Author Note: This story contains strong violence that could be quite disturbing. In addition, there is also mild swearing every now and again. I believe this is necessary to portray the realism of a post-apocalyptic life filled with malevolent beasts that are threatening the remnants of humanity. I will of course ensured it stays as T rated as intended, and shrive not to go anything above that.

It may take a while to update new chapters, as I have work and other commitments in real life, and can only write when I have the free time to do so. I may occasionally edit previous chapters if I come across spelling mistakes, citing sources from quotes I've taken and anything relevant I like to add.

This is my first fanfic. Having been around the site for quite a while and participated in many RPs in the past, I decided to have a go writing a story at last. I am a fan of the God Eater series. I've taken a liking to it, as it's pretty similar to Monster Hunter, but not so extremely difficult for a casual gamer like me to handle. And unlike Monster Hunter, it has a character-driven story. I've played Burst when it came out on PSP. And later, the remake Resurrection and the sequel, Rage Burst on PS4. I have also watched the anime adaptation and read a few of the manga such as the Spiral Fate and 2nd Break.

The story will be based on the first game's story-line with some original elements involved. As far as shipping goes, I'm still undecided. I mean I don't want to go and ship characters just for the sake of it, not unless I believe it can actually work. We'll see how it goes as the story progresses.

In the meantime, please enjoy the story and leave a comment if you like.

Disclaimer: First and foremost, I do not owned the God Eater series. Everything except my original characters and elements, are rightfully the property of Bandai Namco Entertainment. There is no financial gain to be made from this, nor will any be sought. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 1

Fenrir America Branch, 2067

Four years ago

Kiyoka Matsuo was faced with a dilemma as her gaze fell upon the pool table. She only needed to pot the black ball to win the final frame and the game itself, after a thrilling close match against her opponent. However, it was easier said than done. The black ball unfortunately, was not placed at the most ideal of angles, as it was positioned too close to the cushion than she would have wanted.

She ran a hand through her silver hair, wondering if she should play a safety shot or play for the winning shot; both options were fifty-fifty in her mind.

"So, what's it going to be, Miss Matsuo?"

Her gaze shifted over to the young woman, who asked the question; Ashley Sanchez, a fellow squads mate in Alpha Team and a good friend of hers, whom she had known since before they join Fenrir. Behind Ashley, she could see a small crowd who has taken interest to watching the match, and were eagerly waiting for her to make the shot.

"You know what? I'll take the shot." Kiyoka replied, having decided to go for broke. For such an epic match, she didn't wish to disappoint and bored the spectators by playing defensive at this stage of the game.

After a deep breath she leaned forward and placed the cue stick over the open bridge of her other hand, her red eyes fixed steadily on the cue ball. The stick slides back and forth until she was satisfied with the balance, and then she held her breath.

'Here goes nothing!'

She struck the cue ball hard with the tip of the stick, which hit against the black and send it towards the corner pocket at a blistering pace. For a moment, she thought the black had gone in. However to her dismay, it didn't. Instead, the ball ricochets twice off the cushion with the white following closely behind in parallel. Then both balls were stopped conveniently at the pocket her opponent had chosen. With a comfortable straight angle and short distance, it was the easiest of shots gifted away to her opponent. The crowd was murmuring in the background, as they couldn't believe what had happened.

And before she knew it, she had lost the game when her opponent stepped up for his turn and calmly pots the black in. There were rapturous cheers and applause the moment the game ended. She appeared gutted at her defeat, whilst her opponent looked delighted at his victory. It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she glanced over to meet the hazel eyes of Ashley.

"Cheer up," Ashley said, trying to console her friend. "You was just unlucky, that's all."

However, Kiyoka shook her head as she disagreed. "Nah. It ain't got nothing to do with luck," she said, her southern accent coming through strongly. "I simply screw up. Shoulda played a safety instead…"

In spite of her defeat, she was gracious enough to shake her opponent's hand and offer a word of congratulation. The lounge had quiet down drastically after the pool game with the crowd dispersing to do their own business.

