Chapter 3: Back to the Basics Shirogane!

(October 26, 2001 Thursday) (Yokohama Base)

The next morning, I began my supposedly 'first' field training on the shooting range. I've carried guns during my training and fought BETA with them in the most desperate of situations in my time loops. As always, Tama was an excellent sniper with a rifle to boot. Her shots were quick, precise and downright deadly. She could practically hit a fly 500 meters away without even killing it. I should know… she showed me once.

"Commence fire on 100 meter targets! One clip per person only!" Instructor Marimo announced to us as we kept our fire from the 100 meter targets. I fired small bursts only to keep my stance in control and my form in shape. When I dated Tama and Ayamine both of them taught me the different positions to use when shooting. With all that time accumulated in my mind you could say I've had years of practice.

Ratatatatatatat…

Good. My aim hasn't dropped. My burst fire shots hit their marks. Though it wasn't a bulls eye it was quite impressive for a first timer. Besides I didn't have a scope to help my aim. Heck I'm pretty sure the Tama in my other time loops would be proud.

I already taught the squad about their bad habits of aiming and shooting at such speed. In a TSF we have the auto-lock feature which makes our weapon point to the next enemy we choose. Luckily our IFFs (Identification Friend or Foe) will be there too so the risk of friendly fire will be at a bare minimum.

Bang!

"Hmm?" I recognized the loud shot from Tama's personal rifle. It was a large gun almost twice her height and more powerful than our machineguns. I wouldn't compare myself to her skills in sniping. Heck this little girl can probably hit a fly a yard away without even killing it. I should know… I saw it with my own eyes.

"Hey Tama. (Nya?) How good are you at sniping?"

"Eh? Well… not good enough to brag. Why?"

"No it's just that I heard from Professor Kouzuki that you were a good shooter"

She laughed it off with her cat like smile. "Aha please. I'm not that good~"

"You don't need to be modest, Tamase" Chizuru came in after she finished with her round. "It's time to prove that even with a 'special' man like Shirogane, you're still top notched when it comes to shooting. (Nya…) We can't keep losing to him now, can we?"

"Well… I guess so" Miki chan surprisingly agreed. "I can try at least. Which target do you want me to hit?"

I pointed to the medium target which was about 500 meters from the firing line. "That one. If you use a sniper rifle like the one you have now, it should be a piece of cake. (Ok!)" I watched patiently as Tama got to her prone position. She taught me that move too. You could say that when we were dating she was my coach. Heck even in the other world she taught me how to use the bow and arrow and trained me hard enough to make me hit a bulls-eye.

Bang!

Chizuru and I held our ears for the shot before she passed me a pair of binoculars. "Here…" I looked at Tama's target and saw a hole right in the middle of it. "Impressed yet?" I was already impressed a hundred years ago. "Tamase, try another three shots. (Ok)"

Bang, bang, bang!

Three shots with only a few seconds in between and with each round she fired I saw the hole getting bigger and bigger. Regardless… I had to admit that Tama's skills were still light years beyond my own. But maybe it's just her natural talent.

"Whoa…" those were the words that left my mouth.

"How about you Takeru san?" Tama gestured to me. "Can you shoot long range too?"

"Huh? Well… not as good as you but I think I can"

"Hoo?" I can sense Class rep smirking behind me. "A long range shot in front of the expert? That's some nerve"

"Hey now. I'm not trying to compete with her"

"Either way, this should be good. But let's test that 'specialness' of yours. Why don't you try hitting that target over there?" I looked over. Wait. 1000 meters? Where did that one come from? I can barely see it on my binoculars! That's at least a kilometer away. She's not going easy on me, isn't she? "Can you do it?"

"Worth a shot" I answered looking a bit unsure. I thought the farthest this shooting range had was the 850 meter target, but now there was another one even farther. I guess this place was meant to train a man farther than his fullest extent. I slowly got on my stomach and kept my rifle steady. Tama didn't even use a scope to hit her target so I didn't need one either. But the targets we have are a big difference. "I should be able to hit it from here"

"Takeru san, why don't you use my rifle instead?" Tama offered which I politely declined.

"Nah that's alright. On the field, this little boy will be the only thing I can rely on. I can't have your rifle all the time" I adjusted my sights and aimed at the dark spot that was supposedly my target. "I'll only need one shot for this"

"Oooh… he's so confident~~"

"Don't you mean overconfident?" Class rep corrected her which made me pop a vein. Even in this world she was annoying.

