Hours have passed since, Riku was admitted to the hospital...passing out moments after the JKSDF came in to save them. Right now, his nose was filled with the sterile scent of antiseptic clung to the air, mingling with the silent hum of the vacant room. He laid in the hospital bed, his arm tightly wrapped in a cast, resting heavily against his side. The room they put him in was quiet, with other several empty beds beside him. Save for the occasional footsteps of passing nurses, and a soft breeze filtered through the half-cracked window. It wasn’t quite evening yet, but the light streaming through the blinds was starting to soften, casting long shadows across the room.
Riku exhaled slowly, staring at the white ceiling tiles as his mind replayed the events of the day.
//What on earth was I thinking.//
Letting Arikawa and Tanaka leave his sight, resulting in them being put in danger...That was stupid of him, and even more so for thinking himself capable of protecting them when he cant even protect himself.
His body ached from exhaustion, but the sharp throb in his arm was a constant reminder of just how close things had come to going very wrong.
//I am too old to be pulling off that stunt//
He shifted slightly, wincing at the stiffness in his shoulder, then glanced over at the small clock on the bedside table.
At the very least the doctors told him he’d be discharged tomorrow—one night of rest, just to be sure.
His phone buzzed softly beside him, the screen lighting up with Yumi’s name. Riku sighed in relief, propping himself up awkwardly with his good arm before swiping the call.
“Hey, Yumi…” he said, his voice rougher than he’d intended.
“RIKU!” Yumi’s voice rang out on the other end, full of concern despite her usual bright tone. “You’re okay, right!? Lady Chiyo said you got hurt really bad!”
“Hey, hey, keep your voice down,” Riku chuckled dryly.
“I just had a little accident at work. They’re keeping me here overnight, but I’ll be home tomorrow. Nothing to worry about.” He paused.
“How’s everything going over there? Is everything alright?”
There was a brief silence before Yumi spoke again, trying to sound calmer.
“Yeah! She took me out for noodles, and we watched cartoons. But… it’s different without you around.” Her voice dropping to a softer note.
“I know,” he murmured.
“I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“It’s okay!” Yumi replied quickly, her usual cheerfulness returning.
“But when you get home, can you cook something delicious? Like you always do?”
Riku smiled faintly.
“Of course. What do you want me to make?”
“UDON!” Yumi shouted, her enthusiasm cutting through the earlier tension.
“Alright, alright,” Riku chuckled.
“I’ll make you udon as soon as I’m back.”
“Riku?” An older lady’s voice came through, steady and warm. As the phone was handed over to someone else
“Chiyo-san,” Riku greeted, shifting slightly in bed. “I’m really sorry about all this dumping Yumi on you without warning…”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Chiyo cut him off, her tone was firm but kind.
“That girl is no trouble at all. Besides, you’ve done more than enough for her. She’s a joy to have around.”
“I appreciate it. Really,” Riku said, the weight of the day settling into his voice.
“I’ll be home tomorrow, but thank you for looking after her.”
“Just focus on getting better, Riku. You’ve been through enough,” Chiyo replied, the warmth in her voice wrapping around him like a blanket.
“We’ll see you when you’re well.”
“Thank you…” Riku said, just as before the call ended with a soft click.
He let the phone drop back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling again. Closing his eyes as the quiet crept once more, and for a brief moment he allowed himselt the chance to simply breath. Yumi was safe...and that was all that mattered.
Then a soft knock at the door pulled Riku from his thoughts. The door creaked open, and a nurse stepped in, her expression calm and professional.
"Excuse me, sir. You have a visitor," she said, gently pushing the door open wider.
Riku blinked in mild surprise as Yoshiro stepped into the room, his usual cocky demeanor softened into something even more reserved than usual. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his clothes still had traces of dust from earlier.
"Hey...Sir." Yoshiro muttered, hands in his pockets with his eyes locked on the blank ground.
The nurse slipped out of the room, leaving the two be. Yoshiro just stood there for a moment, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
It took a while before Yoshiro finally broke down. Bowing deeply, his head hanging close to the ground. His voice loud but also cracked as he spoke.
