Commander's Office.
Noah and Rapi sat down to talk about the events of the day.
"What did you think of today?" Rapi began.
"Today? You mean the Central Government Office?"
"I am referring to everything that happened today," she clarified.
"Ah."
It had been an eventful day. The grim reality of the other commanders at the office, the things Rapi had told him about the public's perception of Nikkes, the abuse he had witnessed firsthand…
For Noah, it had been a day full of incomprehensible revelations. The most shocking, by far, was the truth about the commanders' lives. They weren't heroes living lives of glory. They were mercenaries, trapped in a brutal reality that often led to them taking out their frustrations on the Nikkes under their command.
"The conversations we had today… most of them were intentional," Rapi admitted.
"Intentional?"
"Yes. They were meant to show you that the reality of being a Commander and a Nikke is very different from what the public is led to believe."
"So when I overheard Anis asking about 'that thing,' she was talking about…"
Rapi nodded. "Yes. We were showing you the truth, to shatter any illusions you might have."
"Why would you do that intentionally?" Noah asked.
"The mortality rate for commanders is high. Many, blinded by the dream of saving humanity, throw their lives away recklessly. And their Nikkes follow them to their deaths."
"I see…"
"They are called immortal, loyal weapons fighting in humanity's stead. But most commanders never see the dangers behind that facade. They aren't interested. Anis and I have seen it happen many, many times."
Rapi and Anis had witnessed countless commanders and Nikkes die—commanders throwing their lives away for what they believed was a noble cause, and Nikkes dutifully obeying their final orders.
"That is what we wanted to show you. Anis and I have seen too many commanders die for a futile mission, trapped in their own delusions," Rapi said.
"It must have been hard to watch."
"We hope that you will not be one of them, Commander."
"Why?"
"Because you are different."
Her answer was direct and heartfelt. Rapi had seen many commanders, but in the short time Noah had been in charge, she had seen so much that set him apart.
"Other commanders hid behind us or acted recklessly. But you fight alongside us, leading from the front. You also treat us, the Nikkes, with genuine kindness. That is what makes you different. And that is why… I do not want you to die."
"So, are you hoping that I'll quit being a commander?"
Rapi couldn't answer immediately. Noah's question was a direct probe, an attempt to understand what she truly felt.
"I… I do not know," she finally confessed. "There is a part of me that wishes you would quit, and a part of me that wishes you would stay with us. That is why I chose to be honest with you."
It was the first time Noah had ever seen Rapi hesitate. It was rare for any Nikke to show such indecision, but to see it from the normally stoic and cool-headed Rapi was something else entirely. It was clear that her time with him had affected her, made her want to see where this new path would lead.
"Rapi, I can't promise that I won't die," Noah said softly. "But I can promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Commander…"
"And I have you, Anis, and Neon by my side. You all protect me. For that alone, I'm grateful."
"Commander… Thank you for thinking of us that way."
"What about you, Rapi?" Noah asked.
"Sir?"
"What do you want me to do?"
Rapi thought for a moment before giving her honest answer. "I want you not to change. I want you to hold onto the heart you have now and never let it waver. Walk towards whatever it is you desire. I am curious… I am curious to see what kind of change your path will bring to this world."
"Change… I don't know what kind of change I can bring."
"Whatever it may be, as long as you move forward without letting your heart change…"
Rapi showed a radiant smile that she had never shown to anyone before. Not as a cold-blooded Nikke, but as a Nikke with a warm heart.
"I-we-will protect you to the very end, Commander."
"Rapi… Yeah. Thank you," Noah said, a genuine smile on his own face. "I'm counting on you."
"And I, you, Commander."
.
.
.
That night.
Late into the night, Noah was reviewing the official profiles of Rapi, Anis, and Neon. He had been so busy with missions since his official appointment that he hadn't had a chance to look them over properly. After everything he had learned today, he felt the weight of his responsibility more keenly than ever.
'Rapi, Anis, Neon… They're all my comrades, my fellow soldiers. I will not let them die a meaningless death.'
As he finished reading the profiles, Noah's gaze fell upon two picture frames on his desk. One was a photo of him and his old Task Force team, taken when the unit was first formed. The other was a commemorative photo taken when he was officially appointed as the commander of Counters Squad, just before their deployment to the outpost.
'I lost all of my team members last time,' he thought, his hand clenching into a fist. 'But I won't lose anyone again… Not a single one.'