Bang!

My shot went off without a hitch but I still couldn't tell if it hit or not. I quickly grabbed my binoculars and zoomed in from a distance. I saw my target… it was small… really small but I did hit it. Though it wasn't a complete bulls-eye I was pretty close to the center at least. Tama can probably do that shot with her eyes closed.

I lifted my gun to my shoulder with a proud face before turning to my squad who all had their own amazed expression. "That's amazing Takeru san!" Tama applauded with a loud voice. "You hit it!"

"It wasn't a bulls-eye though" I admitted.

"Yeah but even I can't shoot that good. You're about ten centimeters from the center dot! That alone is incredible!"

"You think?" she nodded hastily to answer my question.

Chizuru gave a 'hnn' sound to express her feelings. Even she was impressed. Maybe she thought that in some way that I would actually miss. Well… who cares?

"Lucky shot…" Ayamine said plainly as ever in her monotone voice.

"Well I guess luck might've played some part in it" I went along with her trying not to sound too overconfident with my own abilities. After all I was still just a grunt according to all of them.

"Try again…"

It seemed like Ayamine was challenging me to a fight. I shrugged my shoulder and quickly got to a prone position to make the next shot. I clocked my rifle, judged the current of the wind with the sight of the trees at the back and calmed my breathing. A steady hand makes for a stead shot and breathing control was vital to any sniper out there.

Bang!

My shot flied through whistling in the distance. The others quickly got their binoculars and looked at the target in the distance. Ayamine took mine so I couldn't tell how it was. I was pretty sure I hit the target since I heard the sound of paper being torn but that could easily be the dirt in the back.

"Hey… what's with the silence? Was it really that bad?" Class rep handed her binoculars to me. I then looked at my target which I was then amazed. "Whoa!" It wasn't a bulls-eye but it was a lot closer than my first shot. The bullet went through the line between the center dot and the outer dot. No. If you look closely I think I was able to hit more into the inner dot. Dang. If Tama in the other world could see me now she'd be proud.

"That was… incredible!" the Tama in this world lighted up like a Christmas tree. "That was amazing Takeru san! You managed to hit the center with the second shot and you did it without even using a scope! That was super cool!"

I rubbed my head embarrassed by her praise. "Aheh… was I really that good? I can't even see the target from here"

"Shirogane… super lucky…"

Rub rub… rub rub…

"Hey why are you rubbing my belly?"

"Grabbing some luck…" Ayamine was still the same in this world or the other. Strange.

(November 1, 2001 Wednesday) (Yokohama Base)

A few days later I've been getting nothing but basic training from our instructor. We've assembled our guns over and over and even blindfolded and ran around the tracks more than I could count. Heck it didn't even feel like a jog even with full gear. I could practically walk around with those things around me in my sleep.

Right now we were listening to Marimo chan's lecture on criticality and mission objectives. What took priority more? A human life or the mission? Back when I first came to this world my friends once asked me if I could die for another. They all answered yes, they were ready to die to protect someone precious to them. I don't remember my answer but I was certainly honest about it. I find it rather noble but also at the same time stupid… to die for another. If you died protecting… then you failed in your mission. Staying alive to protect that which is precious to you is more important to me. But then again… I guess it depends on the people and the situation.

I stared out into the window looking over the town which I once called home. It seemed so distant now even though I remember some small parts of it in my head. Mostly about me, Sumika, Meiya, Kasumi and the others. Wait… Kasumi? Was she there? Ah forget it. Thinking about my old life back home is giving me a splitting headache. I have to focus on the now. The past can come later.

"Alright. That's all for today. Dismissed!" Jinguuji sensei left the room after we all gave our customary salute. That was a good thing because I was feeling a little hungry myself. Lunch time was next too so lucky me.

"Finally. Everyone who wants to eat lunch, raise your hand!"

"Oh me me me!" As always, the energetic Tama was the first to answer my joking call. "I haven't had anything to eat since this morning"

"Great I'm starving. Anybody else?" I looked around only to find my comrades staring at me. "Eh? Uh… what's wrong? Don't you guys want to eat?"

Meiya breathed a sigh. "Perhaps I should not continue to be surprised at your abilities, but somehow… that was just…"

"Wait… are you guys talking about class or training? I mean… can't you girls do those moves too?" I replied looking like a klutz. Perhaps my reflexes of giving it my all was becoming too obvious. If I keep this up I might blow my cover.