“T-Thank you… for saving our lives back there!”
Riku’s eyes widened slightly.
“If it weren’t for you…” Yoshiro continued, voice straining, “we’d be dead. And I know—I know I screwed up. I shouldn’t have gone off on my own like that, thinking I could handle it. I got reckless. You… you got hurt because of me. I’m sorry. For everything.”
Riku sat up a little straighter, his stern expression softening at the younger man’s words. For a long moment, he didn’t say anything, letting his apology settle.
“Oy...Stand up straight" Riku said finally, his voice gruff but not unkind.
Yoshiro hesitated but eventually straightened up, though his eyes still didn’t quite meet Riku’s.
"Listen, Yoshiro..." Riku began, his voice tired but steady. Leaning back into the pillow, letting the tension in his body ease slightly. "You… you’re a good person."
Yoshiro’s eyes widened a little, surprised by the unexpected comment. He opened his mouth to respond, but Riku held up his good hand, signaling him to wait.
"You and your friends—Tanaka, Suzuki—you were my responsibility out there. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. So, don’t think you were the only one who made mistakes today. I did too."
"What happened, happened. Yeah, I got hurt…" Riku glanced at his cast, then back at Yoshiro.
"But you and Tanaka are alright. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters."
Though the tension in his face remained. Riku could see the conflict in his eyes. But their was one thing else- that Yoshiro wanted to ask as he stood there, lingering for a moment debating with himself before mustering the courage to ask.
"Tatsumaki-san…" he began, his voice softer now, almost hesitant. "The way you moved back there… when you saved me and Kazu… the way you handled that gun against a Kaiju." He paused, searching Riku’s face for any sign of acknowledgment.
"You… you were JKSDF, weren’t you?"
For a moment, his gaze was distant, weighing his own response. It wasn't a subject he was most keen to remembering, but as Yoshiro prompted it, it took him a while to process. Then, with a sigh, he finally spoke his voice low but steady. .
"Yeah," He confessed, his words measured.
"I was. Served my full six-year term. A long time ago..."
Yoshiro’s eyes widened a little, though he tried to hide his surprise.
"I knew it," he muttered under his breath, almost to himself. "The way you fought, the way you stayed calm under pressure against a Kaiju… no regular worker could’ve done that." He paused, then cautiously asked.
"What… what did you do there?"
Riku shifted momentarily. Looking out the window, watching as the last remnants of the day’s light melted into a dim twilight. his voice calm but tinged with something distant, the memories were as close as the shadows but just out of reach.
"I-"
"I served as a back-up pilot."
Yoshiro blinked, taken aback.
"Wait—what?" He stammered, disbelief creeping into his voice. "Tatsumaki-san! You were a Titan Pilot!?"
A flicker of something crossed Riku's face—nostalgia, maybe. But his expression was soft, and his tone deliberate.
"Back-up pilot," he clarified, emphasizing the distinction.
"I was never the primary. I filled in if something happened."
Yoshiro’s eyes widened further, his mind racing to process what he’d just learned. A Titan pilot, even a back-up, was still an important role. it still meant they held the capacity to operate such machines. A role Yoshiro aspired to be.
"Still, that’s... that’s huge, Tatsumaki-san!" Yoshiro exclaimed, his voice rising in excitement.
"You piloted a Titan, even if you weren’t the main pilot. You know what it’s like to be inside that cockpit, to move something so massive—" His words spilled out in a rush, the awe clear in his tone.
"Which Titan were you assigned to!?"
Riku looked at him, his eyes miles away, refusing to elaborate.
"You don’t need to know the details, Arikawa...”
“What matters is that I’ve been through enough to know one thing...That Mr. Takeda was right about you," Riku said, his voice dropping a little.
"You’ve got heart. You and your friends, you’ve got something special. You stick together, look out for each other. One day…" He paused, a small, tired smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You’d make for great JKSDF officers."
Yoshiro swallowed hard, His excitement curbed as his throat tightening at the unexpected praise. He struggled to find the right words
"Tatsumaki-san… I—"
Riku shook his head, cutting him off gently.
