Far East Branch Headquarters - Outer Wall

The jeeps slowed to a more pedestrian speed as the large metal doors closed slowly behind them. The twins sighed with quiet relief as the vehicles came to a stop. After a long, agonizing journey, they were finally safe.

"Well, this is goodbye for now. These guys will take you around the back. The Major should be waiting for you. She'll help you get situated."

Standing, their hitchhiking God Eater hopped from the vehicle, leaving the two women and Lenka in the back. They looked nervously at one another; a bit uneasy to see their guardian leaving them behind. The timid sibling specifically, looked nearly terrified. What was going to happen to them now? Noticing the look of worry in her eyes, he offered a gentle smile.

"They're just going to ask you some questions and determine living arrangements. Don't worry. Utsugi will be with you."

Lenka smiled, trying to reassure the sisters that they were in no danger. They seemed to soften a little, growing visibly less tense in knowing that they wouldn't be simply abandoned to their to own devices. During their journey, he had acquainted himself with them, conversing about their time in the wastelands. In learning that he too had originated from outside of the wall, the women viewed him less cautiously, seeing him as a relatable, understanding figure.

"Take care, you two!"

He offered a friendly wave to the pair, earning wide, grateful smiles in return.

"Thanks so much!"

"No words can express our gratitude…"

"Don't worry about it. Later, Utsugi."

Turning, he took his leave. His set himself at a brisk pace, eager to return to the Den and some semblance of stability. They had encountered a few Vajra in transit, forcing him and Lenka to take care of the threats. By the time they had finished, it was nearly nightfall, forcing them to hunker down for the evening and complete the rest of their trip the following day.

His journey outside of the wall had been a strenuous one, and certainly not one that he ever wanted to do again if he could help it. He had gained a whole new level of respect for those living on the outside and for the first time in his life, found himself grateful that he had been born as one of the lucky ones.

"See ya! Um…"

As his traveling companion disappeared into the busy streets, Lenka realized that he had never gotten his name.

. . .

Far East Branch Headquarters - Lobby

"Did you just say what I think you just said?"

Sakuya stared incredulously at the doctor, unable to believe her ears. Her eyes drifted slowly to the pale-skinned child sitting in the center of the floor. Sakaki said she was a what? Paylor simply shrugged.

"I can say it again, but I assure you it will be no different. This is an Aragami."

"No way. Mm-mm. No!"

Kota shook his head, adamantly refusing Sakaki's words. There was no way. It wasn't possible. She looked almost no different than a prepubescent human girl. If not for her pale skin and golden eyes, she would appear entirely human. Alisa's reaction wasn't much different, her eyes staring blankly at the little girl smiling up at them.

"What? How?!"

Eyeing the three of them and their nervous expressions, the doctor simply smiled.

"Now, now, be at ease. I promise you on my scientist's honor that this Aragami has no desire to eat you. Aragami are monsters, yes, and they all share a certain trait. We refer to it as their 'Bias'. You follow?"

"It's an Aragami's coding. Their predatory nature. Our God Arcs have the same thing. That's how they innately know to Devour."

"Correct, as usual, Alisa. These sorts of things are second nature to a God Eater of your caliber."

Beside her, Kota looked utterly lost. Looking between them, he raised his eyebrows. "Wait… What?"

"Of course…" Soma rolled his eyes at Kota's oblivious response. Did he ever study anything?

Sakaki looked between the startled group, from Kota's clueless expression to Sakuya's startled one.

"This Aragami's bias is unlike any before. It has predilection only toward beasts of a higher order. As far as she's concerned, we puny humans don't even register as a kind of food. You see, this is the common misconception. Aragami aren't simply born with the characteristics of other life forms! Not at all! They simply advance at a breakneck pace as they Devour more and more each day. As a result, all the possibilities of evolution are condensed into such a short period of time! Choices and change come rapidly. And those moments make an Aragami precisely what it is!"

