and Hasegawa.
"Soushirou."
"Mm, what 's wrong?"
Hoshina noticed Gen swallow and lick his lips, hesitating to speak. "I... I can't see anything."
That made her heart sink. "What do you mean?"
"It's completely dark, Sou."
She didn't have time to answer because a nurse and a doctor entered and began examining their patient. During the checkup, the director and Hasegawa arrived at the room.
When they noticed the checkup was over, Isao was the first to speak. "How is he feeling?"
"He's stable," the doctor began. "His vital signs are normal. We'll continue with the painkillers to help with the pain from his wounds. If everything continues to go well, he can be discharged tomorrow."
Narumi murmured a "Yay" at the doctor's words.
"But we need to run tests and MRIs because of his vision loss. We have to rule out that it's permanent."
Narumi murmured another "No yay."
Hasegawa couldn't help but ask, "Vision loss?"
The doctor nodded. "The pressure from the continuous use of his numbered weapon may have affected his optic nerve. We need to run tests to verify that it hasn't been damaged. If it has, he'll likely go blind."
After a few minutes, the staff left, leaving the four of them in the room. Hoshina approached Narumi again and took his hands once more.
"I can't see a damn thing, but I'm sure everyone looks like I'm dead."
"Don't joke about that, Narumi."
Something in the tone made Narumi blush. "I'm sorry, Hasegawa."
"How are you feeling, Narumi?" Isao asked. Narumi opened his mouth to answer. "The truth."
Narumi closed his mouth. He sighed and squeezed Hoshina's hand, who returned the gesture. He knew he could be honest with the people in the room; he just didn't want to worry them more than they already were.
If he was honest, he was scared. It wasn't just a kaiju that had him on the ropes. He knew that if it weren't for the old man and Hibino's intervention, he probably wouldn't be there, but that didn't mean he wouldn't give it his all. He didn't want to fall; he'd earned the title of strongest for a reason.
But he wouldn't deny the feeling of helplessness at being overwhelmed and almost defeated. And now, waking up with an aching body, a headache so bad he wanted to rip it out, plus the fact that he woke up completely blind, oh boy, he was terrified.
Having Soushirou with him made him hide all of it. He was sure that when they told him what happened, Soushirou must have been worried; and a worried Soushirou is a stressed Soushirou, and that's the last thing he wants to do, cause that kind of worry to his partner.
He didn't want to add any more worries, especially not to Isao or Hasegawa.
So he decided to tell a half-truth. "My head hurts terribly, and it feels strange not being able to see you."
Narumi could feel Hoshina gently stroking the back of his hand with his thumbs. So he decided to be optimistic. "But I'm sure I'll be fine. I need to finish the last level of the video game; the final boss is waiting for me, so I'll need my eyes for that."
The three men looked at each other and seemed to reach an agreement. What Narumi needed now was their support. They knew the man well enough to know that this situation must be frightening for him. The possibility of losing the sense that had helped him be the best all these years might not return.
To shift the focus away from his condition, Narumi asked what had happened after he fainted. So Isao explained everything.
"So that bastard escaped."
"Yes, that's right," Isao sighed ruefully. "There are still things to talk about, but that can wait. Now it's best if you rest."
Narumi didn't argue. Despite having slept for two days, he still felt exhausted. Squeezing Hoshina's hand, he asked, "Will you stay with me?"
Hoshina smiled at him even though she couldn't see him. "Of course."
Before leaving, Isao approached the bed, placed a hand on Narumi's shoulder, and squeezed it lightly. "I'm glad you're alright." He moved his hand to Narumi's head and patted it a couple of times. "I'm proud of you." With that, he turned and left the room, followed by Hasegawa.
Hoshina looked at Narumi, whose eyes were wide open and jaw was hanging open. With her free hand, she helped close it. This snapped Gen out of the trance the director had put him in, and he turned his face toward Hoshina.
"Tell me I'm not so drugged up that you heard what I did."
Soushirou laughed. "Yeah, I heard it."
"Oh, damn..."
Not caring much, Soushirou climbed onto the stretcher, and Gen moved aside to make room for him, trying to get comfortable so as not to aggravate Narumi's injuries, resting his head without putting all his weight on his chest, just so he could hear the steady heartbeat that indicated he was alive and well.
"You're scared, aren't you?"
Gen let out a hollow laugh. "I lost to that damn kaiju, and there's a chance I could go blind. I'm having a field day."
"Nothing's certain yet."
"But what if I can't see anymore? What good am I?"
It broke Hoshina's heart to know that Narumi thought he was only valuable because of his retinal abilities. Yes, he was the strongest soldier in the Defense Corps, but not only because he was a numbered weapon user; He knows all the effort behind her entire career over the years.
"Hey, don't think like that. I'm sure you'll be fine." At some point, tears escaped Gen's eyes, so he carefully sat up and wiped them away with his thumbs. "Everything will be alright, I'll be by your side."
Narumi didn't reply, she just took one of Soushirou's hands and brought it to her lips.
They both settled back on the cot and fell asleep. If the nurse had scolded Hoshina that morning and Narumi had just laughed in the background, she could say it was worth it.