"You don’t need to say anything. Just… learn from this. Next time, be smarter. You’ve got potential, but potential alone won’t save your life out there."
Yoshiro stood straighter, the weight of Riku’s words sinking in.
"I will," he said quietly, but his voice laced with a sparked determination.
“We wont let you down, Tatsumaki-san!”
Yet, still Yoshiro was heavy with unspoken thoughts. He couldn’t hold back his curiosity, not entirely. He wanted to know, he hesitated asking Riku, before he opened his lips and spoke in a softer tone.
"But… what was it like? Inside a Titan? Please…"
"..." He stayed silent for a moment. That look in Yoshiro's eyes, it was the kind of look that held that question for years, to have looked for the answers but never found it...To feel what it was like through Riku's words.
He didn’t answer right away. But when he did, his voice was lower, more reflective.
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"It's different… " He said, as he thought of it all. Looking back to the past that was a lifetime away from where he was now.
"You never really understand how small everything is... how small we are... until you're in there."
"The monsters we fight—they're massive. Unstoppable. When they come bearing down, all you can do is run or hide with everyone else. You’re just… small. Helpless."
Yoshiro listened intently, hanging on every word... Emotions, Yoshiro was familiar with. A small child crouched behind a rusted dumpster in the narrow alleyway. The ground beneath him trembled violently, debris raining down from the quaking buildings above. His hands were clamped over his ears, trying to block out the deafening roars, but the shaking—he couldn’t escape that.
RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE
Tears streamed down his face, his sobs lost in the chaos around him as the Kaiju loomed above, tearing through the empty city streets...and he was to suffer for it.
Yoshiro peeked out in horror as the Kaiju loomed so close to the block he hides...The smell of harsh salt, there it was—the Kaiju, its massive form taller than the buildings. What could anyone do against something like that? What could he do?
…
"But inside a Titan? Suddenly, you can stand your ground. You can fight back. You can-...You can make a difference..."
That’s when the shaking suddenly stopped, replaced by the low whirring hum of machinery. Yoshiro wiped away his tears, barely registering what was happening before he saw it—a massive blur slamming hard into the Kaiju with an impact that shook the ground SLAM. For a moment, he could only make out its silhouette, but then as it clears... he saw it clearly.
A Titan.
The Titan he thought had been destroyed was still alive... still fighting.
Though barely holding together, its armor was charred, smoke billowing from its damaged frame, one arm hanging limp and sparking. Yet, the Titan surged forward, jet thrusters firing as it tackled the Kaiju away from the collapsing buildings.
With its one working arm, SWISH, the Titan’s blade deployed and slashed across the Kaiju’s flank, spraying dark blood. The Kaiju howled, staggering, then retaliated with a violent tail strike—BOOM—knocking the Titan back, but it didn’t fall. Step by step, it pushed forward.
The struggle between the two, was a tug. Each side pushing against each other to break. Though it was only futile for the Titan, as the Kaiju managed to corner against a building. Pushing it against the structure to pin it down BOOM-...then while keeping the Titan held, the creature’s maw began to swell with a growing glow. A searing red light began to build, growing brighter, reaching a blinding intensity...It was charging. WWOOSH, WOOSH, WOOSH.
But then it stops before it can release. With the air above them began to hum, growing louder. Yoshiro looked up, his heart racing, and saw them—massive aircraft, dark shapes descending from the sky. more Titans, carried by heavy aircraft, were being dropped into the battlefield....The JKSDF never stopped fighting.
The Kaiju's bloodlust fades seeing more of them on the air above, replaced by an uncanny hesitation of a beast weighing if the hunt was worth the energy it expended. It let out, frustrated roar, that still shook the ground as blood still pouring from its wounds, and then, with a thunderous stomp, it let go of the Titan and slowly retreated. Its massive form disappeared into the smoke-filled distance, the ground shaking beneath it as it fled.
Yoshiro had sat there, breathless, watching as the crippled Titan stood tall, victorious, even in its broken state. It falls to it knees, only after the Kaiju fled…Letting out a dying groan.
…
Riku’s voice cut through the memories, bringing Yoshiro back to reality.
