LI
Soma
-Ready to go?- Song signed.
I nodded, deciding to keep my thanks to myself. The chatty Mrs. Oguri might not have appreciated it — and neither would Song.
"I'll miss you!" Aiko exclaimed the moment they'd reached the door. Teary-eyed, she wrapped her arms around Song, who had to kneel to give her a proper hug. Mrs. Oguri was more composed, but I could still see the unease in her face.
"Be careful out there." She said, looking from Song to me to make it apparent that she was speaking for the both of us.
Song nodded, hesitating for a second before finally opening the door and leaving.
It was starting to get dark, but it wasn't because it was dusk — dark clouds covered what should have been a bright 5 o'clock sun. I could feel and smell the moisture in the air. It was going to rain.
-We should hurry.- Song said, probably having felt the rain too.
Right as she said that I felt a drop on my head. I sighed, pulling my hood farther over my head to protect myself. Poor Song had to cross her arms over her head as the drizzle turned into a downpour. We started to run back to the Den.
At least until Song lightly grabbed my hand, forcing me to stop. She started to laugh, as if trying to hide the fact that her face was slightly red. Before I could pull back she had grabbed my other hand and started to swing me in a little dance.
"What are you doing?!" I growled.
With her hands in mine she couldn't answer. She simply giggled some more, managing to get a couple more circles out of me before I managed to free myself.
"Do you want to get sick?" I snapped, crossing my arms to keep them from her grasp.
-Come on, it's just a little fun! Having you danced in the rain before?-
"It's unhealthy. It's not just water in there: there's all sorts of chemical residue and some people even think there's Oracle Cells too!"
-I danced in the rain all the time when I was younger!- She protested. -I turned out perfectly fine. Don't worry. If you sprout an extra head I'll give you half my rations!-
I rolled my eyes. What, now she was trying to be funny? I didn't appreciate it.
-Fine then.- She answered somewhat sourly, this time managing to grab my hand. She grinned, pulling me along behind her.
What the hell had gotten into her all of a sudden? She was acting all touchy-feely.
And that just as suddenly came to an abrupt end.
Song pushed me back behind the corner we'd been rounding. Only then did I hear it: heavy footsteps, the clang of claws on cement. An Aragami.
-Vajra.- Song said quickly. -Looks like it's heading to the Ghetto.-
I could see a plan brewing in her eyes.
"What are you thinking?" I hissed. I wondered how a Vajra had even gotten in here. What about the Wall? Shouldn't there have been an alarm?
-If you run and get help I might be able to distract it.-
"Are you an idiot?!" I growled. "It hasn't seen us yet. We can get to the Branch together and sound the alarm."
She shook her head vigorously. -It'll get to the Ghetto before that.-
"Then I'll distract it."
-You're too slow. I'm a lot faster. Remember when we first met?-
"I had my God Arc then."
-I'm Leader.- She replied.
"Exactly why I should be the one who risks themselves."
She glared at me with a frown.
How did a Vajra get in here anyway? And with perfect timing, too! A deep peal of thunder split the sky. Rain, thunder, monster on the loose…it was a perfect setting for a horror story.
-I have this.- Song pulled a small vial from her pocket. -Your father gave it to me. It's supposed to disguise my scent so that the Vajra can't smell me. All I need to do shatter it on me after I get out of its sight.-
A raindrop managed to slip past my hood, hitting me firmly in the eye and making me flinch.
-The Defense Squad is supposed to be posted along the Wall. Maybe you can get their help. It might be a little closer than the Den.-
"You're not going out there." I managed to say, though I knew that at this point there was no talking her out of it.
She smiled for a split second before stepping out from the corner and breaking into a run.
I jumped to my feet, hesitating when I heard the Vajra roar. No. If I went back, it would just cause more problems. For now, my best bet was to find the Defense Squad.
X
Song
It was like something of nightmares.
I'd acted all brave in front of Soma, not knowing what it would be like. But running for your life with an Aragami stampeding after you had a way of leeching the bravery right out of you.
I felt hopeless in a way that I hadn't felt since I'd become a Gods Eater. If I had my God Arc I could have turned around and fought. But I was weaponless, defenseless…useless.
The Vajra gave a peculiar growl. It was enough warning for me to roll sideways, away from where it landed with a blow that surely would have crushed me.
For a second we glared at each other. Then the Vajra swiped one of its giant paws and I took off running again.
I rounded the corner, slipping for a second on wet cement. The Vajra managed to find me at every turn, not slowed down by the rain at all. I guess it didn't have clothes that were heavy when wet. I was weighed down by them and tiring fast. I suppose we were far enough from the inhabited part of the Ghetto, at least.
I spotted the perfect place to hide: a balcony. The wet cement gave me the chance to jump up before the Vajra came skidding around the corner. Just as it turned to me I dropped the bottle, choking a little on the scent.
It seemed confused for a second, as if I had disappeared completely. The Director had told me that an Aragami's vision was largely linked to its sense of smell. Trick one and you could very well trick the other.
The Vajra was about to stalk away when it suddenly turned around again. The hair at the back of my neck rose, that air around me crackling with electricity.
I barely had time to think 'how' before I leapt, the balcony exploding in a dizzyingly bright burst of flame and lightning.
I ended up landing on the Vajra, sliding off its tiered cape. The fall knocked the air from my lungs, at least what little I had left from the explosion. Stunned and more than a little confused, I could only try to struggle to my feet.
The Vajra was faster than I was.
It must have whipped around because in the next second it had its teeth clamped down on my leg. It bit and I struggled to hold back a scream, probably managing a whimper. Suddenly I was flying through the air, hitting the ground hard.
Bundle of Oracle Cells…nucleus…command center.
The words rushed through my head as I looked at my leg. A single tooth jutted from it. One of the Vajra's fangs?
Only Oracle Cells can harm Oracle Cells… It was Doc Sakaki speaking. Why were his words so clear now?
I wrapped one hand around the fang without even knowing what I was really doing. The Vajra took slow steps towards me that made the ground rumble. Or perhaps it was growling. Was that why it was reverberating in my chest?
There is research into how to directly hit this "Core". It would be an easy, clean kill.
A core…in the center of an Aragami's body.
But this core can only be destroyed by the Aragami's own cells, not any outside Oracle Cells.
What a crying shame… The Vajra was closer. I pulled the fang out, crying out in pain.
Do you think you could do something like that, Song?
I was suddenly face to face with an Aragami. Every cell in my body screamed to run. But I couldn't. My leg must be broken in a thousand places.
Fight or flight.
Flight wasn't an option.
The Vajra growled, opening its mouth, and I stabbed.
Here's your weekly update! :D Right on time. Shocking.
Not much to say...I started my second semester in college. Already seems a bit more difficult than last semester, but I'll manage!
Anyway, see you all next time. Thanks for reading!
