The Yokota Refuge

Hunger was a silent enemy, as lethal as any Calamity beast.

Before definitively abandoning the ruins of Hachioji, Ken and Natasha made one last stop at the fortress cafeteria. The place was a scene of devastation: overturned tables, puddles of dried blood, and the smell of decay. They searched the pantries, but most of the supplies had been looted or destroyed. The refrigerators, without power for weeks, contained only rotten meat and vegetables turned to black liquid.

"Here," said Natasha, tossing a wrinkled packet to Ken.

It was some stale rice crackers and a bottle of water that had rolled under a table. "It's all there is. Eat quickly."

Ken devoured the crackers without chewing, ignoring the dusty taste. As he drank the water, he looked at the floor, imagining the kilometers of tunnels beneath their feet. "Instructor..." he said, wiping the crumbs away. "...why don't we go down to the lower levels? If Kyosuke or other survivors made it, maybe they hid down there. In the labs or the underground hangars."

Natasha shook her head while chewing an energy bar she had kept in her pocket. "Too dangerous. If the enemy took the surface, the first thing they'd do is seal or gas the tunnels. Or worse, it's a creature nest now. Going down there without the right gear and just the two of us would be suicide. Better to go where we know there are living people."

Ken nodded, resigned. She was right.

They went out to the vehicle yard hoping to find a ride. Ken ran to a military truck that looked intact, but when he turned the key, the engine only coughed and died. The tank was punctured. "On foot it is," Natasha declared, tightening her boots.

They began the march north, towards the city of Fussa. The journey wasn't long, barely thirteen kilometers, but every step was heavy. Ken used the steady rhythm to read aloud the details from Yamato's diary.

"It says here..." Ken squinted to read his friend's shaky handwriting. "...'Evacuation order is general. All novice Kijin and civilian personnel are to proceed to Yokota Air Base.'"

They walked for an hour under a gray sky. They crossed cracked highways where grass grew and passed through residential areas abandoned for years, now reclaimed by nature. Vines covered rusted cars and trees sprouted from house roofs.

The most unsettling thing was the silence. To their surprise and unease, they encountered no resistance. "It's too quiet," Ken murmured, his hand on his knife's hilt. "There should be patrols, or at least beasts."

"They're regrouping. Enjoy this luck, brat."

Finally, after climbing a hill of rubble, they saw it. Yokota Air Base.

Unlike Hachioji, which was a mix of castle and technology, Yokota was a purely industrial and military fortress. Kilometers of barbed wire fences, concrete watchtowers, and gigantic steel hangars.

At first glance, it seemed as desolate as Hachioji. There was no movement on the runways. But as they approached the main gate, reinforced with steel barricades and sandbags, Ken noticed something. A glint from one of the towers. "They've seen us," said Natasha, raising her hands to show they weren't hostile.

A few seconds later, the metallic screech of heavy gears broke the silence. The armored gate began to open slowly. Before it finished opening, a squad of four soldiers came out aiming assault rifles.

"Freeze!" shouted the squad leader. "Identify yourselves and turn around!"

Ken and Natasha obeyed. Ken was nervous; human allies had never pointed guns at him before. He felt a scanner pass over his back, checking for Calamity parasites. "Clear," confirmed one of the soldiers.

"Lower your weapons."

A fifth voice, feminine and calm, resonated from the entrance. The soldiers immediately parted, showing absolute respect. "Well, well... so these two are the subjects Kyosuke is pinning his last hopes on."

A girl stepped into the light. She was short, barely 1.6 meters tall, which made her look almost harmless next to the soldiers. She had curly, light brown hair that fell just past her shoulders, and penetrating blue eyes that seemed to analyze Ken's soul in a second. She wore a customized Kijin uniform, more elegant and less tactical, and what caught Ken's attention most were her earrings: two small golden foxes that glittered in the sun.

Natasha, upon seeing her, immediately stood at attention with a perfect military salute. "Apologies for the delay, ma'am!" Natasha said with a formality Ken had never seen in her. "We encountered difficulties en route, but we are ready to return to service."

The girl with the fox earrings smiled faintly, a smile that wasn't quite warm, but not hostile either. "At ease, Natasha. No need for such formality here. There aren't enough ranks left for that."

Ken, confused by the situation and not knowing who this girl was who treated the fearsome Natasha as an equal, tilted his head. "Hey... who are you? You seem pretty short to be a boss..."

BONK! Natasha's fist impacted Ken's head with precision. "Ow!" Ken complained, rubbing his head.

"Show some respect, you animal!" Natasha hissed at him. "This is Kaori Watanabe. She is the Head of Operations and Logistics for the Fortress. Basically, the supreme commander of non-combatants in the region."

Kaori let out a soft giggle, covering her mouth elegantly. "'Supreme commander' sounds too heavy. I'm just the one who makes sure you hotheads don't run out of ammo, supplies, and food."

Kaori took a step forward and looked Ken directly in the eyes. Her blue gaze changed for a second, becoming sharp and calculating, like a fox assessing prey... or an ally. "Welcome to Yokota, Ken. Your friends are waiting for you."

She gestured with her hand and turned around. "Come in. We have a lot to plan and very little time before they decide to come finish the job."

The group crossed the steel threshold and the gates closed behind them with a dull thud. They were safe, for now.