Author Notes: First I would like to take a moment to thank Fokshee for the cover she produced for "Past is Prologue" along with the character designs that s0ulafein produced. As you can guess, the two characters are Azumi and Yu in the middle of an exploration/scavenging mission. I think the artwork captures the tone and the feeling of the characters beautifully. I look forward to future artwork they will produce for me.
Shortly after finishing the pilot chapter along with receiving generally favorable reviews, I felt the need to continue to story at least for a little longer. Not to mention, this story was proving to be fun to write and plan like some of my previous stories. I'm hoping you are having a fun time reading it. While I am pleased by the mostly positive reviews, I was a little surprised by some of the comments.
For the 'Zombie Apocalypse' comment, as far as I'm concerned, the God Eater world can have similarities to such an environment, but there is one major difference that will always set Aragami apart from the others. Unlike the zombies in the Walking Dead or the infected in 'The Last of Us,' Aragami can't be harmed by regular weapons. As a result, the people who do not possess a God Arc are incapable of defending themselves against these monsters, so you can almost think of it as a deconstruction of something like a Zombie Apocalypse since the odds are far more stacked against humanity.
The point of this story was meant to do something different. Rather than starting the protagonist with being a God Eater, I figured it would be far more interesting to start the protagonists off as being powerless. Instead of being able to fight these monsters whenever they could, they can do nothing but run and hide. I partly got the idea of that from Episode 10 of the God Eater anime which was one of the most well received episodes of the anime.
I am pleased with the reception of the sibling relationship between Azumi and Yu. As one of my reviewers pointed out, a close sibling relationships is hard to pull off, but I think I was able to get the hang of it pretty quickly. Similar to the previous chapter, you can expect this one to feature more insight in regards to Azumi and Yu's brother-sister and mentor-student relationship. I really want to develop a bond between these two that would be understandable for these circumstances, especially since she has taught him how to survive in a horrible terrain. It is possible that Azumi took a bigger role in raising Yu than their parents.
In Japan, with the exception of police officers and armed officials, it is 'difficult' for people to obtain firearms. That would be putting it mildly. In fact, from my understanding it is illegal for most if not all civilians to have weapons. Due to Azumi and Yu's father being a police officer before the Aragami came into existence, he had access to the weapons. That came in handy since he was able to take a number of guns and ammunition. Over the years, he has trained a few people, including Azumi to use a firearm. Yu has no experience when it comes to guns, so Azumi is the one who holds it due to being more skilled, older. Additionally, there are not enough to go around, so Yu might not even receive a gun if he did have training.
As usual, I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter, and I hope you will leave a review. I look forward to knowing your thoughts.
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Past is Prologue
Story Arc One – Surviving in the Wild – Part II
Chapter Two – Right, Wrong, and Gray Part I – Divided
/
Life should be simple
Right and wrong good and evil
Life is not simple
/
Location: Japan
Date: June 28, 2068 – Afternoon
While Azumi and Yu were exploring the ruins of this desolate city, another group was doing the same. As with Azumi and Yu, this group wore half masks and goggles while they traversed the terrain to protect themselves from the elements. They would only take them off when they were inside the buildings. This group was being led by their father, Kannagi Haru.
Kannagi Haru shared the same dark hair and dark brown eyes that his daughter and son possessed. Similar to his daughter, he had a few noticeable scars on his face, such as a scar that stretched across his forehead and one that streaked across the right side of his face that chipped his ear. According to him, he received the latter of the scars from his previous work as a police officer during a gun fight.
Due to Haru's former profession, he had always dedicated his life to law, order, and keeping people safe long after his job came to an end. During the first few years of the apocalypse, he encountered a number of people during his family' travels. Over time, their group expanded beyond their family of four.
As their group expanded, they needed leadership. Haru's experience as a police officer made him the logical choice to lead their group. He also appointed people to be part of this 'council.' He has done his best to teach people how to fight and use weapons, such as guns, but he warned them that they were only to be used as a last resort, especially since even one gunshot might attract a nearby Aragami.
For years, Haru had always made Azumi accompany him on their expeditions, but for the past year or so Azumi had decided to start taking more action on her own, which included mentoring her little brother. Despite some misgivings that Haru had regarding his daughter, he knew he needed more scouting parties to look for supplies, especially after some losses they had suffered from the Aragami, and he was short on volunteers. Additionally, Azumi was legally an adult even by the previous world's standards.
Due to Azumi legally being an adult and proving her capability, Haru reluctantly allowed Azumi to take her own initiative. Unlike him, she either went alone, with her brother, or they had a 'guest' accompanying them. Her results have 'generally been good,' but there have been 'mixed feelings' about some of her actions. Some he felt uneasy about.
Haru's group left the camp at around the same time Azumi and Yu left. The group that Haru was leading was composed of several group members. Their names were Abe Izumi, Nakahara Shin, and Moto Kouta. All three of them had dark hair, and they were in reasonable shape. However, they were not as 'combat proficient' as Azumi was. In fact, it was possible that Yu might be able to take them on as well. Similar to Haru, they had grown up and lived in the world that it used to be before the Aragami had overrun it.
After traversing the area, Haru led the group into a building that was still together enough to have multiple floors. He figured the bigger the building, the more likely they would have supplies that they could find. Everyone knew their jobs. Izumi would act as the lookout while the other three would scavenge for anything that could be useful. However, the footsteps they all heard would render the need of a lookout moot.
All four of them could hear the sounds of thunderous footsteps. It sounded as if they could cause an earthquake with each passing step, and it was getting closer by the second. All four of them could feel the sweat rolling down their faces as they backed away from any window that could give the predators a view of a potential meal.
"Holy crap! Holy crap!" Izumi panicked upon hearing the footsteps. "It's the Aragami! What're we going to do? What're we going to do? What …"
"Quiet!" Haru ordered his subordinate. He remained low as he made his way over to the window and peaked through to see the Aragami were moving around, but they had not set their sights in their direction. "Remain calm. They haven't noticed us yet. If we remain quiet, it'll stay that way."
"Right." Shin was the only other one to remain calm.
"But we can't stay here." Kouta pointed out, "They'll notice us eventually. It doesn't matter if we stay quiet or not. We need to put distance between us."
Shin was quick to suggest, "There's a backdoor downstairs we can use. I didn't see any Aragami there before."
"That's our best bet then. Come on." Haru ordered and the group quietly made their way to the ground floor. When they reached the bottom, he remained low as he peaked through the window while hunched over to see that the Aragami were still not looking in their direction. "Okay." Haru spoke as he crept back to the group. "This might be our best chance. We'll circle around and make our way back to camp."
Kouta cautiously asked, "Shouldn't we make sure the escape route is clear first?"
"Already on that." Haru stood by the door as he instructed his group, "I'll take point and signal the rest of you to follow." He slowly opened the backdoor and saw there was nothing blocking their escape and no one in sight. He waved his hand to his followers, and as expected they followed his lead. His signal was all they needed to know the coast was clear.
Haru and his three subordinates remained silent and low. Talking was kept to an absolute minimum. Silence was the key to survival. Every time Haru ensured the coast was clear at each landmark, he would signal for his men to follow. However, in one moment, the need for stealth was rendered moot when a loud bang could be heard echoing in the distance.
There was no mistaking the sound. Haru could tell it was gunfire. No sooner did that sound echo in the air, he heard the Aragami growl. Haru moved to see that the Aragami were moving towards the source of the sound. Any sound he made didn't register to them.
"Sir." Izumi began speaking in a concerned tone, "That gunshot … Was it …?"
"Yes. Yes it was …" Haru bit his lip. "Azumi … Yu …" He then looked at his men before ordering, "Let's head back to camp."
"But sir …" Izumi attempted to protest, "What about …?"
"There's nothing we can do right now." Haru looked in the direction as he ordered his group. "Let's head back and try to think of something."
When it looked like Izumi would have difficulty following that order, Shin spoke up, "He's right. We need to be smart about this. Let's get moving. We'll try to help Azumi and Yu after we regroup." Afterwards, Haru led his group back to their camp.
