Tormented Seraph: Blooming Rose of the Rising Sun

by Astrid Claire

This life...isn't mine. I know that and all I could do now is fade away into insanity. I can never be human. I could never connect with anyone no matter how many resonances I take. I'm scared. I'm alone. I'm...burning. I don't know what to do anymore. Time is running out. Big Brother isn't here. I don't deserve salvation. Everything is a lie. Nobody cares. Is this...the end for me?

7. 6th Mission

Gods Eater Burst:

"Tormented Seraph: Blooming Rose of the Rising Sun"

~~~ MISSION #6 ~~~

Gasp! A Consortium of Spirits and Troubles in Almost Paradise

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{Opening Song: "OVER THE CLOUDS" by Alan}

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God Arc Storage, Fenrir Far East Branch Den

March 6th, Year 2071

2355 Hours

Five minutes until midnight…

Unknown to most of humanity, there will be a lunar eclipse at the strike of twelve. Under this eclipse, an extraordinary phenomenon shall commence. The location is on the land once known as Japan, on the nation once known as the 'Land of the Rising Sun', and on the place where some remaining survivors of humanity dwell.

In that place, a den shelters advanced soldiers known as God Eaters.

2356 Hours…

Four more minutes…

The moon is being shielded from view, slowly but surely surrounding the world in darkness. A deep shadow takes reign for not even the twinkling lights of a million stars could hope to satisfy the ever youthful night sky without the moon.

At a particular spot, the darkness is at its peak.

2357 Hours…

Three more minutes…

A smoky mist seeps through the gaps of the room, bringing an eerie chill despite the heaters that were supposed to give warmth. As if alive, the mist scatters meticulously through the resting weapons of mass destruction and redemption. With no witnesses, the weapons glow in a shadow of black as they were engulfed by the seemingly harmless mist.

These shadows start to twist into unidentified silhouettes.

2358 Hours…

Two more minutes…

Among these tools of war, one seemed to have held supremacy as it was the first to take form through its dark shadow mist. It came from the one crafted with an Assault Type Crossbow Gun and a Long Silver Tail Sword while armed by an Aurgelmir P Tower Shield. Little by little, its darkened fog fused with a crimson spherical core likened to a floating spirit.

The supposedly living fog escaped from its metallic confines, leaving what seems to be morning dew in its wake as the God Arc glistened even in its soulless state.

2359 Hours…

Only one minute left…

The fog of black and crimson halted at the center of the room and started to twirl as if to cause a small hurricane. Even with such force and power, it does nothing to either harm or affect anything else in the room.

At the vortex, more of the ominous shadow seems to rise and take the form of a man. It twisted and rose as if awakening from slumber as it used the small tornado like a portal from the hellish abyss of Aragami. The figure was still translucent but one can be sure that it was definitely the silhouette of a young man.

Then, it happened.

0000 Hours…

The clock struck at twelve and the eclipse was completed.

It is now March 7th, Year 2071.

For a second, everything stilled: the menacing tornado, the lurking dark mist, the moon, the breathing of the resting humans, and maybe even time itself.

Then as soon as it stopped, it moved forward once more.

What once was a translucent silhouette became a complete anatomy of what was supposed to be human on the outside, but something different on the inside.

It was indeed a young man.

He wore a crimson coat outlined with black over a matching grey zipped up turtleneck shirt which exposed his collarbone, showing creamy pale skin that was almost unnatural for a human. Above the exposed skin, a small pendant rested. It had a blue gem, similar to a Lapis Lazuli, at the center with six silver wings spread out around it. Underneath, there was a complex design of metal that form a circular shape like a doily-patterned brooch.

His legs were covered by black layered pants outlined with golden lines that emphasize a slit on the right thigh and from the left knee up to the shin, where there was a black and grey checkered cloth underneath. Buckles complemented the look at the tips of the slits, looking as if the first layer of the pants was being stylishly held together.

The outfit was accompanied by matching crimson shoes and a bloody red armlet that seem to glow with power.

The fluorescent lights flickered due to the overwhelming power activity caused by the sole solidified existence of the male in the room. His face became practically unseen as only the bottom half of his face was exposed to the evanescent light.

His right wrist, constricted by the red armlet, flicked threateningly before a pair of crimson eyes opened to stare ahead emotionlessly.

That single action caused a series of violent forces to move along with him.

The remaining shadow mists turned into their own small tornadoes before each took the form of translucent individuals that living humans would define as 'ghosts' or 'spirits'.

Each was special and different. Some looked younger, others looked older...

Yet all bowed in respect to the young man in the center before they all smiled delightfully as some took a seat on different parts of the room.

Well, in truth, the ones who did this were actually just floating in midair while in a sitting position.

However, even with such massive company, Lancelot Pierre was not satisfied...

...because one individual insists on either being stubborn in respecting his authority, or just plainly enjoying himself in annoying the hell out of the crimson-eyed young man.

"Shoreii…"

A deep raspy voice called out one name with hidden annoyance.

It was the voice of the same young man clad in crimson and black.

The other figures showed their amusement in snickers and chuckles while some had the courage to outright chortle aloud.

"Shoreii…"

Lancelot called out again.

This time, a heated stare from two fiercely flaring crimson orbs was directed to a dark-colored Evil One Buster Blade. The weapon was still swirling in its own dark mist, and as if to provoke Lancelot, the smoke twisted into the form of a human hand giving him the dirty finger.

The young man just stared.

A boy who seems to be in early teens with messy black hair and light orange eyes—his appearance looked slightly feminine but still boyish—grinned amusedly before leaning towards the misty blade as if in a conspiring whisper, even when he was heard by all of the occupants of the room.

"Knock, knock! Shoreii, this is Ren. You better get out of there now. His Majesty seems really annoyed at the moment."

The boy named Ren found the dirty finger being directed at him, to which he playfully pouted at.

"Okay, now you're just being mean." Ren said.

Lancelot sighed, "Don't say I didn't warn you, Shoreii."

He then stepped towards the dark buster blade and reached out his right hand. The black smoke surrounding the weapon looked like it swallowed his arm before Lancelot gave one powerful yank where he dragged out another translucent figure that had a more solidified form than the majority—but not as solid as the pale young man—by the back of the collar.

Lancelot unceremoniously dropped the newcomer onto the ground where the latter landed on his rear as he was only left with the right to remain silent and glare the former to the death.

Too bad, they were technically immortals in their current state…

"Good, now that we're all here, we can begin." Lancelot spoke, pointedly ignoring Shoreii.

As it turns out, the newcomer is a female.

Shoreii is an androgynous-looking young girl who looked the same age as Ren, if not younger. She has deep ebony hair that was cut into a layered chin-length pixie hairstyle, blending with her mocha skin. Her eyes are heterochromatic, the left eye carrying the color of molten gold with specks of brown while the right was a bright icy blue resembling the sky.

Her outfit consists of a black hooded cloak that reached past her feet and has a wide slit at the center starting from her belly button with loose angel-sleeves. Her private area was covered by tight black leather boy shorts that were adorned by silver chain belts. She was also barefooted which left her feet exposed yet suspiciously clean while her ankles sported silver gypsy anklets.

Anyway, Lancelot began the meeting where Shoreii decided to concede and listen.

"I feel a storm brewing upon us. Calmness might fool our partners and lead them to danger, but I am sure you are all aware of a conspiracy heading for us. I sense a looming dark cloud drifting here from...Russia, as it would seem."

All of his companions nodded in agreement.

"Lindow..." Ren trailed off, "He's getting more dangerous assignments lately. Director Schicksal is making it clear that he's starting to become a nuisance, and I'm afraid that Lindow's mindless snooping might just bring more trouble than its worth."

The others were quiet, opting to listen than interject.

Shoreii hesitated but Lancelot saw her slight movement as he glanced at her. Instead of pressuring her, the young man chose to first reply to Ren's newly expressed troubles.

"I would do all I can to keep your partner alive, Ren. However, the only assurances I could truly give you in my current power is to resonate myself with you as much as Rosella would allow herself to hold onto Lindow."

Ren smiled wryly, "I understand that, Your Majesty. I am grateful nonetheless."

Lancelot nodded before turning to address the others.

"I want all of you to remain vigilant. I do not know how much of you will be affected, but whichever you choose to fight alongside with in this war, I will not hold it against you. Be reminded that all I seek is each and every one of your safety.

"However, should you directly stand against Rosella, let it be known that there will be no pulled damages from me. I will obliterate you and erase the very core of your existence if need be."

His crimson eyes burned in warning and most of the God Arc Spirits slightly recoiled in intimidation. Veterans stood their ground even as the slightest of fear and respect sparked within their eyes.

In the end, they all nodded in acceptance and understanding.

"If you have no other things to personally discuss with me, you are all dismissed and may rest until morning light when we all get to work. I would like to speak with Ren and Shoreii privately."

