When I was a child, there was one thing I firmly believed…
That we were alone in this endless universe.
…But I was wrong.
Everything began on that day.
Something appeared in the sky above Tokyo.
It wasn't a plane…
It wasn't a missile.
It was something unknown.
Humanity would later call it—
an "Intruder."
Four days.
In just four days, Tokyo was reduced to ruins.
Fighter jets filled the sky.
Tanks flooded the streets.
Missiles rained down without end.
And yet…
None of it worked.
In the end, more than 100,000 people lost their lives.
We honored them.
We called them heroes.
But in truth…
they were nothing more than victims.
…
Not long after, the second Intruder appeared.
This time, humanity was prepared.
But it still wasn't enough.
One year later—the third Intruder came.
That was when everyone understood.
This war would not end.
If nothing changed…
humanity itself would be next.
---
And so, the world changed.
Nations set aside their conflicts.
Borders, politics, hatred—everything was pushed aside.
Humanity united.
And a new project was born.
The SLD Project.
Its purpose was simple—
to create a weapon capable of destroying the Intruders.
That was how the Juggernauts came into existence.
They weren't ordinary machines.
A Juggernaut was a combat system directly connected to the human brain.
Controlling it wasn't like piloting a machine.
It felt as if…
you had become the machine itself.
…
But there was a problem.
The human brain couldn't withstand the burden.
Many pilots died during testing.
Some survived…
but their minds had already shattered.
Because of this, a new system was introduced—
dual-pilot synchronization.
However, that too proved difficult.
Both pilots had to be perfectly compatible.
Otherwise…
their minds would collide—and result in death.
---
Even so, humanity continued to fight.
And eventually…
they managed to stand against the Intruders.
But it still wasn't the end.
Juggernauts were heavy.
Slow.
And they exhausted their pilots quickly.
So the SLD made a new decision.
They began using the bodies of captured Intruders.
Their biological structures were studied…
and fused with machines.
The result—
far exceeded all expectations.
This new generation of weapons was:
fast,
powerful,
and most importantly… capable of regeneration.
Humanity had created its most perfect weapon.
But…
it came at a cost.
---
Before long, the same problem returned.
Some pilots died.
Others…
lost their sanity.
After that, no one wanted to pilot them anymore.
Fear…
had become humanity's greatest enemy.
And so, the SLD had no choice.
They began searching for pilots themselves.
By force.
---
— Kazuko… wake up…
A trembling voice pulled me from my sleep.
When I opened my eyes, I saw my little sister, Nina, standing before me.
— Dad is calling you…
Her eyes were filled with tears.
…
A bad feeling settled deep inside me.
Slowly, I got up.
And went to see my father.
---
— Kazuko. Training time.
— No… I don't want to go…
— Kazuko.
His voice was cold.
— Follow me.
---
My father always took me to the forest.
Every time.
Every day.
— Run.
That was the only word he ever said.
And I ran.
I didn't know why.
But I ran anyway.
…
Then—
I heard barking behind me.
Dogs.
They were chasing me.
I hid.
Climbed trees.
Crawled into caves.
But every time…
they found me.
They bit me.
Tore into my flesh.
The pain…
grew worse each time.
---
One day…
something changed.
I stopped running.
The fear…
was gone.
I picked up a sharp stone.
One of the dogs approached.
I waited.
And then—
I struck its eye.
Blood splattered.
It collapsed.
…
I screamed.
— Die… die… die!!
Everything inside me burst out at once.
---
At that moment, my father appeared.
He looked at me.
And…
he smiled.
For the first time.
— Well done.
He spoke quietly.
— Now we move on to the next stage.
---
— Stop it!
Tears filled my eyes.
— I can't take this anymore!
— I want to go back to Mom…
---
Suddenly—
a удар struck my stomach.
I fell to the ground.
I couldn't breathe.
---
— I told you not to mention her.
His voice was ice-cold.
— She abandoned us.
— For a richer man.
— She didn't even think about you.
---
He extended his hand toward me.
There was something like kindness in his eyes.
But that kindness…
was terrifying.
— My son…
— I do not wish you harm.
— One day, you will understand.
— And perhaps… you will even thank me.
---
I didn't take his hand.
A single question formed in my mind—
If this is kindness… then what does hatred look like ?