/
Location: Japan – Temporary Camp
Date: June 28, 2068 – Evening
Shortly after returning to the camp, Haru did not try to cover any of the inconvenient facts. While people did not see the Aragami, they heard the thunderous footsteps earlier, and Haru confirmed they were indeed Aragami. However, he was quick to add they appeared to be moving away from their camp which put some people at ease. Unfortunately, considering the losses they had suffered before, some people were still on edge knowing Aragami were nearby. Several noticed Azumi and Yu were still absent, and they became fearful of their fates. Fortunately, their fears for Azumi and Yu were quickly dispelled.
While Haru and the others were considering strategies, they were informed there would be no need for that. Shortly after they arrived at the camp, Azumi and Yu returned as well. They were also informed that Azumi and Yu were not completely unscathed, especially Azumi due to the noticeable marks on her neck that were clearly not there before. There was a story behind this. Just like many stories Azumi had to tell, they were 'colorful,' but they were not pretty.
Azumi and Yu were able to return to their camp without encountering any further problems. However, as soon as they arrived back, they heard, "Hey look!" One of the younger boys called out, "Azumi-san and Yu are back!"
"Really? They're okay?" Another boy happily asked.
"It's about time they got back?" A girl said out loud while running.
By the time Azumi and Yu arrived at the camp, they were surrounded by a bigger welcoming party than their father had. The welcoming party would have been even larger if some of the children's parents hadn't pulled them away.
"Aw mom!" A boy complained, "Why do you always do that?"
His mother warned him, "You're better off staying away from there."
"…" Their little exchange was overheard by a black haired teenager who was between Yu and Azumi's age. He did not say anything to the mother, but he narrowed his eyes as she and her son walked away before walking over to greet Azumi and Yu himself.
"Did you really see Aragami?" An excited young boy asked.
Before Azumi could answer another boy asked, "Did any Aragami see you?"
A girl asked, "Did you find any treasure?"
"Now! Now!" A teenaged girl butted in. "Give her a chance to talk."
"Ahem!" Azumi cleared her throat before answering, "She pointed to the first boy, "We saw a pack of them." She then pointed to the second boy, "Thankfully they didn't see us." Finally pointed to the girl. "Depends on what you mean by treasure."
"Really! Then …" The girl began to say only to be cut off.
"Give my sister some space." Yu stepped in. "She was hurt while we were out there."
"She got hurt?" One of the boys asked.
No sooner had Yu said anything the marks around Azumi's neck become noticeable along with the traces of blood that stained parts of her clothes.
"She really is hurt!" The young girl exclaimed.
"Go get our mother!" Yu ordered. "She'll want to know about this! You got that?"
"You got it!" The kids replied and ran off towards the camp's temporary medical area.
"Phew." Azumi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for that." Azumi looked to Yu as she took another breath. Yu nodded in response."
"So you're not hurt too badly?" The teenager girl from earlier asked. The girl contrasted with Azumi for looking far more 'girly.' She was around seventeen to eighteen years old. Her face was completely free of scars, she had light brown hair that was shoulder length, and blue eyes.
"Not that badly Yashiko." Azumi cheerfully replied.
The girl Azumi referred to as Yashiko smiled before wrapping her arms around Azumi for a hug which caught Azumi by surprise. "Thank goodness you're okay." Yashiko let go but kept one hand on Azumi's shoulder, "When your father told us about Aragami heading towards you, we were afraid what might've happened."
"Heh!" Azumi grinned, 'You know me. I'm a survivor."
"Ha! Ha!" Yashiko chuckled. "You definitely are!"
"Did you guys really think a bunch for Aragami would eat us?" Azumi puffed up her chest.
"…" Yu remained silent as his sister spoke.
"I didn't think you'd have much trouble." The dark haired teenage boy spoke up. "After everything you've gotten out of, if something like that did, I'd be shocked." The dark haired teen was around seventeen to eighteen years old as well. He had a light scar on the left side of his face, he had yellowish eyes, and his hands were covered in calluses.
"Hmph." Azumi casually remarked, "Glad to see you weren't worried about us Minato."
The teenager Azumi referred to as Minato replied, "I wouldn't say that. Those marks on your neck do look serious. You really should get them checked."
"Ahem." Azumi cleared her throat before answering, "I intend to. But first I need to give my father my report." Azumi looked on to see him approaching. "I might as well get this over with."
"…" None of the others objected.
Haru looked at both Azumi and Yu and asked in a low tone, "Are the both of you all right?"
Azumi replied, "We're fine father."
Haru was quick to point out, "The marks on your neck say otherwise. What happened?"
"Ahem." Azumi replied, "That's something we need to talk about. Things might be worse in the city than we thought, and I'm not just talking about Aragami."
"Then let's talk." Haru motioned for Azumi to follow him.
"Ah huff." Azumi took a deep breath as she thought, "Might as well get this over with."
/
Azumi saw no point in attempting to cover it up. She inform her father about the altercation she had with other scavengers. After delivering her report to her father, she excused herself to see the doctor or the closest thing they had to a doctor, Araki Sasumu. Azumi's mother, Kannagi Kaede, was being trained under the doctor, and sat by her daughter as he examined her injury. Azumi remained perfectly still as she had during her previous examinations. It was something she had a lot of practice at. As far as they could tell, the mark on her neck and a minor bump on the back of her head were the only injuries Azumi received from her earlier confrontation.
Doctor Araki bluntly stated, "I have to say you were very lucky. If he had held on any longer, the damage would've been far worse."
"But she'll be all right won't she?" Kaede asked in concern.
"Yes she'll be fine." The doctor reassured Kaede before looking at Azumi. "I'd recommend getting some rest and you'll be as good as new."
"As if anyone can get rest here." Azumi retorted.
"Touché." The doctor ordered, "Then just do what you can to be calm for as long as possible. I'd recommend against going on any more trips for the next few days."
"Fine. Ahem." Azumi cleared her throat as she got off the makeshift examination bed. "Whatever you say doc."
"You should drink this." Doctor Araki handed Azumi a cup of tea.
The moment the drink touched her tongue, Azumi's eyes shot open. "Mfph!" Azumi had to fight the urge to spit it out when she saw Doctor Araki's stern look. She had to force herself to gulp it down.
"Eww!" Azum's face sunk when she looked what was left and she realized what it was much to her dismay. "Good grief! Not this crap again!"
"It's not the best tasting, but it'll help." Doctor Araki advised, "I'd recommend finishing."
Azumi shook her head. "You always say that."
"And I'm usually right." The doctor nonchalantly replied.
"…" Reluctantly, Azumi decided to follow the doctor's advice and finish the drink. She definitely had better, but she could tell her throat was feeling better than before.
/
While his daughter was receiving her medical examination, Haru held a meeting with several other senior members of the group. They had arrived in this location about a week ago, and they have not had any difficulty during that time. However, today was proving to be a game changer.
Haru laid out a map of Japan. While the map was based on what the world used to be like, it was the best they had. They were able to come up with estimations for other deserted settlements they could travel to and guessing how much further it would be until they arrived at Fenrir.
Kouta spoke up, "After what happened, do you think we should abandon this post?"
"I wish I can say that, but I'm not sure it'll work." Haru placed markers on the map regarding their approximate positions and where Fenrir supposedly was. He pointed out, "The distance to Fenrir is still significant. We won't be able to make it there with our trucks' current fuel supplies. Even if we drive until we're running on fumes, we'll still have at least twenty to thirty miles to walk."
Shin crossed his arms as he remarked, "It's hard enough to walk a mile in Aragami infested wasteland let alone twenty."
"That'd be impossible." Kouta exasperatedly stated.
Shin pointed at the supposed Fenrir position on the map, "Of course we're assuming Fenrir really is where we heard it is."
"We know it exists." Haru remained adamant, "I'm pretty sure it does."
Shin crossed his arms again, "I'm not saying it doesn't. It's just that if it's inaccurate, we'll be in trouble."
"You don't have to remind me." Haru wiped his forehead as he spoke, "That's why it's important for us to get all the supplies and fuel we can from here before moving out if it's possible. There might not be any suitable places to stop as we move on."
Another member of the council, Tomoko, spoke up, "Easier said than done with those Aragami roaming around."
"According to Azumi's report, the Aragami moved towards this area," Haru pointed on the map, "so let's hope they stay there and no other Aragami show up anytime soon. We've been here a week without spotting Aragami, so it's possible that this was a wandering herd that happened to be passing by."
