Far East Branch - Sick Bay

A loud sigh shattered the silence of the room. In the medical ward, Ichiro sat tiredly in his bed, bored completely out of his mind. As though some form of twisted karma, Neo had been frequenting his room, preventing him from doing much of anything during his recovery. While he appreciated the concern, he couldn't help but feel that part of her motivation was simple spite. With little else to do, he had taken once again to folding his bedsheets, trying to find some way to pass the time. The New Type had requested a bear, and he was currently in the process of finding the best fold. Frowning, he untied the blanket once more, unhappy with its design. The ears were too large.

Wrapping the fabric once again, he concentrated as he maneuvered it around his hands. It was coming along nicely this time. The veteran grinned, feeling that this attempt may actually succeed… but within moments, that focus was quickly destroyed. The familiar hiss of a sliding door drew his attention as an unexpected visitor entered through the doorway. Sighing, he paused his folding and rolled his eyes. Without lifting his gaze, the former Captain spoke towards the door. "Neo, I'm not going anywhere. Returning every hour is not going to make this process go any faster."

"Every hour? Wow, that's dedication."

Startled, Ichiro's head snapped upward at the sound of a male voice. In his distracted state, he found himself sorely mistaken. While his visitor was certainly a New Type, it was the last one that he expected to see. Returning his attention to his fold, he replied shortly. "Neo is dedicated."

"Is she?"

"What do you want, Utsugi?"

The Captain paused slightly at his snappy response, raising his hands in a gesture of appeasement. "Stand down, Hamasaki. I don't want to fight with you… I just wanna talk."

His hazel eyes narrowed slightly, showing immediate suspicion at his claim. While it was true that their relationship had grown less hostile since his companion's recovery, they were far from what could be considered friends. In fact, they were barely even civil. Of course, he had gone out of his way to come and see him as a possible peace offering. At the very least, he would hear what he had to say. Sighing, he once again gave him his full attention. "Is it about Neo?"

"…Wow. How'd you guess?"

"It's always about Neo. What did she do?"

"What? Nothing. Why would you think - never mind." Lenka paused his line of questioning, realizing that it was probably a moot point. If the woman was half as difficult as people made her sound, it wasn't even remotely surprising that he would make such an assumption. Instead, he shook his head and tried to focus on the matter at hand. "Look, I… I came to apologize."

"For which part? Shooting Neo, trying to put her in a cage, or both?"

Lenka glared at him, growing irritated with his attitude. But after a few moments, he sighed. "Alright, I deserved that." Slowly approaching his bedside, he sank into a nearby chair. "I'm sorry. For all of it. I didn't mean to hurt Neo… honestly, I didn't even know it was her."

Ichiro remained silent, carefully observing the other man's body language. The calmness in his voice belied his tension; his arms resting tiredly on his knees, ebony hair pointing in every direction, and green eyes filled with exhaustion. Despite this, he could see no deceit in his expression. Lowering the makeshift animal onto his lap, he nodded. He was hesitant to trust the man, but if he were willing to admit to his actions, then it was possible to move passed them. But before they could repair any damage, there was something he needed to know. "Utsugi."

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so quick to fire at Neo anyway? Surely, a Captain can't be that trigger-happy."

"…What do you mean? I told you already… I just got back and I saw my teammates in danger. I just -"

"You're lying."

"What?" Lenka's voice lowered to a growl as his eyes narrowed. What was this guy's problem? "Now you're calling me a liar?"

"No. You're not a liar, but you are lying about this."

The Captain's mouth twitched slightly at his words, spoken in an even tone. Ichiro wasn't angry… he was simply stating a matter of fact. Curious, Lenka inquired. "Care to elaborate?"

"Utsugi, you're an earnest person. In fact, it's because you're so honest that I can tell you aren't being truthful."

"I don't follow."

"Your story doesn't make sense. You claim you just stumbled upon the situation, but you were too well-prepared. You shot Neo with a divine bullet, from an empowered divine weapon. More importantly, a weapon that you had newly acquired from the very branch that's currently hunting her down. You mean to tell me that you just happened upon a novel Aragami threat that you've never encountered once in your life, with no prior knowledge, and gunned it down with its only weakness?"

"It's not her only weakness." Lenka muttered, frowning in irritation. Then, his frown twisted into a grimace as Ichiro smiled.

"See? You're too honest." The Captain fell silent. Seeing that he had no further argument, the veteran continued. "Now that we've established that, I'm going to ask you again. Why did you fire at Neo?"

Sighing, Lenka finally relented. There was no sense in trying to keep it from him. "…Because they told me to."

"Who told you to?"

"Fenrir. The researchers at the North American Branch."

