(V3) Chapter 7: The Only Human Among Sentinels

The neighborhood remained still despite the chaos brewing on the streets.

Haru stood there in horror, fists trembling in tension.

He can’t lose her again. Not now.

If he could defeat the two kidnappers at once, he would have enough time to follow the other one carrying Ayase.

But no, the alleyway was already thundered with the footsteps of the approaching men.

Haru staggered to his feet, blood still rushing in his ears from the earlier blow. The kidnapper carrying Ayase had already vanished into the maze of houses, and in his place stood two other men, similarly dressed in sleek black coats and earpieces, flanking the path forward.

Haru clenched his fists. No weapons. No plan. Just a burning need to save Ayase.

"Move," he growled.

They didn’t.

Instead, the one on the right lunged.

Haru barely ducked the first strike and countered with a desperate punch, landing a heavy hit against the man’s abdomen.

The man staggered backward, and his face twitched beneath his black shades.

A perfect hit. But the cost—his fist felt like it landed on concrete.

"Bulletproof vest?" Haru thought, staring at his red-tinged fist.

The other one stepped forward, and Haru raised his guard for defense, but he was already trembling—limping from the damage dealt. His vision already wavered but he refused to back down.

"Come!" he taunted.

And so the kidnappers did.

A blinding light flashes before him, making him squint. It was from the man he punched earlier, trying to impair him and obscure his teammate's movement.

Then a powerful blow struck him squarely across his chest. And another, then he was slammed against the wall. The wind was knocked out of his lungs. He fell.

His body slumped to the ground, and he tried desperately to suck breath into his lungs, but every breath felt heavier than ever. Sweat and blood poured from him as he struggled to sit up.

The fight wasn’t even close—they were trained, brutal and efficient. Haru fought back with everything he had, but desperation wasn’t enough.

He was going to lose.

Not just the battle. But Ayase too.

The kidnapper pulled something from his coat's pocket, revealing a handgun pointed at Haru's head. The steel felt cold against his forehead.

Wordless. No room for negotiation. Just the will to pull the trigger.

Haru couldn't stand up. Couldn’t defend himself.

Couldn’t save anyone.

Memories of Ayase flashed before him. His mother's determined eyes. His father's righteous acts. Akio-san's tough love.

He closed his eyes, ready for the end.

But then—a shadow appeared behind the two attackers.

Its movements were swift like lightning.

The first man didn’t even get the chance to turn before a sharp burst of electricity exploded through his back.

TZZZK!

He dropped like a sack of wheat.

The second man turned in time to see the edge of the taser before it cracked against his neck.

TZZZK! CRACK!

He collapsed.

Haru snapped his eyes open, gasping.

He blinked through the haze.

And then there was a glowing blue eye at the horizon.

Allain.

He stood in front of him, calm, composed, and completely unbothered. He was still staring and grasping on the taser as if it was just another toy.

"Crispy," he muttered, and kicked the knocked agent out of his way.

Behind him was a tall, elegant figure with long blonde hair cradling Ayase gently in her arms like porcelain.

Ichika.

She walked forward quietly, almost glowing under the flickering alley lights. Ayase, unconscious and pale, lay unmoving in her grasp. Her uniform was wrinkled, her pink hair a mess. But the most important part was that she was safe.

And behind them…the man who had taken her lay slumped against a wall, completely unconscious. A clean boot print on his jaw.

Haru's thoughts were on a complete spiral, but he managed to spit words that managed to reflect his confusion.

"...You?" he rasped, wincing. "Why the hell did you save us?"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, lowlife. I didn't come for you."

Haru tensed, "Then why?"

Allain didn’t answer immediately.

He scoffed, snapping his fingers.

"Haven't I made it clear before?" he questioned coldly. "I am the only one that kills you."

"Do I take that as a compliment?" Haru responded with a smile.

Allain's eyes narrowed. Before Haru could react, his shoe rocketed into his face.

Haru was sent to the pavement, rolling beside the broken grocery bags.

"The hell are you smiling about?" Allain spat, gritting his teeth. "You think this is a theater play?"

He marched closer and lifted Haru by the collar.

"You're pathetic," Allain hissed. "Too weak. You couldn't even protect her. She chose you over us, now this is how you repay her?"

Haru groaned in pain, clutching his ribs. “So what…you son of a—”

Allain slammed his head against Haru, knocking him back.

Blood dripped from Haru's face onto the concrete, pooling around his torso.

"Allain," Ichika stepped in, calm but firm. "Enough."

Allain growled but stepped back, his hands still twitching with tension. "This dimwit thinks that protecting Ayase is some kind of pushover quest. I gave Ayase a choice to kill herself or kill him, now this low-grade meatbag goes nuts and tries to kill themselves together."

Allain wipes the spare blood on his head. "And he thinks he's ready for what’s coming."

"He isn't, of course." Ichika remarked gently. "Just a little too lucky we started to trail after them."

Ichika knelt beside Haru.