Shin reminded Haru, "Your daughter also reported about another group of people that could be a problem."
"Yes." Kouta bitterly remarked, "A problem she caused."
Shin looked towards Kouta with disbelief as he said, "She claimed she was acting in self-defense."
"Hmph." Kouta stated, "She's been giving that excuse a lot this past year."
"Even so, that doesn't mean she's lying." Shin defensively retorted.
"Lying or not she's becoming dangerous to the group." Kouta bluntly stated. "It's only a matter of time before she goes too far."
"Isn't that going a little far Kouta-san?" Tomoko calmly asked.
"I don't see how." Kouta retorted. "She had a lot of blood on her hands."
"Even so," Tomoko did her best to remain calm as she defended Azumi, "I'm sure Azumi-san was just doing what she could to protect her brother. She isn't the type of person who kills needlessly."
"…" Haru remained quiet as he listened to these two speak about his daughter in front of him as he bit his lip.
This did not go unnoticed by Shin who was surprised by Haru's inaction. "…?"
Kouta looked towards Haru as he said, "Sorry Haru. I know she's your daughter, but you can't ignore how many people she's killed. I'm sure even you're troubled by this."
"…" Haru remained silent.
Shin spoke up, "This is getting a little out of hand Kouta. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves. Let's not forget that she's one of our best scouts, and we don't exactly have a lot of people willing to take on that job."
"Hmph." Kouta retorted, "I did my share."
"She does more than you." Shin fired back.
"Um …" Kouta was temporarily at a loss for words.
Wrinkles in Shin's forehead were becoming more visible with each word he spoke. "You have a lot of nerve to criticize her, especially since you didn't see what happened."
"Neither did you," Kouta fired at Shin and kept on shooting, "and what're you going to do? Give her a free pass? It's irresponsible to ignore all the people she's killed. The body count is a little too high for my taste."
Shin asked in a demanding tone, "So what're you going to do? Condemn her? You have no right to do that."
"Kouta-san does have a point." Wakana who had remained silent throughout the meeting finally interjected.
"Not you too." Shin replied.
Wakana did not acknowledge Shin's remark as she stated, "It was one thing when she did it the first or second time, but this is happening much more frequently. When people take measures like that, I can't help but wonder where it'll end."
"As you can see, I'm not the only one who thinks that." Kouta asked, "Does anyone share my …"
With every word that was spoken, Haru bit into his lip before raising his voice in agitation, "Enough!"
Haru's booming voice was enough to render the other people in the room silent as he spoke, "My daughter is not relevant to the problem at hand." Haru stated, "We need to figure out the best places we can get the necessary supplies to make it to Fenrir, and we're not going to do that by talking about Azumi. I will speak to her about what happened today myself. For now, let's get back to the plan. Is that understood?!"
"…" The group was stunned silent for a moment before replying, "Yes sir."
/
After the meeting was over, Shin and Haru were alone. Shin did not hesitate to tell his friend and leader, "Why didn't you say something sooner Haru? Azumi is your daughter. How could you just let Kouta say those things about her? You know Kouta hasn't exactly seen your daughter in a 'positive' light these past few months."
"Ah huff …" Haru took a breath before replying, "His points had some merit to them."
"So what?" Shin raised his voice in disbelief, "You're Azumi's father! You should be defending her! That's your job! I shouldn't be the one defending her! You should!"
"I wanted to know more about what he was thinking." Haru stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "His feelings on the matter aren't exactly exclusive to him. I'm sure you've seen it. There are more than a few people in this group that share that sentiment."
"Because you've been letting him spread his opinions around." Shin shot back. "If you're not defending your daughter, other people will see it and think whatever he says is fact."
"A man is entitled to his opinion." Haru replied.
"Even if that opinion is getting people to turn against your daughter?" Shin bitterly asked, "Even if that opinion is based on his own assumptions?"
"…" Haru had no reply.
"I'm aware that your daughter has killed a number of people over this past year or so. However, I never believed that she did it because she wanted to." Shin reminded Haru as he held out his hand, "All of us have blood on our hands Haru. All of us. We all know how unpleasant the feeling is. I highly doubt your daughter enjoys that feeling. She isn't that type of person."
Haru began to say, "I know she isn't …"
"Then why didn't you say that before?" Shin cut Haru off. "I shouldn't be the one telling you this." He remarked, "After being a leader so long, it seems like you've really lost track of what you're supposed to do as a father."
"…" Haru could feel his skin crawl at Shin's remark before he told his friend, "I will be speaking to her about what happened."
"Fine." Shin began to say, "I'd recommend against saying anything too harsh. She's your daughter and one of our best …"
"I don't need you to tell me how to speak to my own daughter." Haru sharply cut Shin off.
"Of course not." Shin began walking away from Haru. It was difficult to tell if Shin was being facetious or not as he left Haru alone.
/
During the meeting and after making sure Azumi was recovering under the doctor's care, Kaede spoke to her son. She knew he didn't exactly have an easy time of with their latest encounter either. She spoke in a concerned tone, "Are you okay Yu? Are you hurt?"
Yu shook his head, "No mom. I'm fine. Sis made sure of that."
Kaede asked, "What happened back there?"
Yu raised an eyebrow as he replied one question with another, "Didn't Sis tell you?"
"I need you to tell me." Kaede sternly told her son.
"Hmm … Well … um …" Yu was hesitant to tell his mother, but he ultimately told the story, "Those jerks held a knife to my throat, and Sis tried to get them to let me go. They wouldn't listen to her then things got out of hand."
Kaede's heart sunk upon hearing the story as she solemnly replied, "Leaving behind four dead bodies goes beyond things getting out of hand."
"Grh!" Yu gritted his teeth before lashing out, "What was Sis supposed to do?"
"…" Kaede was taken aback by her son's outburst.
Yu angrily defended his sister's actions. "She tried talking to them! It's not her fault they didn't listen! It's not her fault they're dead! They were bad people, and they got what they deserved!"
"Umm …" As usual Kaede was uneasy about the situation.
"You're not seriously upset with Sis are you?" Yu asked much to his dismay. "She doesn't deserve this crap! She saved my life!"
"No!" Kaede shook her head as she denied. "Of course not!"
Yu insisted, "She didn't do anything wrong. She had no choice."
"I understand …" Kaede stated, "I'm glad she was there to help you."
"She's done more than that." Yu stated, "I don't like the way people look at Sis sometimes."
"Excuse me?" Kaede was clearly confused by her son's statement.
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed!" Yu replied in disbelief, "More people have been looking at her funny lately!" Yu's teeth grinded against each other as he added, "Even father!"
"Huh?" Kaede was taken aback by her son's comments. She was not even sure if she could form an appropriate response to that.
"It's been happening more over the past few months." Yu explained further, "People look at Sis like she's one of those people who cause us trouble." Yu gritted his teeth as he stated, "It's not right. It's just not right."
"…" Kaede was at a loss for words. She had been oblivious to what her son was saying, and it wasn't the first time she had been ignorant of things.
"Do you really not notice how people in the camp treat Sis?" Yu exasperatedly stated.
"I understand she isn't popular amount some people, but it never seemed that bad to me." Kaede replied.
"It's getting worse mother. People are telling their kids to stay away from Sis like she's the plague or something. It feels like some of them are treating Sis like she's the enemy. Shin is pretty much the only member of the counsel that tries to defend Sis. It's like he's the only one to really acknowledge all the good Sis does. Not even father seemed to do that."
"You know your father cares about you." Kaede tried to reassure her son.
"He may have asked us how we were when we got back, but he didn't sound like how he would've over a year ago." Yu gritted his teeth as he bitterly remarked, "He doesn't sound like the father I knew."
"…" Kaede did not have much to say in response.
"I wouldn't want anything to happen, but it feels like not as many people appreciate Sis like they should. I feel like if that doesn't change, something will happen." Yu put his hand on his stomach as he said, "I can just feel it." Yu desperately said, "I don't want Sis to get in trouble for what happened today, but I know she will!"
"It …" Kaede attempted to assure her son, "It'll be fine Yu."
"How would you know?" Yu skeptically asked. "You didn't even know some of the stuff I told you until just now."
"Um ... Well if there is any trouble tell me about it. I'd want to know." Kaede told her son, "I need you to tell me."