His frown deepened into a glare. "The North Americans told you to kill Neo?"

"No! They never said anything like that. They didn't even tell me what it - what she looked like. All they provided was basic information… that they were searching for an Aragami located in the Far East. When I asked them how I could recognize her, they just told me I wouldn't be able to."

"…But they told you how to kill her."

"Yes. They said that blaze and divine are the only two ways to eliminate the target. Otherwise, it would regenerate." The Captain leaned back in his chair, reciting the details of their briefing. "The target is unmatchable in open terrain, and getting too close will spell certain death. The Aragami is smart, so you'll need to be smarter. Range and stealth are your strongest weapons…" At the calm rage in Ichiro's expression, Lenka quickly continued. "But they didn't tell me she was human! As far as I knew, I was just hunting a rare Aragami. I swear, I had no idea. I didn't think they had a reason to lie…"

We urge you to reference it as necessary to find your resolve.

Pausing, Ichiro lowered his eyes. The words of Fenrir's final email entered his mind. "Yeah. Neither did I."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. It's not important." Ichiro's expression darkened as he thought back to his own folly. His mind mulled over options as he tried to piece together their game plan. Why had they chosen Utsugi? And more importantly, how had they known her exact location? They were aware that the two of them were together, but their whereabouts should have been unknown. Unless…

"Hamasaki. You can trust me on this. I didn't know."

Blinking, Ichiro returned to the present at the sound of his Captain's concerned voice. Sighing, he shook his head. "I know you didn't. That's exactly why they sent you. But to what end? Neo's very existence is classified information. They could have chosen literally anyone… so why you?"

"I… I don't know. I was only doing what I had to. I had no other choice."

At this, the veteran raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The North Americans had something I needed." At Ichiro's dumbfounded expression, he continued. "My compatibility rate. It's too high. And as a result, last year or so, I was decommissioned. The stigma… it's out of control. And if I didn't stop… it was literally going to be the death of me." Ichiro nodded as he listened, recalling Kota mentioning something similar. "But I can't stop. I have to rid the world of these monsters. I have to. So, I've been searching for a way to counteract it. To stop it, so I could return to the field."

"And they found it?"

"Yes. Well, more specifically, you did. Remember what I told you in the jail cell? It was you, Hamasaki. Your research. They used it as a base for my medication. It halts the infection. It doesn't reverse it, but… it slows it down. Makes it so I can still fight… so I can still have purpose."

Ichiro's expression softened as he spoke, realization beginning to dawn on him. "And they offered you this compound… in exchange for your assistance?"

"Yes."

"I see." Finally, everything made sense. Their organization's treachery truly knew no limits. Utsugi hated Aragami more than anything else on the planet. His disdain for their kind was so intense that it often bordered on irrational. And they had used that to their advantage by giving him an offer he couldn't refuse. His life for hers. Ichiro had failed to eliminate Neo… so instead, they had sent someone else. "So, tell me, Utsugi. What do you plan to do now?"

"…What do you mean?"

"Well, you now know the truth of Neo's origins. You know what she is and how she came to be. Knowing this information, what will you do? Will you continue your mission? Will you hurt Neo?"

Lenka paused for a moment to consider his question. He couldn't deny that he was apprehensive. Neo's transformation alone was a testament to the threat she posed. But he had no desire to cut down a comrade. Sighing, he shook his head. "I… I don't want to. Not if I don't have to. But Hamasaki, you have to understand my position here. Neo is dangerous."

"No, she isn't."

"It certainly doesn't seem that way."

"Because you don't understand her."

"Then help me understand…"

Ichiro observed him, carefully eyeing him for any signs of dishonesty. Finding none, he relented. "Neo is reactive. She doesn't do things without reason. Now, I will concede that those reasons aren't always the easiest to follow, but I assure you, they are never random. She only takes action in response to the world around her."

The Captain paused for a moment, pondering his response. "So, in other words, as long as you don't hurt her…"

"She won't hurt you. Leave her alone, and she won't bother you."

Lenka sighed and scratched his head in frustration. He wanted more than anything to believe his teammate, but he worried that their relationship was clouding his judgment. While the veteran vehemently denied anything more than close friendship, he couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her.

Ichiro watched him, grinning at the turning gears. "Neo is a good person. She's just… a little difficult to live with sometimes."

Lenka nodded, opening his mouth to reply. But before he could, their conversation was halted. The sound of the alarm alerted them, the Captain jumping from his seat.

"This is an emergency broadcast!"

As Ichiro groaned in exasperation, Lenka gave him an irritated look. "A little?"

. . .

