01x12 - Kafka Hibino

[bunniefuu]

ORIGINAL WORK BY NAOYA MATSUMOTO

You're working too hard.

What do you think you're doing?

Aren't you worried about Old Man?

You even agreed to get transferred
to another division.

I want to be stronger.

You can become stronger here.

That's how we've done it until now, right?

You're right.
I think we can get stronger if we stay.

But I want to get stronger
as quickly as possible.

I don't want to be protected.

Next time, I want to be the one
to protect Senpai.

Next time? You think Old Man
can come back?

I believe it.

When that time comes, I don't want to have
any regrets because of my weakness.

Sure, me too, but...

sh*t, I'll do it too, then!
I can't be losing to you!

It's rowdy in here.

Senpai...

Today is when they decide
Hibino's punishment.

-So, we were all a bit restless.
-You guys too, right?

It'll be okay!

We wrote the petition
with everyone's help.

Captain Ashiro got summoned
to Headquarters, too.

-Captain did?
-Yes.

I'm sure she was summoned
to receive good news.

This is Mina Ashiro.
I am here by order of my superiors.

Director General Shinomiya is assessing
Kaiju No. 8 right now.

-Please wait there until it is complete.
-Roger.

You are an observer.
You have not been provided a seat.

Stop it! You're a human, Kafka Hibino!

He's fast! But these are just thoughtless
attacks of an animal. He's defenseless.

A self-destructive attack, based
on the premise that he'll regenerate.

If I think in human terms,
he'd get the better of me.

Stop it!

Without No. 2's armor,
I would've died right there.

Squadron-Style Combat Technique Number 2...

Force Blast!

Expanding the field of damage
using a sonic beam.

This is an attack method
that No. 2 used often.

His core is gone?

He used his flesh as bait
to regenerate from his core?

This guy's fighting method is crazy!

My body won't last this way!

No way!
That's the hardest shelter we have!

He only broke through the second layer.

Theoretically, it can withstand
a Fortitude 10 attack!

Some damage is to be expected.

After all, this is a fight

between two Identified Kaiju
reaching across time.

Amazing.

He's fighting at an Identified Kaiju level
all on his own!

But this is strange.

If he meant to k*ll No. 8,
he should have finished him off

in the first attack,
when he was in his human form.

But Isao looks like

he's trying to push No. 8 past his limit.

What is he planning?

Could it be...

Dad's trying to give Kafka Hibino
the chance to live?

I joined

the Defense Force to save people.

But it was me that got saved
by Kafka Hibino.

But he's...

You shouldn't judge anyone based
on their background or what they say.

You should judge them
based on what they do.

That's what I think.

Yeah. You're exactly right.

DAD

The only truth is action, huh?

No!

No. 8's strength is starting to surpass
Isao's predictions.

This is bad. I have to stop this guy.

sh*t! Stop it!

I have to do something
or Deputy General will...

Don't mess with me!

Like I'd let you k*ll Kikoru's father
while she's watching!

If I ever find out that you're
a danger to humans,

I'll k*ll you myself.

Even then...

Even then, I want to...

I want to believe in him!

Don't be losing to some kaiju,
stupid Kafka!

I... I...

I'm...

APPLICATION RESULTS

I'm always like this.

I'm always losing
where it's most important.

Damn it.

I expected more from him,
but this is where it ends.

I'll always...

I'll always wait for you.

I'm...

I'm not Kaiju No. 8.

I'm Kafka Hibino.

Drop the weapon,

Narumi.

You never sent the signal for backup.

‪DEFENSE FORCE DIVISION ONE CAPTAIN:
‪NARUMI GEN

I thought you planned on dying.

Don't be dumb.

Though I do admit, things didn't go
according to my predictions.

Medical team, contain No. 8 right away.

His core may be damaged.

So, what do you plan

on doing with him?

The assessment by General Deputy Shinomiya
is now complete.

Finally, we want to ask you
your impressions of him on the field,

-Captain Mina Ashiro.
-Yes, sir.

You've been watching Kafka Hibino
since he tested to join the force.

According to these documents,
you knew him before then.

Yes.

However, my personal relationship has not
influenced my decision on his admission.

According to records, she rejected
Kafka Hibino's application.

He got accepted as a cadet due
to the support of Vice-Captain Hoshina.

Let me say this before we start.
Our decision is already made.

Your report is just a formality
for the records.

Therefore, your statements
will not influence

our decision about Kaiju No. 8.

We don't want you to feel responsible

for our final decision.

Yes, sir.

Go on.

I do not know whether Kafka Hibino
is a man or kaiju.

That is up to the experts to judge.

So, today, I will discuss Kafka Hibino's
actions as an officer.

At the Sagamihara Neutralization Plan,
Officer Kafka Hibino

discovered the reproduction organs
of the yoju and contributed greatly.

He continued to work diligently after that
and saved his colleagues many times.