"So you're telling me that this… child…" Sakuya gaped at him. Did that mean…? Could it be…?

"Exactly! As all humankind did, she found a set of skills and stalled there in her progress. It's quite remarkable, really. She's an Aragami evolving the same way a human might."

"This child is both? An Aragami and a human?" Soma's eyes narrowed slightly as he absorbed the doctor's lecture. An Aragami and a human, with rapid evolutionary capability and human intelligence. The familiarity of it unnerved him. Certainly, they couldn't be the same.

"Yes. Well, no. Well, based on the examinations I ran earlier… Her cranial nerves and synapses - Oracle Cells acting as cranial nerves and synapses - function precisely as a human's might. She has an incredible capacity to learn - clearly as evidenced by her use of language - and she holds much potential."

"All right, so Doc."

"Yes, Kota?"

"I think I followed along and got the gist… Okay, it was over my head. But regardless, I'm a little confused. So she talks a lot about food, about 'being hungry'… What exactly do you think she means?"

"Fooood!"

Kota started, backing up a few steps at their new arrival's sudden outburst.

"Eeep! Cause you know, it's a little ominous."

"The Bias of an Aragami dictates its dinner choices. As a rule, they will not partake of anything like unto themselves. You understand? That said, in times of dire need - uh, now - they'll gobble up anything they can get mitts, paws, or claws on. Survival comes first, after all."

Kota backed away yet another step as the child turned her head towards him. His explanation definitely wasn't easing any of his concerns…

"Of course, that's just an exception to the rule, as all good rules must have. Hehe. The word Aragami is actually merely an epithet for the creatures. It emerged shortly after their arrival. Many of these monsters appeared in the shape of 'Gods' or God-like beings. And here's the rub. What thought process, what evolutionary trick caused them to adopt such forms? They emulate creatures humanity has worshipped for ages. And how did we come to worship them?"

The pale-skinned girl turned around and observed him, listening intently to his long-winded ramblings. She wasn't entirely sure what he was discussing, but she could tell that he was talking about her. She tilted her head back and forth, observing him carefully. The doctor chuckled, elated by her curiosity.

"This Aragami child bucked that trend. She managed to instead emulate a human. It's beyond rare; it's unheard of. But I digress and I ramble, and I think you are all well and thoroughly matched by this study group. So I leave you with this - and I think it best - let's keep this little secret amongst ourselves, hm? No need to let the news get out and about."

Soma nodded in affirmation, eyeing the child suspiciously. It was probably the most sensible thing that he said all morning. Kota said nothing, huddling against the couch as the child turned towards him again. Alisa only stared, unsure of what to make of the situation. Sakuya however, disagreed.

"Doctor, certainly we'll have to report to the advisor… to the Director."

She immediately began to regret voicing her concerns as Paylor's jovial expression shifted slightly. His smile grew even wider as stalked slowly toward her.

"Ms. Tachibana… You are an exalted God Eater. A stalwart defender of humankind. Noble and brave. Do you mean to tell your superiors that I, in your trust, stole an Aragami, smuggled her to the forward command, and plan to keep her?"

"Well… I… Well, um… No… But why?"

Squinting his eyes, Paylor leaned forward, startling the gunner and forcing her backwards as well. Did he have no understanding of personal space?

"Did I not mention that? I thought I mentioned that. Because she's a valuable sample! Simply perfect to further my own personal research. Nothing more than that really. Very simple. Oh fret not, I've taken great pains to ensure this section has unique commendations and offset security protocols. It's very, very safe."

Leaning even closer, his voice lowered.

"And I'm sure you wouldn't anyone to pry into your… shall we say, private affairs, Ms. Tachibana? Not to mention that you are already on the hook as my accomplices. Best to simply go along with it, yes? Yes."

The Vice Corporal snapped her mouth shut, his point well-received.

"I am hungry!"

Satisfied that she had gotten the message, Paylor straightened himself and turned back to the rest of them.