"…" It took a moment before Yu reluctantly agreed, "Okay fine."
/
After speaking with his mother, he found Azumi in her makeshift room cleaning her knife. The moment Azumi noticed Yu walking through the door, she put her knife away and said, "Hey Yu. Feeling any better?"
"I should be the one asking you that." Yu protested.
"Ahem." Azumi cleared her throat as she placed her hand to massage it. She could feel that thanks to the tea the doctor had given her that it was on the mend. "I'll live."
"… Ah huff," Yu took a breath before nervously telling his sister, "I … I never actually thanked you for earlier. You saved my life again Sis. Thanks for saving me from that man … I mean I knew you would, but thanks. It always …" Yu began to trail off.
Hearing her brother give his 'awkward' gratitude put a smile on her face as she told him, "You don't have to thank me for that. Bailing little brothers out is what big sisters do."
"Sis …" Was the only word Yu could bring himself to say.
"Besides, you already paid me back. Remember?" Azumi motioned to the marks on her neck. "It would've been a lot worse."
"I was way too slow." Yu shamefully replied, "I took way too long to recover, and I should've tried stabbing him rather than trying to find a rock. I just didn't think …"
"You're only thirteen years old Yu." Azumi reminded her brother, "I've only been training you for about two years now. I'm not expecting you to get everything right. Hell. Not even I can get everything right."
"But Sis …" Yu attempted to protest.
"We both came out alive." Azumi sternly cut off her brother. "That's what's most important."
"…" Yu was not sure what he she should say next as he glanced towards the ground.
Azumi sighed as she walked up to her brother, leaned down, and grabbed Yu's chin with her fingers to move his head, so they could look at each other in the eyes. "Remember this Yu. Making sure that you, your family, and you're friends get out alive is your priority. Everything else is secondary. You got that?"
Yu glanced downward before replying, "Yes Sis."
Azumi stood up and grabbed Yu's chin again and made sure he would be looking in the eyes. "You got that?"
"Yes Sis. I do." Yu insisted.
Seeing the look in his eyes as he replied filled Azumi with satisfaction, but Azumi maintained her grip as she told her brother, "Remember. Always look me in the eye when you answer. You got that?"
Yu replied, "Yes Sis."
"Good." Azumi let go of his chin and smiled, "You seem to have something else on your mind." Azumi was as insightful as usual. Her brother had a hard time keeping anything from her. "Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?" It was a very inviting smile she presented herself. From the way she was smiling, it was difficult to imagine she had killed people who attempted to harm her and her brother mere hours ago.
"Well …" Yu asked, "If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you use your gun on the other three?"
Azumi crossed her arms as she dryly pointed out. "You mean besides worrying if too many gunshots would attract Aragami?"
"Well … um … yes." Yu awkwardly responded. "You had enough bullets didn't you?"
"I did, but that wasn't the point." Azumi sighed as she scratched the back of her head. She explained, "You have to remember you need to conserve supplies for the most crucial moments. It's not like we have an unlimited number of bullets and making bullets isn't exactly easy. Even with the metal I get."
"…" Yu did not have a response to that.
"That guy having a knife to your throat was a crucial moment." Azumi firmly held her position on the issue. "That's why I used it when I was sure he wasn't going to let you go. Despite the noise and the limited supplies, I needed to take that shot. After he went down, I was sure I didn't need it for the rest. That's why I put it away."
"I … I see." Yu replied.
"Always remember Yu. Conserve your supplies for when you really need them. It can save your life," Azumi grinned as she added, "or maybe mine."
"Heh." Yu laughed, "Yeah. Maybe."
"So now that this lesson is over, you feeling hunger?" Azumi remained grinning, "I don't know about you, but I'm starved."
On cue, Yu could hear his stomach growling which caused a light blush to form on his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head, "Yeah. I'm feeling pretty hungry."
"Come on." Azumi motioned for Yu to follow. "Let's go get something to eat."
As Yu walked alongside his sister he grimaced at what dinner could be, "I hope it's something good this time."
"Hmph." Azumi casually remarked, "It's probably spiders again."
"Eww!" Yu shook at the thought.
"Well," Azumi patted her brother on the back, "beggars can't be choosers. Let's make the most of it. Right?"
"Yeah … Yeah." Yu replied with a shrug.
/
After collecting their rations, Azumi and Yu walked among the groups of people who gathered to eat. The duo saw at least one or two narrowed their eyes and stared daggers at her. An unsettling sight, but not one Azumi and Yu hadn't already grown accustomed to over the past year, and Yu wasn't even the recipient.
"Azumi! Yu!" A female who was sitting beside several other group members was calling and waving to the brother and sister, "Over here!" The person who was eagerly calling out to them was none other than Yashiko. She was the one eagerly calling which was not surprising.
Despite the looks others gave Azumi, the duo knew they could at least count on this group. The group was composed of one of the mechanics, Hanasaki Minato, one of the cooks, Inoue Yashiko, and one of the children who were around Yu's age, Kato Taro.
The three of them had been friends with Azumi and Yu for years. Azumi had known all of them since they were little. Minato and Yashiko were both only a few years older than her brother while Taro was roughly the same age. Due to their young age, none of them had memories of the world that came before. They could only rely on the memories of others to even imagine what it was like. Even with those accounts, it was difficult for any of them to grasp what that world was, especially after years of hiding and surviving.
As they sat by the table, Azumi greeted them, "Hey guys!"
"Hey." Everyone replied. Azumi and Yu sat next to Taro on one side while Minato and Yashiko sat on the other.
After Azumi sat down, Yashiko jumped right to it. "Is your throat doing any better?"
"Ahem." Azumi cleared her throat again before replying, "Yeah it'll be fine."
"Does it hurt to talk?" Yashiko asked in concern.
"Not really just … 'Ahem,'" Azumi cleared her throat again before continuing her reassurance, "… Just if I raise it. Luckily it's not a good idea to raise your voice anyway. Heh. 'Ahem.'"
Yashiko chuckled, "Yeah … Right."
/
While Azumi was conversing with Yashiko, Taro nudged Yu and asked, "Is it true you were held hostage Yu?"
"Yeah …" Yu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I was."
"Heh." Taro chuckled as he commented, "Again? How did that happen?"
"They took me by surprise," Yu hastily defended himself, "but I wasn't worried." Yu tried to keep a grin on his face as he told Taro, "I knew Sis would be able to bail me out. Just like she always does."
"That's Azumi-san for you." Taro glanced at Azumi who was in the middle of conversing with the other two. His eyes remained fixed on her as he appeared to be dreamily stating, "You can always count on her."
The look did not go unnoticed by Yu who loudly cleared his throat, "Ahem! Yes I know." Yu confidently stated with a grin, "No one can beat her." Yu added, "Not fairly."
"Hmm …" Taro looked around Yu again before replying, "I hope you're right about that. She's the best we got."
"I wished everyone agreed with that." Even though Yu stated that out loud, Azumi and Yashiko were not paying attention to Yu's comment because they were focused on their own conversation.
"Enough do." Taro specified, "The people sitting here do." Taro then started to act nervously as he asked, "Anyway, this group you and Azumi-san fought off. Do you think they'll be a problem again?"
"Not sure, but Sis told me that we shouldn't let our guard down, so I'm going to take her advice." Yu stated.
Taro nodded, "Good idea."
Yu then turned to Minato who had mostly remained quiet during the dinner, "So Minato can you do something with those parts Sis and I got for you?"
Minato broke his silence and replied, "Haven't thought of anything yet, but give me a little time, and I might think of something."
"Like another weapon?" Yu eagerly asked.
"Maybe." Minato shrugged, "We can never have too many right?"
Yu replied, "I don't think so."
"In that case, we should think of what to make." Minato was able to get Azumi and Yashiko's attention as he asked, "If I did make it another weapon, would you want another knife? I've been making a lot of those lately."
"Hmm …" Azumi tried to consider the options before answering, "Knives are more maneuverable and easy to carry, but they don't have much of a reach and we could use more variety …. Could a spear be possible?"
"A spear huh?" Minato considered the possibility with interest, "Hmm … Maybe. I might have enough for it, but it might be a stretch."
Azumi stated, "In that case, the next time Yu and I go out, we'll try getting you some more stuff to work with."