"She needs you now," she said softly. "That’s all that matters."

She gently placed Ayase into Haru’s arms. Haru cradled her instinctively, jaw clenched.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Haru mumbled, checking Ayase for further injuries, despite his vision swimming. "Didn't even need you two at all."

"You deadweight—!" Allain snaps behind them.

"No, Allain." She stopped him. "I know he's stupid. Beating him won't knock sense in his head. Let him figure that out on his own."

She stands up, and slightly adjusts her long blonde hair that cascaded down to her waist.

"For now, help me pick up their groceries." she said lightly.

"Go do it on your own." the blue-haired bombshell retorts angrily. "I don’t want to carry any more weight around."

"Okay then."

Ichika bent down and picked up one of the crushed grocery bags. Some of the food and supplies became an irreversible mess. She calmly started gathering what was salvageable.

She stops when she sees a familiar container lying on the alley.

“…Parfaits again?”

Haru stood up carrying Ayase and looked away. “She really wanted them. Strawberry flavor.”

Ichika gave him a small, sad smile. “Pinky always liked the simple things."

There was no resentment in Ichika’s voice—only quiet nostalgia.

Pinky was a name that Haru never expected Ayase to be called.

He watched her hands move. It was graceful and deliberate. Even when things fell apart, she stayed calm. So unlike Allain.

And that small act felt more grounding than anything else. He thought Ichika was another version of the glaring boy before her.

"She was a Sentinel at birth, but she never acted like one. She talked a lot about humans and their kindness, and that boy who was always alone in the shelter. He gave her a toy, probably kept it till now. She said it was the first act of kindness she received and never looked away again, despite how hard Allain tried."

"Orphanage?" Haru repeated. "So you mean...her life started as a child and grew up?"

"Oh?" Ichika gasped, already finished recovering the first grocery bag. "You didn't know?"

Haru nodded. "I thought the avatars of Sentinels remain till their expiration date. Of course, that's the opposite of CARE models."

CARE Sentinel models, as he remembered, are those Sentinels that bond with kids and look and act exactly like them. Ayase on the other hand, as Ichika stated, grows and mature like a human.

Now Ayase might have been the most complicated thing ever invented by humans. It makes sense now why there are people after her so much.

Ichika laughed, a little fuller this time.

"Let's say Pinky is quite—too advanced. Our group also thought she was a CARE model, but no, our girl grew up. And her level of empathy is amazing. She once fed a stray cat and called her a ‘cousin’ in another life."

The place fell quiet as Ichika finally finished sorting all salvageable groceries and handed it to Haru.

"Oh, right." she murmured. "Guess I have to walk the two of you home."

"You think you can just leave me here?" Allain grumbled. "Why the heck the three of you are already allies?"

"We're not." Ichika argued lightly. "I can kill him right now but too bad, Pinky needs him too much."

"He's just lucky." Allain responded. "If he was just another boy that stands in our way, I'll crush him beneath my heel."

"Allain." Ichika calls out, grounding him. "Enough. Emotions drain energy. Just go back to our base and clean up."

"Don't lecture me."

He scowled one last time at Haruki before pulling his hood forward.

"I wonder why the heck she chose this life with you."

"And you think she owes you an explanation?" Haru asked. "Figure that one out."

Allain stepped forward, one glowing eye pulsing. But Ichika blocked him with an arm extended sideward.

“She doesn’t owe anyone anything,” she dictated. “Especially not us. She wanted to be free. Let us respect that, we're the ones that she entrusted with after all.”

Allain let out a sharp exhale and turned away. "Ayase and then you, Ichika. How disappointing, though you know why I'm trying to wage this war."

"I know." Ichika answered. "But meeting him, he doesn't sound like a bad guy."

"You'll be the next victim of those 'emotions' you're lecturing."

“I know my deal. I played through a thousand simulations before acting like this.”

Hearing that, Allain scoffed and left, disappearing in the shadows.

***

The room door opened and Haru immediately set Ayase to her bed and wrapped her in a blanket.

She looked peaceful, as if nothing happened.

He cradled Ayase close, gently brushing strands of hair from her cheek, checking for bruises. There were none.

She looked so comfortable. Dreaming, maybe.

He let out a shaky breath. Allain was right. He failed to protect Ayase tonight, and he will on the next time, knowing that someone can send more and more stronger people to take her away.

Behind them was a rustle of plastic bags and the figure of Ichika waiting on the door outside.

"Let me guess, Pinky arranged this, right?"

"How do you know?" Haru asked.

"This is exactly how she arranged our base back then. Living room is filled with flowers and toys. Fridge with chocolates and parfaits. It feels similar. Plus, Pinky really loves heart shaped pillows and cat plushies."

Haru hummed in agreement.

"And by how this apartment looks," she paused. "You care about her."

Haru looked once more around Ayase’s room—or his former room. The difference from months back then before she came was wild. It has already transformed into a princess’ lounge.

“…Yeah. Of course I do.”

