This is a short chapter, but it more like the introduction of a character than anything else. We are now at the beginning of God Eater 2.

Chapter 5: Welcome to Friar

A helicopter was flying above an endless desert. The logo of Fenrir was clearly visible on the right side alongside the number of the helicopter. Inside of it, there were two pilots on the cabin and one passenger sitting in the back. It was a girl with a slender figure, long black hair that was loosely tied towards the left side of her shoulder and purple eyes that hide behind a pair of glasses. She was wearing a black jacket with the logo of Fenrir on the back, dark blue shirt and black jeans. Her name was Kurumi Kuroki. She was looking at the window, at the desert that surrounds them. She looked worried for a moment before shaking her head a little and pushing her worries away at the back of her head. Her eyes look down, at her suitcase in her left and the big metal box at her right, next to her feets, full of warning stickers. She knew what was inside and that worries her a little.

"Finland is so far away now..." She said while looking outside. Her eyes wander around the helicopter and then at the window again. She was bored and the only thing that she could do is wait. It's been almost fifteen hours since she left Fenrir's HQ and now she was heading to Friar, Fenrir's Mobile Fortress. She was chosen to be a God Eater and she will be part of the Blood Unit in Friar, but she couldn't stop thinking about the main reason why she's heading to Friar... She wanted to leave HQ, she wanted to get away from there, from her uncle and everything else. She was worried about the new environment and the people she will meet, but also happy that she will be finally away from HQ. Kurumi yawns while looking outside the window and her eyes widen right after that when she saw Friar at the distance. It lives up to the name of Mobile Fortress. It was like a whole city moving through the desert. A couple of minutes later, the helicopter landed on Friar and Kurumi get out of the helicopter with the metal box in her hand and her suitcase on the other. In front of her, waiting for her arrival, was a staff from Friar. He told her to come with him and she follows him without making questions. He took her to the Director's Office...

The Director of Friar, Gregory de Gremslow was sitting in his office, his eyes focused on the files and data from the God Arc Soldiers and the documents about the Blood Unit. Gregory grabs a group of papers that had information about the new match, the new God Eater for Blood. He didn't care about her at all, but he got the call from HQ not so long ago. They told him who her parents are and he got a little curious, curious enough to bother to read the documents. He looks at the photo of the girl and proceeds to read the basic information.

Name: Kurumi Kuroki

Date of Birth: December 31, 2056

Blood Type: -O

Relatives: Shintaro Kuroki (Father), Ingrid Virtanen (Mother) and Takeshi Kuroki (Uncle)

Height: 165 cm

"She seems pretty normal to me" He said unimpressed. Someone knocks the door and he stops reading. "Come in" He said and the door open, a member of the staff enter and behind him, a girl appears. Gregory recognizes her almost immediately, Kurumi Kuroki. The member of the staff bow and exit the office. "Ah... Just now I was reading about you" Gregory close the files and stand up.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir. My name is Kurumi Kuroki" She said and bow to him. "I'll make sure to meet everyone's expectation," Kurumi said as politely as possible. "So you are the Director of Friar?"

"Yes, my name is Gregory de Gremslow. To be honest, I don't have any expectation, to me you're just a candidate, after that, you'll be just another God Eater until you prove me otherwise. Now then, do you have any question or should I call the staff to take you to your room?" Gregory wanted to finish this as soon as possible and hoped that Kurumi didn't have any question, but unfortunately for him, she had.

"Actually... I wanted to ask why I had to bring my parents God Arc. What are they going to do with them? The people in HQ didn't tell me anything at all, they just give them to me and throw me in the helicopter" Kurumi explains and Gregory sighs.

"As far as Dr. Rachel told me, she will use those God Arc to make yours. She keeps talking about compatibility and all that that I could care less... That's all I know about it if you want to know then ask her. In the meantime, leave that metal box here so Rachel can pick it up later... Is there something else?"

"... Where's my room?" That was her last question and Gregory calls a member of the staff to take her to her room so she could rest. She took her suitcase and, as Gregory told her, leave the metal box in the office so it can be delivered to Dr. Rachel. She arrives at her room very shortly, thank the member of the staff and shut the door behind her. She throws her suitcase at the corner of the room and she falls to her new bed. She closes her eyes when she hit the pillow and sleep for the rest of the day.

A week has passed and Kurumi found herself in the waiting room, she was about to take the aptitude test to become a God Eater. That whole week before now she remains in her room and barely came out, only going out to the cafeteria to eat and nothing more. She put her hands in her pockets and wait until she's called to the room.

"... The wait is killing me at this point" She mutter. "It's been almost an hour..." Then, from the speaker, Dr. Rachel's voice call her.

"Kurumi Kuroki" She said. "Please stand up and enter the room, my dear. Inside there's a table, I want you to lay down and wait there..." Kurumi didn't answer, she stands up and enters the room. Just like Rachel describe, it was an empty room with a table in the middle and another table next to it with the God Arc on top, it was more like a machine than a table. She was surprised to see the God Arcs of her parents, her father's blade (A Short blade) and her mother's gun (A blast Gun) all in one weapon. She walks to the middle of the room and, with a little of fear and hesitation, lay down in the bed. She saw a machine on top of her. "Please, try to relax" Said Rachel. "After all, you were chosen to be here"

"... I know" Kurumi mutter.

"Please, grab the God Arc" She said and Kurumi grab it and from the machine below the God Arc, two pieces of black metal appear and tighten around Kurumi's wrist. It was the armlet, a black armlet. "I shall now test your God Arc compatibility and your potential to join the Anti-Aragami Punitive Force. The God Eaters. I say "Test", but please, don't concern yourself with such words. All will be well, I assure you... The Restless God already knows all about your nascent potential... Hehehe!"