"I still can't believe we got nothing going on for a whole month," Kiyoka said, as she took her seat at the far corner booth; Ashley joined her across the table. "Kind of bored just waiting around on stand by."

"You make it sound as though that's a bad thing," Ashley said, taking a swig off her bottle of root beer. "It's not often we get R&R, especially in our line of work. I say we should enjoy this rare opportunity of a break as much as we can."

"I suppose…" Kiyoka cracked open a can of iced cold coffee. "It's just that… I don't know. Whenever I use my God Arc during training simulations. It feels restless, like it's itching for real Aragami flesh."

Just as she sipped her coffee and enjoy the cool caffeine down her throat, she felt the PDA vibrated in her shorts pocket; Ashley too felt the same, as she fumbled for hers in her duster coat. Both women whipped out their devices simultaneously, and their eyes widened as they read the message that popped up on the screen:

'Attention,

God Eaters of Alpha and Bravo Team,

Assemble immediately in the briefing room for an urgent mission,

Major Maria Valentine'

"Well, how about that?" Gulping down the remaining root beer from her bottle, Ashley adjusted the brim of her cowboy hat. "Looks like you got your wish after all, Ms Matsuo."

A smile crept up on Kiyoka's face, along with the glint in her eyes. After a whole month of being on standby, her unit was finally getting back into action.

"Oh right, it's show time!" she said, sounding excited as she shoot up from her seat. "I'ma get my big sis right away! See you in the briefing room!"

Kiyoka bolted for the exit. Her enthusiasm was that of an excited cowboy who was ready for a rodeo. She searched frantically for her older sister around the base, who was neither seen in the hall, nor the canteen or her bedroom. Eventually, she tracked her down, after somebody pointed out her last known location. She wasted no time rushing up the stairs leading to the roof, pushing the door open on her way.

"Hey, big sis! We-"

She would have finished whatever she needed to say if not for the mere fact she happened to be intruding upon a young couple's intimate moment. The man had his arms wrapped around the woman's waist, while she had hers around the back of his neck. Neither of the two was seemingly aware of her presence, as they continued their passionate kiss with the evening twilight in the background like a scene from out of a romance movie.

Sighing, Kiyoka didn't particular wish to interrupt the intimate moment; a man and a woman in love wasn't any of her business. If it weren't for the fact however, the young couple in question were needed in the briefing room, she'll be glad to have left them be. Clearing her throat, she hoped she had been able to break the two out of their own little world. And sure enough, the young couple parted their lips from one another, and their gaze fell upon her.

"Kiyoka," The young woman called out to her, with a smile on her face. "Something you need from me, little sister?"

"Uh, yeah, Reika. We got a mission," Kiyoka replied. "Have you even checked the message on your PDA? I thought you'd known it by now…"

It was only after she took out her PDA from her shorts pocket, Reika had realized her little sister had spoken truth. "You're right. Can't believe I didn't realize this until now. Thanks, little sister."

"Jeez, you should be more aware of stuff like this, big sis… You're the Captain of Alpha Team, remember that?"

Both Matsuo sisters looked very much alike to the point they could be described as twins, even though they are four years apart. They had the same silver hair and red eyes that was inherited from their parents, same fashion sense with their cut off jean shorts and cowboy boots like some rogue southern belles, same matching tribal lower back tattoo and navel piercing.

The only differences were, Reika had a longer hair reaching past her shoulders, while Kiyoka's was shorter at neck length. The older sister wore a brownish bomber jacket; where as the younger sister had black denim jacket. She had roses inked to her lower right leg rather than butterflies. Appearance aside however, their personalities were different from one another.

"And you, Vice-Captain, Joshua Marshall," Kiyoka pointed her finger briefly at the man beside her older sister. "You should be reminding the Captain of her responsibility. Instead, you are just as absentminded as her…"

Joshua lets out a chuckle in response as he rubbed the back of his black hair. "You're right. My bad." he said with a huge smile, revealing his almost unnatural white teeth that contrasted nicely with his dark skin.

The vice-captain then turned to his squad leader. "Shall we go, babe?"

