A/N: Written in accordance with the facts revealed by Vol.5 of the series.
Disclaimer: DOLLS and its characters belong to naked ape.
He changes his clothing and leaves his private troubles in a locker. He takes his glasses off and looks a different man. He puts on his death's-head cap and transforms into an avatar of retributive justice.
Subjective hatred is a feeling virtually alien to the freshly promoted General Captain of the Special Execution Force. Without heat or bias, or regard for rank, he administers the Imperial law abiding by procedural standards and puts a condemned to death by virtue of a lawful sentence, and what he derives from his slaughter job is not bloodthirsty joy at the act of killing but dismal satisfaction with a punishment of a felon being duly and deservedly implemented. This work is not an easy one to perform, but it's a right thing to do. For justice must be done for all. Even if it is not seen to be done. Even if it disturbs the minds and stirs up rumors. Even if it is fated to remain a haunting skeleton in the closet of his memory. Even if it breaks his own heart.
…That time, Shouta Mikoshiba also obeyed the command and fulfilled his duty to the bitter end. He's been falling apart ever since – clinging to the past and simultaneously repudiating it, bogged down in a desperate attempt to understand.
A fortuitous encounter felt like a slap in the face. It shook him up, and for a fleeting moment, even if those expectancies were doomed to failure anyway, he yielded to the temptation and dared to dream… But he gave up soon. He succumbed to apathy.
However, the gods of fortune were, for reason unknown, uncommonly benign and persistent in accomplishing their act of benevolence, and granted him yet another chance. As risky and uncertain as it appeared, resuming the old and once undoubtedly reliable relationship still seemed positively safer than developing any new ones…
But the ground proves shaky; pitfalls lie in the most innocent paths of domestic experience. Staying wary day and night becomes a habit, but it never really helps: every now and then, a simple passing remark makes his heart miss a beat. Wrathful censure directed against the Special Execution force is the worst. Any counter-arguments either prove negligible or look downright suspicious; understanding is unfeasible; surrender is out of question. It's troublesome and disturbing. Sometimes it actually hurts.
And yet, although his skin is only so thick, he won't respond. He can't betray himself; he can't betray the one who keeps his life worth living. He can't let the history to repeat itself.