With another acknowledging nod, the God Arc Spirits—except for Ren and Shoreii—dissolved back into their God Arc vessels. The black mist turned lighter and was absorbed into Lancelot's armlet, giving him a surge of power that caused his pupils to dilate before they turned to normal.

Lancelot took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he turned to the two younger spirits who were looking expectantly at him. He glanced between them before nodding at the boy first.

"Alright, Ren. Since you already brought up a concerning topic earlier, you go first."

At his signal, a smooth flow of energy surrounded them and trapped them in a magical dome that seemingly disappeared in hindsight.

Shoreii raised a brow as Ren blinked up at him.

Lancelot shrugged, "Just for precautions."

Ren nodded, "Yes, well...the matter I wanted to report has something to do with the 'cloud from Russia' that you were talking about earlier."

"..."

"Director Schicksal may or may not be planning to take in another New-Type God Eater."

The young girl beside him perked up slightly while the older male frowned in concern.

"Another New-Type...?" Lancelot thought, "And from Russia, no less...? This could mean trouble. Rosella's advantage over the other God Eaters here is her more advanced potential and capabilities as a New-Type. If another one comes along..."

Ren's voice snapped him out of any further contemplation.

"He greatly implied it to Lindow, but I can't say that I have an idea as to why Director Schicksal seems to be scouting New-Types into the Far East Branch. All I know is that he's definitely up to something, and he needs this New-Type to start his move."

There was silence from his companions until Lancelot brought up another topic.

"Do you have anything to tell me regarding the Aegis Project?"

Ren tilted his head, "Aegis...?"

Crimson eyes narrowed, "Lindow Amamiya is a Unit Leader. He has access to knowledge and sources that only trustworthy Fenrir agents would be aware of. Rosella got a glimpse of his Terminal and I'm quite sure a majority of those confidential files have something to do with that Aegis Project."

"Your perfect resonance with your partner is as astounding as ever, Your Majesty." Ren stalled flawlessly.

"Nice try, Ren. Now stop changing the subject."

Shoreii looked back and forth between the two conversing males as she held back a laugh, not minding that she was being ignored for now in favor of a good show.

Ren bit his lip then sighed defeated.

"The Aegis Project is being used to hide something far more sinister. I don't really know much other than that. My own resonance with Lindow has been faltering lately and I don't know why."

Shoreii focused on him after his last revelation. Her voice spoke for the very first time in the whole meeting, sounding like bell chimes and resounding with a youthful feminine touch to it in contrast to her boyish features.

"Wait, what you mean by 'faltering'?" she asked.

"I don't know! To be honest, it's frustrating. I've always been perfectly in sync with Lindow before, to the point that his mind isn't building barriers at all when we resonate...until now."

"Elaborate." Lancelot commanded.

"Something is making it difficult for me to have access to Lindow's memories these days when, usually, even his darkest secrets are revealed to me without trying. This time is different. If I try too much to go past those barriers, I'd end up revealing my presence to him as a God Arc Spirit and I fear the consequences it might cause to Lindow's mind."

Lancelot and Shoreii pondered about Ren's troubling predicament, causing a sense of unease of whether it might happen to the other God Eaters and their God Arcs.

Then, Shoreii perked up with a probability.

"I might know the reason for your concerns, Ren." she declared.

Ren brightened up, "Really, Shoreii? Do tell me, please."

"I think...my other half is coming nearer."

Lancelot snapped his shocked gaze to her while Ren gaped at her speechlessly.

"Think about it!" Shoreii continued, "Soma and Lindow are the ones entrusted with these secret missions so they're bound to be exposed to her presence first. I thought I was imagining it since Lancelot joined us, but I've been starting to feel herall around me."

She then fidgeted before calming herself, "Your Bias must be starting to seek her core out subconsciously, and it has been causing your Oracle Cells to be conflicted as to whose core it will obey which then affects your resonance with Lindow."

Lancelot pursed his lips in thought, "In that case, it explains everything. You have nothing to fear about Lindow regarding your resonance, Ren. All you have to do is strengthen the bond between your Bias and Lindow's Bias Factor so as to re-sync your souls."

Ren nodded earnestly as he grinned at them in gratitude.

He laughed, "I guess I have to work harder to keep my idiot in line."

Lancelot and Shoreii smirked at his statement.

For a second, Lancelot stiffened and froze as he closed his eyes in concentration. When he opened them, he saw Ren just about to fade away as the boy gave them both a cheerful wave of farewell...much like his wielder. As the younger male dissolved into his vessel, the smoke swirling around the blade turned lighter and was absorbed by Lancelot's armlet just like the others.

Shoreii had her own power to prolong her stay so she managed to stay where she was as she looked up expectantly with her innocent heterochromatic eyes.

Lancelot fought to keep an amused smile from coming to his stoic countenance as he spoke.

"The eclipse is nearing its end. That means bedtime for you."

Shoreii scoffed with crossed arms, "Stop treating me like a kid!"

He then poked her forehead, making the young girl stumble back slightly.

"You area kid."

"Jerk..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing...!"

Shoreii just turned away from him with a huff as she pouted quite childishly before she dissolved into her blade vessel just like Ren. However, unlike the other God Arc Spirits, her black mist dissolved into the core at the handle of the God Arc instead of being absorbed into Lancelot's armlet.

Just as the lone man in the room was about to turn away, he heard a soft whisper presumably from the ebony-haired young girl.

"Good night, Lance."

This time, Lancelot Pierre did not put up a fight against the gentle smile that overtook his handsome features before he dissolved into a smoke of black and crimson back into his own vessel.

---

Lower Lobby, Entrance Floor

March 7th, Year 2071

0830 Hours

"Next, this year saw more demonstrations from protesters. This morning, an Anti-Fenrir Protest was held in front of all global branches. The demonstration was led by a group comprised mainly of people from the Outer Ghetto; calling on Fenrir to increase rationing, reinforce defenses, and increase hiring. The protesters marched for approximately two hours, and then dispersed fairly peacefully."

Sakuya Tachibana then lowered the volume slightly as the program took a break and the commercials took over.

Just as she had done so, she heard familiarly light footsteps not far from her across the lobby. She turned to her right and was delighted to see the New-Type Private, now healthier than the last time they saw each other.

"Hey, this way…! This way!" she called out.

Rosella Maria turned to the Medic Corporal and soon walked over calmly.

The younger woman wore a blue Fenrir Formal Outfit that she had recently crafted. It consists of a black shirt underneath a blue long-sleeved high-collared coat with cuffs that end just before the wrists. Her left hand is covered by a black fingerless glove that goes way under the sleeves of her coat. Her blue coat covered her entire trunk aside from her chest area which was covered by the black shirt that was revealed through the gap.

The coat was long enough to extend a mini-skirt that ends at the upper thigh. The skirt-like portion is open at the front to reveal black leather boy shorts that has the same length as the skirt attachment. At the back of the blue skirt, there is a blue clutchbag attached to a thin black belt that was also a part of the blue coat.

Her legs are covered by black knee-high wool socks with leather straps that reach her mid-thigh. A pair of mid-shin low-heeled blue boots with black outlines completed the whole outfit. There were black shoe laces in front to tighten the boots.

Her hair is styled in what seems to be a layered bob cut with her bangs parted at the right and swept to the side (Hairstyle 16). It seems she has also recently taken a liking of using contact lenses instead of her usual rimless glasses.

For the time since Sakuya saw Rosella sick in Soma's arms, they never had personal contact with each other so the former looked forward to seeing the other again in perfectly good condition.

"I'm hearing good things about you." Sakuya said cheerfully, "You're exceeding expectations, and they can't praise you enough! But, uh..."

Rosella slightly raised a brow in confusion as Sakuya looked down sadly as she continued to speak.

"Try not to overdo it, okay? You see, the greatest God Eaters...tend to die young."

Obsidian black eyes hardened slightly at the thought of this grown woman worrying about someone else's well-being, especially hers. The feeling was foreign and Rosella was quite apprehensive.

For the past few days after she recovered, Rosella commenced her experimental project with Dr. Sakaki to help Eric in his path to recovery. Under Tsubaki's orders, her missions were kept either low-key or limited to one—two if she was lucky—per day until further notice. While doing said missions, she had started to get the feeling of being watched—not in a threatening type of way, but more of 'a-curious-child-is-staring-at-you' type of way—and it left her strongly vigilant. She never spoke of it to her teammates though and wondered if that was the best course of action.

Before she could collect her thoughts and reply, another friendly and familiar voice cut into the conversation with a lighthearted air.

"Meaning I've got a long life ahead of me, is that what you're saying?"

The two women looked up and saw Lindow scratching the back of his sheepishly bowed down head with his right hand while the other remained on his hip. He had a playfully timid look on his face as he looked back at them, immediately cheering up the atmosphere.

Sakuya chuckled, "Keeping executive hours as usual...?"

