Prologue

Three years ago, war broke out across the globe.

It didn’t matter where you were—the fighting started everywhere, sparked by an alien invasion.

Sounds like something straight out of a B-grade sci-fi flick, right? Except when it’s real, it’s not remotely funny.

Days of unspeakable horror dragged on, turning everyday life into a waking nightmare.

Why the hell was Earth targeted? What did the aliens want? I don’t have a clue.

No one bothered to pass that kind of intel down to grunts like us, and honestly, we didn’t care enough to ask.

All we knew was our buddies dying—dying, dying, dying in droves—while we killed, killed, and slaughtered those alien bastards day after day.

If that’s all it was, I didn’t want to think. Just wanted to kill. That was the unspoken agreement among us dumbass soldiers.

Anyway, after a whole lot of mess, the military managed to wipe out every last alien. And as of today, I’m officially discharged.

Drafted into service the moment I started middle school, three years flew by in a blur.

I’m not one for sappy reflection, but something about it still hits me in the chest.

When I get back to Japan, I want to go to school again.

Word is, Japan was spared the worst of the fighting, so there’s no rebuilding to worry about—just slipping back into normal life. But… there’s one nagging issue.

These past three years, all I’ve done is fight.

My grades? They’ve tanked hard. Can I even transfer into high school without a hitch?

Lost in thought, sighing over my worries, I felt a sudden slap on my back.

“Heyy! Takashi, what’s the plan from here, huh~?”

A girl’s voice, bright and tinkling like a bell.

I turned to see Natalie, her long blonde hair tied into twin tails, her big golden cat-like eyes glinting with mischief as she grinned at me.

She’s got this kittenish charm, always clinging to people, and she’s been my comrade-in-arms since I joined the military.

Being around the same age and her knowing Japanese made us tight. During ceasefires, we’d goof off with Sherry, the three of us acting like idiots.

Natalie’s got a cute face when she’s smiling like that, but don’t be fooled—this girl’s vicious.

I’ve seen her in combat more times than I can count, and she tore through enemies so brutally it almost made me feel bad for them.

By the end, the aliens would take one look at her and bolt. That’s how terrifying she was.

“Heading back to my hometown,” I said. “What about you, Natalie?”

“Listen to this~ My hometown? Totally wiped out. Nowhere else to go~ Pretty pitiful, right? Don’t you feel sorry for poor little me~?”

She shot me these exaggerated side-eyes, milking the moment. When Natalie makes that face, it’s usually a sign she’s about to say something ridiculous.

“…What’re you getting at?”

“Heh heh heh~ So, I was thinking~ Why don’t you take me to Japan with you? We could live together~”

She batted her eyes, giving me this sticky-sweet smile. Knowing her, it didn’t come off cute at all.

“Didn’t Portman invite you to go with him? Why not take him up on it? Guy’s loaded.”

“Don’t be like that~ I wanna stick with a strong guy like you, Takashi~”

“Strong, huh…”

Pretty sure I’m weaker than you by a long shot. If she’s looking for a “strong guy,” maybe a gorilla would suit her better. I would recommend a good zoo.

Swallowing my snark, I muttered, “Fine, whatever…”

“Guess I can’t say no to you, Natalie… You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count.”

“Damn right~ You owe your lifesaver some kindness~”

“Just so we’re clear, we’re splitting living expenses. You better pull your weight.”

“Obvi~! Hee hee~ This is gonna be so much fun~!”

She broke into a goofy little dance, cackling “uhyahya!” War’s end didn’t even get her this hyped.

Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I started thinking about what’s next.

“First, I’ll head back home… Gotta go to my folks’ place… Hope they don’t think I’m dead…”