"We can… but you're…" Ayamine added giving me her usual stare that she gives everyone that catches her interest.

Class rep seemed to agree as well. "Shirogane… have you… been conscripted before? (Wh…what?) The situation bugs me a bit. You were recruited less than a month ago and yet you can do everything better than us"

"That is true" Meiya nodded in agreement. "You are far from normal" Hey wait a minute! Didn't you guys say that you would never pry on someone's privacy?

"Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrreee…"

"Ayamine, stop that"

"But they're right though" Tama! You're agreeing with them too? "You can shoot, snipe and do hand to hand combat and everything. And you even know what instructor says even without paying attention. (Hmmm…) Nya? Ah! But we're squad mates! So whatever you did in the past is nothing we should know as long as it benefits the squad, right?" Too late there Tama, you pretty much glued them to me already. And here I thought I was holding back…

"Staaaaarre…"

They closed in me with their silent stares, simulating every possibility to explain my super-soldier powers. I can't blame them but that doesn't mean I have to stay here and answer their question. "Well anyway. I'm hungry and we only have a few hours before the next class so I'll see you guys at the PX. Bye! (Hey!)"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I dashed off looking like a total doosh. Maybe it wasn't the best method to run away. I could give them the whole lie of me being a super soldier from Area 51. It worked on each of them with the Game Guy but… no I'd rather not. It'll probably be a whole fiasco again and I can't tell what might happen if I did tell them. Who knows… they might just send an army to uncover a facility that never existed and that'll be a mess which will be quite hard to cleanup.

Ah well I'm hungry. Might as well eat my way out and visit Sumika and Kasumi while I'm at it.

Wham!

Ow… what did I hit?

"Oww… sorry, are you ok?" that voice… I remember. "You're not hurt, are you" Yup. That carefree voice that I hear everyday back in school is difficult to forget. When I finally looked at the person who I bumped onto I recognized the facial feature quite clearly. Blue hair, brown eyes, soft colorful skin… no doubt about it. That's Mikoto Yoroi.

"Yo-"

"I sorry, I got to see the instructor, bye"

"Hey! Wait a minute!" I called out.

"Hmm? What? What is it?"

Yup this was the same Yoroi I had back in my world. Except the one in my world was supposed to be a… wait… wasn't she a girl too in my world? No wait. That can't be right. Yoroi in my world was a guy. (Flash) But then… why do I remember him as a girl in my world. And why is Kasumi there and why is Meiya's sister there too? Hell! What the heck is going on in my mind? Gah! My memories of the old world aren't making sense anymore.

"Hey, you know something?" Yoroi's bantering brought me out of my deranged state. "I've been in the hospital for weeks but today's the day I can finally come back"

"Huh? No one asked you about that" I replied, my eyes twitching a bit.

"And there's supposedly a new guy in my squad too. I can't wait to meet him"

"Huh? Oh that guy? Yeah he's…"

"Miki san said that he's really cool and is even better than her when it comes to sniping! She said that he was superman incarnate! Whaaaaa! I can't wait to meet him!" Listen to people when they're trying to say to you damn it. "Well gotta go. See you later"

"Hey!"

"Ah hello again"

"You haven't even left!"

"I didn't? But I already said goodbye"

"That doesn't count when… haaa… forget it" Arguing against Yoroi's natural silliness will simply tire me out. I should learn that by now after hundreds of conversation with her/him.

"Ah! Yoroi san!" Tama's cute squeal interrupted us.

"Ah Miki san! It's been too long! Hooo! Chizuru san, Meiya san and Kei chan are all here! Yay! It's like a mini reunion in the hall" The girls came out of the room hearing the loud yells I've been giving her but to no avail.

"Yoroi?" Meiya looked rather surprised and relieved to see her friend. "I see you've become acquainted with this man"

"Yeah I just bumped onto along the way. Anyway. I'll have to see the instructor first. Miki san. Tell me everything about that superman you were talking about in your letters"

"Like I said: That guy is m…"

"Ah! We only have an hour left! See ya! (HEY!)" And then she was gone… just as mysteriously as she came. Before I could even utter another word she was already too far for me to reach. Heck I don't think I can ever catch up with her pace even after years of knowing her. Even till today I still have some difficulties describing what kind of girl she is. She's either a klutz with a talent of survival… but also a natural airhead as well. In fact… those are the only three things I can use to describe her. Oh wait… (flash) I also dated her back in this world and my world… wait… no that can't be right. Yoroi was a guy. A guy! Definitely a guy!