"Sure, because I'm an executive..." he drawled lazily in reply.

He then glanced at Rosella to see her shaking her head at them with a small amused smirk to which Lindow grinned at as Sakuya giggled.

"Alright," he exclaimed, "another day of fun work, guys! It's gonna be the three of us today. I'll take the lead."

He turned his gaze to Sakuya, "Sakuya, you're the back-up."

"Roger." she replied.

Then he turned to Rosella, "And you're the commando. Show us what a New-Type can do. Remember your training."

Rosella nodded dutifully and Lindow smiled until he heard his phone ring. He dug into his pocket and fished it out. A frown marred on his face as his expression hardened, making the New-Type narrow her eyes slightly in suspicion.

"Anything else...?" Sakuya inquired worriedly.

Lindow returned his phone to his pocket and looked back at her with his usual carefree expression that Rosella found to be more fitting on him.

"Well, um...don't die, alright?" he said albeit unsurely.

"Thank you for your very thorough orders, Big Boss." Sakuya stated teasingly.

Rosella found her Unit Leader's eyes turning slightly softer and his smile more genuine as he shared a short moment with Sakuya.

Then, she wondered...what it was like...

"By the way, Rookie..."

She snapped to attention when she heard Lindow address her, only to see him with a concerned yet stern look.

"I don't want a repeat of what happened a few days ago, alright? I heard from Dr. Sakaki you're helping with Eric's rehabilitation so you're limited to only two major missions a day at most. I don't care if you can get better overnight. I won't like it if you got sick in the first place. If you feel ill, you better tell Sakuya or me...or your partners for the mission you've taken. Do you understand me?"

She blinked a few times before nodding hesitatingly, "Loud and clear, Corporal."

Lindow sighed in relief and grinned, "Good, because I already booked you for today."

"You'll have this mission with us while Soma will be joining us in the afternoon. Tsubaki is wary of you so don't bother trying to sneak another mission today." Sakuya informed.

"I understand."

The two Corporals were pleased with her cooperative behavior as they gave her approving nods before they entered the Den Gate.

"What is our mission, if I may ask?"

Lindow gave her the Mission Check, "It's the Crocodile Two Mission. Here, read it."

She did as she was told like a good student, making the two Corporals smirk in amusement.

Her obedience was such an ego-booster for Lindow sometimes, and albeit troubling on the other few. Sakuya was just glad that there was still such a polite and open-minded girl like her these days.

Meanwhile, Rosella busied herself with the details of the mission and started piecing strategies in her head.

"The location is on Sunken Grid and our main target is one Gboro-Gboro. This means Spark Bullets are my companions for now. Ogretails are also sighted, but how many? I might stick to Blade Form mostly on this one, just to speed things up. Now, how to plan out my Burst limit...?"

When they arrived at the helicopter pad, Rosella felt a sense of déjà vu.

It started with an instinctive chill as she took steps towards the chopper just as she handed back the Mission Check to Lindow. Then, it started to dull her senses slightly as her hearing became faint. More specifically, it discarded all other sounds except for the soft haunting whispers that had once reached her ears before.

Though she should have expected, it did not make the last factor any easier.

A powerful surge of pain hit her head, quick yet brutal like Thor's Mjolnir, as her hands reached up to cradle her head which is an action that caused her to ruffle her blonde locks slightly. Her headache was so intense that she barely felt the heat coming from her pendant as it glowed as if in warning and to ward off her agony.

To her surprise, the excruciating sensation in her cranium vanished soon after.

"Sorry about that."

Among the whispers, that one sentence rang out within her mind.

The voice seemed young and it was one among the others that had also once strongly resounded before back in the God Arc Storage. Although it seemed to be the voice of a young boy, Rosella was aware that he is one of the veteran and stronger God Arc Spirits that she had detected when she last visited the storage.

"Hey, Rookie...! Snap out of it!"

An exclamation did snap her out of it, together with the touch of two gloved hands as they took hold of her wrists and kept them away before she could pull her hair out.

"Rookie, breathe."

That simple command reminded her that her lungs were being deprived of much needed air, and so she eventually found herself slightly panting for breath. Gathering her thoughts and trying to compose herself, she started to straighten up and look up at the extremely worried face of Lindow Amamiya.

Onyx clashed with chartreuse before the former trailed off to meet with light orange where Sakuya also stared at her worriedly from the chopper, which she was about to get out of after seeing the younger woman in pain.

Lastly, Rosella finally registered the gloved hands that belonged to her commanding officer as they still protectively held onto her wrists. In fact, they tightened even more but not enough to hurt...just to catch her attention and keep her focused.

When she made eye contact again, she felt a sense of unexplainable relief.

"Hey, you okay?" Lindow asked.

Rosella stared blankly at him before nodding and gently tugging her hands away.

The sensation felt oddly comforting.

She cannot explain it.

She was starting to dislike these feelings that she could not comprehend.

"I'm fine." she replied, looking down.

Lindow frowned, "Rookie, we just talked about this. If you're feeling unwell—"

"I am fine, Lindow." she interjected albeit impatiently.

"Rookie..."

"Really, it was a passing ache. I'm fine now. I think it was just the slight heat. I've been more exposed to cold temperatures lately that my body must've just started to adjust."

When the Corporal still seemed unsure, Rosella sighed and gathered all of her composure to piece together her usual emotionless yet confident mask. When she was ready, she looked up and stared into her superior's eyes.

Finding no lies in her, Lindow sighed and conceded.

"Alright, but if you're in the slightest discomfort or pain—"

"—I will inform you immediately. As you command, Lindow..."

He raised a brow and smiled as he made way for the rookie to go first.

When they were in the chopper, Lindow found slight assurance when the young lady was at ease and seemed comfortable enough to take a short nap.

"She's good for you, Lindow."

His gaze snapped to Sakuya's direction, almost half-hoping and half-expecting her to look apprehensive and jealous. However, he only saw amusement and mischief as the Medic Corporal smiled knowingly.

"What are you talking about, Sakuya?" he asked softly so as to avoid disturbing his sleeping subordinate.

She giggled, "You act so protective of her that you look like a big brother to her."

"...Hn."

"Wow, Lindow! You're getting better at imitating Soma. Is that a blush I see?"

"Oh, shut up. I admit I've been a bit more...defensive when it comes to this one."

"May I know why?"

"Why? You jealous...?"

"Just answer the question, Lindow."

"...I seriously don't know."

Sakuya looked flabbergasted at that reply to which Lindow just smiled wryly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Seriously, Sakuya...I don't know. I just feel protective of her. She told me she was supposed to have an elder brother but she doesn't remember a thing, not even his name. I guess I started to act like this ever since then."

"You sympathize with her?"

"Kinda, but not really...it's complicated."

"How articulate, Big Boss."

"...shut up."

There was silence between them after that, and the two Corporals turned to watch the slumbering female God Eater until they decided to check their gears.

.

.

Meanwhile, in a joint mindscape...

"Ren, what the hell was that?"

"...What was what?"

"Don't play dumb. You almost cracked Rosella's skull a while ago. You know how sensitive she is with the Oracle Cells that contain an evolved Bias, or any active Bias for that matter."

"Sorry, Lance...I was trying to strengthen the bond between my Bias and Lindow's Bias Factor as you've said; but I guess I kind of placed too much concentration on my Oracle Cells that Rosella detected it, and caused her pain."

"Hm, that better not happen again...or I'll strangle you."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Your Majesty."

.

.

No one noticed a crimson ruby flash while the God Arcs pulsed in black.

---

Starting Point, Sunken Grid

0930 Hours

"Let's begin."

"Okay, let's go."

"Let's go, relax."

When her pendant started working its magic again, Rosella walked past them without another word and jumped down the platform. The two Corporals exchanged knowing glances and followed after her.

Unlike the usual routine, the emerald leaves were not spinning towards one direction. Instead, it was spinning back and forth from clockwise to counter-clockwise as if not being able to make up its mind. This could only mean that there are at least two Aragami in separate directions at equal distance from her, likely the same type of Aragami as well since the pendant usually just directs her to the weaker one before moving on to the boss when there are many targets to eliminate.

To further investigate, the young woman took a few more steps before kneeling down with her God Arc resting over her right shoulder while her left hand touched the ground as her onyx eyes narrowed to inspect something.

"What's wrong?" Lindow asked her with a professional tone.

She replied without looking back, "Ogretails...there are two of them at least. No sign of the main target at the moment, but from what I can see of the tracks, the two Ogretails are in separate directions."

As she had mentioned, Lindow and Sakuya found a trail that was probably caused by the weight of said Aragami together with the dirt that the limbs must have carried. The set of footprints were indeed similar and Rosella remained kneeling before the part where the footprints separated.

In all honesty, the tracks were very hard to notice even for a God Eater's keen and trained eyesight.