"Most important, I believe that the young girl needs some friends. I feel she will find a particular affection for you, Soma."

The veteran in question gawked at him, stunned that he would even dare to make such an assumption. And after a moment, his shocked expression darkened into a much angrier one. With his temper ignited, Soma glowered at the smiling doctor.

"You're out of your mind! She may play pretend well, but she is not a human, just an approximation. She's still a monster on the inside."

Finishing his outburst, he stomped out of the room, leaving the four of them to continue their discussion amongst themselves.

Soma stormed through the lobby, still fuming about his earlier conversation. Their mission had been a success, and their eradication of their target's food source had successfully lured the creature out of hiding. At last, they had found what they had been searching for. It had spent months eluding him, wandering about and staying just barely out of reach.

That creature was, he now knew, an Aragami despite it's human-like appearance. It had managed to mimic humanity, going so far as to adapt brain function and learning. It was even capable of speech. And top it all off, the lunatic wanted to keep this Aragami in the Den, to teach it and help it to learn. Even worse, he expected Soma to help him do it. The very idea was utterly nonsensical. To insinuate that it was even remotely close to human was preposterous. How could something like that even come to exist?

His mind slowly drifted to a familiar face as his mind reeled. Such a creature shouldn't exist. Yet, two of them already resided within Fenrir's walls… but that was entirely different. They were human with Aragami-like traits. This was an Aragami with human-traits. They were nothing like this monster.

Wait

Pausing, Soma scanned the empty hall. It had only just occurred to him that he hadn't actually seen the New Type in days. She had taken some time off to recover, but aside from their training session, he hadn't noticed her at all. He had traveled through the lobby, up to the research floors, to his room, and back again without a single trace of his friend. It was possible that she hiding out Hamasaki's room again, but he hadn't sensed her presence when he passed it by. Where had she run off to?

"Yo, Soma.

The veteran let out an exasperated sigh at the familiar sound of Shun's voice. He did not have the patience to deal with him today. He was already aggravated from the events of the last 24 hours and now he had his missing teammate to worry about. The last thing he needed to pile on to that was his annoying antics.

"Not in the mood."

"Geeze… oh. Yeah, I guess you wouldn't be, huh?"

Soma scowled at him. He didn't like his tone nor the look in this eyes. He was up to something.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Wait… you mean you don't know?"

Soma was about to demand answers when another pair of God Eaters passed nearby, making their way towards a couch not far from the entrance way. His frown deepened as he recognized the two of them. Neo had nearly murdered one of them and the other just got on his nerves. Their conversation however, had caught his attention.

"I'm telling you we should send a search party for him. It's been almost nine hours."

"Well, I mean… it is Gunter."

"Exactly! I guarantee you he tried something and got himself offed by that crazy -"

"Who's been gone?"

Both God Eaters jumped, startled by Soma's sudden appearance. The coward shifted his attention, sighing as his friend continued muttering beside him. He noticed the words 'stupid skirt-chaser' among other things in his complaints. Ignoring him, he turned to answer Soma's inquiry.

"Gunter and Reaper."

"Gone where?"

"No idea. He asked her out yesterday and she said yes. They left early this morning and neither one of them have returned."

"What?"

Now their concerns made sense… and they were more than justified. Gunter was a Second Unit long sword user and a bit of a philanderer. From what Soma had heard, he liked a challenge and had a tendency toward going after stronger women. If his reputation was to be believed, then the likelihood of him trying something was moderately high. And with Neo's traumatic history, the probability of her having an episode was even higher… an episode that would certainly result in the loss of one of the Den's more talented God Eaters. Why on earth would she agree to go out with him the first place?

"Look, we tried to stop him."

"We really did, but you know how he is."

"Yeah. It's a good thing Hamasaki isn't around. You know he'd be pissed."

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?"

"Holy shit!"

All four men whipped around at the sound of a familiar voice. Their jaws nearly hit the floor and Shun looked like he had seen a ghost. He gawked at him with bulging eyes, uncertain of what to say. Soma simply stared with disbelief.

