Author's Note: Welcome to another chapter of Digital/Kaiju! The darker Digital Human story of my series! Hakuno had it rough last chapter, hopefully, she can get through this! But it's going to take more than her usual determination to get the King of Monster's respect!
P.S. Yes I know of Thunderdragon's challenge, NO I'm not going to use its abilities. Please stop copy/pasting them in the review section, he already did that earlier before. I'm well informed about the entire Godzilla franchise of movies, games, comics, etc.
Paxloria: Berserkers are so hard to manage, especially Godzilla, I don't think Hakuno can ever manage him, but we'll see.
Glasses Writer: I love Shin Godzilla too, but I think Shin Godzilla would be too much for Hakuno, maybe in another way, he'll show up?
DivineBahamut: Yep, that's something Hakuno has to realize.
King of Fans: True, true! Japan is like his turf, a territory in his franchise.
DescendantYI2: Hakuno has it really, really rough in this story, unlike the other Digital Human series. Godzilla is just such a force that I'm not even sure Hakuno can handle it, and she's handled Gilgamesh!
Student: Shh, no Fate/Grand Order spoilers, please! But yeah, hopefully, Hakuno can get along… Eventually…
AznPuffyHair: Thank you so much! Yeah, the military had a break in command, a little more light will be shed on that in this chapter. Yes, Hakuno will have to the cautious.
EVERYONE ELSE: Thank all of you so much for the support you've given me!
Enjoy the chapter everybody! A mistaken wish that leads to consequences, that which inadvertently brings either salvation or demise to mankind by a creature who knows rage against them; The King of Monsters.
Digital/Kaiju
Chapter 7: Three Steps off the Kingdom Road
A loud splash of water echoed in a sizable washroom, Hakuno Kishinami's fingers brushed some hair strands away from her face, water dripping down to the soaked tile floor while she sat on a stool. She felt a brush gently place on her naked back as Miki Saegusa began washing it for her. The magus girl enjoyed the pleasant sensation of the warm water and steam, even if emotionally she was feeling disheartened at the earlier incident with her Servant.
"Feeling better?" Miki asked while scrubbing the young girl's back.
"A little," Hakuno replied. "I'm sorry for earlier."
"Don't worry about it Hakuno, you aren't the first to have a connection with a Kaiju, they are creatures quite different from our own perceptions," Miki explained. "There are been bad cases before, and you're new to this, so don't beat up yourself on it."
"I wanted to stop him…" Hakuno trailed off.
"It was more the KRD's fault at that point," The psychic young woman said. "A group fired without permission, which set off a chain reaction as the command line broke, the resulting barrage likely irritated and provoked Godzilla."
Hakuno glanced back to Miki, who has stopped washing the teenager's backside and was filling a bucket with warm water. "They're all dead now though."
Miki poured down water on the girl, causing Hakuno to reflexively pull away strands of her own hair again. But the woman already put shampoo on the girl's head and began scrubbing it gently. Hakuno Kishinami, who never had the luxury of bathing like this in the Moon Cell, or at all for that matter, found it quite fond for some reason.
"They knew the risks, what's important is that you learn from your mistakes," Miki began as she trailed her fingers through the soapy water in the magus's hair. "I don't know everything that you're going through, Hakuno, but I know you're strong, those eyes shine like the stars for a reason."
"Umu, Preator, nothing can defeat that determination of yours, it's something that makes you and nurtures that potential."
Hakuno smiled, while her memories concerning the Moon Cell Holy Grail War were a jumbled mess, the glimpses concerning her Servant… Any of the three Servants… They helped her.
She wished they were with her now, but such comfort seemed such a distant memory now.
Not that she didn't appreciate Miki Saegusa's efforts. There was also the fact she still needed to inquire about Mothra later.
Another pouring of water washed Hakuno of the shampoo, she had to wipe her hands against her eyelids to swipe away excessive liquid. She went to once again move her hair out of her face, but Miki did it for her and enveloped the magus girl from behind with a hug, naked breasts touched back skin.
