Mira’s Assistant sat in the interrogation and interview room, adjusting the microphone. Sitting before him was Ivan—the leader of the Russian group, a man whose shoulders seemed wider than the doorway. His presence filled the room with a sense of composure.

  "Hello, Ivan," the Assistant began, switching on the recorder.

  "Hello," he nodded curtly.

  "Tell us about yourself for the group's general archive."

  Ivan sighed, his voice sounding like the rumble of distant thunder.

  "I’m 28 years old. Born in blah-blah-blah, studied in blah-blah-blah. I’ve been in the Defense Corps for nine years now. You know, even back in school, I knew I didn't want to sit around in an office. I wanted something real. Though, back then, no one told me that this 'real' would be so heavy. When I turned 24, I was entrusted with the 'Northern King' suit, Dragon level. My contracts are only with proven, 'popular' demons—in our country, questionable deals aren't encouraged; other entities influence the psyche too much. Every time I put on this suit, I feel its unthinkable power and... a fear of it. But over the years of service, I’ve learned to live with it."

  The Assistant made a note on his tablet.

  "Good. Tell us about your people who came with you."

  "Well, I met Istan when I first joined the Corps. We’ve been friends ever since; we’ve been through a lot. He’s an excellent fighter, reliable, though he’s currently stalled at 83% synchronization. He’s afraid that’s his ceiling."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Ivan paused for a moment, mentally listing the others:

  "Ruslan has been with us for four years. Still young, works in close and mid-range combat. He handles heavy weapons as if they were toys, but he’s absolutely hopeless at long-range. He’s married, has kids... so he doesn't take unnecessary risks. He acts calculatingly, just like the rest. Vlad—also close combat, 87% sync. All of us have Dragon-level suits."

  "And the women in your group?"

  "Maria is our angel and demon in one bottle. Unlike us, her suit is specialized: she can heal others by transferring life force, or, conversely, drain it. Anastasia—close combat."

  Ivan suddenly smiled, and his stern face softened.

  "And Alibek. He’s probably the only one among us whose psyche is absolutely fine. Always cheerful, always positive, even though he stopped at 79% synchronization. But you know, there are very few people capable of wielding long-range weapons at that level, and the help from them in the field is colossal. Without him, we would often find ourselves at a dead end."

  The Assistant looked at the tablet, where the next name was glowing.

  "How do you feel about Subject Zero? What can you tell us about him?"

  Ivan went silent. He tapped his fingers slowly on the table, picking his words.

  "Subject Zero..." he sighed. "All these suits we wear, all this Dragon-level Kaiju flesh—he's the one who killed them all. His power... it’s... To be honest, I would really like to meet him in person. Just to shake his hand. To say thank you."

  Ivan looked seriously into the camera.

  "He did a lot for us. He saved my life more than once, the lives of my comrades, and even the old generation of exterminators back when we were still in school. If we are ever given the chance to communicate with him directly—we would be immensely grateful. It would be the greatest honor."

  The Assistant nodded, turning off the voice recorder.

  "Thank you, Ivan. That will be all for today."

  After the exterminator left, the Assistant stared at the closed door for a long time. The respect these "biological tanks" felt toward Arkgrim was almost religious.