AN: As I am still working out some kink with DRE Vol. 1, I decided to begin work on Vol. 2 of the series instead. Of course, each installation of DRE can be enjoyed as a standalone experience with minimal knowledge needed of what happens in the other volumes. Special thanks to all the people who helped me finalize this decision as I was stuck from choosing between a couple of different series to base this volume in. Anyways, please enjoy this short entry chapter of Saya's adventures in the God Eater universe.

"You're way too slow! Stop dragging your feet and pick up the pace!" I barked as I watched the group of people I was training stumble over their own feet trying to complete the obstacle course I had built. "The Aragami aren't going to wait for you to get back up and start running again!"

It was a simple course I made to mimic areas in the ruined city next to our camp. Unfortunately it really didn't seem like these people were cut out for free-running despite being healthy adults. Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair before continuing to guide the survivors through the course. I might not be able to make them into pros, but the least I could do is to give them a little edge when it comes to running from the Aragami.

Just as the last of the survivors were finishing the course, the door to the repurposed abandoned factory burst open and a frantic man came running in.

"S-Sensei! Th-the Aragami are attacking!"

Damn! They've gotten smarter then, have they? Looks like I'm going to need to improvise some new traps.

"Alright. Thank you, Sato. Go warn the rest and initiate an evacuation. We're abandoning this camp." As the man nodded and ran out the way he came, I turned to the others to see that they all had begun panicking. "Go! Hurry and get to the escape vehicles! I'll go and assist the others in the evacuation."

Without waiting for a response, I ran out of the training grounds and out into the blazing sun. The other survivors were already running towards where all the escape vehicles were parked as a couple of small Aragami made their way into the camp and began eating away at everything in sight.

I began running into the crowd while directing people towards the escape vehicles when I heard a someone call out to me.

"Saya!"

Turning to the sound of the voice, I saw a young woman wearing a red tank top running towards me.

"Saya! Have you seen Lenka anywhere? I looked everywhere, but I can't find him!" the girl, Iroha, shouted in a frenzied panic.

I shook my head.

"Sorry. I haven't seen him. Maybe he's already at the escape vehicles," I suggested while trying to calm her down.

"No. That was the first place I checked. I thought that maybe he was training with you again so I came to find you."

This wasn't good. Don't tell me that idiot brat snuck off again. Almost all of the survivors were now out of the camp and I could hear a few of the escape vehicles begin to drive off. Meanwhile, more and more Aragami were beginning to flow into the camp.

"Alright. I'll go look for him. You just hurry up and get to the escape vehicles with your dad and get out of here," I said while pushing her behind me and running towards the feeding monsters.

"Wait! But what about-!"

"Just go!"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see her hesitate for a moment before deciding that listening to me was the best she could do right now.

There was no doubt that Lenka was the best of the survivors in terms of running and hiding from the Aragami, but when there are this many in one area…

As I was running, one of the dinosaur-like Aragami decided it would be a good idea to have me as an after meal dessert. Unfortunately for him, I'm not about to let myself be eaten that easily. My arm flashed out and the Aragami was obliterated in a brief flash of light.

Heh. Good thing this book still works against these things. If it wasn't for this little thing I would've been dead a long time ago. It was back when the Aragami first appeared when I found out the hard way that conventional weaponry doesn't work against the them. I wasted a lot of weapons trying to fend them off only for me to lose an eye and nearly lose my life.

I reached up towards my face and gingerly rubbed the black eye patch that covered my right eye, or rather where my right eye would be if it was still there. Even with the eye patch on everybody could see the nasty scar that was left when my eye was clawed out.

Out of the corner of my one good eye, I spotted a figure moving quickly through the rubble of the ruined campsite. It was too small to have been one of the Aragami so I'm guessing that's Lenka.

I quickly changed my trajectory and began sprinting in the direction I saw him running in and before long I caught sight of him just in time to see an Aragami leap out of a pile of rubble ready to blindside him.

"Lenka, move!"

Although he did react to my shout, he wouldn't be able to react in time to dodge the Aragami barreling towards him with its jaws wide open. Seriously. This idiot always causes so many problems for me.

Planting one of my feet on the ground, I propelled myself forward with a flash step which ended with me colliding into Lenka and knocking him out of the way. Unfortunately that meant that I was now standing exactly where he was.

I managed to raise my arms in front of me in some feeble attempt to block the razor sharp teeth before the Aragami slammed and pinned me to the ground.