"You're… you're alive?!"

"Sure looks that way."

"I… I don't believe it…"

"How…"

"It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you about sometime."

At his relaxed response, Shun finally lost it.

"Dude, what the hell?! You've been missing for weeks! Everybody thought you were dead!"

"Yeah, so did I."

"Wha - Why are you so chill about this?!"

He was behaving far too calmly for the current situation and it was driving him crazy. After his failed mission in the Infernal Subway, he had gone completely MIA, vanishing without a trace and leaving everyone to assume his demise… only to return and waltz through the front door as though he had never even left. It was so frustrating. It was so… Ichiro.

"Because I'm exhausted. Although apparently, I am supposed to be extremely upset about something. Mind filling me in?" His eyes drifted pointedly to the two familiar faces; the pair that had been the first domino in a cascading ripple effect leading them to this very moment. The bully and the coward.

Both men froze, looking nervously at one another. What were they supposed to say? Telling him the truth may shorten Gunter's lifespan, assuming he was even still alive. But lying to Hamasaki may very well shorten theirs. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place. After a few moments, the coward decided to speak up, eyeing the veteran nervously.

"… It's about Reaper."

Ichiro's eyes narrowed at the mention of his friend's name, his tired expression morphing almost instantly into one of annoyance. He had been gone for some time, but he had assumed that Neo would be safe with Soma around. What exactly had happened to her? Or more likely… what had she done this time? The coward flinched at his sudden irritation. He was right… he was definitely going to be pissed.

"What about her?"

"Right. Well, here's the thing… and please, don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. But I will be if someone doesn't tell me what happened to her."

"Probably the same thing that happens to every woman he fancies. With how long they've been gone…"

The bully's absentminded thought trailed off as the ex-commander scrutinized him.

"Who?"

He offered no further comment, averting his eyes and leaving his friend to answer. He had already incurred the wrath of the New Type while he was gone. He didn't need to piss off her boyfriend too.

"Well, you see she um…"

Ichiro's expression intensified, his frown hardening into a glare. He was growing impatient.

"She?"

"She… she went out with Gunter!"

He spat out the words so quickly that they were nearly inaudible, growing nervous under his imposing gaze.

"… What?"

The expression on his face made his feelings clear. It was obvious at this point that Hamasaki wasn't dead… but Gunter was about to be. They had warned him to leave Reaper alone. They had tried to dissuade him. But in the end, he had ignored them both and now they could do nothing but try and spare their womanizing companion as much pain as possible.

"He asked her out yesterday and they left this morning… look, we tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen! We all thought you were dead."

Gunter's soon-to-be-killer simply stared at him, his silence unnerving. Shun observed the unfolding situation, refusing to get involved. This wasn't his fight. Soma stood with his arms crossed, curious to see how his teammate would react. He had seen firsthand how protective he tended to be when Neo was involved. There was no telling what he would do.

…But Ichiro didn't react the way that they had expected. Instead, he surprised each and every one of them. His vexation disappeared and his threatening aura vanished. His frown turned into an incredulous smile and his eyes brightened.

Then, he burst into laughter.

"Gunter did what? Ha ha!"

The four of them stood dumbfounded. Three of them because they had expected a much worse reaction. Soma was just surprised to see him laugh so hard. He honestly, didn't think that he could and to see it was incredibly fascinating. Apparently, he found the idea of Neo with another man very entertaining.

"…You're not upset?"

"Why would I be upset?"

"Uh… because Gunter tried to take your woman?"

At this, the veteran laughed even harder. Ichiro had returned to the Den fully expecting to find Neo involved in some sort of fiasco or at the very least, up to some mischief. This was certainly not what he had expected to return to and he couldn't be more amused. He had needed a laugh after his last few weeks.

The four of them were floored. What exactly was so funny?

"Okay, first of all, she isn't my woman."