"Of course, honey." Reika replied affectionately, her palm cupping his cheek.

Once more, the young couple embraced and their eyes closed as they locked lips with one another.

"Good lord, will you two just get a room already..." Kiyoka said, cringing as she watched Reika and Joshua acting all lovey-dovey like some love-struck teenagers. "It's like a damn romance novel..."

"What's that, my sweet little sister? You wouldn't happen to be jealous now, would you?" Reika asked, with a smug on her face. "Cos if you are, I can't have that kind of negative emotion during the mission. That will be problematic for the whole team."

"Me, jealous? Don't be stupid. I ain't jealous..."

"You know, I can't recall the last time I've ever seen a boy asking you out." The elder Matsuo continued her teasing. "You poor, poor thing. At this rate, it looks like Ash might end up having to play the role of a man for you."

"Do shut up, please…"

"Now, now, you shouldn't tease your little sister like that," Joshua said, as the vice-captain tried to be the voice of reason. "She's still young with a whole life ahead of her. I'm sure there's plenty of time for her to meet the love of her life."

As always, Joshua was the nice and thoughtful guy, hence why he was able to easily make friends with his fellow God Eaters and the support staff around the base. More over, he was a great example of a real gentleman, who was kind and courteous especially towards women. Perhaps, that's what made Kiyoka realized why her older sister fell in love with the vice-captain, who loved everything about him from his powerful muscular build like a maiden's fantasy to his irresistibly, charming smile. If things were a little different back then, maybe she would have fell for him and taken Reika's place instead…

Her eyes widened, and she quickly pushed the thought to the back of her mind. It made her guilty to even dare to fantasize about her sister's man. The last thing she ever wanted to do was destroying the bond she had with her older sister by acting on those feelings. For the fifteen years of her life since she had known Reika, she believed her sister deserves her moments of happiness, after the crap life she's been through when they used to live outside the walls.

"Captain Matsuo and Vice-Captain Marshall, the two of you are tardy as usual," said Major Maria Valentine, her green eyes remained fixed on the screen of her tablet, even as she heard Reika and Joshua entering the briefing room.

The Branch Commander of Fenrir America Branch was all about professionalism, if that white suit of hers was of any indication. She was a no-nonsense officer truly dedicated to her duty, which wasn't surprising given her strong military background where family members served in the United States Marine Corps before the apocalypse. The Major may not have been a marine herself, but she nonetheless shrives to live up to the standard, and expects the subordinates under her command to maintain some level of standards themselves.

Judging from the Major's tone towards Reika and Joshua, it wasn't the first time the esteemed Alpha Team leader and her subordinate had come late for a mission briefing, nor does she doubt it'll be the last time. Under normal circumstances, she would have chewed the two out like the stern, commanding officer she was. However, time was pressing.

"Have a seat, so we can begin."

Reika took her seat beside her younger sister on the bench, who had already gone ahead to the briefing room after their encounter on the roof. Joshua sat next to his captain and lover. Sitting just behind Kiyoka, were Ashley and the other two Alpha Team members, Rachel Jones and Daniel Alonso. Unlike herself, Reika and Joshua, Rachel and Daniel weren't exactly locals. Her two comrades were transferred a long while ago from the England Branch, and had known each other since their time there.

There was another set of benches on the other side of the briefing room, where the four members of Bravo Team had already taken their seats. Marcus Werner was the leader, a recent transfer from the Germany Branch who quickly rose through the rank and became the captain of the unit. His vice-captain was, Danielle Rossi, another recent transfer who came from the Italy Branch. Lastly, the remaining two who filled the Bravo Team rooster were the Irish twin brothers, Alex and Nathan Connor.

"Thank you all for coming here on such short notice," Maria began, as she finally looked up, her hand adjusted the rim of her black glasses. "Like I said on the message, you are all needed for an urgent mission. Without further add, let's begin…"

The Major made a gesture at the female operator sat at the desk beside the podium. The operator nodded, and was heard tapping on the keyboard. A moment later, the huge cinema-like screen that was mounted up against the wall behind where the branch commander stood, had lit up and many of the presented God Eaters in the room had their eyes widened.