"Hey, Hey? You alright, Arikawa?"
Yoshiro blinked, startled. He hadn’t realized how long he’d been quiet. His mind had wandered back to that day, the memory gripping him. He shook his head slightly and gave a small, embarrassed smile.
"Yeah… I’m fine. Just... just thinking of what you said, sir."
Riku studied him for a moment, then gave a slight nod, his expression softening just a bit.
"Good. Now you better get home soon, Its starting to get dark" he said, his voice low but firm.
Yoshiro glanced out the window, noticing how the light had almost faded, the last remnants of dusk giving way to the cool blues of twilight. He hesitated, then stood up straighter, offering Riku a respectful bow.
"Thank you again, Tatsumaki-san," Yoshiro said quietly. "For everything."
Riku returned a tired smile—small, but this time, it reached his eyes.
"Take care of yourself, Arikawa. And make sure you look after your friends."
Yoshiro nodded, turning to leave. As he reached the door, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder to meet Riku’s gaze one last time.
"You know..." Yoshiro’s voice was softer, almost hesitant, but it carried a weight that wanted to say at last.
"When I was young, the JKSDF saved my life. A Titan, whoever its pilot was, they... saved me when I thought I was going to die. I just—" He paused, his throat tightening with old, buried emotion.
"I just wanted to say... you guys were my heroes, even if you think you weren’t.”
Then, without another word, he stepped into the hallway, the soft click of the door closing behind him.
Riku let out a long breath, feeling the weight of Yoshiro's words and the day finally start to crease from his shoulders…
The admission Yoshiro said came out easy, but the memories in Riku stirred and clawed their way to the surface...as if he was back there all over again—The world shaking around him. The ground cracked beneath the weight that tore through entire city blocks. The deafening roar of artillery fire, the hum of his HUD display, and the frantic voices of filling his ears as explosions lit up the sky like firestorms. Voices calling for backup, for help, cut off in static and silence
Riku blinked, pulling himself back in. His good hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, knuckles white against the blanket. the worst of it all, he could still remember the aftermath—the silence that always followed victory. The destruction left behind. The corpses, human and Kaiju alike, littering the city like discarded toys. The hollow feeling of walking away with your life, knowing others weren’t so lucky.
He looked outside the window, at the very least the night was more lovely…
----------------------------------------
In that same evening, in a far-off city, held a different kind of stillness. A woman in her 30s, knelt alone on the polished wooden floor of a private dojo, her mind as sharp as the sword resting at her side. The traditional iai-gi and hakama she wore were neatly pressed, the weight of her iaitō—a dull practice sword. Her eyes closed with a scar that runs on one side of her face, with her long black hair kept neatly tied into a bun, keeping every strand in place. Her eyes remained closed as she centered herself, drawing her breath deep and steady. In this place, there was nothing but the empty void in her mind…her sanctuary.
Slowly, she shifted, her legs moving with deliberate care as she rose from her seated position to kneel on both knees. Her left hand found the hilt of her sword, her right guiding the sheath. She began the motion, her hand moving in sync with her breath. The blade slid out only partially—an incomplete draw. In her mind, she envisioned her opponent: a Kaiju, towering yet shrunken to her scale, its grotesque maw open in a silent growl. They faced each other, two figures locked in stillness, one real the other but a shadow...Both on a standstill.
Beads of sweat formed on the back of her hand as her muscles tensed. The imaginary monster lunged, breaking the silence, and her body responded instinctively.
She rose to her feet in one fluid motion, the sword leaving its scabbard with a sharp hiss. Fully drawn, it cut through the air in a single sweep. Block. Her blade intercepted an unseen strike, she tried to imagine the clash, the pressure of the force pressing against her blade.
Her hands then shifted, gripping the sword now with both, steadying the blade. Without hesitation, she stepped forward. Cut. The blade sliced through the air, aimed at the head of her imagined foe as the arc of her cut whistled. Her feet glided silently across the smooth floor, the polished wood cool beneath her toes. In her mind’s eye, the strike landed clean, the Kaiju recoiling.