"Don't take it personally" Meiya said suddenly to break me from my deep thoughts. "She's like that naturally. She does that to everyone"

"Ha? Oh? I mean… yeah… I guess…"

(November 2, 2001 Thursday) (Yokohama Base)

The following day, instructor Marimo allowed us to go on CQC (Close Quarter Combat) in the track field along with cadets from the other squads. We weren't the only a cadets in this base but we were the highest and the most skillful according to Yuuko sensei.

Naturally… Meiya decided to be my sparring partner for the session and each of us were equipped with nothing but our limbs and practice knives.

"HAAAAAA!" Despite being a member of the royal family, her long samurai hair and her slender figure, Meiya was a fine example of female soldier. She was strong, fearless and undoubtedly chivalrous. She had a strong sense of justice in her heart, but has a hard time letting it out. She cares for her twin sister in the capital very much but she also has a sense of duty. Sometimes… it's difficult to imagine what kind of pain she's holding inside.

Whoosh!

"Whoa!" that kick nearly hit me.

"What's the matter? Your concentration is wavering!"

"Why didn't you take advantage of that?" I asked returning to my usual combat stance.

"The pity of a warrior"

I cracked a smirk. "Don't regret it later" As a matter of fact, the one who taught me CQC was you Meiya. In one of my loops when we were dating in this world and my world, she taught me how to use knives, swords and hand to hand combat. In two years time you'd be a master of that field and I was probably your strongest student. So right now, I guess you could say that I know more than my own master.

"HAAA!" Meiya charged at me with everything she got. Her moves were predictable because I knew them and got him by them more times than I'd rather count. I parried her strike and countered with a punch only for her to back away. She was good back then but right now I was better. "Oryaaa!"

Wham! Pow! Crunch!

We traded blows and blocked each other's moves like we were dancing tango. Her round horse kick was and probably still is her most dangerous move as it has the ability to stun me for about a minute. I avoided her leg and blocked her fists and countered it, scoring a few lucky shots to the shoulder and the chest which was rather soft by the way… wait gotta stop thinking about that.

"Geh…" Meiya withdrew to a safe distance before returning to a stance. "To be honest, I did not think that you would be this skilled. I thought only Ayamine was the only one who could match me at close quarters"

"Oh? So you judged me by appearance?"

"Forgive me. But there are many who neglect hand to hand combat as they begin to excel in shooting" Yeah you pretty much said the same thing to me when we were dating too. But guns tend to run out of ammo and swords and knives tend to break. Ha… that takes me back to a number of lectures by both you and Marimo chan.

"But still…" I stated not taking my eyes off her. "You're not letting me win"

"I don't hold anything back to any opponent. HAA!" she threw a feint punch followed by a knee hit which I blocked and countered with my elbow. "Geh!" she withdrew again to a safer distance. "This… this will be a long fight"

I decided to taunt her to test her concentration. "Oh come on. It's barely been twenty minutes. Don't tell me you're gonna throw this fight already?"

"Silence!" we dueled with our eyes as I could hear Meiya's breathing. She seems to be tired from the all out attack and she probably didn't expect me to last this long against her. Judging from the way she darts her eyes back and forth she seems to looking for a blind spot in my defense. "You look as if you can see my every move"

"Why'd you say that? You saw yourself losing?" I teased which she answered exactly as I expected.

"Perhaps. But even so I will continue! HAAAA" Our battle lasted for about two and a half hours until our instructor decided to end it for the morning session.

(Cafeteria) (AKA: PX)

After that morning spar we all turned to the PX for a little rest and relaxation. We sat on the same table with some synthetic food on our plates and ate peacefully. But as always that was not meant to be.

"Takeru san, that was amazing!" Tama was once again praising me for my ability to fight Meiya toe to toe. "I can't believe you held Mitsurugi san to a standstill"

"No. It was not a standstill" Meiya corrected her folding her arms in front of her tray. "He thoroughly routed me despite all my attempts to break through his defense"

"But wasn't it a draw?" Mikoto questioned seeing our fight. But it was true that I routed her. No matter what she tried I could read her move like an open book. "Wasn't it? (No…) Eh?"

