The worst thing about waking up when you were supposed to be dead was, of course, the uncertainty. The only thing that he remembered was moving into the citadel alongside his squad before everything went blank. What in all hells had he been thinking lying about his age and entering the self-defense force, his parent must have been so worried right now.

That being said he was pretty sure that he was not dead yet. He knows someone pulled him out of the citadel ruin during a rather brief moment of consciousness. Entering the army during the war sure teach him a lot and now he realized how rather childish his notion of wanting to be a cool guy was. Despite all of that, he had survived and now that he thinks about it he couldn't feel his right arm. So he had survived and it only cost him his right arm. There was still a few pain around his body and the fact that there was a chance that he was now a cripple. He had to make do with what he has. He had training, he killed on the battlefield, he made do with what he has with him right now.

Hachiman opened his eyes.

He raised his right arm covered in a swath of bandages. They felt wrong, it looked right but he felt nothing. This is wrong what the hell did they even give him.

"Hikigaya!"

Turning to the caller, the concerned but quickly brightening face of a civilian wearing a working suit entered his field of view.

"you've woken. Thank god. You made it, Hikigaya"

"Sorry, but who are you?"

For someone who faces he didn't recognize he was sure sporting a familiar tone. He smiled at him bringing one hand to the back of his black-headed scalp.

"ah that's right you probably didn't remember me. We did meet during the war but never talked. I'm Shiba Nagase brother to major Rei Nagase."

Shiba Nagase… wait a minute he was a first lieutenant in the army brother to his company major, in other words, his superior officer.

"first lieutenant Nagasei! I apologize for my rudeness!" Hachiman's posture became straight rather than the tired one he had earlier. He was shocked who know that a high ranking officer would come to visit him in civilian clothing, is this a surprise inspection? Will he be returned to the battlefield? He probably has his next order of deployment.

His hand suddenly grasped his shoulder preventing him from getting up.

"Please don't get up on my account. I'm no longer serving in the SDF. All of the excitement is over. Times have… changed."

"in what way has it change?" Hachiman asked, did they finally lost the war?

"the war in the north is over. Japan is once again at peace"

Wait, what?

"the war is over?"

"yes, it is over. You didn't need to fight any, you can finally go home and live that genuine life that my sister wants you to live"

He was disillusioned, what was he supposed to do that now the war was over. He cant return home like this Komachi will kill him. Talking about the major where is she? She was with him during the battle for the citadel.

"so then where is the major?"

A strange expression adorned the man face. Hachiman also realized the fact that he gripped that palm of his hand tightly, something is wrong.

"she didn't die, right? She still alive right?"

"ah yes, yes the major is still alive, she was unable to come today due to family business and you will be staying here until you get better and then she asked me to bring you back to Chiba, back to your home"

"I see" home, now that's a word that he hadn't heard for a while. It's been a long time since he had seen his home and he missed it. It was at the prospect of that in mind he stormed the citadel wanting to end it all and just go home even though it could kill him. A soldier once said to him that a man last though should be of his home.

"I just hope that they can accept me back after everything I have done"

He tested his right arm again. a gauze wrapped his right arm and the response was a bit later than his left arm and also he couldn't feel a thing.

"don't worry they surely accept you with open arms. They will be proud to know that their son has done much for our country. You have sacrificed and lost a lot of things Hikigaya now its time to lay that to rest and enjoy the rest of your life, I say it again: the war is over. So please be at ease."

"it's not like I have that many options anyway right?"

Hachiman smiled while eyeing his right hand.

"how do you like the new prosthetic arm, the most advanced prosthetics the world has ever seen made of a special silver alloy and funded by the government for the soldier that lost their limbs during the war."

"it's alright I guess, although the response was a bit late"

Yup, it's official he was a cripple.

"you can tell huh well it was still early in development and you are free now didn't you, that had many options in it to me."

Free… freedom what a vague word. "then I'm looking forward to this freedom of mine" as the former lieutenant left the room, he left him with a few platitudes of gifts no… his belonging in the army. A book, picture of his family and plush toy of a cat? Where did he even get that? He picked it up from the table it has a burn mark in a few places. That's weird if he brings this to the barrack people sure are going to make fun of him, then again it's not like he hadn't been made fun off in the past.

He fell back to his bed musing. He had run away from home lies about his age and enter the army to fight in the war. now that he remembers it yes, his motive was wanting to be a cool guy what a foolish thing to do, after training he was sent up north to Hokkaido to fight the New Soviet invasion. There he learned a few things about life and to be frank it wasn't a thing he wants to relive again.

Now that the war is over he could probably experience something new but first, he has to face his family. He had to believe in the last word the major had said to him.

"After this war was over you go and experience what life has in store for you and if I ever saw you entering the army again, I will shove a grenade up your as…."

Even if it did mean she hates him all along.