"Very impressive, how'd you see it from so far away when we could barely see them up close unless we squint?" Sakuya asked in awe.

Rosella traced her fingers at the footprints, "I learned and trained myself in tracking while I was wandering on my own. It's better to avoid unnecessary danger, and it helps to know where to lay down effective traps for preys."

She lifted her left hand to her face and examined her dirtied fingers critically before looking over her shoulder to make eye contact with Lindow.

"The trails are pretty fresh, but the subtlety applied in the prints proves that these Ogretails are wary and pretty guarded. These are the types that tend to travel slower so they must not be pretty far from here. If I must specify..."

The Private paused to activate the map in her armlet before looking back up at them.

"...I'd have to say one is somewhere between Section L and O, while the other can be found along the area of Section F. Seeing that there seems to be no sign of the Gboro-Gboro, I conclude that it must be lingering in water; or at least somewhere near it where noise will be distant from our ears. Our best bet is Section J."

Lindow and Sakuya blinked several times at her in stunned bewilderment until they exchanged glances again which soon turned to amused smiles.

The former grinned at her, "You make my life and job so much easier, Rookie."

She could only tilt her head in confusion which was responded by snickers and giggles from her two superiors.

"Anyway," Lindow continued calmly, "I think we'll have a temporary change of plans. If it is as Rookie says, then it would be best if we take out the Ogretails first which means we need to split up. If it goes as planned with the main target, we'd eventually rendezvous at Section I."

The two females concurred with an agreeing nod so Lindow deemed it good to continue.

"Just in case, you both stick together with one Ogretail. If the Gboro-Gboro isn't in Section J, where would it most likely be? The entire setting is surrounded by water."

The question was obviously directed at the New-Type Private so she answered after a minute's pondering.

"I'd say it would have to be on the range of Section D to H. It has the most water it could travel to and fro, and it's the farthest from us so it could reason why we haven't seen any tracks caused by it."

Lindow nodded in understanding, "Then I'll take on the Ogretail in-between Section L and O. I'd leave you both to the one in Section F just in case the Gboro-Gboro is there as well. Back each other up. Release a signal if you've encountered the main target."

Rosella smirked, "I'd direct the same command to you as a request, Corporal...on the off chance that Gboro-Gboro decides that you are more worthy of a meal."

He found himself smirking back, "Of course, Rookie. I'm not suicidal."

Sakuya giggled, "It seems you're getting usurped, Big Boss."

"Yeah, yeah...let's just get this show on the road!"

With an encouraging signal, the team split up and rushed to find their designated targets.

.

.

.

"Well, hello to you too."

Lindow greeted the Ogretail with a confident smirk as he steeled his mind and tightened his grip on his God Arc. A subtle dark glow enveloped his armlet for a moment before it disappeared as he sprinted to attack.

With practiced ease, he went behind his target and landed powerful blows that made it stumble forward before it whirled around with a swish of its humongous tail. As he had observed the New-Type Private of his unit do countless times, Lindow made a fairly high jump before continuing his relentless attacks on midair.

His combo finished with a vertical slash that was followed by a flip before he managed to smoothly land on his feet just as the Ogretail lost its balance. While it was vulnerable, the Corporal took the chance for a Devour the moment he turned back around.

"Okay, dig in!" he exclaimed.

As he did, a familiar surge of energy flowed through his body.

However, he felt something else was different with his Burst Mode that he noted.

"It's as if something is crawling under my skin..."

As his opponent started to get back on its feet, Lindow decided to discard the matter at the back of his mind. His ears absently picked up the chiming sound of a notification from his armlet.

One Ogretail has been defeated.

"Heh, Rookie and Sakuya sure work fast. Better step up my game now~!"

Lindow smirked at the thought and provoked his opponent with a 'Come at me!' gesture.

The Aragami roared angrily at the mockery before it lunged towards him for a bite. He dodged with a timed Step which was followed by a Double Jump as he released a series of attacks midair and another set of combo after he landed. The Ogretail lost its balance again and the Corporal took that chance to step in as he unleashed another series of slashes.

In no time, the Ogretail fell to its demise.

With a sigh of relief, Lindow walked over to the fallen corpse of the Aragami and allowed his God Arc to extract the core just as his Burst Mode was about to end. When that was done, he surveyed his surroundings one more time before nodding to himself and going on his way towards Section I.

.

.

"Miss Sakuya, would you mind going on higher ground?"

"I don't, but why?"

"I'd rather you back me up while keeping a watchful eye around the area. Since our location is the next best bet for the main target to be, I'd be reassured if you could give me the warning beforehand."

"Alright, I understand."

After taking a brief pause, Sakuya rolled to the ground to hide behind the tall pile of metal beams. Once she saw the Medic Corporal in position, Rosella sprinted forward and hid behind the nearest corner to the Ogretail.

Both actions were unnoticed by the Aragami.

The two female God Eaters made eye contact as soon as Sakuya was on top of the beams with her God Arc at the ready. Rosella nodded at her companion and the Medic Corporal started to fire lasers at the Ogretail.

It caused their target to whirl around with full intent to strike back.

The lasers of Blaze and Chill kept coming but the roaring Aragami just kept marching forward. Just as it reached closer, Rosella came out of her hiding place and landed a powerful Impulse Edge straight to the Ogretail's face—fully embracing her role as the commando—which caused it to take several steps back.

While it was trying to shake off the surprise attack, Rosella and Sakuya mercilessly proceeded to land slashes and shots respectively onto their inhuman opponent.

"I should save my Burst Modes for later." the former thought.

In a span of one minute, the enemy was defeated and the younger God Eater took it upon herself to extract the core. Rosella's sharp ears picked up Sakuya's footsteps as the latter jumped down from her elevated position in order to stand guard for any other enemies in hiding. Once they were finished with the core and the corpse was being swallowed by the abyss, the communicator within their armlets rang for a notification.

Another Ogretail was defeated.

Lindow was also finished with his own target.

The Medic Corporal and the Private looked around for any sign of the Gboro-Gboro before exchanging questioning glances whether they should move on or stay longer. The former shrugged, clearly implying that she is leaving their next moves for the younger God Eater to decide.

After surveying the surroundings one more time, Rosella felt her necklace spark before a series of very quiet clicks entered her ears. The emerald leaves were directing her to move which means the Gboro-Gboro has revealed itself, but not where they are. She then nodded to Sakuya and gave the signal to move along to their rendezvous point.

Lindow only arrived a few seconds later than they both did, greeting them with a smile and a casual salute.

As predicted, their main target was located at Section J.

The three God Eaters leaned back on the large crates that they were using to shield themselves from the Gboro-Gboro's line of sight. Lindow and Rosella inclined their heads to peek from their hiding place while Sakuya stayed alert for any other Aragami that may be off radar by the New-Type's side.

"Well," Lindow whispered, "it seems you were right, Rookie."

"It's bigger than I expected." Rosella muttered in wonder.

"Oh, believe me. It's even bigger up close."

Sakuya chuckled, "So what's the plan, Big Boss? Do we confront it now or lead it out?"

Lindow was silent for a moment as he observed the Gboro-Gboro that seems to have not detected their presence yet. He looked up to Sakuya and Rosella with a serious expression as he spoke.

"I think it would be better to lead it out. Section J limits our movements too much because of the surrounding water, and the target could move around as it pleased in both land and water. Seeing as there's less water from my side, we'll lead it there.

"Rookie, change into Gun Mode and back me up together with Sakuya. I'll act as bait and confront it in close combat. It's bound to get lured to our side that way. When I start running towards you guys, go straight to Section M."

Both female God Eaters nodded dutifully at their Unit Leader's commands.

When they took a pause to prepare, Rosella felt an odd tingling from her pendant which made her look down slightly to see it flash a blinking crimson. Her eyes then trailed to Lindow and saw his armlet pulse with a black aura for an instant.

It was so fast that she was not sure if it really happened.

However, an odd whisper drifted to her ears which confirmed that she did not imagine it.

Lindow's God Arc was calling out to her. That or it was up to something.

Before she could ponder even deeper about it, Rosella saw Lindow already sprinting towards the Gboro-Gboro with firm determination and concentration in his bright green eyes.

Keeping the Corporal's commands in mind, she immediately switched to Gun Mode and mimicked Sakuya in shooting lasers to back Lindow up. Their surprise assault startled the target and caught its attention as it turned around with an angry roar directed at the three of them.

Lindow attacked his target swiftly yet accurately with complete faith and confidence in his stature. Lasers were fired both on his left and right sides which all came from Sakuya and Rosella respectively.

As they wanted, the Gboro-Gboro stomped towards Lindow who was already running back to his comrades as planned. The Aragami followed him quickly but paused to open its large jaw of razor sharp teeth with full intent on devouring Lindow whole.

Before that could happen, a Stun Grenade was thrown at its face.