"Shirogane wouldn't let her lose" Chizuru added nodding from Meiya's expression. "Every time Mitsurugi withdrew, Shirogane would talk to her and not pursue because of the difference in speed. If Mitsurugi had been put in a time limit on defeating an opponent and proceeding to the next objective she would lose a lot of time. Shirogane on the other hand only needed to stall her until her time runs out"

"You're thinking too hard guys" I casually let my skills in but regardless I couldn't allow myself to hold too much back.

"Unbelievable" Meiya grunted annoyingly. "Your skills were so dominant that I cannot help but feel admired rather than irritated. (Hey now…) But regardless, I was able to cross fists with a worthy foe. I am satisfied with that. That only means that I have to train harder if I am to beat you. Rivalry is the source of great strength after all"

"Takeru, you're incredible!" Yoroi gave me a thumbs up sign as a sign of respect. He…. She was always like that. Easily amazed by other people's achievements. "I wish I hadn't been sick. That way I would've seen a lot of your special abilities! (Yeah yeah…) Eh? Don't tell me that you're still angry about yesterday? If you had told me who you were then I would've known right away that you were our squad mate"

"Like I said, I was trying to…"

"Oh that reminds me of a show I watched on TV when I was in the hospital" At least let me finish first damn it! Haaaa… I don't care anymore. "I watched so many fun things on TV that day. It was about a dog who waited for his master at the train station. It was an old movie series based on a true story"

Oh? She's probably talking about Hachiko, the dog that waited in front of the train station not know that its master had already died. For two years the dog remained vigilant, patiently waiting at the same spot believing that one day its master will return. Eventually the dog died of age and was buried on the spot. That's why in Tokyo we have a statue named Hachiko stationed somewhere in Shibuya. It's a rather touching story…

"Hmm… a dog…" I muttered to myself before my mind went back to the time I went on an unannounced date with Sumika one afternoon. A dog came by and she fed him my French fries to keep it happy. We growled at one another like two animals while Sumika pounded my head to keep me from acting like a kid. Oh… darn. Thinking about that time… really does bring tears to my eye literally. I have to stop thinking about her or else I'll lose focus.

"Shirogane?" Meiya called out noticing my watered eyes. "What's wrong? You seemed distant somehow"

"Huh? Oh no… it's nothing. It's just that… that movie reminded me of someone I knew back in the days"

"Was she a civilian?" Chizuru asked. "Was she evacuated?"

"Huh? Well… I don't really know. Sumika and I used to live next door. (Sumika?) Yeah that was her name. We were childhood friends back in the days when I was really young"

"Perhaps I could look her up for you" Meiya offered which quickly reminded me that she had her sources around the capital. If anyone could find a missing person then it'd be Meiya. She was a member of the royal family after all. "I have some contacts around the government. If it can help dispel your anxiety it may allow you to perform better in our training"

"That's true" Tama confirmed her ability. "I once had a friend who lived far away. It bothered me a lot not knowing how she was doing. But after Meiya looked it up I found out that she's living peacefully in a farmland in Hokkaido. She's even married now. I was so relieved I cried myself to sleep that night booo~"

"What say you Takeru? Simply ask and I will find her"

"Thank you Meiya but that's ok" I raised my hand up in response.

"You'll regret it…" Ayanime added smirking at me. I can't really tell if she was encouraging me or taunting me. Perhaps both.

"No. Even if you did… I don't think you'll be able to find her" the girls all turned to me from my choice of words. "Because she's… not in this world. (Gasp) You don't have to be sad about it. I actually knew that for quite some time" It wasn't a total lie. Sumika is dead technically speaking and only her brain was left down below near Yuuko's office. But I can't tell them that without revealing the plans to Alternative IV.

"Forgive us… we had no idea" Meiya apologized for pressuring me to use her network.

"Nah it's cool. I pretty much got over it" I really did…

(Classroom)

Once we finished our little awkward lunch, our next class was to be First Aid training. I've done the basics before and several advance procedures on the field in my loops. I've treated everything from basic wounds to a full field surgery using nothing but a combat knife, tweezers, needle and hot iron to close the wound. Despite that, the one who taught me to be reckless as a combat medic was Mikoto herself after all.

"Now everyone, I'm gonna teach you about the conditions of an injured person" Yoroi explained after we cleared the room of tables. "Just because the man is unconscious, bleeding or isn't breathing that doesn't entirely mean that he's dead. The most certain way to check a person's condition is by checking the pulse which can be felt from the wrist and the neck"

The others nodded to her explanation. She would make an excellent teacher if she ever graduates from here.