His greatest accomplishment against
No. 10. He destroyed the yoju expl*sives

and saved Division Three
from possible complete destruction.

How is this relevant?

That accomplishment was possible
because he used his kaiju powers.

His immense success despite being
a mere rookie officer further proves

he is a kaiiju.

Yes. You're exactly right.

His Unleashed Combat Power
when he joined was at 0%.

When he joined the Force,
he squeezed in as a cadet.

He's been rejected from the Defense Force


His age, too. He's the oldest
amongst the rookies.

So, he committed fraud to join the Force
using his kaiju powers!

Even so, he didn't give up.

No matter how many times he got rejected
or if his Combat Power was zero

or if his body turned into a kaiju,

he never stopped saving people.

As far as I know, Kafka Hibino

is the most persistent, dedicated,

and...

Meeko!

...the most humanistic person I know.

How do we judge whether Kafka Hibino
is an officer that can be trusted?

We judge him by his heart.
That's what I believe.

We are not asking for your opinion here!

Don't cover for your subordinates.

His heart, you say? We can't rely
on such an unreliable thing!

Good work, Captain Ashiro.

Go back to your post.

We've now listened to input
from the field.

Now, no one will consider
our decision too hasty.

We're prepared to deliver
any kind of punishment.

Deputy General, your decision?

No. 8 will be...

I was so frustrated

at how little I could do.

I thought I'd never forgive kaiju

for making Mina cry this much.

So if I turned into a kaiju,
both body and mind,

I wanted to die as a human.

I'm...

alive?

So, you're awake.

Deputy General Shinomiya!

Don't look so guarded.
I don't mean to do you any harm.

I'm so glad.

If anything

happened to you, sir,

I couldn't look Kikoru in the eyes.

If I'm alive, does this mean
I've been accepted as a human

and as a Defense Force officer?

If the thing inside your chest

was the weak heart of a human,

you would most likely be dead.

I'll tell you what our decision is.

You are a kaiju.

But it's yet undecided
whether you are our enemy or not.

Right now, most are against
keeping you alive.

Kaiju No. 8

will not be turned into a weapon.
Instead, he will fight for us.

I object! To keep a kaiju alive
and use him as a soldier?

-It's dangerous.
-No one has done it before!

I'm not Kaiju No. 8.

I'm Kafka Hibino.

My assessment was that he can be managed.

He has been working on missions
with Third Division for a few months now.

We do not know whether his immense power
could be transferred into a weapon.

With daikaiju appearing in swarms,

we must take full advantage
of our fighting capacity.

-But there is no precedent for this.
-Precedent?

Things like that are minuscule compared
to the defense of our nation.

Have you forgotten

the swarm disaster ten years ago,
with No. 6 at the center?

We lost over 200 officers
and three captains in that fight.

Your wife, too.

When the number of kaiju that appears
surpasses our predicted number,

countries can perish easily.

If we use No. 8's unprecedented power
to our advantage,

he could be our hope.

-Even so, we...
-They're against it.

Kafka Hibino.

He called my name!

To survive, you must show us
how useful you can be to us.

They're barely

letting me live so that I can
be their weapon.

Even so,

I think of myself
as a Defense Force officer.

I'll make them accept me
as a Defense Force officer.

MINA ASHIRO
KAFKA HIBINO'S PUNISHMENT IS PUT ON HOLD

Even so,

we can't just be celebrating.

Next time, I have to be stronger, too.

Otherwise, I can't stop him
when the time comes.

Hey.

Did the SDF have anything to do with this?

No, they didn't.

That means

Kafka Hibino won this himself.

-Yes.
-Yeah, he did it!

Old Man did it! I knew it.
It was fated to be this way!

Hell, yeah!

I'm so glad Hibino-san will be okay!

It'll get chaotic in here again.

Hey, Reno. Old Man will be safe!

I knew it already.

I told you that Senpai
will be back for sure.

I'll become

stronger than ever before
and wait for you, Senpai.

I'm glad Hibino-san will be okay.

But now is where
the real challenge begins.

If it gets out that there is a kaiju
inside the Defense Force...

That will be kept confidential.

Things like this get out eventually.

I'm sure the higher-ups know that.

In that case...

Kafka Hibino has to prove his worth
in a way that everyone would accept him.

I told you, the real challenge
is just beginning.

Hey. We're not done here. Wake up!

Wait for me,

Mina.

What? You lost?

You only played for seven minutes?
That's so fast!

It's not my fault!

This Number 9 guy appeared out of nowhere
last week and immediately beat everyone!

TOTAL RANKING


It's that easy, huh?

I understand the basic intellect level
of humans now.

For each individual, it's not that high.

The accumulation of knowledge across
generations, that's their real strength.

How's it going over there?

I've learned the general structure
of the base now.

Now, we can move onto
the next step of our plan.

I see. In that case...

Let's return the kaiju power
that has fallen into human hands

back to the hands of a kaiju,
where it belongs.