Lindow, Sakuya, and Rosella ran to Section M as they have planned while the Gboro-Gboro was still stunned and temporarily blinded. They did not go at full speed deliberately so that the Aragami could still follow them as it was the whole point of the plan.

Their target did follow them but not in the way that they fully expected it to.

Instead of chasing them on land, the Gboro-Gboro dived on the water at the side of the bridge and swam rapidly through the formerly calm water. It suddenly emerged from the waterside of Section N, surprising the three God Eaters that barely managed to settle themselves in position a few meters from the target.

The Gboro-Gboro wasted no time in lunging towards Sakuya and Lindow who were nearest in reach for a charging attack.

At the nick of time, Rosella threw another Stun Grenade at its face which caused it to stumble back from its sudden lunge towards her superior officers—who were both in front of her—in an attempt to shake off the stun effect.

Lindow smirked, "Your timing with Stun Grenades is certainly remarkable, Rookie."

Sakuya smiled in agreement and backed up a few steps to shoot her lasers from afar, observing both her teammates if ever they would need any Recovery Bullets.

Rosella opted to switch to Blade Mode and help Lindow in cornering the Gboro-Gboro with precise slashes to its fins. For one moment, she felt her pendant tingle again but for a different reason.

She felt like she was being watched again like the time she went on her recent missions, especially in the Old City. This time, the presence was close and her onyx eyes saw a glimpse of white hiding behind some piled metal beams that were starting to rust with time. The slight pause she made cost her as she could not react in time to dodge the flailing attacks of the Aragami before her.

She was thrown back with considerable amount of damage and landed on her side, causing some cuts and bruises on her exposed legs. At the corner of her eyes, she managed to see Lindow defending her at her moment of weakness but did not see any more sign of that strange black aura from his armlet or the blur of white from her peripheral vision.

Even with Lindow and Sakuya's persistent attacks, the Gboro-Gboro seemed to be intent on aiming for Rosella who was just about to take a Restore Pill. Before she could, the amphibian Aragami stood still in a straight posture and concentrated a misty attack around the New-Type's location.

"Rookie, watch out!" Lindow warned.

His voice reached her a moment too late as Rosella received the full brunt of the swirling winds that gathered in her direction.

That was enough to incapacitate her.

"Can't...move..." she choked out.

The state of being incapacitated was a foreign feeling for Rosella.

Her physical body was completely immobile while her mind was practically drifting in and out of consciousness. Strangely though, she also felt as if she was floating in endless darkness as she lied down on her stomach. Her eyes were shut but she found out that she did not even have the strength to open it even if she wanted to.

"Hey, you okay...?"

The voice belonged to a male who spoke gently and kindly, expressing full concern for her well-being and encouragement for her to wake up. It brought warmth to her entire body as she felt some sort of foreign energy drift through her veins.

It was a no-brainer that she would end up seeing Lindow's smiling face the moment she reopened her eyes.

"Thanks." she replied with gratitude.

Her legs managed to stand up with her newfound energy which she replenished fully with a Restore Pill II. In her peripheral vision, she spotted Sakuya who was expertly distracting the Gboro-Gboro on her own. Lindow went back to her direction to take the lead again and the New-Type Private wasted no time in following.

With renewed vigor, Rosella aimed precisely for the left and back fins where she found the most damage to inflict. When the Aragami started to flail around again, she managed to take a quick Step and got away enough to throw a Stun Grenade.

Seeing her target stunned, her stance changed to prepare her God Arc for a Devour.

"This it...?" she questioned albeit smugly.

Lindow and Sakuya blinked in slight surprise at her fired up attitude, wondering if this was brought on by her mishap a while ago. Shrugging it off temporarily, the Corporals continued with their own share of attacks with Lindow taking the time to Devour as well.

Making use of her Burst Mode, Rosella dashed in and commenced combo after combo at the back fin of the Gboro-Gboro. When it turned to her direction and opened its mouth, she wasted no time in making a Double Jump to dodge the moment it lunged for her.

While on midair, she maneuvered her body to take a flip by stepping on the cannon atop the forehead of the Gboro-Gboro while changing to Gun Mode and aiming for the Aragami below her even with her body upside down. She fired two consecutive Blast Splash right at the back fin, rendering the Oracle Cells unbound.

"It's cracked." she declared, landing on her feet gracefully.

Not wasting the moment, she fired the last Aragami Bullet at Sakuya for a Link Burst to give all three of them an edge with the use of Burst Modes to go against the Gboro-Gboro that now entered an Enraged State.

It roared at them with a vengeance.

Lindow and Rosella sprinted towards the target head-on as it also marched with full intent to welcome them into its hungry jaws. The Corporal took a Step to the right while the Private rolled towards the left and switched to Blade Mode. Firing two Impulse Edges towards the left fin, Rosella managed to attract most of the attention to her again. She saw the horn cannon lifting up and brought up her shield in time to defend against the three water spheres that came at her while Lindow kept the offense going by taking the rear.

When the coast is clear, she looked up to see that the Gboro-Gboro slumped on the ground—though still undefeated—after Lindow relentlessly attacked the defenseless back fin while it was distracted with her as Sakuya dealt a well-timed blow using the Aragami Bullet from her Link Burst.

The Burst Modes already faded at that point.

At the Aragami's moment of weakness, Lindow and Rosella took the stance to commence a Devour simultaneously.

By the time they managed to take a defensive position again, the Gboro-Gboro was already backing on its fins to take them on. It straightened up and concentrated energy around its own body which prompted Lindow and Rosella to bring up their shield in time to defend from the whirlwind attack. The force sent them back but not enough to be that far away from their opponent. A single Step was all it took for the two blade-wielders to continue their attacks.

Rosella decided to make a Combo Devour in order to prolong her Burst Mode since the recent counterattack from the Gboro-Gboro took some time for her to get back to offense, which was a decision rewarded by being able to unbound the cells of the right fin.

"That leaves me with three and a half Burst Modes to use." she noted mentally.

With another enraged roar, the Gboro-Gboro flailed madly which gave her some damage since she could not regain her stance in time while she was adjusting to the energy surge that ran through her. Before she could take another Recovery Pill to restore her health, her pendant burned brightly again. Instead of a mere tingle, it left a searing pain onto her skin which caused Rosella to tense and her breath to hitch.

This made her vulnerable and the Gboro-Gboro took that to its advantage.

The next thing she knew, three water spheres hit her directly and sent her back.

Rosella found her body painfully and roughly rolling away a few times until her back hit the wall quite harshly to the point that she was sure everybody heard that heavy thud.

Fortunately, she was not incapacitated this time but she was close.

Lindow made great effort to distract the Aragami away from her, attacking more relentlessly, while Sakuya shot a Recovery Bullet in her direction.

However, her health was not replenished.

"Huh...?"

"What the hell...?"

This phenomenon shocked Sakuya and Lindow greatly.

The Private did not notice that a Recovery Bullet had been shot in her direction through the heat of the battle as she made great effort to get back on her feet, her God Arc clenched tightly in her right hand.

Due to the two Corporals' shock, the Gboro-Gboro was given the opportunity to fend them off. It broke free from their attacks and focused on the presently weaker prey which was Rosella. The New-Type God Eater barely managed to dodge the amphibian Aragami's attack, shooting five Impulse Edges instinctively before she could fully comprehend her actions which ended up leaving her breathless.

In contrast, the Gboro-Gboro concentrated another green energy whirlwind beneath her.

As if to curse her, Rosella felt another searing pain caused by her heated pendant after seeing another flash of white at one corner of the Sunken Grid and a pulsing black from Lindow's God Arc. The excruciating sensation brought her to her knees without even registering the attack brought onto her by the Aragami.

In a last effort to defend herself, she set up a Snare Trap right beside her in case she was attacked while unconscious.

"The darkness..." she whispered to herself.

For the second time, she was incapacitated.

.

.

Lindow noticed it the moment they began the plan.

There was something weird going on with the New-Type Private, distracting her from her usually flawless concentration. He got a glimpse of her furrowed brows and slight frown before he charged towards the Gboro-Gboro. He dismissed the thought soon after when he witnessed perfectly accurate shots being sent to the target even as he stood in the frontlines.

Obviously, it was the wrong decision on his part as he found the young woman incapacitated a few moments after the battle officially commenced.

"No way...!" Sakuya exclaimed.

Even though she was caught off guard by the surprising sight of the rookie being incapacitated, the Medic Corporal was quick to cover Lindow as he sprinted towards the fallen New-Type without hesitation.

Not wasting a single second, he placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder and focused the energy from his Oracle Cells to transfer to her.

"Hey, you okay...?" he asked softly.

The Corporal found comfort at the sight of two onyx orbs meeting his bright green eyes.

"Thanks." she said gratefully.

Lindow nodded in acceptance of that reply, though deep inside, he was reluctant to leave her be and continue to fight. It felt weird for him to be this personally protective over someone. He had been defensive over his subordinates throughout his experience as a Unit Leader, but not as intense as he felt for the female New-Type of his unit.