"Now let's demonstrate artificial respiration" Mikoto looked at me as she spoke. "Takeru, would you lie down? (Ok…)" I obeyed her command and laid down on my back with my face up front. "Good. Ready? (Yeah)" Mikoto pinched my nose and began blowing air into my lungs. There was a strange pressure but I should've gotten used to it by now. I guess remembering her as a boy made me like this. "You're pretty calm, Takeru san"

"You could say I've done this before" I answered with a smile. Usually I would be the one blushing but now I find myself looking at Mikoto blushing instead.

"W… well that's the gist of it" she stated after recovering from her live demonstration. "Now for hemostasis. (Hai…) Applying pressure for different kinds of wounds will have different affects. So it's best to consult a real doctor to apply the proper procedures. After all, basic medication is only a temporary relief effort"

"Yeah that's true" I replied standing back up. "If you don't find one it's possible the patient may suffer necrosis. (Hug!) Bwahh!"

Mikoto was clingy again. "That's correct! You're incredible Takeru!" Hey stop touching me. "You've done this before, haven't you? It almost makes me wish that I didn't have to go to the hospital last time. Tell me more tell me more!"

"Eh? Well… after you finished treating the wound it's almost best not to leave them. Loosen their clothes to allow air to circulate and also keep them warm to stop them from freaking out. (tight hug!) Oww!"

"WAAAAA! You're so awesome! Takeru you should be the one teaching us!"

"Ok ok! Just let go of me!"

For the next hour, Mikoto kept pestering me on how good I was in first aid. She kept using me as guinea pig on all kinds of scenario. The only thing that I didn't agree on doing was stripping down to my underwear.

(PX)

Dinner was served two hours later after training. Though most of the squad was exhausted I still felt like I can go for another four hours of running in the track field or shooting range. But it'd be better if I stayed with the gang to keep up my appearance as a rookie.

"Oya? Isn't that Mikoto chan?" I heard a rather loud voice boom over from the counter. A rather large old lady appeared to greet the cadets. I recognize her as Kyozuka Shidzue, the lady who works in the cafeteria. She's what you call everyone's stepmom. The woman was as tough as a hammer and she had an unbreakable smile over her face which seems to lighten up everyone's mood. I would call her my own grandma because she pretty much acts like one.

"Ah Kyozuka oba chan?" Mikoto replied cheerfully as ever.

"I heard that you were in the hospital. You recovered already? (Yup!) Wahh! This calls for a good celebration. I'll double your rations for today!"

"Yay! Thank you oba chan!" the woman then turned her gaze upon me with her usual smile.

"Oh? So this is the legendary rookie that I've heard so much about? He's a lot taller than I thought"

Oba chan… I haven't seen you in ages. But I kept my cool and acted natural. "Hello, I'm Shirogane Takeru. Nice to meet you"

Wham! Her killer pat on the back caught me off guard. "Hmm… not bad at all. Even after that whack you can still stand up straight. You'll make a fine soldier. (Wham) Ohhh? Strong muscles too. She told me that you were superman incarnate in both physical and mental stuff… so it wasn't exaggeration after all"

"Wait. Who told you? Marimo chan?"

Wham! "Hahahaha! You've got guts to say her first name out in public. (Ah…) Anyway, Chizuru chan. You'd better use him to the utmost. A strong man like this doesn't come every day"

"Of course" Class rep smirked at my direction. "I intend to do so"

"Hey now… don't tell me you're going to take advantage of me"

Ayamine gave out a fake surprised expression. "You just realized? (HEY!) Heh… smart but slow" You're the last person I want to hear that from!

Kyozuka oba chan laughed at us. "Ahaha! You're fitting right in, good man. I'll get you your portion so wait right up"

Are you eating well?

You getting enough?

Come to me for your food!

I think those were the first words that she said to me when I first came to this base. I was an amateur back then so it wasn't necessary for her to do that now. Right now I was the legendary rookie. Heh… that sounds about right. I was amazing in almost everything related to combat. But that's only because I had good masters to train me. Ayamine taught me about hand to hand combat, Meiya was my teacher of being a soldier judging through discipline and dedication. Class rep taught me about pain and tactical thinking despite she herself was a bad leader at the beginning. Mikoto taught me about First Aid which saved my life plenty of times before and Tama was my master in archery and sniping. So because of them I am the soldier I am today.

"That's Sergeant Major Kyozuka Shizue" Chizuru explained to me. "She's providing meal to everyone on the base"

"In other words she the cafeteria lady" Mikoto added.