"You need to relax," Miki said in a casual tone. "You're too young to worry so much about the future. Let's talk about something else, like what's your favorite thing to do?"
"My favorite thing…?" Hakuno was stumped by the sudden question, the comforting embrace she was fine with, in fact, it reminded her of Saber and Caster which was heartful.
"Yeah," Miki brought her own stool over to Hakuno's side and sat, both their bodies censored by rising steam. "You like to draw? Watch movies? Read? Pranks? Or perhaps something more elaborate or traditional?"
Hakuno Kishinami didn't really know what to respond with, the Holy Grail War did not give her the time of luxury to explore the benefits of life. But, there were some things that both her Servants and the friends she gained had shown her, not to mention a curiosity formed by gathering information on enemy Servants.
"I like to read and taste new dishes," The Digital Human replied.
"Oh, a taste tester, mhm?" Miki smiled broadly at the response. "I know a few places out in the streets you might like; local cuisine."
"I'll… I'll like that," She replied.
"We'll check it out sometime, that's a promise," The young woman finished as she stood up and grabbed two dry towels, wrapping one around herself before placing another on Hakuno. "Time to dry up, still have work to do."
"I have work?" Hakuno questioned. "I thought you said I have school?" The prospect of attending a school in the real world instead of that cruel simulation in cyberspace had her quite curious, but also held a bit of fear.
After all, such a place like that of a school was the prime location for the cruel kill-or-be-killed tournament.
"Of course, but they don't have any education records of you, so time to take a test!" Miki exclaimed.
"Eh?"
Miki Saegusa was a woman that didn't have much left in the world that could surprise her, at least, that what was in Japan aside from giant Kaiju, but this was one of those moments. It had only taken a few hours to receive Hakuno Kishinami's results after the teenager had finished her test. To say that it was shocking would be an understatement, Hakuno's educational knowledge was staggering if not outright unbelievable if Miki wasn't staring at it right in front of her.
While Hakuno Kishinami was aligned, if a bit below the average rating, of her age group concerning social studies and cultural knowledge. Everything else had been completely torn apart and reassembled by a genius on par of what someone would have thought a cartoon scientist would be like in reality. It was stunning, absolutely breathtaking to see current sciences and mathematical calculations solved in ways present-day observers would think time travelers from the future-
She halted her thought there.
Miki debated the origin of Hakuno Kishinami and realized it might have something to do with it. While there were many parts unclear to her, what had been deciphering with her psychic ability was that the magus girl, a type of person she now knew exist wherever Hakuno originated from, might be far more advanced than mankind.
In that case, Hakuno Kishinami was likely the most educated person on the entire planet… But, she was lacking in some key areas.
Just because Hakuno had the knowledge didn't mean she knew how to apply it towards something other than problem-solving. She didn't have that experience, not to mention Hakuno was lacking in her social skills, recent historical knowledge, and cultural exposure.
An example would be that the poor girl didn't understand a lick of anything concerning the film industry outside of the appliances. She probably hadn't even seen a single Disney film!
Truly a loss that Miki was currently solving by leaving Hakuno with a Disney animated movie in the other room.
Of course, given the test results, no doubt a large portion of both national and foreign education facilities would be clambering for her enrollment, most seeking the media attention a genius would incite.
No, it was best if she was privately tutored and homeschooled to avoid that, besides, there's no telling how she would be in a school environment with so much attention on her with that monotone expressions.
At the very least, Hakuno spoke the English language quite fluently. That will be useful in the future for her!
"Ma'am," A voice knocked the young psychic out of her thoughts.
"Akane," Miki responded to the Sergeant woman. "They didn't transfer you back to the main force?" She questioned.
"To my surprise, they value my presence here," Sgt. Akane Yashiro replied. "I do not blame them."
"Their deaths were not your fault, Baragon had been more nimble than anticipated," She said.