After a while, he was relieved to see no signs of being unwell from the rookie as she fought as gracefully and valiantly as she had always done. He even got to see a cheeky side of her to surface at the midst of the battle, even as he spotted the strained effort to keep up.

"This it...?" she said smugly.

A nostalgic smile emerged from his face as he observed the New-Type.

"It seems she's still getting used to the Big Boy Aragami. That's understandable."

When she made a flip in midair and shot two Aragami Bullets with scary accuracy, Lindow found himself looking back at Sakuya incredulously as if to ask 'How the hell can she do that?'

His fiancée just shrugged with a knowing grin.

"It's cracked."

He turned back to the battle and saw that the Back Fin Oracle Cells were indeed unbound.

For a while, things were starting to turn up better on their sides again. The tide went on smoothly as they managed to stay out of harm's way for the most part.

That was until he saw the rookie getting distracted again.

At that moment though, Lindow managed to witness a series of strange phenomena starting from the glowing pendant hanging from Rosella's neck. He could have sworn he even saw it emitting smoke on its own. With his guard down, the Gboro-Gboro managed to get the opportunity to launch three water spheres towards his subordinate.

"Dammit...!" he cursed under his breath, dashing forth as a temporary distraction.

"Recovery Bullet...!" Sakuya exclaimed.

He sneaked a glance at Rosella to see if she managed to get back on her feet, only to end up being speechless when he saw that Sakuya's shot gave no effect.

"Huh...?" she breathed.

"What the hell...?" he muttered in disbelief.

At their moment of shock, the Gboro-Gboro commenced another energy whirlwind attack beneath Rosella's feet. She was not given the chance to defend as she barely managed to get back on her feet when it happened.

The Aragami was ruthless and dashed towards Rosella immediately after it fired its attacks, and Lindow was aware that it had the intention to devour. He found himself feeling extremely terrified for his newest subordinate when he could barely keep up but calmed slightly when he found five Impulse Edges slowing the amphibian monster down.

However, anxiety flowed through him again when he found the young woman panting for breath after that reckless move. It left her completely vulnerable to another whirlwind attack.

Once more, she was incapacitated.

Without another moment to lose, he stepped forward and blocked the Aragami's way in an attempt to divert its attention away from its intended prey. He threw down his own Stun Grenade and took the stance to Devour, giving him the power boost of a Burst Mode. At the corner of his eye, he saw his God Arc and armlet pulse with a black aura but shrugged it off as his imagination when it disappeared soon after.

Sakuya panicked slightly as she dashed closer to Lindow.

"If we don't do something..."

"I'll go."

Lindow's firm yet casual voice calmed her down slightly as they both attacked their target to push it back if only a little bit. Given the proper timing, Sakuya threw down a Stun Grenade so they could run towards their fallen comrade.

"Now...!" they both yelled.

Sakuya stayed by Lindow's side but kept her God Arc shooting at the Gboro-Gboro.

She was relieved when she heard her fiancé's friendly playful voice speaking to a now conscious Rosella.

"You're nothing but trouble." Lindow chuckled jokingly.

.

.

Rosella found the state of incapacitation annoying.

It made her feel helpless and useless in every sort of way, terrifying her in unspeakable levels that only made her angry at herself.

There was not a single image that showed her the dreary surroundings of the Sunken Grid, not a single sound that could tell her the status of the ongoing battle, not a single scent of the abandoned sewage or the foggy sea, not a single feeling of the cold ground, and not even a single taste of blood from her busted lip.

From what she learned, her armlet causes her body to shut down into a state of incapacitation in order to be able to stabilize her body for the process of 'respawning' as a way to put it. Of course, there was also the option of receiving a Link-Aid from her teammates which she could only wait for.

The wait was not long.

"You're nothing but trouble." she heard Lindow say.

With a slightly bowed head, Rosella stood up and held her God Arc firmly.

"I can fight." she stated with a strain.

Her two superior officers offered her reassuring nods and smiles before focusing onto the target again, which was already stomping towards their direction.

Sakuya rolled back to her former position so she could shoot from a distance as back-up and in order to not be caught defenseless.

Lindow and Rosella took a Step to the side, avoiding the Gboro-Gboro's lunge at the nick of time. The amphibian monster became paralyzed all of a sudden, confusing the two Corporals.

"I've set it." Rosella stated.

That made them aware of what went on, understanding that the rookie must have set a Snare Trap before she fell unconscious.

"Geez, she's as relentless as they come..." the Corporals thought in sync.

In a fit of almost uncharacteristic impatience, Rosella sprinted forward and attacked the Gboro-Gboro at the portions where the Oracle Cells were unbound. Lindow followed her example while Sakuya shot him Recovery Bullets in order to replenish his health from the recent Link-Aid.

Just as the Snare Trap was about to wear off, Rosella and Lindow took the stance to Devour. They respectively took an area where the Oracle Cells were already unbound in order to inflict as much damage as possible. This caused the Aragami to give an agonized roar before flailing around to fend them off.

The Corporal dashed away to dodge while the Private made a Double Jump as she switched to Gun Mode.

Rosella shot a Blast Splash towards the Aragami, making it stumble before she landed a few meters in front of the target after she was sent back by the impact of her shot. When she saw the horn cannon lifting up again, she attacked instead of defending like the first time.

Changing into Blade Mode, her arms held onto her God Arc as she gave one powerful diagonal swing which caused the Gboro-Gboro to halt in its attack. However, Rosella refused to give it a breather as she commenced a combo before jumping and switching to Gun Mode again.

She fired the last two Blast Splash Bullets straight to the face, destroying the Cannon Oracle Cells.

"Pretty spectacular, huh...?" Lindow drawled with a smirk.

Her feet skidded back to a stop as the Aragami slumped on the ground, allowing Lindow to take another Devour while she shot Spark Lasers precisely at the unbound area. The double-teamed combo became the finishing blow as the Gboro-Gboro failed to get back up, their armlets ringing with the notification that their main target has been defeated.

Rosella sighed tiredly, "It's over."

"Good job, everyone...!" Sakuya cheered.

Lindow smirked with a sigh of relief as he commented lightly.

"Hey, I'd say it was a damn great job...!"

Sakuya just chuckled at him as she shook her head fondly before turning to Rosella with Lindow doing the same.

However, they found their smiles turning into concerned expressions when they found her looking away with a brooding expression. Onyx orbs peeked beneath long eyelashes in a timid manner before lowering down again in thought.

The two Corporals were then astonished by the sight of Rosella bowing her head dejectedly and shamefully in front of them.

"I'm sorry. I became a hindrance by getting distracted and incapacitated...twice."

Lindow and Sakuya blinked several times, unsure of how to deal with this situation seeing as no one went so far as to apologize for being incapacitated at the midst of the mission. It was to be expected at one point, and it was just one of those things that beginners must go through.

No human can be perfect after all.

Sakuya giggled as she walked over to the rookie, patting her back lightly in comfort as she walked back to the Starting Point. She looked over her shoulder to wink at Lindow who looked at her with an exasperated smile.

Rosella lifted her head slightly but her eyes were still downcast.

"Hey, Rookie..."

She tensed, "Yes, Corporal...?"

"Be honest with me. What happened back there? It's not like you to get distracted as much as you were back then."

"..."

"Don't tell me...you were feeling unwell after all, and you didn't tell us."

At his conclusion, Rosella's head snapped up and saw Lindow looking at her with a dark smile on his usually compassionate features. She broke out in a slight cold sweat as she held up her left hand and waved it frantically.

"No, no...! It's not that, honestly!" she protested.

Lindow relaxed when he saw her sincerity but stared her down to confess the whole truth.

Rosella gave in with a defeated sigh.

"It's just that I...felt a strange presence lately."

"Go on."

"For some reason, I feel like I'm being watched while I'm on missions and it's causing me to be slightly on edge. It seemed like an Aragami presence of some sorts, but I'm not sure."

Bright green eyes blinked confusedly at her explanation. Instead of prying further though, the Corporal decided to ask another question.

"Hey, does your pendant usually glow?"

Rosella looked at him with complete astonishment and wonder.

"How did you know that?"

Lindow smiled and shrugged, "I saw it a while ago at the midst of the fight."

"...Yes, it does. It actually does that to warn me whenever an Aragami is on sight. To be specific, it glows in response to any strong Oracle Cells in activity."

He raised a brow and grinned as he walked towards the Starting Point, beckoning the rookie to do the same with a waving hand. His right hand lifted his God Arc onto his shoulder as he did so.

"Interesting, how does it do that?"

Rosella shrugged, "I do not know. I had it wrapped around my neck ever since my memory loss. I don't even know who gave it to me."

"Hmm..."

"Lindow, I..."

The ravenett paused as he turned to his subordinate with an encouraging look.