Minato raised an eyebrow as he asked, "How long before you can go out again?"
Azumi grinned as she declared, "You know as well as I do that something like this isn't going to keep me down long."
Minato nodded, "True."
As they continued to eat, Yu made sure to sarcastically remark, "Mmm … This food really is appetizing would you say?"
Yashiko remarked, "Well there isn't a whole lot to catch out there but this is better than nothing."
Yu replied, "Yeah I know."
"Well …" Minato stated, "Here's hoping Fenrir will be more appetizing."
"Yeah." Yu unenthusiastically stated, "Here's hoping."
/
As Azumi and Yu ate dinner, they saw their father approach them which nearly caused Azumi's stomach get tied up in a knot. Luckily, she did not have to talk to him much earlier because she excused herself to see the doctor after giving him her report of the area. However, she could see there was no avoiding him this time.
"Azumi." Her father asked, "Is your throat feeling better?"
"A little." Azumi answered.
"Good. I want to talk to you after dinner," Haru added, "in private."
"… Ah huff …" Azumi took a breath before replying, "I'll be there." Her father nodded in response and walked away. When he was out of earshot, Azumi let out a sigh. "… Great."
Yu, who had been uncomfortably watching the brief 'chat' between his sister and father could tell that something was not right. "So you really are in trouble with father because you saved me from those men?"
"Hmm." Azumi grimaced as she replied, "Trouble is a mild word to use."
Even though Yu knew it was coming, he voiced his displeasure, "That's not fair! What happened was my fault! I should be in trouble not you!"
Azumi grabbed her brother's shoulder to ensure she had his undivided attention. "It wasn't your fault." Azumi firmly told her brother.
"I still played a role." Yu told his sister, "Let me come with you when you go see father. I want to help."
"No." Azumi shook her head, "You don't need to come."
"But I want to." Yu looked his sister in the eyes as he insisted.
"This is between father and me." Azumi firmly held onto her position, "I really appreciate that you want to help me. I really do. But this might be something I'm better off handling alone. It'll be much easier."
"But Sis …" Yu weakly attempted to protest.
"Please do what I say Yu." Azumi almost sounded as if she was pleading with her brother as she repeated, "Please."
As reluctant as Yu was, he could not turn down her request. "… Okay."
/
After Azumi was finished eating, she met her father in their camp's temporary meeting room. Azumi made sure to check to see if anyone was attempting to listen in before closing the door. She was hoping that this would be as private as possible. Her father's back was turned to her as he was looking over some plans. The two of them were standing on opposite sides of the table when they began talking.
"Hello father." Azumi greeted. "I guess we have a lot to talk about."
Haru turned towards his daughter and looked her in the eyes as he sternly asked, "What exactly happened out there?"
"Ahem." Azumi cleared her throat. "You mean besides getting some more supplies for the group?" Azumi dryly remarked with a rhetorical question.
For a moment, wrinkles in Haru's forehead were becoming visible before he took a breath and replied, "Yes."
"It's as I told you in my report." Azumi restated, "Yu and I were attacked by some other scavengers, and I killed them."
"I gathered that, but I want you to give me the details." Haru emphasized, "Very specific details."
"Okay." Azumi gave him a full account. "While I was looking for supplies, a group of scavengers took Yu by surprise and held him hostage. We had a standoff. I tried getting them let go of Yu. I even made it clear I would shoot if they didn't let him go and walk away. When that didn't work, I killed them." Azumi firmly concluded, "And that's what happened."
"How did you try to negotiate with them exactly?" Haru leaned on the table with his arms as he asked.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a negotiation …" Azumi trailed off before clarifying, "I did try reasoning with them."
"By pointing a gun at them?" Haru had his arms crossed as he inquired.
"I had to be ready." Azumi replied defensively, "You used to be a cop. I'm sure you used to have plenty of situations that involved you pulling out your weapon."
Haru's expression remained unchanged. "True, but some of your behavior has been a bit of a concern recently Azumi."
"…" Azumi remained silent as she lightly bit on her lip.
Haru bluntly stated, "There have been times when you seem a little too trigger happy."
"I'm hardly trigger happy father." Azumi had both hands on the table and her fingers began scratching the surface.
"You've used up more bullets than anyone else who has been trained to use a gun." Haru pointed out. "That has raised more than a few eyebrows."
"I only pulled it when I need to." Azumi looked her father in the eyes as she told him, "I've had to pull it quite a bit recently."
Haru asked, "Did you need to this time?"
"I did." Despite the fire burning with Azumi's stomach, she did her best to keep a lid on it as she continued to lightly scratch the table with her fingers. "I tried reasoning that he didn't have anything worth stealing which was pretty much true besides the gun and maybe the knives, but they thought I didn't have bullets." Azumi bitterly remarked, "That was their mistake."
"…" Her father was not the least bit amused by that, but his daughter never broke eye contact with him. He decided to remain quiet and let her finish.
"When that didn't work, I gave them a very, 'very' stern warning to let Yu go if they didn't want to die." Azumi emphasized her point. "They laughed and I'm sure you can guess what happened next."
"Yes I can." Haru dryly added, "Unfortunately."
"…" Azumi stepped back from the table. It was a response Azumi expected by now.
"I understand you reasoning and warning them, but you didn't try negotiating with them to end that peacefully?" Haru dug deeper.
"What'd you expect me to do?" A bit of the fire was beginning to flame up as Azumi spoke and her fingers curled up into fists. "Roll over and give them everything we had? Because that's what they wanted."
Haru shook his head, "No, but you could've tired less violent means."
"You weren't there father!" Azumi angrily defended her actions. It took quite a bit of restraint on Azumi's part to stop herself from banging her fist onto the table. "These people held Yu hostage with a knife to his throat! Your son! My little brother!" Azumi fiercely pointed out, "These people weren't looking for a peaceful solution! The only solution they wanted was for me to give them everything we had, and even then I doubt they would've let Yu go!"
"Look at our group Azumi." Haru was not backing down from his stance so easily. "Do you think all of them became part of this with smiles and handshakes?"
Azumi already knew the answer to that question. "No."
"Of course not. You saw it for yourself." Haru reminded his daughter, "We had some tense confrontations with some of these people before we negotiated, settled our differences, and came to a truce. You could have …"
"None of them involved taking hostages!" Azumi shot back.
Haru was less than pleased at being interrupted. "Excuse me, but I …"
"No father!" Azumi abruptly cut her father off again. "You need to listen!" Azumi pointed at the door, "All those people in our group! How many of them took one of us hostage before they negotiated with you?!"
"…" Her father was stunned to silence with that question.
At her father's silence, Azumi fired with another question, "How many of them tried holding a knife to your son's throat?"
"…" There was no response her father to give.
Azumi impatiently egged her father on. "Well? Tell me! How many?"
"None." Haru reluctantly answered.
"That's right! None!" Azumi was not finished yet. "If any of them pulled that crap, would you have been so willing to welcome them into the fold?"
"…" Her father was hesitant to answer, but his silence was the only answer Azumi needed.
"I didn't think so." Azumi replied with narrowed eyes of her own.
"Hmm …" Despite the lashing he received from his daughter, he was not about to change his feelings on the matter.
Azumi could see that no progress was being made. "Ah huff … Ahem!" Azumi took a deep breath to calm the fire and put her hand on her throat before telling him, "Look I get it. You used to be a cop. You'd rather have peaceful solutions. I respect that. I really, 'really' do. If things had been different, I might've wanted to be one to, but they're not."
"…" Haru remained quiet as his daughter spoke.
Azumi continued, "Things have been like that since before Yu was born. I've seen it." Azumi made sure to add, "You've seen it. Every year people are becoming crazier and crazier. There's a reason why most of the people in our group are people we met in the first few years. Not everyone became bat shit crazy yet."
"Hmph." Her father commented, "As much as I hate to say it, depending on who you ask some people would say that's what you have become."
"…" Azumi glanced downward. As far as Azumi was concerned, it wasn't a revelation to her as much as a confirmation. Even though that was something Azumi expected to hear, she bit her lip upon hearing it. She looked at her father again and said, "They can think what they want. Not everyone thinks that."
"Enough to have me worried." Haru stated, "It seems like half the camp looks up to you while the other half would want to kick you out."