"... She's already freaking me out..." Kurumi thought. "I hope I don't actually regret it later..." Then the machine on top of her produces what appears to be a giant drill. That was enough to send a chill down Kurumi's spine. "... I fucking regret it now"

"I wish you best of luck" Said Rachel and the drill fall on top of the armlet at full speed. As soon the drill made contact, Kurumu felt a great amount of pain coming from her wrist and going all the way to her shoulder and eventually the rest of her body. She screams because of the pain and feels a strange sensation, the drill retreat and she felt like something was moving inside her wrist. She moves around the table and fall with the God Arc still in her hand. She keeps yelling and the pain was more unbearable than before. In the laboratory, Rachel was watching Kurumi yelling in pain, she had a smile on her face. Behind her was Julius Visconti, watching the monitor.

"Incompatible?" Julius asks.

"Not this one. Look closely" Said Rachel and they saw Kurumi struggling to get up, she was still in pain. She then use the God Arc to stand up, like it was a part of her now and indeed, she felt like the God Arc was one with her now. The pain was slowly going away and she tries to calm down after such painful experience. "Hehehe! She shows the same spirit you did after your baptism, Julius..." Rachel gets closer to the microphone and speak to Kurumi. "Congratulation. You have risen where others would fall. You have become... a God Eater. Soon, the power that sings through your veins will be awakened. You will be welcomed into our elite special forces, the Blood Unit. Blood are my chosen soldiers. Superior to all other God Eaters. My finest warriors will herald a new dawn for all humankind. For now, rest. You must recover your full strength. I expect great things..." Kurumi look at her God Arc.

"... I will meet your expectations for sure"

Shortly after her aptitude test, Kurumi walks to the lobby and felt lost. She was a little tired because of the pain she had to endure, but she decided to learn a little about the place and what is she going to do from now on. She saw the operator typing in a computer and decided to talk to her.

"Hello?" She said and clear her throat. "My name is Kurumi Kuroki and..."

"Oh! you're the new one. Congratulations on passing the God Eater and Blood aptitude test. I'm Fran, I will be your operator in the missions. Now that you passed the test, you've officially been granted clearance to access the Database. I'll be doing everything I can to provide you support in your time as a rookie Blood" Said Fran with a smile on her face. Kurumi smile too.

"Thanks, Fran. So... Will I be on any missions any time soon? Or I'll stay here for a while?"

"Actually, you can't go on a mission until your Bias Factor is fully bound. You should wait a day or two until you can go on missions. You can look around here for now..."

"Oh..." Kurumi was a little disappointed, but on the other hand relieved that she won't go out now, she's tired.

"How about taking some time up in the Garden? If you're ever unsure of what to do next, come talk to me" Said Fran.

"There's a Garden here?" Kurumi asks in disbelief.

"Yes, take the elevator to the last floor" Fran point at the elevator near the sits.

"Wow, thanks, Fran. See you later then" Kurumi take the elevator to the Garden and in just a couple of second she found herself in what she thought to be the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. "It's really calm here" She whispers. "It's really beautiful"

"Surely it is" Kurumi hear a man's voice and notice the young man sitting next to the tree.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know someone was here. Should I leave? Am I bothering you?"

"Not at all..." The young man looks at her from head to toes. "I hear congratulations are in order for the results of your compatibility test. I'm glad on your success"

"Does everyone here know who I am?"

"Not everyone, but the fact that someone came all the way from HQ to be part of Blood... Make everyone talk. Please, sit" He moved a little to let Kurumi sit next to him. She hesitates for a moment, then sits next to the boy. "This is the most peaceful location on Friar. I come here when I have free time, to reflect"

"It looks peaceful... and quiet. This is completely different from HQ or my uncle's house... I'm glad I left"

"Oh... My apologies, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Julius Visconti. I serve as Captain of the Blood Special Forces unit, which you will soon be joining" Said Julius and Kurumi got a little nervous.

"He's my captain?" Kurumi thought. "That's a nice surprise... I expect something else actually"

"Please, no need to be nervous. I'm rather looking forward to working with you" Said Julius with a calm voice.

"Oh, really...? Th-Thanks"

"Also, I notice that in the whole week you've been here you barely get out of your room. Is there a problem?" Julius asks and Kurumi sigh.

"I'm not... Well... It's hard to talk with new people. I'm more like... Ugh..." Kurumi was struggling to find the right words.

"I read your files" Said Julius. "Kurumi Kuroki, 18 years old. You lost your parents at the age of 9 and live with you uncle since then. A psychological test suggests that you are not used to social interaction with people of your age or younger than you, that's why you prefer to talk with older people, and that there might be a possibility that you repress your anger which the doctors keep insisting that is unwealthy of you... Is that correct?" Julius in just a couple of seconds summarized her whole life. Kurumi was both surprised and angry at him. Just like he said, she represses her anger, even now.

"... Yes..." Kurumi answer. "Don't do that again, please"

"I'm sorry. I wanted to let you know that I know about you, but not your past. Is easy to read files about people, but harder to get to know the individual. I might know about you, but I want to get to know you considering that we will be on the same team and we'll be protecting each other's backs. I will trust in you and you will trust me. It won't hurt you to talk with new people. We don't bite and you will feel at home here. I promise you that" Julius look at his watch. "Well, I have some task to attend to... Feel free to tour Friar once you've gotten some rest. We'll speak again soon" Julius leave and Kurumi was left alone in the Garden.

"... Was my psychological test in the files? What else is in there? How much does he know about me...? I might need to speak with Doctor Rachel now..." Kurumi thought.