20XX Osaka Provincial Police Headquarters, ADOFT Department.

Captain Musashi sat across from his immediate superior, Toji Nakamura, a grim-looking man who was as much of a political monster as he was a seasoned police officer. His hair had mostly grayed out but his physique was anything but old and feeble. Nakamura grimaced as he read Musashi’s report.

“So, a level six daemon. One confirmed KIA, two in critical condition, and two - including you - injured. As far as casualty projections, with the state of our current equipment, it's a miracle we didn’t lose all of you.” Nakamura paused, Musashi could already guess what was coming.

“But, you allowed yourself to be shown up by a foreigner, a teenaged foreigner at that.”

There it was. Musashi had to bite his tongue. He didn’t like it either, mostly because he bemoaned having to see someone so young having to face these horrors instead of living a normal life.

“I don’t have any jurisdiction over Hunter Solomon, sir.” Musashi tried to say diplomatically, but Nakamura wasn’t having any of it and tossed the report onto his desk with a huff.

“You were told to keep that brat on a leash and use him as a seeing-eye dog. Not only did you allow him to take the lead, but we have four officers indebted to him! Do you have any idea what the higher-ups are going to say about this? What the public will think? That a highly trained anti-daemon unit had to be saved by an American teenager on his first day on the job?!”

Musashi bit his tongue again. Don’t back talk. Don’t back talk. Let the fool rant a bit and get it out of his system.

Nakamura deflated a bit and sank back into his chair. “Still, as…politically inconvenient as this is... All but one of you survive an encounter with a level six, and the body camera footage will provide much-needed battle data. So putting my… distaste for the Foreigner aside. How bad was it?”

Musashi took a breath, relieved that Nakamura was at least professional enough to get to brass tacks.

“Very bad, the initial skirmish we weren’t prepared for and engaged in a running battle. It cornered us and started to use the surrounding furniture to incapacitate and isolate us. That’s how it got a hold of Wolf Six. From there we split off, I got clipped by a thrown table and got this sprain as a result.” Musashi elaborated, nodding his head to the soft cast his injured ankle was in for effect.

“And what of our weapons? Your report says that they were completely ineffective.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“They were. We only started to stagger it when the Hunter led it into an ambush and managed to shoot it with what he called a ‘Gold Label.’ It was a drastic difference, it was like shooting ballistic gel with an explosive bullet. However, I noticed that even his low-tier ammo had more effect than ours. Officially, we were using better ammo than the ones he was mainly using, but they seem to have a bigger flash and even scuff the hide of the daemon before he shot it with Gold Label ammo. So as an eyewitness, I can give credence to the rumor that it matters on the gun firing the ammo as much as the ammo itself. Simply put, sir, until we can secure our own stores of similar ammo we might be completely dependent on the Hunter as he’s the only one outside the SDF that can requisition this level of ammunition.”

Nakamura’s eyes darkened at the mention of the Self Defense Force, having more than his fair share of rivals in the branch. “Pah! Can’t believe this. Those stingy bastards give us a pittance to keep the peace while they get to heap all the glory.” He gave an indignant huff and shifted some papers on his desk to pick up a different report. “That still leaves the matter of the Hunter’s place of residence. I’ve corresponded with Officers Tani and Murakawa’s superior in the Community Policing Department. Reports say that the apartment building we initially selected had been damaged by daemons in the last attack, and no other landlord is willing to host a foreigner, much less an armed foreigner. So unless his handlers are willing to share a roof with him; the brat’s on his own.”

Musashi grimaced and crossed his arms in thought. Officially, this was the Community Police Department’s jurisdiction. However, given that his department both in Osaka prefecture and the rest of the country; the ADOTF had some manner of say in how the integration of the Hunter’s Guild representatives was handled. He couldn’t help but think back at the words of the Hunter during the fight at Huxley Manor. That the manor had a large concentration of so-called ‘Magnetite’; likely his term for soul energy. If that was true then Huxley Manor should be put on constant watch lest a stray daemon wander in and become a much bigger problem down the line.

“What about Huxley Manor? The locals want nothing to do with it, and Hunter Solomon has shown rather anti-social tendencies. It’s likely best he be isolated so he doesn’t cause too much trouble for the local area. Easy to keep tabs on him as well as he’d be far away from the center of the city as well as being within walking distance of the train station and the Ishikiri Preparatory College he’s enrolled to attend. All we’d need to do is tolerate the mandatory patrols he’s expected to make with his handlers, and the terms of the deal the Diet made with the United Hunter’s Guild is honored. For as far as my input is valued sir; Hunter representative Solomon doesn’t seem interested in playing politics. He’s simply a young man with the skills to do the job and earn his pay. As long as we don’t antagonize him; he’ll stay in his lane.” Musashi offered and laid out; hoping his reasoning didn’t show too much bias in Solomon’s favor. While he had yet to really get to know the young man; Solomon had managed to make enough of a positive impression for Musashi to look past the boy’s abrasiveness. Moreover, Solomon’s lack of shell shock when the hunt for the level six daemon was said and done with had firmly cemented the impression that the boy was indeed a veteran of some sort. The kid had seen some shit and it showed.

Nakamura nodded, taking Musashi at his word. Reaching for a pen and paper to draft up the required requisition form. “I’ll make the proper arrangements. You’re dismissed, Captain. Try to heal up, until we find you a replacement for your fallen team member and your team’s finished their own recovery, you’re on training detail.”

Musashi offered a salute before reaching to grab his crutches, hobbling out of Nakamura’s office, and making his way to his own, being left to his thoughts. Seven’s helmet had saved him from major injury when the bust clipped his head and managed only scrape by with a concussion. Five had her neck severely dislocated. Normally it’d be a career-ending injury, but the doctors were confident that they’d get her back to fighting shape in a few weeks. Two was the worst of the bunch. Being thrown into the railing like he had been had not only broken his back but a piece of railing had impaled him and punctured a lung. It was something that could be recovered but he’d be the longest out of action. It was rough but they were alive. Three, while physically fine, was exhibiting signs of survivor’s guilt. Six had pulled her away from the daemon as it lashed out and ended up grabbing him instead, leading to his untimely demise. They knew the risks of this job, he and Two were veterans of the Incursion wars, but watching someone get their soul sucked out and devoured in front of you was never easy to deal with. It was a primal fear that took hold of a person.

Three would have to be given extended leave and psyche evaluation before she would be cleared for duty again. If it were up to him, he’d make her hang up her helmet, but that wasn’t an option. They needed every man and woman they could get, since the SDF poached every promising soldier they could find. The grim reality of it all was this would just be another day. A very rough day but another day nonetheless. Such was their lot in the days after the Incursion.