"Sensei!" I heard Lenka call out. Knowing that idiot, he'd probably try to save me right now.

"Just go!" I yelled back as I summoned a pair of daggers into my hands to keep the Aragami from biting clean through my arms. It didn't help too much since I already felt its teeth sinking into my flesh.

"But-!"

"Go! Iroha and your dad are waiting at the evac point! If you don't hurry up and go now you'll just be putting the rest of the survivors in danger! Now you could either die here with me and have your family follow after us, or you could leave me here and save them! It's your choice!"

I could feel the boy freeze up at the mention of his sister and his father. I may be his teacher, but those two are his only family left. The decision should be easy for him.

"I'm sorry, Sensei!" I heard him say before hearing him run away.

"Heh. Nothing to be sorry for, kid."

Finally. Now I can get this stupid thing off of me.

Switching the daggers out for an unassuming book with a blank cover, I tore out a page of the book and the Aragami instantly vanished in a flash of light. Standing up, I brushed myself off and began performing a thorough check of my body. My sleeves were shredded up and multiple shallow cuts layered my arms, but it wasn't anything too severe. For now though, it'd be best for me to hightail it out of here before more Aragami find me and decided that I would make for a good meal.

Tucking the book under my arm, I began dashing through the remains of the campsite with Aragami busy feeding on anything that hasn't been taken or destroyed already.

I glanced down at my former travel journal and flipped through the remaining pages. Looks like I only have ten more shots left in this. Once this thing is gone, I'll be pretty much completely helpless in this world. The amount of magic in the environment isn't even close enough to let me use some of my lower level magical weapons let alone spells, and my near infinite arsenal of weapons is pretty much useless against these things. I guess my only choice is to head to Fenrir and become a God Eater. As much as I'd love to continue helping those survivors out I can't exactly go back to them when they think I'm dead. Well, it's no skin off my back. I was planning to head over to Fenrir anyways when I finished training Lenka. This just means my schedule got bumped forward a little bit. Heh. The last thirty-five years sure flew by in a flash.

Quickly tearing off some strips of cloth from my clothes, I wrapped up my arms and began on my long trek to Fenrir's Far East Branch.

The journey was a long one. It had taken me three whole days of travelling on foot before I finally arrived at the towering walls that marked the otherwise barren landscape. Unfortunately, in the process of getting here I used up the remaining pages in the travel journal.

As I approached one of the many gates that lined the wall, one of the God Eaters, a young man wearing a red jacket, guarding it stepped forward to greet me. The last time I came here was around fifteen years ago when Iroha found Lenka.

"Hey there!" He said with a cheerful wave as he shouldered his weapon. "Welcome to Fenrir's Far East Branch. I'm Tatsumi of the Defense Unit. What can I help you with, ma'am?"

"I want to become a God Eater," I answer.

"Ah, I see. Hold on while – wait. Are you alone?" The guy, Tatsumi asked incredulously.

I guess it's not too often for people to show up here by themselves. The smaller Aragami are easier to avoid, but those huge tiger-like things that shoot electricity everywhere can destroy an entire settlement within minutes by itself.

I nodded.

"Yes. I'm alone. I was with a group but we got separated when an Aragami attacked us."

Not exactly the whole truth, but not a lie either.

"For real? Alright. I'll put in a report later to send out a search team. For now, do you mind holding out your arm? I'm going to perform a compatibility check," the kid said as he took out a box of those clear strips and applied one on my shoulder.

I wonder how many people this guy has turned away. Although I don't exactly like Fenrir's principles, I can understand why they turn away people who can't become God Eaters. The sanctuary only has so much space and there are only so many God Eaters.

"Perfect!" Tatsumi exclaimed as he removed the patch that had now turned orange. "Alright. Head on inside, miss. There'll be another God Eater waiting inside. He'll direct you to headquarters where you'll undergo a few more tests."

Well, at least the guy is at least polite enough to not question my physical abilities because of my age. I know I don't exactly look as old as I am, but it's pretty clear that I'm still much older than him.

Stepping past Tatsumi, I moved towards the opening gate that was slowly revealing the settlement that lay inside.

Twenty years since the advent of the Aragami and now it's finally time to make a counterattack. Heh. These greenhorns who think they can fight are about to get schooled by this old woman.