"You know they would never actually suggest that as long as I'm your daughter." Azumi had her arms crossed.
"It won't matter if they think you're a threat to their survival." Haru voiced his concern. "More and more people have brought their concerns to my attention."
"I'm the reason why some of them are still breathing." Azumi held out her thumb and pointed to herself as she defensively stated.
"That's not how they see it." Haru stated.
"Then those people are a bunch of ungrateful assholes." Azumi bitterly remarked. She nearly felt like spitting upon them.
"Even so, you should understand that things done with the best intentions might not always seem like that to others." Haru warned, "If you're not careful, something you do might backfire."
Azumi with her arms crossed looked her father in the eyes as she impatiently asked, "Are we done here?"
"…" Haru remained silent for a moment as he looked at his daughter. "Yes. We're done." Haru added, "For now."
/
As Azumi walked away from her father's room, she heard someone call out to her from behind, "So … Did your old man let you have it?" The voice belonged to none other than Yashiko.
Azumi turned around and answered, "He got as much from me and then some in return."
"Hah." Yashiko chuckled, "Figures. That's so like you Azumi."
Azumi grinned as she told her friend, "Wouldn't have it any other way."
As the two of them walked down the hallway, her friend asked, "Is it true you fought off and killed four bandits?"
"Didn't have much of a choice." Azumi didn't feel the need to be defensive as she casually remarked, "It's like you heard before. They were holding my brother hostage, and they weren't listening to reason." Azumi glanced at her friend as they continued to walk, "You … You don't have a problem with that right?" There was a hint of nervousness in Azumi's voice.
"No way!" Her friend shook her head without hesitation. "In fact, I think you're amazing. It's pretty awesome you were able to pull that off." Azumi bit her lip as she heard her friend speak, "I know I couldn't."
"Hmm …" Azumi took a moment before replying, I could help toughen you up like I've been doing with Yu." Azumi punched her fist into her open hand as she grinned. "You never know. It might do you wonders."
"Hehe." Yashiko nervously laughed. "I'm not so sure I'm cut out for that."
"Suit yourself, but Aragami and bandits won't care." Azumi bluntly stated, "They'll kill you whether you can or not."
Yashiko uneasily asked, "You really like to be blunt don't you?"
Azumi shrugged her shoulders. "When haven't I?"
"…" Yashiko was silent for a moment before replying, "Point taken."
"Don't forget Yashiko." Azumi recited the words, "What's past is prologue."
Yashiko raised an eyebrow at that last part. "Excuse me?"
"I said 'What's past is prologue.'" Azumi repeated.
Yashiko asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's a saying my father said a few times." Azumi explained, "It means how everything in the past is prologue for the now and the future since everything that happened before led us to now."
"Oh." Yashiko nodded her head. "That makes sense."
"My brother and I go by those words." Azumi told her friend, "We can't change the past. That's obvious wouldn't you say?"
"Well … yeah." Yashiko hesitantly replied.
"But we can change our future." Azumi told her friend, "We've done what we can to survive the past, and we continue to do so. That way we'll be able to do something down the line."
"You mean like become 'God Eaters'?" Yashiko asked.
"…" Azumi did not immediately give an answer. "… Maybe. At the very least, we're doing everything we can to stop the Aragami from getting another meal and keeping ourselves alive." Azumi added, "Being able to see another day is what Yu and I aim for."
"How would that saying apply to me?" Yashiko pointed to herself.
Azumi answered, "In your case, you've always been afraid of doing anything out there and you've relied on others."
"I've done things for the group." Yashiko defensively replied.
"Yes, but I know you want to do more." Azumi stated, "With me by your side, now will be your chance to do something more than chores. You might be able to really make a difference if you can take care of yourself."
"You really think so?" Yashiko asked.
"I know so. Trust me. You're always welcome to join my next scouting party." Azumi offered. "I could use more people besides Yu to count on. If you want more training, I'd be happy to oblige with that too."
"Hmm …" Yashiko replied, "I'll think about."
"You really should come to the next one." Azumi stated, "It won't be for a couple of days. Doc's orders and all."
"Um … I don't think so." Yashiko quickly added, "Besides, you and I both know you won't stay sidelined for long."
"Yeah I know. Anyway, just think about it." Azumi grinned as she held out her thumb and pointed at her chest. "If there's anyone you're safe with, it's me."
Yashiko grinned at that thought, "I'm sure that's true."
/
Shortly after Azumi left the temporary meeting room, someone else entered the room. Haru could hear the door behind him. "I thought you wanted to …" Haru began talking as he turned around only to see that it was not Azumi standing on the other side of the table, but his son Yu. "… done." Haru awkwardly finished that sentence.
Unlike his sister, Yu displayed his dissatisfaction point blank with narrow eyebrows and wrinkles along his own forehead. The first words out of his mouth were, "Why are you always being so hard on Sis?!"
"Yu?" Haru was taken aback by his son's sudden offensive.
"Sis didn't do anything wrong." Yu continued to shoot his comments his father's way. "She saved my life again. Shouldn't that matter?"
"Of …" Haru felt like he was unbalanced as he replied, "Of course it matters."
"Then why are you and so many other people so hard on her? Why are you against her?" Yu demanded, "I might be a kid, but I'm not stupid! I've seen how you look at her!" Yu gritted his teeth as he let his father have it, "You're cold! It's like you think she's the enemy!"
"That's …" Haru tried to reassure his son, "That's not what I think of her at all. I'm worried about her."
"It doesn't look like it!" Yu shot back.
"I'm her father!" Unlike when he was speaking with his daughter, Haru was on the defensive as he spoke, "I'm worried! I'm worried about you too! I'm worried every single time you two go on a scouting and scavenging mission! I'm always worried something might happen! I'm worried something might happen to the group and you two will have nothing to go back to! I have a lot to be worried about, and it gets worse every day!"
"…" Yu was silent for a moment before asking, "Did you tell Sis that?"
"Um … Of course I …" Haru trailed off.
"Really? Because it doesn't sound like you did!" Yu shot back.
"…" Haru knew that his son hit the nail on the head.
"Sis does what she can to help keep us alive!" Yu stated, "You can't fault her for that!"
"If we let this world control who we become, we might never come back." Haru stated.
"What does that mean?" Before Haru could reply, Yu shot several more question, "Let the world control us? What are you talking about? Aren't we supposed to be surviving? Shouldn't staying alive be more important?"
"But at what cost?" Haru asked, "How many other people would die who didn't have to?"
"I don't know, but how many people would be alive any other way?" Yu quickly asked, "Is it really so wrong that Sis killed those men?" As Haru was about to say something, Yu quickly cut him off, "I was there! I saw what kind of men they were! You didn't! They weren't good people! If Sis wasn't there, I thought they might kill me! Doesn't that matter?"
"…" Haru once again had difficulty coming up with a response.
Bang!
Yu slammed his hand on the table which caught his father by surprise as Yu raised his voice while recounting the story, "As soon as they saw me, one of them tackled me to the ground and held a knife to my throat, so I wouldn't try to get away! The same way one of them tackled Sis to the ground and tried to strangle her to death!" There was no containing the fire in his stomach as he spoke. "You saw those marks on her neck didn't you?!"
"… Yes I did." Haru hesitantly replied.
"The only reason they didn't do that from the start was because she had a gun. Two of them looked like the crap was scared out of them." Yu remarked, "They probably would've done worse to her if she didn't do anything." Yu bitterly stated, "Those four were scum. We're better off without them around."
Lad-dub! Lad-dub! Lad-dub! Lad-dub! Lad-dub!
Haru could feel his heart beating faster upon hearing that last statement his son said which caused him to shoot back, "That's exactly what I'm worried about."
"Why?" Yu was genuinely confused as he asked, "Didn't you say that was your job?"
Haru was taken aback by that question. "What was that?"
"You told me before there were Aragami you took down people called 'criminals.' That means they were bad guys like the ones Sis took care of." Yu asked, "So why is there a problem?"
"Okay!" Haru held out his hand as he told his son, "First of all, you're completely on the wrong track!"
"Wha …" Yu began to say.
Haru clarified, "I was a police officer! I did my best to keep the peace!"
"By taking care of scum right?" Yu asked.
