"Oh? Tell me more!" Isao Shinomiya almost laughed aloud, amused by the bald officer's persistence.
Unfazed by Isao's demeanor, the bald officer presented a detailed report on Drake Myers.
The information was similar to what the Third Defense Division already had.
The most puzzling question remained: how could an ordinary person suddenly possess the power to fight kaiju?
It was hard to believe there wasn't more to the story.
Divided Opinions
The meeting room erupted into heated debate.
Some supported Drake, while others opposed him.
At the core of the argument was the same concern: someone with such exceptional abilities, surpassing ordinary humans, should not join the Defense Force.
Instead, they argued, he should be detained and studied.
Isao sighed deeply. "Have you all grown so detached from reality that you're now targeting humans?"
His words silenced the room instantly.
Commanding Presence
Isao Shinomiya, with his thick beard and golden hair, exuded the aura of a lion. His imposing presence made him seem unapproachable at first glance.
As the de facto leader of the Defense Force, Isao's decisions carried the most weight.
On top of that, his daughter, Kikoru, had returned from the U.S. with one request: recruit Drake Myers into the Defense Force.
Even his loyal steward, Seibuya, had been feeding him updates about Drake.
From the start, Isao had been keeping a close eye on the young man.
When it was confirmed that Drake was human, Isao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Genius-level talent was rare in the Sakura Nation these days.
Final Decision
"My decision is this: we will classify him as a potential threat for now.
If he ever acts against humanity's interests, we'll take appropriate action," Isao said calmly.
The fact that Drake was human was all that mattered.
"That's unacceptable!" the bald officer snapped, slamming the table. "There's no precedent for this! He could very well be a deeply disguised kaiju!"
Others quickly voiced agreement, backing the bald officer.
Isao's smile faded. "No precedent? Then let's create one.
Drake Myers is human. I'll assign someone to monitor him. If anything happens, I'll take full responsibility.
Or do you not trust my abilities?"
His question left the room in silence.
Who would dare question the strongest man in humanity?
Isao wielded the specialized weapon forged from Kaiju No. 2 and had unmatched combat strength.
His wife had tragically died during the campaign against Kaiju No. 6, leaving his determination unshakable.
External Pressure
"Don't forget," Isao said coldly, "while we debate, the CCG is already making moves."
Based on recommendations from Senior Investigator Mado Wu Xu, Arima Kishou of the CCG had proposed recruiting Drake into their ranks.
The reasoning was simple: as kaiju evolved into massive, towering beasts, the efficiency of melee combat waned.
The CCG, specializing in dealing with human-sized threats like ghouls and half-kaiju, believed Drake's talents were better suited to their methods, particularly with Quinques and anti-ghoul tactics.
The mere mention of the CCG soured the mood in the room.
Competition between the Defense Force and the CCG was fierce, with both sides vying for dominance in Japan's defense.
"Fine," the bald officer relented reluctantly. "Let's have him join the Third Defense Division as soon as possible.
With Yabai Mina and Soshiro Hoshina keeping him in check, it should be manageable."
External pressure had changed their tune, and with Isao's decision standing firm, there was no room for dissent.
Meanwhile, at the Hospital
By the afternoon, Drake's hospitalization was the talk of the Third Defense Division and beyond.
Kafka Hibino and Reno Ichikawa arrived to visit him.
Kafka, ever the protagonist of a hot-blooded story, couldn't hide his emotions. His defining trait was his undeniable charm and kindness—a quality that had earned him his place in the Third Defense Division.
However, in real life, such kindness often led to tragedy, and Drake wanted to avoid becoming too entangled with the Defense Force.
All he needed was an official identification confirming his humanity.
"Sorry, Drake. I couldn't help you during the fight," Kafka said, bowing deeply.
Reno stood silently to the side, watching Drake, who was wrapped in bandages and hooked up to IVs. The young man felt a pang of guilt seeing his condition.
Of course, this was all an illusion created by Drake's Barrier Kaiju abilities.
A Surprise Visit
"Senior, don't say that! You haven't even joined the Defense Force yet," Drake replied with a smile.
"Oh, come on, old man. What are you doing?" a mocking voice interrupted from the doorway.
Kikoru Shinomiya strode in, her twin tails bouncing with every step, her tone as arrogant as ever.
Following closely behind her was the ever-respectful Seibuya, accompanied by none other than Isao Shinomiya himself, the head of the Defense Force.