Sighing, I collapsed onto one of the seats that decorated the Far East Branch's main lobby while cracking open a random drink that I had bought. Getting that Bias Factor stuff injected into me hurt like hell, but I do feel a lot stronger than I did before.

"Uh… Hey there!"

Hm?

I glanced to the side where that voice originated from to see young boy wearing some kind of getup. The scarf and knitted cap really clashed with the midriff exposing sleeveless jacket and baggy shorts. Seriously. Is this kid trying to stay warm or cool off?

"Yeah? Need something?" I asked as the kid sat down across from me.

He shook his head.

"Oh, no. Not really. I'm new here so I thought that I might as well go around and introduce myself to my seniors," he said as he held out his hand. "I'm Kota Fujiki, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

Senior? Ah, I guess saw my looks and got the wrong idea. I guess it is kind of strange to have a recruit to be older than some of the veterans.

"Heh. I'm glad you think I'm some kind of hotshot, but I just started today, too. In fact, I just got this thing put on me," I said while grabbing his hand and giving it a firm shake. "The name's Saya."

"Huh?! For reals? From the way you look I just assumed that you were a God Eater for a long time."

I couldn't help but chuckle at his comment.

"Don't get the wrong idea, boy. I've gotten into plenty of scuffles with Aragami in the past. I'm just a bit late to the party 'cause I've been busy with other things."

"Daaamn! So you came from outside the wall? You must be a badass to be able to survive out there."

"I wouldn't quite say that. I've gotten good at running and hiding from Aragami, but I don't really know how to handle a God Arc."

Speaking of, shouldn't it be time for that medical checkup sometime soon? I was told to wait here after getting this bracelet put on me, but quite some time has already passed.

Kota in the meantime had begun rummaging around in his pockets in search of something.

"By the way, Kota. What made you decide to become a God Eater? From what you've told me I can assume that you grew up here, right?" I asked. For a kid like him, I can imagine that he decided to become a God Eater just because he thought that they were cool.

"Hm? Oh! Well… It's true that I've lived inside the walls for my entire life, but I've also seen a couple of Aragami myself," he replied as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. "My family and I live in the Outer Ghetto, you see? So whenever an Aragami breaks through the wall the people in the Outer Ghetto are the ones that get hit first. Of course, the God Eaters do everything they can to help us, but that didn't stop some of the people I knew from dying in those attacks."

The Aragami can break through the walls? I see. So even Fenrir isn't safe from these things. This world is even more screwed than I first thought

"I see. So you became a God Eater so you could protect your family and friends, then?

Kota chuckled sheepishly and nodded.

"Yep. That's right. It's nothing really that noble like saving to world or anything. I know something like that's kinda impossible for me so I'll just stick to protecting the things I can."

Huh. This kid isn't as naïve as I thought he was. I'm kind of impressed.

"I see. You must really love your family."

"That's right! They're pretty much all I've got in this world. Oh, oh! In fact, my lil' sis made this outfit for me! It's based off the main character of Bugurally!" Kota exclaims excitedly.

"Bugurally?"

"Oh yeah. You came from outside, so you probably don't know. Bugurally is-!"

Before Kota could continue, he was interrupted by a woman who had walked up behind him and cleared her throat.

"Saya. Dr. Sakaki is ready for your medical checkup. Do you need assistance in finding his office?"

Standing up, I tossed my empty drink can into the nearby trash can and shook my head.

"I asked Hibari earlier and she told me where it is. I'll be fine on my own, thank you."

"Very well then," the woman replied. "Kota Fujiki. You will go for your medical checkup after Saya is finished."

The boy started at the mention of his name and leapt to his feet with a salute.

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

"Good. I am Tsubaki Amamiya. After the both of you are finished with the doctor, you are to immediately report to me to begin your training. Am I understood?"

""Yes ma'am!"" Kota and I replied in unison.

Well now. I suppose I should head off in that case. Once this checkup is done it's finally time for me to start on my path as a God Eater.

-NORN-

Saya

The first New-Type to join the Far East Branch.

Dr. Paylor Sakaki's medical check acknowledges the high potential in the individual. Assigned to the branch at the same time as Kota Fujiki.

Loadout:

Label: New-Type Pioneer

Melee: Claudia

Gun: Castor Pollux

Shield: Incitatus

Modules: Speed, Step Distance

Predator Style: Skirmisher

Favorite Bullet: Drill Spread

Style: Fauna Suit, Fauna Slacks