"Not the way you're thinking!" Haru sharply told his son, "I captured and arrested criminals! Using deadly force was rare!" Haru emphasized, "Very rare! We would then put them through a process!"
"And what is this process?" Yu pointed out, "It doesn't sound like anyone's using it."
"This process …" Haru attempted to explain, "The process was part of the laws are what helped make human society what it was."
"When was that?" Yu pointedly asked, "Before I was born?"
"Yes." Haru answered.
"What the hell are they?" Yu demanded to know. "What are these laws?"
"They're like the rules we have for our group." Haru attempted to explain. "Just we applied them to a lot more people."
"And these laws included not harming other people right?" Yu asked.
"Of course." Haru replied.
"Then it sounds like everyone besides us are breaking these laws all the time." Yu dryly stated. "What good are they if no one else follows them?"
"…" Haru took a moment before replying, "I'll admit that things are bad now, but they won't always be. These laws are important not to forget if we ever want to rebuild. If we're ever going to make life better again before we become something else, we need to remember them."
"No one out there seems to care about those rules." Yu held out his arms as he angrily asked, "When we're taking care of scum, why should we care about the rules then? Do you think we'll harm the people in our own camp too?"
"…" Haru was hesitant to grimly reply, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of most."
"Huh?" Yu was caught off guard. "What …?"
"I'm not necessarily afraid of you harming people in the camp." Haru clarified his point. "What I'm really afraid of is what this world will turn you into and how far you can go."
"What do you mean?" Yu asked with wrinkles forming on his forehead.
"I'm saying if you keep going like this where will it end?" Haru asked in a somber voice.
"What?" Yu's confusion was not cured by this answer.
"How about this?" Haru attempted to give an example. "Let's say you're right that Azumi made the right call in killing those survivors …"
"She did make the right call!" Yu bluntly insisted.
"…" Haru lightly bit his lip. Despite his annoyance at being interrupted again, Haru continued his point, "Even so, she's been making that call more than a few times recently. More times than people are comfortable with."
"I know." Yu maintained his position. "They were also bad people."
Haru asked, "What if she was wrong about any of them? What about then?"
Yu shook his head. "I don't think she was."
"What if she's wrong about someone she meets in the future?" Haru asked his son, "What would happen then?"
Yu did not answer that question. Instead, he said, "Sis has been right about a lot of things. I trust her." Yu piercingly asked, "Do you?"
"…" Haru was hesitant to reply, "… I do."
That hesitation did not go unnoticed by Yu as he turned to walk away. Before Yu left the room, Yu glanced towards his father and told him, "Just so you know father. If Azumi gets kicked out of this group, I'm going with her."
"What?" Haru was surprised to hear Yu say that.
Yu replied in a matter of fact tone, "She knows what she's doing and she's taught me what I need to know. If she's kicked out, I'm kicked out."
"She's not going to be kicked out." Haru tried to sound reassuring.
"I hope you're right about that because the looks I saw tell me a different story." Yu then made his exit leaving his father with food for thought. He did not even attempt to stop his son from walking away.
/
While Yu was having his 'conversation' with his father, Azumi was taking care of a task of her own. After separating from Yashiko, Azumi entered into an area that her group was using as a temporary garage. In this garage, Azumi and Yu's group were keeping their transportation trucks along with a few motorcycles. Azumi was not surprised to see Minato hunched over hard at work. In fact, she was counting on it.
Minato was not only their main mechanic, but he was also good at handling and forging weapons. He learned everything he knew form his father. Minato's father was not only a skilled mechanic himself, but he ran a side business before the world came to an end that involved weapons due to his interest in history. Minato more or less inherited his father's abilities, but he lacked a great deal of his father's background.
As Azumi saw Minato tinkering with the machines, she spoke up to catch her friend's attention.
"Hey."
Minato looked over his shoulder with goggles covering his eyes to see who it was. "Oh. Hey Azumi." Minato stood up and took off his goggles as he looked in Azumi's direction. "How'd your little 'chat' go?"
Azumi shrugged her shoulders. "About as well as you could expect."
"That bad huh?" Minato causally remarked.
"We're not here to talk about that." Azumi cut to the chase. "How're the repairs on the motorcycles coming along?"
"Progress is slow, but they're coming along okay." Minato reported.
"That's good news I guess." Azumi had her hand on her hips as she gazed upon the lineup.
Minato defensively replied, "I don't exactly have a lot to work with you know."
Azumi shook her head. "I'm not saying anything like that. I just want to make sure Plan B is ready for when things go south."
"Hmm …" Minato answered, "I'm doing the best I can, but they should be ready within a couple of days."
"Glad to hear it." Azumi replied, "Keep up the good work."
"You do understand that even with the motorcycles we found there won't be enough for everyone." Minato reminded his friend.
"I know." Azumi replied, "No one knows that better than me, but they could be useful as a distraction."
"You don't mean …" Minato began to say.
"Of course." Azumi cut him off, "Whoever's riding them could try leading the Aragami away from the main group."
Minato grimaced at the thought, "That sounds pretty risky."
"Since when is something not risky?" Azumi pointed out.
"Um …" Minato had no answer to that.
"Besides, 'risky' is putting it mildly." Azumi clarified, "I'd prefer saying its 'suicidally dangerous.'"
"Wow …" Minato dryly replied with an uneasy tone, "You really like to put things bluntly."
"No other way." Azumi walked over and knelt by one of the motorcycles as she checked out the wheels. "Acting as bait is suicide unless you're fast enough or have a plan. In this case it'll all depend on whether these things can outrun an Aragami. Do you think these things can?"
"Well … These things can go pretty fast." Minato knelt next to Azumi as he replied, "Faster than our trucks anyway, but I haven't exactly seen that many Aragami run, so I wouldn't know."
"Hmm …" Azumi touched the tire.
Minato added, "I guess it'd have to depending on the Aragami I guess."
"The most likely one we'd have to worry about would be the orgetails." Azumi replied glanced to her side as she asked, "Do you think these things can outrun them?"
"You've managed to escape from them on foot haven't you?" Minato asked, "Getting away from them on a motorcycle shouldn't be a problem right?"
"Only because I was able to outrun someone else slower than me." Both Azumi and Minato grimaced at that thought before she continued, "When it wasn't that, it was because I was able to find a building to take cover and lose them. If it weren't for that, I'd be dead by now."
"…" Minato had nothing to say to that.
Azumi explained, "If I'm driving that thing, I'll be out in the open with something that makes a lot of sound and nowhere to hide. The best bet would be to outrun it and hope it loses interest." Azumi made sure to grimly add, "That's assuming I don't run out of gas."
"No need to worry about that Azumi." Minato assured his friend. "I took the liberty of making sure all of them are filled to the top."
Azumi smiled. "I knew I could count on you."
"To be honest," Minato stood up as he walked over to his workstation, "I'd be more worried about the terrain. This wasteland hasn't exactly been friendly to us."
"Hmph." Azumi stood up as well. "That'd also be putting it mildly."
"What should we do if it gets in the way of your escape?" Minato grimly asked.
"… Don't be too worried about it." Azumi replied. "You've seen me drive this before right?"
"True, but still …" Minato was hesitant to say the next part, "All it takes is just one …" Minato could not bring himself to finish.
Azumi glanced down before looking up. "I already know that. Just let me worry about that. As long as I've got gas and I'm fast enough, I'll get away. You can count on that." It was hard to tell if she was assuring him or herself.
"… Okay." Despite that word, Minato did not sound overly convinced.
"By the way," Minato decided to change the topic, "how much more metal do you think you'd need for that spear?"
Minato decided to go with the flow as he replied, "Not much. I might even be able to make do with the metal you gave me."
"Don't do that." Azumi immediately responded, "I wouldn't want the tip to be too thin that it could break."
"Right …" Minato nodded, "Of course."
"Sorry if I'm putting too much on your plate." Azumi apologized. "I know you have a lot of work to …"
"No! No! No!" Minato repeatedly said before continuing, "It's fine. Really! You do so much for us, and you put your life on the line almost every day. I know today was pretty tough for you. Besides, while you're out there, I'm hanging back here where it's … well 'relatively safer.' I mean the lookouts haven't really spotted any Aragami near here, but if things went south I'd be able to hitch a ride on one of these babies here." Minato patted the closest motorcycle. "So … I mean … um … if anyone has the right to ask a favor from me it's you."