"I know, ma'am," The Sergeant glanced away. "You don't have to remind me."
"Sorry, Miki shifted uncomfortably before sighing, "Did you need something, Akane?"
Sgt. Yashiro revealed a binder, "For you," She said and handed it over, which Miki Saegusa took.
The young woman flipped through page after page, her eyes furrowing in concentration as her fingers tapped against the papers. She started to pace around the room, occasionally going to the next page, biting her lip in concern before stopping her movement at the page before the last to look at Akane Yashiro with a look of sheer disbelief and horror.
"A… Is… Is this correct?" Her voice trembled.
"Yes, ma'am… A nuclear detonation made by the French Government against an unknown Kaiju," Yashiro nodded solemnly.
"Don't they realize some of the Kaiju were awoken by these weapons?" Miki rhetorically questioned as she forced herself to read further. "Reports say it was successful in killing it… I cant… I don't want to believe that."
"I'm sure the rest of Japan wants to agree, but this is the first usage of a country's nuclear arsenal against Kaiju and with a confirmed kill-"
"Like Hell!" Miki slammed the binder down on a table. "Do they not understand? This will only incite larger provocations than ever before!"
Akane walks up to her and turned to the last page, "Why do you think that?"
"I don't think that," She replied. "I know it… Mothra isn't going to continue protecting us if we're destroying the Earth with radioactivity and destruction… Not to mention…"
"Not to mention?" The Sergeant arched an eyebrow.
"Godzilla."
There was a minute of silence.
"You… You believe it's attracted to radioactivity?" Akane Yashiro questioned.
"I believe it has a vendetta against mankind's use of it, call it intuition or psychic ability, but Godzilla is related to the use of nuclear power in some way." She answered and finally took a look at the last page. Her eyes trailed over the words before her vintage relaxed. "Another request by our Foreign Minister? It's the Americans again isn't it?"
"Most likely, ma'am," Sgt. Yashiro replied. "May I ask, where is your newest member?"
"Watching Mulan in our psychic room," Miki answered absently as she continued reading through the last page.
"You have potentially the most powerful psychic recommended by you… Watching a Disney movie?"
"She's never seen any, besides, never too late to see a Disney movie," Miki replied and closed the binder shut.
Akane blinked, then shrugged, "I guess it's nice to relax given all that's happened, I did that she had an episode."
"It's was her first," Miki lied, but she had to withhold the truth. "So she's shaken by it." She moved the binder away. "Those Americans are still asking for us, and sooner or later we're going to have to answer about this KRD division."
"That's our national secret."
"They couldn't care less when Kaiju was becoming more of a threat with time passing, remember Clover?"
"Yeah, it has those parasitic organisms with it, it took them awhile to eliminate them all after Mothra defeated it."
Miki nodded, "That was one of the rare exceptions where Mothra killed her opponent. But they want our 'prediction' analysis to better prepare for that." She crossed her arms. "At least, that's their excuse, honestly I believe they want the same advantage Japan has for the division and is using their political pull to pressure us."
There was more to it, there was always more to it. But Miki Saegusa was trying her best to avoid having her division snagged into the political whirlpool of national powers, even more so with Hakuno Kishinami now apart of it. But just how many days can she keep it afloat until the pressure builds to the point of relief?
"What about Nia Tatopoulos? We have an American apart of your team, they might use her as a reason to explore this division." Yashiro pointed out.
"They've tried that before," She said. "But this time… I'll keep them off our backs a bit more, at the very least until I can get Hakuno up to speed."
There was a knock on the door before it opened up, revealing another man in a military outfit garbed with the KRD emblem. "Miss Miki Saegusa?"
"That's me," Miki answered.
"Commander Tsuge needs you in the science branch immediately."
Miki nodded, "I'll be there," She turned to Sgt. Yashiro. "Watch the kids now," She joked.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they go to bed on time," Akane smiled lightly after her response.