“She cares about you, too,” Ichika said. “More than she ever said out loud.”

He fell quiet.

“And she’s pretty straightforward about her feelings. I never thought that simple acts of kindness would move her too much. As if I was that long lost savior she was waiting.”

Ichika chuckled softly, voice warm with memory. “That sounds exactly like her. She always wanted to live. Not just exist. That’s the difference between her and us AURAs. And we’re giving her that.”

Living and not just existing.

Haru saw Ayase’s image on his head. The first morning she cooked for him—the first time he shared meals with her. The mall getaway, her request of a heart-shaped pillow.

The strawberry bandages.

Fuwa-chan.

Their ‘baby’.

He understood what it meant.

Haru nodded, looking down. “She’s always been warm. I thought maybe that was just…who she really was. At first I thought she was just like me, a broken mess and a human. When she said she wasn’t, I didn’t fear her at all.”

With the weight of memories and emotions piling on top of him, Haru exhaled softly. “She’s different. Too different from the kind that I hated.”

“That’s who she chose to be—with you.” Ichika said.

He looked up at her.

“She slowed down,” Ichika continued gently. “Not because she stopped being who she was. But because you gave her something she never had before.”

“What’s that?”

Ichika’s purplish eyes glimmered.

“A place to rest.”

Haru blinked. His throat tightened.

“...I don’t know if I’ve earned that,” he refuted. “I couldn’t even protect her today.”

Ichika stepped forward. She placed a hand on Haru’s shoulder—not heavy, not mechanical. Just steady.

“You don’t have to protect someone to be their home, Haru.”

He looked at her.

Ichika’s gaze was kind. “You just have to be there when they wake up. When they sleep.”

She stopped, her hands drifting to Haru's cheeks.

“...When they need you.”

There was a long pause. The sounds of the world outside room windows—distant traffic, buzzing neon—felt distant.

Then Ichika turned around and prepared to leave.

“She wanted a quiet life. I think she found a piece of it with you. Even if it’s not going to last.”

Haru looked at her, pain tightening in his chest.

“She deserves more than this,” the voice came out hoarse from his throat. “More than hiding. More than running.”

“She deserves the choice. That’s all she ever wanted.”

Haru nodded slowly, watching Ayase’s sleeping face.

“You know,” Ichika continued. “I may not be able to express it but…I'm so glad that it had to be you.”

“...Me?”

“The one that Ayase chose. We've been watching over her, abused, overworked—underpaid by the humans she ‘trusted’, and when we intervened, she always smiled with that usual "I believe that they will change" alibi, albeit already obvious that they won't.”

His heart ached. Ayase served and trusted others unconditionally, to an extent of risking her own life in the process. She was a victim of belief, as much as anyone else—but Haru, who had been with her all this while, could see no pain behind Ayase's eyes. Just a fragile hope that everything will be better tomorrow.

A gut punch. He should've scolded her about it, but he can't.

“And that's why I wanted her to stay for longer, so she won't have to think about anyone breaking her again.”

Ichika gave him a strained smile, almost forced—a smile that concealed a painful truth.

“...I can't promise that…”

Haru gulped, a stray tear welling up in his eyes.

“Because of what? Her lifespan is dwindling?”

Ichika stops immediately, visibly astounded by his question.

"Can I not answer that? I just don't want you to think about it a lot. Just focus on the present and how you will provide her with that life she sought.”

"Right. It's probably better not knowing."

Haru blinked away the stray tear that streamed on his cheek before anything else could follow.

“…Thank you.”

Ichika smiled faintly. “You can thank me by keeping her safe. Next time, try not to get yourself half-killed before I get there.”

He huffed a tired laugh. “No promises.”

"And thank you for bringing her to school. That's probably the best thing you've done."

"You sure trailed us very well."

Ichika smirked, "Easy targets. Like those government agents."

Menace crawled to his skin.

“I wonder why they’re after her.”

“She looks like the only human among Sentinels. They don't want her for what she is, they want her for what she could become. The technology in her was more than any Sentinel out there. And they still don't know who built her."

Haru’s blood ran cold. "Only human?"

"Like I said," Ichika spoke softly. "Too advanced for her own good. Allain gave her that remark, as she treated Pinky like a real human like you. You weren't the first, and he'll also protect her at all costs."

"Too ironic for what he does best." Haru sighed.

"He's just trying to test her spirit." Ichika elaborated. "Not everyone will see her like we saw her. They see her as a reward, a luxury…but we…we saw her as our sister."

All of those times Haru saved Ayase reeled before him. The flower shop owner, and probably the other owners before that abused her.

"Well, at least Allain seems to have more courage than he has brains."

"He's just too bitter that Pinky chose a human like you." she grinned.

After Ichika left, Haru heaved a long and heavy sigh.

He sat there in silence, watching Ayase breathe.

Whatever came next, he had to be ready.

Because the monsters weren’t just in the shadows anymore.

They wore suits.

And they were coming.