"Well I greatly appreciate that." Azumi stated, "In that case, you can probably expect more metal the day after tomorrow."
"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Minato suddenly realized, "Wait a minute. You sure you'll be up for that in two days?"
"We'll find out." Azumi then asked, "Anyway, you want any help with this? I may not know much about this kind of stuff, but I'm not totally useless."
"No I'm good." Minato shook his head, "Stay focused on recovering so you can get me more metal."
"All right then. See ya." Azumi began walking way.
"Later." Minato then got back to work.
/
Location: Japan
Date: June 28, 2068 – Night
After their various tasks had come to a come to an end, it was time for another day to come to an end. Before turning in for the night, Azumi and Yu had one more thing to talk about. The two of them were alone with no one else to listen in. The only ones still awake besides them were out taking care of lookout duty. The two sat next to each other as they contemplated what happened that day.
"Sis …" Yu asked in concern, "Why do you want people to think you're the one who killed them all. I killed one of them, and I helped you kill another one too. So why?"
"Yu …" Azumi softly said.
Yu finished his point. "I mean you do that every time we get in a situation like that. Why do you do that? Why do you want all the burden? Wouldn't it be easier for you if everyone else knows I killed some of them too?"
"Ah huff …" Azumi took a breath before answering, "When people know you've killed someone and are willing to kill, they'll look at you differently. You've seen it for yourself right?"
"…" Yu remained silent at his sister's question.
Azumi stated, "You don't need them to do that to you yet."
"Then why have you allowed me to kill people?" Yu seemed more confused than before.
Azumi replied without hesitation. "It's not because I wanted you too. It's because you always have to be ready to do what you need to do. That's the only way to survive."
"…" Yu had no idea how to reply.
"When you're in a situation where another person tries to kill you, you can't just be merciful even if you want to." Azumi bit her lip again before finishing, "Otherwise, someone will take advantage of your mercy."
"Did …" Yu hesitantly asked his sister, "Did that happen to you?"
"Oh yeah." Azumi pointed to the long scar on her right cheek. "Remember when I got this beauty?"
"Yes …" Yu bitterly recalled the memory. "You lost a lot of blood."
The memory of that day had been burned into Azumi's head as she recalled what transpired. "I beat down a bandit like the ones who held you hostage. He wouldn't listen to reason or threats, so we fought. He even tried to stab me, but I still won." Azumi curled her fingers into fist as she bitterly concluded, "After I beat him, he begged for mercy. I gave it to him, and he repaid me with this." Azumi motioned to her scar again.
"… Good lord." Those were the only words Yu could say in response.
"If I didn't kill him, he would've chopped my head off." Azumi reflexively touched her neck as she recalled that memory. "He was the first man I killed, and I'll never forget that day. It's not like I ever could if I wanted to."
"… Right." Yu hesitantly replied.
Azumi looked Yu right in the eyes as she sternly told her brother, "I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. In this world, when reason or threats don't work, there is no room for mercy." She patted his shoulder as she asked her trademark question, "You got me?"
Yu nodded, "I understand Sis."
Azumi smiled as she told her brother, "Okay then." She then put her hand and playfully ruffled up his hair. "Heh. Heh."
"Hey!" Yu protested as he moved Azumi's hand away.
"Heh." Azumi chuckled as she stood up. "Good night Yu."
"Good night." Yu then went to sleep as Azumi moved to her makeshift bed. They had survived another day, and they hoped there were would be days they could live to see.
/
Author Notes: I would like to take a moment to thank Fokshee for the cover she produced for "Past is Prologue" along with the character designs that s0ulafein produced. As you can guess, the two characters are Azumi and Yu in the middle of an exploration/scavenging mission. I think the artwork captures the tone and the feeling of the characters beautifully. I look forward to future artwork they will produce for me. What are your thoughts?
While this chapter did not contain much action, it did contain a scene with other survivors needing to avoid the Aragami. As this chapter demonstrates, it is not something that can be done easily, and they need to be careful. If they attract Aragami's attention, it would be game over for them.
For this chapter, I decided that I wanted to delve deeper into the morality of Azumi's actions in the first chapter. This isn't the first time she has been confronted with a situation like that, and she has done her best to learn from her experiences. As a result, that has led to some less than peaceful solutions, but it might have prevented her from receiving more scars or someone else dying. Unfortunately, it is very hard to determine what kind of people you are dealing with in these situations, and she had to make a judgment call. Seeing them holding her brother hostage and not listening to her gave her enough reason to use lethal methods. However, her father used to be a police officer, and he would rather not let how brutal the world became dictate what kind of people they become. Otherwise, it could change them into people they didn't want to become.
Given the circumstances, I don't think it is debatable about whether or not Azumi was right in killing those individuals. While killing is generally wrong, it was a gray area since she was doing it in self-defense and saving her brother's life. However, the fact that similar situations have occurred has caused more than a few people to question whether or not Azumi is a danger. This is a case of 'Reality Ensues' since sometimes doing the right thing can still have unfortunate consequences. In this case, the group is divided in regards to their opinion of Azumi.
When I was writing this story, I decided to have the explanation that Azumi obtained a gun from her father because he was a police officer. I also decided that it would make sense that someone who is a police officer wouldn't want to let go of his morals. You can think of him as being a version of Rick Grimes who refused to fully adapt to the new world. The fact the Aragami ate a large part of humanity might have contributed to this situation.
While in this case, it has been about a decade and a half, but I could picture certain people stubbornly holding onto the morality of the old world. We've seen that happen even in other shows like 'The Walking Dead' depending on the circumstances. Over that time, Haru has done a few things, such as killing people, but he was far less in committing actions like that than either Azumi or Yu are. Azumi has used a lot more bullets than anyone else has.
There is also the fact that this world takes place in Japan is another factor. Perspectives of similar incidents differ greatly between the East and West. For example, in Sword Art Online, there is a character named Sinon who saved numerous people in a bank from a robber by managing to obtain his weapon in a struggle and shooting them with it. Sinon is treated as a pariah by numerous other people which would be something that could happen in real life. As a result, people with that mindset or maintained that mindset, would treat Azumi in a similar matter due to her high body count.
As you can see, most of the people who are clearly on Azumi's side are the people who were born after the Aragami Apocalypse began while most of the people who hold a more negative view of her were born prior to. That was intentional on my part to further showcase the differences in thinking patterns between the generations. However, not all of the people in the earlier generation share the same opinion as indicated by Shin's responses.
The fact that Azumi has killed numerous other people should not be surprising. Since she did not hesitate to kill those individuals and did not appear to be affected by it, they were clear signs that Azumi had done something like that multiple times before. Azumi's scars are also a clear foreshadowing of how battle hardened she has become. I even used those words to describe her appearance in the first chapter.
Haru is capable of being a capable leader as shown when he was leading his team to safety when they were attempting to avoid the Aragami. However, he clearly is not the best father. Over the course of the apocalypse, you could say that he focused more on being a leader to the group rather than being a father to his children. He did not do the best job balancing. In certain respects, Azumi has done more to raise Yu than their father has. Besides the conversations, I'm sure you can pick up on some of the symbolism I used in those situations.
Despite Haru's deficiencies as a father, he does still care about his children greatly. He did not 'completely' hold Azumi in contempt and allowed her to tell her side of the story rather than simply letting what other people said convince him. However, he does know that some of her actions will cause issues regardless of their intentions. That is just what the world is like regardless of whether it is the one he knows or post-apocalyptic.
On another note, I'm fully aware that one of the main characters name in God Eater is Kota. However, it is unrealistic for there not to be other people who share the same name or variations of it. That was what I was going for with Kouta who is one of the leaders of the group. I also figured that there shouldn't be a problem with this since that name does have variations.
I would like to take time to remind all of you that God Eater 2 Rage Burst will be released at the end of August 2016. If you preorder now, you'll not only be able to get some costume DLC, but you will also get a digital copy of the first game for free. I hope you will enjoy playing the game either for Playstation or PC. I know I am.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading the second chapter of the story and liked at least some of the new characters I introduced. I also hope you liked how I further developed the brother and sister relationship Yu and Azumi have. I hope you'll continue to support the story and provide reviews. I would greatly appreciate the feedback. See you next time.