After hearing this, Noda followed the expressions of the people running around the port, and finally noticed that they looked very happy.
"Those guys aren't stupid either. They're well aware that this is a difficult, life-threatening operation. But they all look good, don't they? I'm happy, knowing that this time I might be able to help."
"Useful...?"
"We survived the war. That's why we should do it this time."
Mizushima, who followed Akitsu, listened to these words with a deep nod. A buoy equipped with a Geiger counter installed at sea reacted violently. The information was immediately conveyed to Noda and the others, and the main members of Operation Sea God were urgently summoned.
When everyone had finally gathered, Noda and his assistants entered the room with charts in hand and their eyes serious.
"An hour ago, there was a report that there was a response from the Gaiga 1 counter installed off the east coast of Hachijo Island at 33 degrees 1′ north latitude and 140 degrees 6′ east longitude. Then here and here as well."
Noda used a ruler to connect the points where there was a reaction. At the end of that straight line were the letters Tokyo.
"Godzilla is approaching. If we calculate backwards from this speed, Godzilla will reach the Sagami Trough at 1100 tomorrow, and we will leave the port at 0800 tomorrow morning to intercept it."
At that, Noda's expression became a little cloudy. This is because the completion of the levitation device has been delayed a little.
"The flotation device is complete... will it be there in time?"
"The president of Toyo Balloon showed a reliable smile.
"Please take us with you. The three hours until we arrive at the scene are precious. As engineers, we want to ensure perfection."
"But... I might get caught up in a fight with Godzilla."
The Toyo Balloon employees looked at each other and said.
"We are also returning from the war."
Noda was a little relieved by those words and turned to everyone.
"If possible, please go home tonight and spend time with your family."
"That means you should be prepared, right?"
Noda shook his head quietly and continued.
"...If you think about it, this country has taken life too seriously. Battlefields where the majority of deaths in battle are due to starvation or disease due to weakly armored tanks and neglect of supplies... It didn't even have an escape device. In the end, it was a kamikaze attack...That's why I want to be proud that this civilian-led operation didn't cause a single casualty. The next battle will be for the dead. It's not a battle. It's a battle to live in the future."
Everyone was overcome with emotion and nodded their heads over and over again. Meanwhile, Shikishima was the only one who quietly slipped away with a dark determination in his heart. Akitsu, Noda, and Mizushima were among the people heading to the station to return home.
Mizushima, who was starting to feel a little scared of the decision that was coming up tomorrow, said in a loud voice, trying to cheer himself up.
"It's finally tomorrow. The warrior is shaking."
Akitsu said unexpected words to Mizushima.
"You can't ride."
"Ahh"
"That's why I'm saying I can't take you."
"! What do you mean?"
"Well, those hands won't do you any good."
Noda looks amused and joins in the conversation.
"You're going to Shikishima, right? Is it because I have no experience in war? Is that what you think is useless?"
"Boy, I'm so happy that I'm not going to war."
Mizushima stopped in shock and became left behind as the two continued walking.
"Again? I can't go to battle again?"
Mizushima, who was left alone, began to scream, looking like he was about to burst into tears.
"Why won't you give me a ride? We've been together the whole time, haven't we? Please. Please let me ride too. I want to go with you too. I also want to protect this country. Please don't say such terrible things about leaving me alone! Noda-san! Captain!"
Akitsu ignored his words and quietly walked away, muttering to himself.
"I've left this country to you."
Shikishima went to pick up Akiko, who had been left in Sumiko's care as usual.
"Thank you always so much"
Sumiko felt that her polite way of speaking was a bit excessive, and looked at Shikishima with concern. Sumiko had heard that an operation to defeat Godzilla would soon be carried out, and feared that Shikishima was preparing something bad, so she watched Shikishima and Akiko leave with concern.
Shikishima asked as he came home and wiped the soles of her Akiko's feet.
"Akiko, are you having fun at your aunt's house?"
"I drew a picture."
"I see, that's good."
Akiko handed Shikishima a folded picture that seemed to have been drawn today.
"What? Can you give it to me?"
When Shikishima opened it, he saw a family of three drawn on it.
"Is this me?"
When Shikishima asked, Akiko happily nodded.
"Aki-chan and Momma"
After saying that, Akiko looked up at Shikishima.
"She said something bad," Shikishima said kindly to Akiko, who remained silent.
"Okay, dad."
"This is?"
"Okay?"
"Oh, I'm your father."
"When will Mommy come home? Dad..."
Akiko seemed to sense something in those kind words with her sharp intuition that only a child could have.
"Your father won't come home either?"
Shikishima looked at Akiko in surprise.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because..."
Frustrated by her inability to speak clearly, and vaguely worried that Shikishima might not return, Akiko's eyes immediately filled with large tears.
"Don't worry. It's not like that."
Upon hearing that, Akiko felt something in her words and started crying out loud. Shikishima couldn't help but hug Akiko, who was crying, while she patted her on the back.
However, her expression was dark and firm, as if she had made a new determination.
In the end, Shikishima could barely sleep. When Akiko fell asleep in the blue morning light, exhausted from crying, Shikishima put her futon back on her bed. Thinking that he would never see her sleeping face again, Shikishima didn't want to get up.
But time was running out.
After getting ready so as not to wake Akiko, and taking Noriko's photo and the photo of the Odo Island garrison wrapped in oil paper, he took one last look at Akiko's sleeping face. There was a peace that must be preserved.
Noda said he would fight for the future. He thought so. Shikishima placed a thick envelope into the sleeping Akiko's hand and left the house filled with memories. When he arrived at the hangar on my bike, Tachibana and the others had already finished standby. It looked like they had been working all night putting the finishing touches on it.
"Can you take it out?"
"Leave it to me. I'll prepare it right away."
Shinden was in perfect condition. Shikishima muttered as he stroked it.
"As expected."
When we got into the cockpit, Tachibana opened its nose cover and showed us what was inside. Two bombs with their stabilizing wings removed were lined up there.
"These are the bombs you ordered. Two 140kg machine guns, 120 machine guns, 80kg, and 400kg of main fuel tanks were removed, and in their place we loaded a No. 35 bomb in the nose and a No. 50 bomb in the fuselage."
"So I can finally repay my debt."
At that moment, the wall beside the cockpit began to vibrate. When Shikishima looked over to see what was going on, he saw that his hand was shaking against the wall.
"That's funny...I feel like I want to live. Haha."
"That's what the people who died that day thought. They all wanted to come back alive. But their wishes didn't come true and they were killed like insects. Because of you."
"I already know"
Shikishima's expression tightened and he pulled out an oiled paper wrapper. At that time, the portrait of the family that Akiko had drawn, which had been tucked away together, came out.
"The child who drew this is called Akiko, and I want to protect her future. I will definitely kill Godzilla, even if I stab him in the wrong direction.""
When he said that, Shikishima noticed that his hands had stopped shaking.
"Looks like you're finally ready. Now, I'm going to tell you something important. Look. This is a safety device for explosives. You pull it out just before it goes into it. And this device..."
Tachibana began to explain the control device next to Shikishima.
When Shikishima heard that explanation, he stared at Tachibana's face. He couldn't believe what Tachibana was saying. The time for departure was approaching. When Sumiko went outside, she found Akiko standing alone, holding something in her arms.
"Akira-chan, what's wrong? Are you alone?"
"Auntie. This."
What Akiko held out was a thick envelope. Inside was a wad of bills, a bankbook, and a letter.
It read, "I beg Akiko. Please use this money for Akiko."
In the bankbook, there was a considerable amount of money that Shikishima had saved through his dangerous work until today.