High above Japan National Stadium, the wind swept across the rooftop in steady currents, carrying with it the distant roar of the crowd below.
Taneki remained standing near the edge, hands tucked into his pockets, eyes fixed on the sea of people filling the stadium. Beside him, Hayashi leaned casually against a railing, her coat fluttering lightly.
After a brief silence, she spoke.
"Tell me something, Taneki," she said, glancing sideways at him. "Based on everything we know so far… who do you think the enemy is?"
She smiled faintly.
"I know you well enough to know you already have a suspect list."
Taneki didn't look at her.
"I don't have enough evidence to start accusing anyone," he replied evenly.
Hayashi's smile widened.
"I see," she said. "So you do think a Japanese soldier is involved."
Taneki finally turned toward her, his expression sharpening.
"I didn't say that."
"That's exactly why I know," Hayashi replied calmly. "Normally, you'd warn me. Tell me to stay alert. The fact that you didn't means you think the suspect pool includes anyone in the military."
She folded her arms.
"And I'm guessing that's why you're keeping this investigation as quiet as possible. Fewer people involved means less chance of information leaking to the traitor."
Taneki exhaled slowly.
"That's not entirely it," he said. "I don't want to fracture trust within the military. Panic and paranoia would do more damage than the enemy ever could."
Hayashi tilted her head.
"Then why tell me?" she asked bluntly. "I could be the traitor, you know."
Taneki's eyes turned cold.
"Because you're the only one I told," he said. "If anything happens that relies on this knowledge… I'll know it was you."
For a moment, the wind was the only sound between them.
Then Hayashi laughed softly.
"I thought you'd say something sentimental," she said. "'Nah, I trust you,' or something like that."
She shook her head, amused.
"But this?" She smiled. "Yeah. That's more like you."
She stepped back.
"Fair enough. Let's hope the traitor is exposed soon so I can finally get off your imaginary suspect list."
With that, her body shimmered and vanished.
Moments later, she reappeared far below, settling into a section of the stadium reserved for high-ranking officials.
Taneki turned back toward the city.
A dimensional barrier… he thought.
One strong enough to dull even my senses, if only for a moment.
His jaw tightened.
"That kind of technique isn't easy," he murmured. "It would require someone at least on a Captain's level."
Which meant only the top tier were under suspicion.
But then—
"Unless," he continued quietly, "the one who cast it wasn't Japanese at all."
Another country.
Another military.
With an insider feeding them access.
That possibility widened the net again until nearly everyone became suspect.
Everyone except the new soldiers.
Taneki sighed.
"Maybe I'm overthinking it," he muttered. "I should relax."
He stepped away from the edge and headed down to the seats reserved for important guests, taking a place beside Hayashi as the noise of the stadium swelled.
Okinawa Island – Academy Grounds
Far from the roaring stadium, a calm forest stretched across part of the island. Tall Sugi trees towered overhead, their thick branches forming natural perches high above the ground.
Resting among them were four cadets Pathro, Kiligaku, Mikari, and Isabe all dressed in their ceremonial uniforms. The fabric still felt stiff and unfamiliar against their skin.
Mikari broke the silence.
"Still can't believe you guys actually killed that thing," he said, staring out between the branches. "It was creepy, insanely durable, and an absolute nightmare to fight."
Isabe nodded.
"They don't call it the Devil's Cockroach for nothing," he added. "Its defenses are ridiculous. And on top of that, it hits like a monster. Hard to believe it's considered low-tier."
Pathro leaned back against the trunk, eyes half-closed.
"I can't really congratulate myself," he admitted. "I got wrecked pretty badly. I knew Ichigans were strong, but… not that strong."
Kiligaku smirked.
"For me, it was a humbling experience," he said. "Made me realize just how weak I still am."
Then he grinned.
"But not everything was bad. I did win our bet, didn't I, Pathro?"
Pathro shot him an offended look.
Isabe blinked.
"Bet?"
Kiligaku laughed.
"He thought he could finish the test before me," he said. "Put half his first salary on it. And guess who cleared it first?"
Pathro clicked his tongue.