"…She isn't?"

"No, and I've explained this many times before. And even if she were, he's free to try all he wants."

"…Huh?!"

The two looked at one another for a moment, before looking back at him. Either he genuinely didn't care what she did, or he was very, very confident.

"Wha… why?"

"Because Gunter can't handle Neo. Trust me, she'll bring him to his knees. If anything, I'm more worried about him."

Speak of the devil and she shall appear… or at least the devil's companion. Within moments the lobby doors opened, a wobbling silhouette stepping through the entrance way. It was moving rather slowly and looked a little off-balance. Shun raised an eyebrow at his disheveled state. What the heck happened to him?

"Whoa…"

Stumbling through the doors was the topic of their discussion and he didn't look to be in very good health. Gunter had finally returned from wherever he had been, and he looked utterly drained. Various portion of his clothes were ripped and torn or sprayed haphazardly with blood and dirt. Twigs, gore, and various other forms of debris were caked in his blonde hair and his green eyes looked tiredly ahead. Ichiro's statement turned out to be relatively accurate as he leaned against the wall, struggling to remain standing.

Behind him, Neo followed him through the open doors looking markedly filthier than her male companion. Apparently, she had interpreted 'going out' very differently than he had intended. Nine large Aragami, and an array of smaller targets later, they had finally made their way back to base with her 'date' looking far worse for wear. She paused as she made her way into the hall and turned to face the exhausted God Eater.

"Thanks. It was fun."

Gunter gaped at her as she strolled away from him with a smirk across her bloody face. There was no way that woman was even human. Contrary to everyone's belief, he mostly certainly hadn't tried anything on their outing. He had never gotten the chance… and after witnessing her stamina, it was very unlikely that he was going to. At least not for some time.

Neo made her way toward the elevator, her fingers still trembling. She had unleashed a decent amount of her rage on their many targets, but she was far from fulfilled. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to kill. She wanted to release all of the pain that she held onto for so many weeks. Appearing tepid on the surface, the New Type was a raging tempest underneath. She was a ticking time bomb, armed to explode at a moment's notice with the proper trigger.

And that trigger was standing across the hall from her.

Her body froze upon seeing Ichiro's face. Her expression was a wild mix of emotions that he couldn't discern. She gazed intently at him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he was an illusion. And as he offered her his familiar gentle smile, she knew that he must be real. He had finally returned to her. He always did.

Slowly, she started forward. At first, it was a steady walk. Then a light jog. Then finally, she broke into a run. The four of them watched as she rushed toward him arms raised, they assumed, to reunite with her lost love…

But Ichiro knew better, and they couldn't have been more wrong.

The magic quickly faded as she drew closer. Her fingers clenched and she had a dangerous look in her eye. In contrast to their assumptions, Hamasaki had returned to the Den, calm, collected, and in no way enraged. But the same could not be said for the woman approaching him. While her friend hadn't been the least bit angry, Neo certainly was… and he could see it.

"Hold on… wait a minute -"

"You BASTARD!"

Neo lunged at the startled God Eater, her first cracking the wall as her target moved to the side. With her knuckles bruising from the impact, she didn't stop her assault. She turned and threw another punch at him that narrowly missed his head.

"Hey, calm down!'

Ichiro dropped low, passing under Neo's incoming kick, before standing and spinning around her. Trying to avoid dragging the others into their squabble, he quickly distanced himself from the other four, luring the rampaging woman away from them. The hall quickly turned into a battle arena as she went after him with full force, no longer hindered by her obstacles.

"Neo, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"Bullshit!"

As their battle began anew, it became apparent that her offensive capability wasn't singular to the battlefront. While it was widely known that Neo was skillful with a God Arc, it was a lesser known fact that she was also effective at hand-to-hand combat. And as a result of his training to exterminate her, Hamasaki was as well.

The two quickly became a whirlwind of fists and legs as the New Type tried with every fiber of her being to beat her comrade into the ground.