"...I sincerely apologize for my performance today. It won't happen again."

Lindow smiled warmly as he patted her head in a friendly gesture.

"Just continue to survive and back me up, Rookie. That's all I ask."

At that, Rosella showed another genuine smile at Lindow who appreciated the sight.

It was not so much as the simple words, the gentle tone, the meaningful gesture, or even the camaraderie shared in that moment; but rather, the unexplainable bond that was formed as if something like this has happened before at one point in their lives.

"C'mon, our mission's not done 'til we get home!"

"Yeah..."

However, though she is very appreciative of Lindow and Sakuya with all their welcoming warmth as a result of their caring affection, Rosella cannot help but also feel a strange constriction in her heart as a distant thought absently entered her mind.

Has anyone in the Den ever said her given name even once?

---

Agent SERAPH's Room, Rookies' Section

1200 Hours

Rosella hummed a low tune of an old song she heard while she moved fluidly within the confines of her room, cooking a little lunch for four.

After returning from the Crocodile Two Mission, Lindow and Sakuya strictly told her to get some rest since there was still another mission booked for the three of them which would now include Soma.

Since she wanted to make up for her poor performance from the morning mission, she obliged without hesitation. Moreover, she did not want to be a liability to the three most trusted veterans of the Far East Branch. Her pride will be scarred for life if that ever happened all in one day.

However, before going straight to her room, she was engaged in conversation by two of the members from the Second Unit: Unit Leader Tatsumi O'Mori, and Brendan Bardell.

It was actually just normal friendly conversation, much to her surprise since these two saw firsthand what she personally did to Eric after the Iron Rain Mission. She thought that they would be wearier in approaching her but chose not to bring up the matter so as not to disrupt the comfortable mood. After that, she ended up seeking Lindow to ask what time they should depart since she was not notified beforehand.

That became quite an entertaining conversation to say the least.

*FLASHBACK*

Rosella leaned against the wall of the elevator with crossed arms, albeit anxious at the idea of stepping into the Executive Section of the Den.

A while ago, she had asked Tsubaki where she can find Lindow since she wanted to ask what the time of their departure for the next mission will be. The white-clad advisor told her that Lindow was summoned by the Director and would most likely be at the Executive Section.

The elevator doors opened and she found the First Unit Leader standing by the benches on the left side of the Main Lounge, wearing a troubled frown as he stared into space and too deep in thought to register her presence beside him.

She raised an amused brow before snapping her fingers right in front of his face, making him jolt slightly as he looked back at her with surprise evident in his pair of bright green eyes.

"Hey, what's up?" he greeted with his usual smile.

Rosella stared at him silently, wondering what was going on inside her Unit Leader's head. That troubled expression he previously had bothered her a little bit.

"I should be asking that. You seemed dazed." she replied.

He shrugged, "It's a little early for you to be here."

She frowned and narrowed her eyes at the suspicious change of subject, but Lindow did not give her a chance to retort as he kept speaking.

"I came all this way because the Director asked for me, but he's with someone."

Rosella froze for a moment, the gears of her mind turning to register the sentence.

On the other hand, Lindow calmly observed her reaction with a calculative yet dismissing gaze as he kept the friendly smile on his face in an effort to not be suspicious...at least, not too much.

"He's...with someone?" she asked hesitantly.

Lindow paused before shrugging, "Yeah, it seems to be a scientist from another branch. I'm sure it's nothing too bad so don't worry about it."

"I sincerely doubt that." Rosella thought, "Anything to do with Director Johannes having secret meetings with someone is bound to become bad sooner or later."

The New-Type Private decided to set things aside for now and speak about what she came for.

"I'm actually here to ask what time we need to depart for our afternoon mission. You didn't inform me about it a while ago."

Lindow blinked twice and then snapped his fingers with a realization.

"Oh, sorry about that..." he said, pulling out a Mission Check from his coat.

He handed it to her with a bright grin and patted her shoulder.

"We're taking the mission called 'Glow of Prestige'. Just read over the details from those papers. We're meeting for lunch later in the Upper Lobby at 1230 Hours. Don't be late, 'kay?"

She nodded, "Affirmative, Corporal."

The Corporal gave a lighthearted chuckle.

"You're way too serious, y'know that? I guess that's a good attitude to have in some way." he commented.

At that statement, Rosella was struck with an idea that she found to be albeit out of character for her.

"Lindow, Soma will be in this mission too...right?"

"Hmm...? Yeah, why…?"

"Will he be joining us for lunch as well?"

"Of course, he will! Well, I'd want him too. I'd drag him there if I have to. It's good for the camaraderie in our team, y'know?"

"...I suppose."

Lindow raised a brow in confusion as he observed the young woman shift slightly in discomfort. He had never caught her express such an open display of unease before, and he had to wonder why she suddenly became that troubled. He does not really remember any strange event involving her and Soma, except…

Then, his eyes widened in realization while his lips curled into a teasing—borderline scheming—smirk that practically reached from ear to ear.

"What's the matter, Rookie? Does Soma make you uncomfortable?"

"No, not really..."

"Oh? Then what's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Really...? Do you...?"

"'Do I...' what?"

"..."

"..."

"...Do you have a crush on Soma, Rookie?"

At the unexpected question, Rosella suddenly felt her face burning up and her heart started to race hysterically like mad. Fearing that she may be having another attack from her illness, she braced herself for the incoming pain from her lungs but nothing came.

Instead, her stomach felt as if there is something fluttering there.

"What the bloody hell is happening to me?" she thought frantically.

Her slight panic came to a halt as she saw Lindow's smirk widen into a wide grin fitting for a Cheshire Cat.

"Ah...!" he exclaimed, "You're blushing! That means it's true after all."

Almost instantly, Rosella found her hand reaching up to touch her face and it was still burning which made her conclude was due to her current state. As Lindow said it, she was 'blushing'...and frankly, the feeling was quite foreign to her.

She had never been so flustered before.

She does not even know why she is feeling this way.

Her hearing absently registered Lindow's laughter and his phone ringing which probably signified a message from the Director. She managed to wave back when he bade her temporary farewell and then she went on her way back to the elevator as well.

When her mind came to think about the incoming lunch she would have with the three veterans, her face heated up and her heart raced again.

Rosella was barely aware of the cause for it all.

It also made her realize that she did not manage to correct Lindow's theory about her so-called 'crush'.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

The mere thought of that event brought back those peculiar sensations, though the impact was significantly less than before.

Her face was tinted pink, her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach twisted slightly.

However, they only lasted a second before the effects all faded away.

After some careful consideration, Rosella concluded that the cause of all these strange symptoms were indeed Soma. She also had to accept quite reluctantly that it might be because she had a 'crush' on him, as Lindow implied.

She did not like it.

She was softening up and she did not want that.

What made things worse was that she knew that deep inside her heart—no matter how distant the feeling may be—she was actually happy and comforted at the thought.

To top the icing on the cake, Soma is the son of her self-proclaimed nemesis in this silent war. She did not know where the Buster Blader stands in the battlefield, which could mean that he was a potential threat to her plans. Now, she has the dilemma of having a soft spot for him and that might as well spell out her downfall in this game of wits. The increasing chances of defeat due to these circumstances left a scornful amount of distaste on her tongue and she had to restrain herself from throwing the tupperwares she had just pulled out of the cupboard.

She sighed, "Oh well...there's nothing I can do. I just need to keep in mind that our relationship would be strictly professional. I refuse to set aside my goals for some...ephemeral infatuation."

Her onyx eyes hardened and her lips tightened into a thin line as she spoke her next thoughts outloud with absolute resolve.

"I did not come this far just to find something as fickle as passion and love."

With her mind made up and her composure returned, Rosella prepared the lunches she had made for herself and the three God Eaters she would be joining today.

All the while, she tried not to ponder too much about the fact that Soma will taste her homemade food.

Nope, that thought is too dangerous to entertain.

Therefore, she will not think about it.

---

Main Lounge, Veterans' Section

1220 Hours

"Ah..."

That was the only thing that came out of their mouths the moment their eyes met again.

Azure and Onyx...

Soma and Rosella...

The only thing missing from the scene was the 'K-I-S-S-I-N-G Song' and Lindow Amamiya could have the picture/video of a scene that he would consider to be the best present ever.

Good thing for the Assault Sergeant and Private, the aforementioned Corporal was not yet present.

After finishing the lunch packs, Rosella texted Lindow regarding their appointment and that she had already made food for all four of them. She received an enthusiastic reply from Lindow who told her to stop by the Veterans' Section since he apparently needed back-up in order to coax Soma out of his room. Being the diligent person she is, the female New-Type obliged and carried the four lunch packs to the Veterans' Section to meet up.

It would seem that her assistance was unneeded as Soma came out of his room the moment she stepped out of the elevator.