"It was a ten-second difference," he snapped. "And I'm pretty sure I killed the Ichigan first. The delay only happened because I slammed into the moon."
"Excuses," Kiligaku waved him off. "A win's a win. I'm gonna enjoy spending your money."
Mikari shook his head.
"You guys are insane," he said. "Betting your salary like that?"
Isabe shrugged.
"It's not like Pathro's going broke," he said. "The salary's five billion yen a month. Half of that is still two and a half billion."
Mikari stared at him.
"…That's still ridiculous."
And it was.
Soldiers were paid more than anyone else on Earth. Every nation offered similar compensation, adjusted to their own currencies. After all, their existence actively prevented humanity from being wiped out by cosmic threats.
Still, not everyone agreed with it.
Many questioned how one person could possibly need that much money.
Their thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"There you are."
Kasumi stood below them, hands on her hips.
"Get down here," she said. "We need to line up."
The four jumped down simultaneously.
"Has the ceremony started already?" Pathro asked.
"A while ago," Kasumi replied. "They're about to call us to enter the stadium."
Without another word, all five blurred into motion, sprinting toward the emergency assembly point.
Rows of cadets stood assembled, tension thick in the air.
At the front stood a bald instructor with several scars etched across his face. His presence alone was enough to silence the crowd.
"All right," he barked. "Form rows of six. Fifty columns. That's the entry order."
No one hesitated.
Pathro found himself in the front row alongside Kiligaku, Kaile, Kasumi, Toshiro, and Mikari.
As Pathro glanced up, the instructor's eyes snapped toward him.
"What are you looking at?"
"N-Nothing, sir," Pathro replied instantly, lowering his gaze.
Instructor Katsuo, Pathro thought.
The most intimidating one of them all.
Katsuo glanced down at the radio clipped to his belt, trying to adjust it. The device crackled and glitched.
"Tch."
Annoyed, he ripped it off and smashed it against the ground.
No one reacted.
Whether from familiarity or fear, no one dared to comment.
"Listen up," Katsuo said, brushing metal fragments from his uniform. "I'm heading to the stadium. When the portals appear, you walk through. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the cadets shouted in unison.
A dark blue portal vastly different from Kamir's yellow ones opened behind him. Katsuo stepped through, and it vanished.
Pathro blinked.
Seriously… why do they keep using portals?
They could just run there. Are they flexing or something?
Before the thought finished
Six dark blue portals opened in front of the first row.
Pathro inhaled slowly.
That was fast.
He straightened his posture.
Guess this is it.
The six columns advanced in perfect order, each stepping through their respective portals.
Pathro took one last breath before crossing the threshold.
Time to face the world…
As a soldier of Japan.
The moment the portals manifested inside the stadium, the crowd erupted.
Cheers thundered through the air as trumpets blared and whistles shrieked nonstop. On one side of the field, six dark blue portals shimmered into existence. On the opposite side, four grayish portals opened in response. The symmetry alone was enough to drive the audience wild.
As the rookies began emerging in perfect order, the noise only intensified like a championship goal had just been scored.
Pathro winced slightly at the sheer volume.
This is insane, he thought. They're screaming like football fans whose team just won the finals.
His eyes drifted toward the opposite side of the stadium the four gray portals.
"Four portals?" he muttered internally. "That's… slow. Why four?"
His mind instantly kicked into calculation mode.
Shindo has three hundred. Omake has two hundred.
Six and four portals… that's fifty rows each.
So we both finish entering at the same time.
He exhaled through his nose.
"What a hassle," he thought. "All this just for one ceremony."
As his gaze swept across the Omake rookies stepping out, it abruptly stopped.
One figure stood out.
A faint but menacing blue aura clung to the boy's body unnatural, heavy, and sharp enough to be felt even from a distance.
Pathro's eyes narrowed.
That guy…
That has to be Kobayashi.
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Yeah. He's strong.
Strong enough to actually challenge me.
His excitement spiked.
Hopefully I'll get to spar with him someday.
Kobayashi, meanwhile, had also begun scanning the opposing line.
