Lest we forget

"Forget the pleasantries. In fact, don't ever do that. We are not Japanese nor are we human but you can still call me sir."

"Yes sir." They spoke in unison.

"Hikaru, give me a report. I've already heard two other teams' accounts but I still need to collate with yours for a full picture."

In 1945, after the US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan soon surrendered as they lack any nuclear weapons technology.

The Supreme Allied Commander - General Douglas MacArthur built several bases in Japan to oversee their post-war development during the occupation.

Japan signed many agreements including the war-renunciation clause of Article 9 which prevented Japan from having any land, sea, air or any force with war potential.

A few years later, Japan established a National Police Reserve where 75,000 men were armed with light infantry weapons. Then they introduced the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Japan Air-Self Defense Force (JASDF). This was the reason why their land, sea and air military forces had the name "Self-Defense" in them, to exploit a political loophole.

The last WWII soldiers to surrender were two Japanese soldiers Onoda Hiroo and Genji Nakamura. They were found by a pilot in 1974 on Lubang island in the Philippines. Onoda was an intelligence officer and second-lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army and Genji was a 15-year-old private.

They had continued fighting in a Japanese holdout on the island, oblivious that the war was over. They had been relieved from duty by their commanding officer, Major Taniguchi Yoshimi as per Emperor Showa's orders.

Genji however, enlisted into the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force a few months after his retirement. Since the establishment of the self-defense force, the Japanese public had a low opinion of them as they were reminders of their humiliating loss of WWII. They were deemed as tax thieves who were expensive and unnecessary.

Japan became a pacifist country during the Showa period. Since the occupation, the US had mostly used Japan as a logistics support group and checkbook. For example, Japan's self-defense force couldn't participate in the Gulf War directly and instead sent ten billion in finances and military hardware.

Japan was also the forward logistics base during the Korean war. This has caused a lot of frustration and humiliation for Japan despite being the fourth most powerful military in the World.

Genji retired in 2001 as the oldest soldier in the JGSDF. He had rejoined the military in hopes of bringing glory to his name. Instead, he rotted. His body quickly deteriorated as he couldn't honour the 29 years he spent on Lubang Island.

His mentor and best friend, Onoda, had died last year.

Only Genji knew the regret and humiliation Onoda had suffered. He remembered attending his funeral. Onoda had hidden truth of his pain from his family, after all, they wouldn't understand and he didn't want them to be hurt as well.

Genji respected Onoda's secrecy but it disgusted him when Onoda's relatives would speak of him being happy and living his life peacefully in his last years. They were ignorant. They were family but they couldn't even see his pain.

They were too weak. If they were strong enough, surely Onoda wouldn't have suffered alone. Surely it would have lightened the burden in his heart. Surely, Onoda wouldn't have died that soon.

That's why when the attack on the neighbourhood happened. He was relieved of his suffering. He had taken some of the enemies out with his old weapons from WWII. He had saved a life. Even if he didn't kill them all, he was glad.

He didn't mind dying then. He kept his body moving until it couldn't anymore. In his last moment, he was smiling. Hikaru smashed his head and that was when his long and awaited rest came.

Those were the memories Hikaru got from Genji. He did not mention it in his report as he wanted to hide this ability and his recent capabilities.

"Do you know why I took his body and firearms?" Hikaru asked Daichi.

"So that he's still on the loose," Daichi chuckled. "It doesn't stop them from finding out, but they definitely won't get the full picture. You did a good job."

"Thank you, sir."

There was a cringe on Botan's expression but no one noticed.

"Unfortunately, I can't reward you with more food. As of tonight, we only have enough stock to continue feeding the procreator for the next 48 hours."

All harvesting operations have stopped since there was too much heat.

"That's not a problem."

"Does anyone else have any details to add on Hikaru's report?"

No one else spoke.

"Good. You are all dismissed."

Hikaru's team left the debriefing and drove everyone home. Hikaru was the second-last person to be dropped outside his house. He watched until the truck disappeared from the corner and then walked down the street until he shrank out of existence.

***

Knock

Knock

"Huh?"

"Honey, did you invite someone over?"

"No, I didn't."

"It's not one of your friends?"

"No. It wouldn't be my friends anyway." He said as he walked to peek the front door.

"Okayy."

He didn't see anything outside so he thought maybe it was one of his wife's friends who had delivered something that she asked or bought. He opened the door to look for a parcel.

…

"Honey~ What was it?"

…

"Honey~" She turned around after her question was met with silence. He was not there. The door was open and it was pitch black outside.

'Where did he go?'

She thought he must have gone outside to talk to someone or pick up something. After a couple of minutes of washing the dishes. She went over to close the door.

…

"Mum, can I borrow some money?" The teenage girl said as she went downstairs.

"Mummm?"

She saw that the front door was left open and that no one was downstairs. Maybe they left abruptly and forgot to close the door and will probably be back soon.

A cold wind blew in. Goosebumps raised all over her skin. She walked to the door to close it. She grabbed onto the handle and suddenly she noticed someone bending over the top of the roof.

It was her mother's head peering over, looking at her with ghastly white eyes on a shadowy face.

"Wha-WHAT! AHHH-"

A tentacle came from the roof and wrapped around her mouth, silencing her. She was pulled up to the roof where she became one with her parents.