Disclaimer: I do not own the God Eater series.

MISSION ZERO: ~PROLOGUE~

When I came to, I was in hell.

There was a big fire. The familiar city had turned to nothing but rubble and ashes, with flames greedily licking the remains of the steel and glass building structures. There was enough fire to illuminate the night sky despite the overwhelming darkness from the smog.

A pulsating sea of red flames and black mud. Rotting corpses formed sunken mountains here and there. In the descending rain of sanguineous filth, there was a crimson orb where the moon was supposed to be. An incredible mass that seemed able to crush all as it appeared to pulsate disaster after disaster while holding up the heavens. The blowing winds were like whispers of despair and curses.

It felt bizarre, knowing that I was the only thing in that place that still had its original form. I was the only one who was still alive around here. I must had been really blessed, or my home was built in a very lucky spot.

I don't know which it was, but the point is, I was the only one left alive.

I felt that since I survived, I should live on. I started walking aimlessly because I thought it would be dangerous to just stay there. I wasn't really concerned about getting burned up like the people lying around me. Probably because, over and above not wanting to end up like them, I had a stronger feeling in my mind.

But still, I had no hope.

It was already a wonder I was still alive, so I couldn't expect to be saved. I won't survive. Whatever happens, I won't be able to escape from this world of brimstone and death. It was such an absolute inferno that even a small child could understand it.

And my knees gave out. I collapsed onto the rubble, tasting the dirt and ash that were filling my lungs.

Was it because there was no air? Perhaps I already lost the function of taking in oxygen.

Either way, I collapsed and gazed at the sky filled with despair.

A mountain of corpses. Bodies crumbling away to nothingness.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Those that somehow escaped the conflagration were heavily mutilated. Devoured. Consumed by the monsters that only hell could spawn forth. The Aragami.

Humankind's greatest enemy, known as "violent gods." During the 2050's, Oracle Cells, "cells which think and devour," were discovered, consuming everything on the planet. They diverged into a variety of life-forms, into the monsters we see them today. Confronted by their overwhelming power, impervious to conventional weapons, the people compared these terrible entities to the gods of mythical lore.

Thanks to the appearance of the Aragami, urban cultures and civilizations were destroyed in a short period of time. With the gods running amok and consuming anything within their sights, who could the people turn to, when their very religions were turned against them?

A time when everyone prayed for salvation, yet none received any.

That was painful. It was so painful that even living was painful. As I numbly staggered forward without any concern, I barely took note of cries of people attempting to save their loved ones from the burning rubble, only to end up ignited in fire as the collapsing ceiling crushed them. Parents attempting to shield their children from the monstrous figures of the Aragami, only for all of them to become another one of their meals.

It was truly a miracle that I managed to get this far on my own, untouched by the flames and unnoticed by the Aragami. But the amount of despair all around me, the pain that echoed deep within my very soul, only made me feel worse. I even thought I would be at ease if I simply just disappeared into the void, caught by Death's cold embrace.

For the people who could no longer complain, I spoke with frank emotions

It was just so painful. Living was painful.

With a fading consciousness, I stretched out my weakening right arm for no reason. I didn't reach out seeking help; I just thought the sky was simply out of my distance, beyond the scope of my ability and mirroring how my life was slowly slipping away.

And then, my consciousness faded, and like a puppet with its strings cut the raised hand fell to the ground.

…No.

It should had fallen to the ground.

A soft hand grasped the powerless sinking hand.

That person came into the depth of the conflagration and discovered me.

Even to this day, I remember that face.

A figure of a young woman, with tears welling in her eyes, delighted from the bottom of her heart that she had found someone alive. She simply looked so elated that I was convinced that she was the one who was saved, not me.

Looking enviable even to my glazed eyes, the lady saved an unfamiliar child while whispering out soundless words as if thanking some higher being out there. Ironic, seeing how there were still the Aragami that didn't notice us.

And yet, all I could think of was that I was captivated by her dazzling smile.

Ah, I see.

She was smiling… because of me.

It would be nice… if I could make others smile like that as well…

Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't the Aragami that caused the world to be reduced to this state.

Mankind killed the planet on which they lived.

Throughout history humanity was a parasite, a cancer that leeched off Gaia's resources. It is in the human's nature, their very origin, to destroy. They had wiped out many animals, residents of their own home. Mankind attempted to manipulate the universal laws for their own selfish desires, and although many had paid the price with their lives when they dived too deeply into the depths of Akasha, their atrocious acts only grew in number as the human population multiplied and became more daring.

It had once protected all creatures on Earth without question, back when the planet cooled and settled from its initial form of molten magma and gas. But mankind became independent, Gaia could only see them as a source of threat for their reckless destruction of the environment.

Now, it had no choice.

The Beasts of Alaya weren't curbing the threat. Gaia is reduced to nothing but a corpse, unable to support the lives of its residents and itself. The only option for the planet to continue existing is to purge everything and restart from the beginning.

Only one thought was left in its mind as the Planet let out its final death cry.

It is time for the world to be recycled back to zero.

Author's Note:

It's been a while since I typed up a story, almost four years, I believe. To my utter disappointment, my first fiction in the Touhou verse simply lost its engines and can no longer continue. However, during my absence I discovered the God Eater series and immediately fell in love with the story, its characters, and the gameplay. I was introduced to this series with the introduction video for the recent God Eater 2: Rage Burst and the OVA produced by Ufotable, and from there I managed to get the game itself and try it out.

It had been a rather eye-opening experience.

For those who may have noticed, my story does indeed have some elements from Kinoko Nasu's Fate series and the general Type-Moon verse, but the main story takes place in the God Eater verse. For the most part this fic will be rather serious, with occasional jokes thrown here and there, but in tones similar to visual novels and the game itself.

I'll be working on a new chapter as fast as possible in the small moments of time where life actually does give me a break. Please read, like, and review my story; I would like to see what the community thinks of it as well as methods on how to improve my writing.