Kobayashi sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them, his gaze fixed on a point on the floor. "I didn't mean for the introduction to sound so formal, but oh well. My full name is Kobayashi Maiko. My parents were always busy. My mother is a well-known surgeon, and my father runs a major corporation. They never really spent time with me, but they supported me financially, without limit. Most people try to become soldiers to turn their lives around the salary is immense. But I never did it for that."
Pathro listened, his earlier casualness replaced by quiet attentiveness. "Oh? Then what was your reason?"
"I felt like a pet," Kobayashi stated, his voice flat. "Fed, housed, groomed, with nothing expected of me and no real connection. I didn't just want to be provided for. I wanted to matter. So I worked to get into this… soldier life. I aimed to be the best, so I wouldn't feel sidelined." A flicker of old frustration crossed his face. "But that wasn't smooth. Because of you and Kiligaku. Back at Omake Academy, we were constantly compared to the two of you. It was sickening."
Pathro flinched back slightly, caught off guard. "Oh… uh. That sounds annoying as hell. Even I'd be annoyed if I was constantly measured against someone else."
"Due to that," Kobayashi continued, his words precise, "I never had a good picture of either of you. I imagined you as cocky bastards who would try to sideline me all over again. I suppose I thought you were overhyped." He paused, and when he spoke again, his tone shifted, begrudgingly analytical. "But during our fight against that Variant… I got to realize why you are so hyped."
Pathro waved a hand, an awkward laugh escaping him. "Huh? What? Nah, I didn't do anything significant without your help. You were powerful, too. You'd give me a run for my money."
"I'm not talking about raw power," Kobayashi cut in, his eyes sharp. "I'm talking about how your brain worked in that fight. You were the one who suggested coordinated physical assault because our explosions were preventing both of us from attacking at the same time. You discovered how to weaponize the environment for long-range attacks when close combat was cut off using rocks. You devised the plan to charge the spear with a critical mass of energy while I bought time." He let out a short breath. "It was annoying me, how naturally you took the lead."
Pathro scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, that? Yeah, I might have overstepped—"
"While it was annoying," Kobayashi interrupted again, "what was more annoying was that I couldn't dispute any of it. You were right. You were thinking steps I hadn't even begun to consider. I also noticed you were actively trying to adapt to my fighting style, to create synchronization." He looked directly at Pathro, his admission clear and deliberate. "As much as I hate to say it, in that scenario, you were better than me."
Pathro shifted, uncomfortable with the stark praise. "Oh, uh, thank you. But hey, it's not a big de—"
"Why do you not take the compliment?" Kobayashi's question was direct, almost challenging. "You clearly have all the credentials to show off. You were the top cadet overall. In martial arts and combat power, you were neck-and-neck with Kiligaku. In academics, you and that Toshiro guy were at the top. That made you number one overall. And you clearly handle yourself in a fight. So why don't you make a big deal out of it? What actually motivates you?"
Pathro fell silent, the only sound the relentless drum of rain against the window. He took his time, weighing the question.
"To be honest with you," he began, his voice lower, more serious. "It's not that I don't want recognition… but I don't see the point in bragging. Look at the world. We have a civilian government, but the Military pretty much runs this country. Why? Because we are strong. Japan is ranked among the top three nations solely due to its military might. That's why Japan has global influence. Some nations have willingly placed themselves under our protection. The world bends toward the strongest. The decisions of the strongest matter more than anyone else's."
He looked up, his eyes holding a focused intensity Kobayashi hadn't seen before. "My goal is to become the strongest. So that my decisions will matter. So that I will have that influence. I know I have a long way to go. But I will not give up. I will become the strongest, if it's the last thing I do."
Kobayashi was taken aback. He'd expected pride, ambition, maybe a simple love of battle. He hadn't expected this cold, geopolitical calculus. "What do you plan to do with that influence?"
Pathro shrugged, the intensity easing into something more pragmatic. "For now, I don't have a specific plan. But when you have that kind of weight, it becomes a tool. In a conflict within the Military, or a standoff with another top nation… people naturally look to what the strongest has to say. It's about having a voice that can't be ignored."
Kobayashi studied him for a long moment. "That's a… weird and deep motivation. I wasn't expecting to hear that from you." He stood up. "I came here doubtful. But now I know you're a guy with a serious motive. From now on, I intend to follow you. You where the first to actually see me as useful. I look forward to see what exploits you'll achieve."
Pathro blinked. "What does that mean?"
Kobayashi walked to the door. "I'm saying, from now on, consider me a friend. I guess I'll grow stronger alongside you. Help build that influence of yours."
As he reached for the handle, Pathro tossed his ID card. Kobayashi caught it, swiped the lock, and tossed it back in one smooth motion.
"It was nice chatting with you," Kobayashi said, stepping into the hallway. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Bye."
The door slid shut and locked with its customary click.