"I came back, didn't I?! I'm not dead!"

"Good, now I can kill you myself!"

"That's really counterintuitive, don't you think?"

The combination of Neo's strength and speed quickly put the God Eater at a disadvantage. His arms and legs moved endlessly, blocking and deflecting her spins, punches, and kicks as she pushed him back. Yet despite his obviously unfavorable matchup, he was strangely holding his own.

Feigning, Neo lunged to his side and dropped to her knees. Her spinning kick swept his legs from under him, bringing him to the ground. The moment his back hit the floor, she was on top of him, fist raised. He caught her punch in his hand, absorbing the impact. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she lifted her other fist. It seemed he had gotten stronger during his absence.

"Neo!"

"You said you would be right behind us, you lying sack of -"

Ichiro deflected her second and rolled, throwing her off of him and quickly rising to his feet. But Neo was faster. The moment he stood he was nearly knocked off balance again. The sound of thunderous crack echoed through the empty lobby as her hand swiped across his face in a forceful slap.

"Okay, I deserved that."

"You deserve worse!"

"I know that! That's why I stayed behind… it was the least I could do after what I -"

Aggravated, she slapped him again.

"Ow! Damn it, Neo! There's no way both of us were getting out alive! What else was I supposed to do?!"

Her expression quickly shifted from aggravated to enraged. Growling, she slapped him for a third time, with greater force than either of her previous assaults.

"Stop it!"

Neo grabbed his collar, glowering at him.

"You were supposed to leave me behind!"

"…What?"

"You were supposed to leave me there… I opened a path so that you could escape, not so you could take my place!"

"Neo…"

"No! You don't get to die and leave me all alone! If one of us has to leave this forsaken world, then I should be the one do it… and if you have to go, then take me with you!"

He fell silent. Neo wasn't angry with him for trying to kill her. She was angry that he let her live. He had left her to continue on alone, without any regard to what it might do to her mental state. He had saved her life, but he had broken her spirit.

He recalled for a moment the smile she had offered him in what were supposed to be her final moments. He remembered the look of peace in her eyes and the gentle expression almost seemed thankful. Had Neo wanted to die? Why…? Had she truly so little regard for her own life? He could feel his own temper rising as he realized just how little she thought of herself.

But his anger faded away as she looked up at him.

Her hardened expression began to crack and her heaving breaths wavered as she broke down. Having exhausted her fury, all that was left was her sadness. With the dam of her wrath destroyed, all other emotions spilled forth. Her menacing gaze trembled and water filled her eyes. He had no idea why she felt her life held so little worth… but this wasn't the time to question her. She had already suffered enough.

He said nothing more, instead wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a comforting embrace. In her familiar space of security, her walls crumbled. Her body shook against him as she sobbed into his chest, unleashing all that she had held onto since the day they had separated in a massive torrent.

If grief was a bottle to be drained, then hers had overflowed, shattering into nothing more than dust.

. . .

Far East Branch Headquarters - Sakaki's Office

Having exhausted herself, Neo retreated into her stolen domain. Ichiro had been left utterly speechless at the state of his room upon his return as she had apparently been residing in there the entire time he was gone. His once relatively tidy room was an absolute disaster with clothes of every kind strewn all over the floor, blood dying his bedsheets red, and a refrigerator that had been completely ransacked without so much as a single bar of candy.

Far too tired to care, he had simply left her there, deciding that he would have a talk with her later. For now, he needed to speak with Dr. Sakaki as quickly as possible. He wasn't certain how much time he could buy and couldn't afford to waste a single moment. Reaching the door, Ichiro pressed the button and stepped inside. And as he stepped through the door, he found himself face-to-face with two familiar faces.

Sakaki, reasonably, was absolutely stunned… but Hamasaki wore a similar expression as he noticed the small, pale child rolling happily around the floor. As the door slid closed behind him, she ceased her tumbling and sat up, her eyes lighting up with joy.

"Ichiro!"