"Another bad dream?"
"Dream...I see, it's a dream, right?"
As soon as he said that to himself, it seemed like a completely unrealistic statement. The words "empty dream" crossed my mind. Could it be that the world he just saw was real, and that he was living in a real dream, returning to Japan and living with Noriko and Akiko?
And isn't he about to die in that GOJIRA tragedy? Or have you already died? He almost thought so, as the dark-colored soldiers were still hovering around him with a strong presence, and Noriko seemed as if she might somehow disappear into thin air.
Shikishima dared to ask.
"Or are you a dream?"
"What are you talking about? Are you okay?"
The more he put it into words, the less Noriko seemed to Shikishima to be real. He wanted to somehow confirm that Noriko was real. Shikishima hugged Noriko tightly.
"Hey, this is Japan. I'm definitely back."
Shikishima tried to push her down, but Noriko reflexively kicked him away.
"Stop!"
Shikishima was pushed back and lost his balance, colliding with a wooden box containing a memorial tablet. The oil paper package fell and the photos were scattered inside. The maintenance soldiers and their families in the photo all turned their eyes towards Shikishima. Everyone was silent, but Shikishima knew immediately what they wanted to say.
— Why are you still alive?
"I know. I know."
Shikishima curled up and hugged his knees, sobbing like a child.
***
Summer 1946
A group of aging ships are anchored on a beautiful atoll in the South Pacific. Among them was the battleship Nagato, which also served as the flagship of the former Imperial Navy. These dozens of old ships seemed to be waiting for their "right moment" while floating with their bows pointing in various directions.
A flock of seabirds, sensing a sign of unrest, fled en masse to get away from the area, half-turned. The sky was clear and blue, and the sea was rippling gently.
"The time" has come.
The sun suddenly appeared in the sea. The shock wave created by this instantly transformed the surrounding water vapor into fine ice particles. In an instant, it swelled up everywhere. The old ships, including Nagato, instantly disappeared into the mass.
Eventually, a distinctive mushroom cloud rose up, as if breaking through a huge mass of steam.
Bikini Atoll, Operation Crossroads, Baker Experiment.
An atomic bomb test was conducted. The heat, shock, and radiation consumed all marine life in nearby waters. The seabirds that had fled were also blown away while their feathers were burned, turning to ash and scattering in the air.
And in the sea near there was the same Gojira who annihilated the garrison of Odo Island. GOJRA was also consumed by the intense heat and radiation from the atomic bomb. His skin boiled and rolled up, his flesh was scorched, his eyes turned cloudy white... tremendous pain and suffering attacked Gojira. If he were a normal creature, he would have died long ago. However, Gojira was able to overcome this with his unique regenerative ability. Gradually, his body was regenerated while feeling tremendous anger towards the people who had brought him suffering.
Even with Gojira's reincarnation ability, he was unable to regain his original form. The radioactive material that penetrated deep into the body surface caused error after error in the cells of the epidermis, changing its appearance to resemble that of a rugged rock. Its dorsal fin grew rapidly, and branches spread out in all directions like snowflakes. It formed layers, resembling oyster shells that had been living on the ocean floor for decades.
Its already large body rapidly grew in size, as if it was going out of control, and it became a gigantic body that far exceeded its previous appearance.
This was the moment when God of Destruction was born.
***
After working on the Shinsei Maru for about a week, he was able to take three days off when he went ashore. In this routine, Shikishima was living with Noriko and Akiko. When he came back, he give Noriko a laundry bag for four people. Noriko took over all the laundry duties for Shinseimaru's four people at once.
It seems that Sumiko, with whom she has become friends, is teaching her how to do laundry. Noriko's neatly ironed laundry was well received by Shinseimaru's friends. On his off-duty days, Shikishima spends his time dealing with Akiko and fixing the barracks. In the meantime, he had accumulated quite a bit of money.
First, Shikishima bought a used motorcycle. He wanted to drive some kind of vehicle. It felt so good to ride around town with Noriko on the back of my bike. The sight of the city being rapidly rebuilt, even with its cheaply constructed buildings, seemed to be ushering in a new era, and Shikishima was dazzled by it.
Shikishima decided to spruce up his barracks a little. He asked a real carpenter to rebuild part of the barracks into a real building. The new house was built with plain wood that was hard to come by during the reconstruction rush, and was more like a luxurious hut than a house, but it was equipped with a small kitchen. As Shikishima looked at Noriko happily touching him, he felt something warm overflowing in his heart.
Before he knew it, it was the season for light snow. That day, the members of Shinseimaru gathered at Shikishima's newly built small house. A small housewarming party was held.
"You built something magnificent. It was worth saving the money."
Akeno praises happily. Akeno, who seems to like children, was happy to have two-year-old Akiko in his lap. She and Mizushima are looking at the interior of her house with excitement. Noda pointed his proud camera, the Leica M2, at Noriko, who brought the rice bowl from the sink.
"Would you like one?"
"Eh, eh, that's such a waste of film."
Noriko refrained, but Noda insisted on taking pictures.
"That smile! Just keep it that way."
The shutter was pressed, and Noriko's moment was printed on silver halide film. Seeing this, Akitsu teased him.
"Hey scholar, don't fall in love with Nori-chan."
"What are you talking about? Noriko-san is a married woman. A married woman."
"Please stop. I'm not your wife."
While seeing Noriko leave with a smile, everyone looked at Shikishima with puzzled expressions.
— Isn't that your wife? —
Akitsu couldn't help but ask Shikishima.
"What does it mean?"
"I just stayed there on my own. I just left it here because I had nowhere to go."
"Then what about this child?"
"She's my stepchild. However, we're not related by blood, and she seems to be an orphan who was left in the care of her during an air raid."
Noda looked at Shikishima seriously.
"Wow, isn't it a beautiful story in this day and age?"
"I just don't think about what's next."
Shikishima's dismissive words made Akiko feel uneasy, even though she didn't understand the content of the conversation.
"Tou-chan"
Shikishima looked confused for a moment at that call. And immediately he spoke out cruelly.
"Akeno, I told you. I'm not your father."
Akiko was confused by those words, and large tears welled up in her eyes.
Mizushima panicked.
"Shikishima, isn't that bad?"
As if that was a cue, Akiko started crying loudly. Akitsu hurriedly tries to calm her down.
"Akeno, don't cry. Uncle will tell your father properly."
Noda agreed.
"It's really unhealthy."
Akitsu tried to persuade Akiko to fulfill her promise.
"You and your child are related to each other, so I adopted you like this, so make up your mind, be prepared." A playful Mizushima hugged her with both hands and used her tone of voice.
"Make me happy~"
— Happiness —
Shikishima overreacted to those words.
"Shut up! That's fine."
The usually calm Shikishima's angry voice instantly froze the atmosphere. In the awkward atmosphere, Akitsu grumbled as if to vent.
"Why?"
Noriko, who was washing the dishes, listened to this exchange with her back turned to him.
The party ended with an awkward atmosphere. After everyone left, Shikishima dragged himself a little drunk and went to look at the photo wrapped in oiled paper again.
From those photographs, it was as if he could hear the words of a curse. From behind Shikishima, Noriko said in a cheerful voice. Everyone is laughing. Hiroshi-san and I aren't like that." On the contrary, the brightness of her words conveyed Noriko's feelings in an easy-to-understand manner, and Shikishima was unable to turn his attention to her.