Pathro let out a long sigh, sinking back into the chair. "I think I said too much," he muttered to the empty room. "Still… I wasn't expecting Kobayashi to say all that. Kiligaku was right on the spot. I did annoy him by commanding him around. "
He pushed himself up and walked to his bedroom, collapsing onto the bed with a soft grunt. "Tomorrow is going to be quite the day."
Outside, the storm showed no sign of relenting. Rain continued to fall in sheets, each drop a tiny impact against the world, while thunder and lightning painted the night in brief, violent strokes of sound and light.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing Kaile holding a small, neatly wrapped takeaway box. As she stepped onto the residential floor, she caught a glimpse of Kobayashi's door closing down the hall, a silent, timely coincidence.
She walked directly to Pathro's door and knocked.
From inside, a slightly muffled, tired voice called out, "Who is it this time?" There was a pause, followed by footsteps. The door unlocked and slid open, revealing Pathro, looking mildly exasperated until he saw her.
"Oh, Kaile. What are you doing here?"
Without a word, she gave him a light push on the chest, stepping past him into the room. "You seriously ask me that while I'm standing outside?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, closing the door behind her. "In case you forgot, it's my quarters."
"Just shut up and eat this," she said, thrusting the takeaway box into his hands.
He looked from the box to her face, bewildered. "Eat it? You bought it for me?"
"No," she said, crossing her arms. "I went to visit my mother. She made me promise to give this to you. Honestly, she's taken a liking to you quite quickly."
A grin spread across Pathro's face. "Hey, I am charming, aren't I?"
He opened the container. Inside were three perfectly formed onigiri: rice balls, two visibly filled with tuna-mayo and one with salted salmon. He took a large bite of a tuna one, his expression softening. "Your mother is a very good cook. I'd go eat there every day."
Kaile shrugged, though a hint of a smile touched her lips. "They don't taste all that amazing to me. I mean, sure, they're good, but I've grown up eating them. You get used to it."
"I see," Pathro said between bites. "However, I gotta ask…" He trailed off, eyeing her.
"What is it? The salt too much for you?"
"Nah, not that." He finished the first onigiri. "Knowing you, you could have just handed these to me tomorrow. So what gives? What did you come to talk about?"
Kaile sighed, her confident posture deflating just a little. "Count on you to sniff out everything. Well… to be honest, it pains me how much stronger you seem now. I didn't face any truly powerful Zunan on my planet. I asked Sir Hayate. He said you faced a Variant. And defeated it."
Pathro swallowed his current bite. "Well, it wasn't just me. It was me and Kobayashi. And if I'm being honest, we only won because that thing wasn't familiar with its own powers. Even then, I got injured pretty ba—"
"That's not the point," she interjected, her voice firm. "The point is you grew stronger. By a lot. And I am not okay with that. So I want you to train with me tomorrow, if we have the time."
Pathro leaned against his kitchen counter, considering her. "Okay. But won't that, in turn, just make me even stronger?"
"I already thought of that," she said, a spark of competitive fire in her eyes. "But I will be the one to grow. Facing me, you won't be pushed to your absolute limit. I will. You might improve a bit, but I will grow significantly more."
Pathro couldn't help but laugh. "You're brave, saying that to my face. Fine, then. I have no problem with it. Where are we going to train?"
Kaile pulled out her phone. "Well, apparently the Junior Division has specialized training realms, just like back at the Academy. We can use one of those." She tapped the screen. "Hey, AI. Which training realm would you recommend for a sparring session with a partner?"
The AI's calm, synthetic voice responded instantly. "Hello, Kaile. Considering your recent promotion to Soldier status, I recommend the Hayashi Paradise realm for partnered training."
Pathro's eyebrows shot up. "Hayashi Paradise? Isn't Hayashi the name of the Vice-Captain?"
"That is correct," the AI confirmed. "This realm was created by Vice-Captain Hayashi in 2003. It is an infinite-dimensional space consisting of an infinite number of Milky Way galaxies."
Kaile let out a low whistle. "Sometimes I forget how strong these high-ranking officers are. She basically created a whole endless… space-time continuum, weirdly made of nothing but our home galaxy."
"It said an infinite number of them," Pathro corrected, a note of awe in his voice. "That's one 'Paradise' of our home galaxy, alright. Sounds like flexing power to me."
"So, I guess it's settled, then," Kaile said, putting her phone away. "Just be ready, in case we're free tomorrow." She stood up and moved toward the door.
Pathro swiped his card to unlock it for her. She paused in the doorway, looking back at him. "Good night, Pathro."
"Same to you," he replied.
The door shut, leaving him alone again with the last onigiri. He finished it slowly, thinking. She must genuinely hate the idea of me being that far ahead. Oh well. It works for me if she gets stronger, too. If all my friends are strong, then building influence won't be as difficult.
He walked to the window. Outside, the torrential rain had gentled into a soft shower, then finally ceased. The heavy clouds were parting, revealing a patch of clear, dark sky peppered with stars. The storm had washed everything clean.
Pathro looked up at the emerging constellations, a faint smile on his lips. "What a weird day."