His gaze locked onto Pathro almost immediately.
Black hair… blue tips… front row, he thought. That's him.
"I've heard enough about Pathro to recognize him," Kobayashi mused. "No doubt about it he's strong."
His eyes shifted slightly.
And that one beside him… Kiligaku.
His brow lifted faintly.
"They really are about the same level," he thought. "Figures. Their rivalry isn't just hype."
He studied the rest of the front row.
The others aren't weak either.
Makes me wonder… how did they fare against the Ichigan during the test?
From the VIP section above, nearly a hundred soldiers sat observing the event.
Among them were Taneki and Hayashi.
Taneki sat with his arms crossed, eyes glowing faintly purple as an eerie aura leaked from his body. His gaze never wavered from the rookies below.
Hayashi glanced at him, smiling.
"You look awfully serious," she said telepathically. "It's not like someone's stupid enough to attack right now."
Taneki replied without shifting his gaze.
"It's nothing," he said. "I'm just observing the new members of the military."
Hayashi sighed theatrically.
"I see. Then tell me what do you think of Pathro?" she asked. "The kid with black hair and blue tips in Shindo's front row."
Taneki's eyes sharpened slightly.
"So that's Pathro," he said. "I can see why people wouldn't shut up about him. Who's standing next to him?"
"Oh, that's Kiligaku," Hayashi replied. "He's powerful too. Honestly, they remind me of you back when you first became a soldier."
She smirked.
"I remember how annoyed I was watching you leave the rest of us behind."
Taneki scoffed softly.
"This batch is impressive," he admitted. "Did any of them actually kill an Ichigan Zunan during their test?"
Hayashi nodded.
"They did. From Shindo Pathro, Kiligaku, and Toshiro. From Omake Kobayashi."
She leaned closer.
"That makes four exceptional rookies this year. Don't you think they could be… useful for your investigation?"
Taneki glanced at her suspiciously.
"What are you suggesting?"
Hayashi shrugged.
"Nothing drastic. But we already suspect Ichigan Zunans might be used as primary weapons by the enemy. These four are already cleared from the suspect list and they can actually handle an Ichigan."
She smiled knowingly.
"They'd be perfect."
Taneki frowned.
"They're only effective against Ichigans," he replied. "Against trained soldiers, they're still below average. They'd be liabilities."
Hayashi waved him off.
"Not if we monitor them. Besides, using them gives us information. If the enemy attacks them specifically, we'll know the motive whether they're trying to eliminate rookies or aiming for something else."
Her tone grew serious.
"But one thing's clear. They aren't confident enough to face us directly. And whatever they want… it's definitely Japan-focused."
Taneki fell silent.
She might be right, he thought.
Attacking one of the top three nations is insane.
If they just wanted casualties, they'd pick weaker countries.
His jaw tightened.
They want a reaction.
The question is from whom?
He finally sighed.
"You know," he said aloud, "sometimes you're surprisingly smart. Even if you're childish."
Hayashi beamed.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said. "Makes me wonder would you still act like this if we got married?"
Taneki immediately scowled.
"Good thing we're never getting married."
She laughed.
"We'll see~"
Back on the field, the rookies had fully assembled.
Though they entered in rows of six, they now stood face-to-face in rows of twenty, like opposing armies before battle. Omake formed columns of ten, while Shindo formed columns of fifteen.
The crowd erupted once more.
A long red carpet stretched between the two sides, leading to a temporary stage at the center of the stadium. Seated atop it were the Prime Minister and several ministers. Flanking the stage stood two guards, no ordinary men, but fully trained soldiers.
The Prime Minister stepped up to the podium as cameras rolled from every angle, ground crews, hovering drones, and live broadcasts across the nation.
When the noise finally settled, he spoke.
"Citizens of Japan," he announced, his voice carrying through the stadium. "Before you stands your new line of defense."
The crowd held its breath.
"They will not only be Zunan Fighters, but soldiers of this nation. A Zunan Fighter fights for humanity's survival but a soldier represents and serves their country."
He raised his hand.
"Please give them a round of applause."
The stadium exploded with cheers once again.