It was a map grid of the West Coast of United States. There were numerous, pulsing red dots of various sizes scattered all over the grid – all of which indicated Aragami signatures as far as the motion sensors could scanned. Some were alone and isolated; others were in a small group. However, over at the Nevada region, lays a much bigger red mass that made the God Eaters of both teams felt alarmed. It was a horde of Aragami, they realized.

From geography study, they understood their branch was located close to the ruins of San Francisco in the California region. Nevada itself happened to be a neighboring state that borders California in the east.

"Oh, sweet Jesus…" Joshua was heard calling the Lord's name, as he rose up from his seat. Kiyoka had a glance over to Reika, who remained in her seat with her arms and legs crossed, showing a neutral expression on her face. Her older sister was rather calm, despite the situation.

"We've been monitoring this herd since this morning at eleven hundred hours," Maria resumed her briefing, after running a hand through her violet hair. "At first, the numbers didn't seem threatening. However, as hours after hours have passed, more and more Aragami have converged at the ruins of Boulder City."

It was then a satellite image was brought up, revealing Aragami of various forms among the herd. The most populated form of the Aragami, were the bipedal, hairy beast with a demon-like face known as the Orgretail, followed by dozens of giant ape monsters, the Kongou. However, the most distinctive of all the Aragami, was the tiger-like Vajra that stood on top of a rock, making a pose that clearly suggested it was the alpha of the pack.

"To put it simply, ladies and gentlemen. We cannot ignore this herd and leave it be. Whether or not it has any intention of heading towards our branch is irrelevant. It's a major threat that needs to be dealt with now before it becomes too problematic in the future. To that end, I'm sending out the two best units to handle this problem. Alpha and Bravo."

The Major stepped out of the podium, her hands behind her back as she addressed the God Eaters with an assertive tone. "Your objective is pretty simple, God Eaters. Go out there and put an end to this threat at once. It won't be an easy battle, given the size of this herd but I trust you'll triumph in the end. I wouldn't have picked your teams for this mission if I didn't believe you have what it takes to succeed. So prove me right."

As she observed around the briefing room to gauge the reactions of the God Eaters, she realized the majority of them looked motivated, all ready and raring to go. The squad leaders on the other hand, were seemingly composed.

"Are there any questions?" Maria asked.

After a moment or two, none of the God Eaters assembled in the briefing room had answered. As a matter of fact, they didn't feel the need to ask any questions. They were all seasoned warriors, who knew what the stake was and had fully understood what needed to be done to secure the safety of their city. The Major took their complete silence as a "no".

"Then finish your mission, and come back home in one piece. Understood?"

Having received their marching orders, the God Eaters of both Alpha and Bravo Teams stood up in attention at once, before they delivered a sharp salute at their branch commander, and shouted "Hooyah! Yes, ma'm!" in unison.

The helipad was bustled with activity, as crew-members prepared two aircraft for takeoff; a pair of military transport helicopters bearing the iconic Fenrir wolf head emblem on its hulls. Shortly after the crew-members finished their inspection and given the signal, its powerful twin-engines roared to life, followed by the deafening rotor blades.

"Hey, Kiyoka!"

Upon hearing her name being called out, Kiyoka turned on her heel, and saw the chubby, young man in overalls waving at her. His name was Carlos Torres, an engineer who worked with the God Arc maintenance unit. He also happened to be another good friend of hers like Ashley, whom she had met before joining Fenrir.

"You make sure you bring her back in one piece!" he shouted above the noise, referring to none other than the God Arc, which she wielded in her hand; a greenish-blue blade that happened to be the Knife, one of the most common series of short blade model.

"And you make sure to go on a diet!" she replied loudly.

As he did not appreciate her suggestion to lose weight, Carlos gave her finger. In return, she stuck her tongue out, showing the silver stud. It was all just a friendly banter between two friends.

Soon, the pair of helicopters soared into the sky, and set off towards Nevada.