But she wasn’t done. Her stance remained flawless, balanced, as she pressed forward. The Kaiju retreated in her imagination, but only for a moment. Another Cut. This time a downward strike, aimed at its core. Her blade carved through the phantom creature’s chest, splitting its shadowed form with a decisive swing.
She paused only briefly, raising the blade above her head slowly, her right leg sliding forward, one shoulder's width apart. As she descended gracefully to her right knee, her sword coming down in a final, precise motion in front of her.
Her right hand reversed its grip without hesitation, and her left released the hilt. Her thumb guided the back of the blade, aligning it flawlessly with the scabbard’s entrance. In her mind, she witnessed the Kaiju’s last moments—its form collapsing into dust.
The tip of the sword entered the scabbard smoothly, with a soft click ceasing the battle that had only existed in her thoughts.
With a final, controlled exhale, the woman rose to her feet. She took three measured steps back, the soft sound of her footfalls the only noise in the stillness of the dojo.
When she finally opened her eyes, only one truly saw the world. The other, lost to some past accident, had been reduced to a glossy, chrome-like reflection of what it once was. Her remaining eye, however, burned with a fierce, crimson intensity—a gaze so sharp, it could cut without the need for a blade.
Narushima Sinon...savors in the quiet satisfaction of her practice. For she knows, that despite how big the Kaiju's were...Her blade could fell giants, and for now, that was enough.
"Commander," a voice spoke, cautious but respectful, not wishing to intrude more than necessary.
Sinon turned slowly, her gaze calm yet sharp as she regarded the figure now standing at the entrance—a young assistant, rigid with formality. His arms were full, nearly overwhelmed by stacks of papers, folders spilling over with reports, profiles, and documents. Files that she had requested.
"Yes?" She asked, her voice betrayed no annoyance.
The assistant stepped further into the room, careful not to disrupt the order of her space.
"These are the personnel files you requested, Commander. They’re the dossiers of retired JKSDF Titan pilots...You mentioned needing detailed records for your next review." he explained, his tone brisk as he set the towering stack on a low wooden table beside the doorway.
"Ahh yes, I remember, thank you," she said simply, approaching the stack of papers laid in front of her. Already flipping through the pages with quiet efficiency, her mind racing far ahead...Names, some she remembers and some who were new.
"Will that be all, Commander?" her assistant asked, lingering just a moment longer.
Sinon looked up briefly, her gaze meeting his with a piercing clarity that always seemed to hold an edge.
"Yes," she said simply, her voice final, her attention already shifting back to the documents.
"Dismissed."
The assistant bowed, then turned to leave, sliding the door shut behind him, leaving Sinon once again on her own.
Her shoulders were heavy as she browsed each file. Men and women, who either completed their full service or were discharged due to sustained injuries.
She flipped open another file, her fingers moving with practiced ease. Printed pages rustled under her fingertips until her eyes landed on a name that pulled at the threads of an old memory—Tatsumaki Riku.
The faintest crease appeared in her brow as she paused. She hadn’t thought of that name in years.
Tatsumaki Riku - JKSDF Pilot (Backup)
- Service Length: 6 years
- Role: Back-up Titan Pilot
- Operational Deployment: Primarily assigned as a secondary Pilot for Generation 3 Titan "JT-Fujin".
- Training & Capabilities: Demonstrated high-level competency in Titan control simulations. Completed 6 months of basic training, completed 2-Years of advanced pilot training, completed an additional 1-Year of specialized training.
- Field Experience: Deployed in several high-risk operations, though never the primary combatant in Titan vs. Kaiju engagements. Acts as a Vanguard Unit, tasked with instant precision strikes and containment before any deployment of further units. Operated "JT-Fujin" 15 times, with an eight-Kaiju kill record.
- Medical Record: Several minor physical injuries, coupled with psychological trauma related to close encounters with Kaiju.
- Post-Service: Retired approximately 7 years ago. After his 6-year service, transitioned into civilian operations with the Public Disposal Cleaning Division (PDCD).
Her grip on the file tightened for a moment before she carefully set it aside....She ponders, considering what it would take to pull him back into the fray.