(Yuuko's office)

I decided to come to Yuuko sensei later that night to procure some help. I came in with another five pages of her equilibrium equation for the favor.

"So what is it this time?" she asked me as if she was expecting my presence. She could tell immediately with the paper on my hand and the expression on my face that I had something for her to do. Even though I've seen her many times before I probably won't be able to get her calmness no matter how long I've lived.

"I brought another five pages for your research" I stated plainly with a small smile.

"You have exquisite timing" she stated to me with a curious brow. "I just finished analyzing the last of the pages you gave me. Though most of the things you wrote are crap… I have to say that my other self is a genius. Ahohohoh" I handed her the papers and stood at attention. "Sit down. You can leave your military procedures outside when you're in here" I obeyed her command and sat sternly on the chair. "So… what's the favor this time?"

"BETA from Sadogashima will attack the mainland on November 11th, Sunday. (Huh?) You've told me before that I shouldn't tell you anything from the future because it might affect the change of time too greatly. So right now we have a week before the attack comes"

"An attack huh?" Yuuko sensei gave a sly smirk. "Sounds interesting. Is this your knowledge of the future?"

"Yes. I remember precisely that BETA will launch a large scale attack that destroys a lot of villages along the path"

"Hmm… give me the details"

"The Imperial Army engaged the BETA after they surfaced but some of them broke through the first line of defense and were out of sight for awhile. (… and then?) They regrouped at the second defensive line and broke through that as well. They were on route to Kyoto but they were repelled. The BETA then shifted their target to this place, Yokohama base. Reinforcements from Atsugi failed to arrive on time so DEFCON 2 was initialized on our base"

"Did you know what their objective was?"

"Some people on the base thought that they were striking the weakest point of our defenses. I thought so too because this place had nothing more than a few Gekishin units, tanks and cadets to fill the gaps" but I knew what they wanted. What the BETA wanted. "But I knew the moment you told me, professor. This place… was and still is a BETA hive. (…) As their animal instincts derived from it. They were looking for the reactor buried deep under this base. To suck energy out from it"

Yuuko sensei looked for a moment taking all the information I've said so far. After awhile she returned her smile to me. "I see… from Sadogashima. So what would you like me to do about it?"

"I think you already know the answer, sensei" She said the same thing to me in my last loop. "I know that you don't trust me but this information might just save the lives of thousands of people. You're probably thinking that this is just a kid rambling on, I won't blame you. But what would you do if you had the power to save billions of lives?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your Alternative IV is proof that you want to save humanity from extinction. You have that power and you're using it to do everything you can. However I have the knowledge to save people's lives but like always my status as a cadet means nothing"

"And you're saying that I should believe everything you say? You're sounding a lot like an oracle"

"Maybe I am…" we traded smirks which seem to bond our trust even further. Though she did not trust me fully she had to admit that my information was credible because of her theoretical account. "So… what are you going to do about it?"

"Do I really need to answer that question?" she smiled at me putting the equation along with the other sheets of papers. "You probably know what I'm going to say before I even think about it. (Perhaps…) Hehehe… I can see now why I fell for you. You're pretty much the man I wouldn't mind doing it with. (Gulp…) But regardless, aren't you forgetting something? (Hmm?) You said it yourself that by telling me this it might affect time. Aren't you afraid of the consequences?"

"I'll deal with it when it comes. After all… I'm not afraid of death anymore"

Yuuko gave out a sly grin. I can't tell if she was annoyed or proud that she fell for a guy like me. "Spoken like a true man. Dealing with it as if comes by. Take all the things this world has to throw at you. Hahahahaha. Alright… give me the details of the attack"

"Does that mean you trust my information?"

"Well I owe you a favor as a part of our deal so I may as well listen. I may be a fox but I keep my promises" That's true…

I breathed a sigh of relief before explaining the whole invasion plan. "At exactly 06:20 a large herd size BETA will emerge from the hive and move south heading straight towards the mainland. The Imperial Fleet engaged them but lost. About an hour later they'll reach the old national highway and continue through the province of Niigata afterwards…."

I spent the next hour in that room explaining every bit of detail that was confirmed and told Yuuko sensei of the perfect attack formation. With the strategic thinking that I brought up in my head combined with years of experience reliving that situation I managed to make one strategy that could probably end the BETA attack before they even breach the second defense line. It involved very few risks and a lot of chances to wipe them out with one fatal swoop.