There was no sign of Lindow and Sakuya either which meant they were alone in the Main Lounge...something that Rosella overlooked as a possibility when she agreed to come over.

It was quite an awkward predicament.

Although they had cleared up any misunderstandings about their accidental 'intimate' moment from before, this was the first time that Soma and Rosella were officially left on their own and they had not engaged much interaction in-between the missions they both had.

Of course, they mutually decided to put everything behind them as professionals once more as they stepped towards one another with blank masks.

They carried on even when certain 'symptoms' seem to be ailing them as they neared each other...

In all honesty, both parties were not sure what to feel about that...

...and that uncertainty is something they mutually disliked.

"So," Soma began, "you survived New-Type?"

"I beg your pardon...?" Rosella asked politely.

"I heard from Lindow. You got yourself into quite the trouble with the Gboro-Gboro."

"Oh...that..."

For a while, Rosella almost guiltily averted her gaze from the observant azure eyes piercing through her while Soma quietly watched her.

Then, the young man spoke again with a small smirk.

"You're pretty persistent."

Rosella looked up at him again but with a raised brow this time, albeit confused as to where the conversation was heading.

"The Aragami are being lured here by the scent of the Link-Aid. If there are people who will shed tears over your death, maybe it's a blessing for you to just die."

The last statement made her freeze.

Her left hand gripped the handle of her woven tote bag—which contained the lunch packs—so tightly that her knuckles turned white. The palm of her right hand was being stabbed by the nails of her fingertips as she clenched it into a fist, the grip just as tight as her left hand.

A pair of onyx eyes burned with a sparking fury while being hidden by blonde fringes.

In contrast, Soma scoffed coldly as he continued to speak.

"There are those whose deaths will be lamented, and those who will be hated for surviving. In all honesty, we both know which option will be better."

It was not his ruthless logic that made her jaw clench.

It was not his heartless words that made her chest constrict.

It was not his lifeless tone that hurt her deeper than any weapon could do.

"Still, we fight as if it would make a difference. In the end, we all die. The weaker ones just go earlier than others and often get revered as heroes. The stronger ones who survive are blamed for the ones that are already dead."

It was definitely not his next words that made her snap.

"In truth, to live is to die…and any self-sacrifice is just worthless crap bound to be forgotten with passing time, given no real worth by those who struggle to survive."

Rosella had no rational control over her body in the next few minutes.

It was like watching a movie where the person knows what is happening but has no way to interfere with the next set of actions that go on.

A perfect example of this phenomenon...

...is when Rosella found her right hand slapping Soma's cheek hard.

Soma's azure eyes widened in shock and astonishment while Rosella's pair of onyx orbs glared distastefully straight at him. His hood was suddenly removed from his head due to the rush of things and the abrupt turn of his head from the slap.

It felt as if time froze and everything stood still.

Then, just as quickly, time flowed again.

Rosella allowed her raised hand to return to her side limply and then clenched it tightly again as her eyes were shielded by her bangs.

Soma slowly raised his own left hand to touch his now slightly red cheek, cringing slightly when his fingertips reached the tender spot. His head slowly turned back to the front as he stared with dumbfounded shock at the New-Type Private before him.

A deep mezzo-soprano voice rang out calmly yet menacingly as Rosella spoke.

"You...disappoint me."

Soma's brows furrowed as he glared and scowled at the young woman.

"What was that, Rookie?" he asked blankly, his angered expression intact.

Rosella snapped her head back up to glare straight back at the Assault Sergeant with vicious fury, all accompanied by a judgmental sneer.

"You clearly heard me so I see no need to repeat myself. You're extremely disappointing, Sergeant. I overestimated you, and frankly, so did Lindow."

For a moment, onyx eyes softened before looking away to the side.

"I heard the rumors…about you being a Death God and all that. As a person who has lived alone, I saw how people survived both through the best and worst of ways. I'm used to people bringing others down and all that. Morality was the last thing I worry about, but I had my own principles to follow even then. I had believed you were the type in-between, someone who survived through the worst yet came out as one of the best."

Soma found his eyes widening again before they also looked to the side in doubt and uncertainty, not knowing what to say.

"In all honesty, I saw the two of us as a pair of opposites. You're selfless, compassionate, kind, and sensitive. It's hidden by your taciturn nature but it's there. I'm selfish, distant, critical, and emotionless. You are always sincerely concerned for your teammates' well-being while I only see the merits of keeping them alive for my own benefit and convenience. Fighting alongside you, even on just one mission, gave me a sense of humanity."

Simultaneously, Soma and Rosella looked back at each other.

One held a gaze of surprise and disbelief, hiding a sense of hope and relief.

The other was half-lidded in a tired fashion as if there was not a point to the conversation any longer.

"Even though the others called me the savior of Eric der Vogelweid, I personally thought it was you...because you inspired me to move and save him in the first place. The way you panicked over the fact that someone might be dying, the look of terrified sadness in your eyes as you thought of the people that would get left behind, all those simple things..."

Rosella let her sentence drift off as her eyes closed and her lips pursed in thought.

Slowly yet deliberately, she did an about-face and paused to sigh almost dejectedly while shaking her head in begrudgingly bitter defeat. Her feet took careful and timed steps away from Soma who did nothing but stare at the female silently with an emotionless mask.

When she reached the elevator, she stopped on her tracks to give a parting shot.

"You know, I always thought you were too kind to be a Death God. After all, a Death God is a reaper of souls who takes lives with no remorse...yet you mourn and despair over every single life that slips through your fingers. If anything, I was the Death God between us."

She looked over her shoulder to make direct eye contact as she finished her statement.

"However, after listening to your words just now, I'm not so sure what to believe anymore..."

Soma froze and stiffened as he could not find it in him to look away.

The elevator gave an echoing ding in the silent hallway, prompting Rosella to break the connection and step inside. Her right hand lifted in a casual wave as if they did not just have a critical argument minutes ago. The New-Type Private turned around just in time to say one last thing to Soma, who only managed to hear it with his overly keen hearing.

The last sight she got to see before the elevator doors slid close was the image of the young man biting his lips and punching a nearby wall in frustration.

Rosella sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and then resting the palm of it on her forehead, looking like she was checking for a fever.

"What...just happened back there? That was totally unlike me. What...made me say those things to him? Why...should it even matter to me? Why is it hurting me?"

The hand on her forehead slowly drifted to her chest, just above her painfully clenching heart. Her back leaned against the wall as she tilted her head back with a sigh.

Usually, words would have been enough to get her point across just like she did with Shun when he brought up the 'Death God' rumor. She was always determined to keep whatever emotions she held regarding the matter in check, at least enough to never get physical.

For some reason, she snapped so easily when it came to Soma.

A reason that she knew clearly well...

She would have found the heart to understand his ruthless logic. Her survival greatly relied on a concept similar to it.

She would not have minded the heartless words, especially when she knew more than anyone that she was capable of so much more brutal truths.

She would have even overlooked the lifeless tone, somewhat aware of the circumstances that could bring up such a state from someone like Soma.

However, there was one thing that broke her from her composure.

It was more than the words.

It was more than the meaning and message.

It was more than the emotions overwhelming every single sentence.

It was those azure eyes that looked as if it gave up on everything and anything, yet still hypocritically preaching about the things that matter in life.

Those azure eyes that looked like a clear sky that was suddenly clouded by an endless storm, never giving way for sunlight and life again…

Those azure eyes that contained the identity of a frightened child…

Her heart screamed out no matter how much she denied the voice.

The scream that expressed how much she despised such hopelessness within the azure eyes that belonged to Soma…

A scream that reached out to the outside world through a breathy whisper…

A scream whose words were read through a pair of bitterly smiling lips just moments ago…

.

"I believed in you all this time, Soma."

.

Rosella Maria reached up towards her golden pendant, giving it a tender kiss as she wished for the best.

It seems strong winds are starting to rock the unfinished bridge.

Huh, a time like this reminds her why she hated the Wailing Plains so much…

---

{Ending Song: "LITTLE CRY OF THE ABYSS" by ?}

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A/N: I found this just lingering in my computer files. As I have said before, there will most likely be major rewrites to this one like my PoT fanfic so I might as well publish this as some sort of prototype/demo of incoming chapters. Beware that this was unedited so there will have been OOCness and mistakes somewhere in there so I apologize. I did my best in making it somewhat satisfactory when I first made it and I hope I can do better in the remake.

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CREDITS

Written by: AstridClaire

Beta-Reader: EmSAh

OC Creation by: AstridClaire

Banner Artist: AstridClaire

Produced by: AstridClaire & [ ]RuniliaVerdantile

Website Availability: {FanFiction . net} {Wattpad} {Quotev} {AO3}

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*DISCLAIMER*

~AstridClaire does not own "Gods Eater Burst".

Copyrights belong to NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.