Far East Branch - Weapons Hangar

Quiet footsteps padded across the metal flooring of the hangar, a small form wandering through a row of God Arcs. Her violet hair swayed slightly as she moved, slowly approaching the engineer as she concentrated on the console screen. Absorbed in her work, the New Type was barely noticed. It was only a glimpse of blue in her periphery that alerted Licca to her presence. "Oh! Hey there, Neo. Did Ichiro send you?"

Neo slowly shook her head, gesturing to her fluffy jacket with a gloved hand. "I came to thank you. The clothes are very nice."

Licca smiled at her formality. Who would have thought that Neo of all people could be so polite? "Not a problem. I'll admit, I was a little surprised…" The engineer paused for a moment, eyeing the cat ears on top of her hood. "But it's cool. I like a challenge. I guess you're rough on your threads, huh?"

Neo fell silent, contemplating how best to answer her question. While Licca had been charged with outfitting her, she remained blissfully unaware of the actual purpose for her new wardrobe. As far as she was concerned, Neo's fabrics were at risk of Aragami claws rather than her own. "…More or less."

"Haha! Well, nothing wrong with that. I'm always here if you need me." Turning her attention to her console once more, Licca called behind her. "Anyway, since you're here, I may as well pass this along. I got some repair parts from HQ."

Neo's expression perked up at the mention, her head inclining in curiosity. "You mean you can fix Ichi's weapon?"

Licca nodded. "Yeah. I should be able to fix it and finish the exchange test on it within two days. But I was talking to Dr. Sakaki and… These Hannibal cells that got stuck to his God Arc are pretty tricky. I think we're going to need a full upgrade and new Bias Factors to stand a chance against this Aragami."

"…I see." Frowning, Neo's eye fell to the floor. Of course it couldn't be that easy. Why would it be? The Hannibal was a formidable foe. It had to be if it had defeated her guardian.

"But it wasn't all bad. These new parts we got in… I think they might be a match. I need to run some tests and add a few upgrades, but I think it'll work."

Neo's mood shifted again, her eye lighting up with joy at the thought of returning to the field again. "You mean you can fix my God Arc?"

"Yup. Within a few days, I think I can get you back out there." Licca smiled, watching the New Type's face illuminate like the sun.

"Thank you. I really appreciate -" Neo's expression of gratitude was suddenly cut short by the sound of a blaring alarm. Her ears rang as the noise echoed off the walls of the room, the flashing red lights irritating her eyes. But as a distressed voice rang out through the speakers, she grew completely alert.

"This is an emergency broadcast! An Aragami incursion has occurred! Breach in Training Area 2. I repeat, there's been a breach. An Aragami is loose inside the Den! Converge on Training Area 2. This is not a drill!"

"There's been a beach…? Damn!" Licca sprang into action. Her fingers flew across the keys, typing commands into the console. "Neo, you go on ahead. I'll take care of these."

The New Type didn't budge. Instead, her eyes darted around the room as the hangar came to life. Steam erupted from the machinery as the containers began to close, gears clicking into place and locking their God Arcs safely within. Closing her eyes, she tried to drown out the screeching of the alarms and concentrate, searching for any sign of the incoming threat. If the Aragami was near, she should be able to sense it.

"Come on, what are you doing?" Licca interrupted her probing, shifting her attention to the other side of the chamber. "You have to evacuate. I know you want to help, but you can't. And you can't charge in there and die if you don't have a God Arc. Come on, as soon as I lock these up, we're getting outta here."

Once again, Neo ignored her. She was getting something. As expected, the Aragami was drawing near. No, it was already near. It was close… too close. It was…

Licca froze as the sound of thumping reached their ears. Something was coming. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the console. There were only a few God Arcs remaining unsecured.

Neo turned, looking around the room as the last remaining row of machinery activated. Her mind worked rapidly as she scanned the entrance and exit points as well as the size and spacing of the room. It was true that without her weapon, there was little she could do in the current situation. Yet the greatest danger to them wasn't the lack of weaponry, but instead, the very room they were standing in. Metal walls, flooring, and devices stood in every direction.

And that very fact rendered Neo powerless.

Surrounded on all sides by heavy conductors, the New Type was effectively elementally disabled. There was no way that she could risk using any of her abilities without putting her colleague at risk. Any form of electrical discharge would carry across the surface, amplifying the currents, and electrocuting Licca on the spot. Any utilization of her ice would drop the temperature, the metal surroundings freezing her to death within minutes. And without knowing the exact size and strength of the threat, fighting hand-to-hand could endanger her even further, as their brawling could easily get her swept up in the conflict. Licca was right. She needed a God Arc.

Unfortunately, as they previously discussed, hers was currently under repair. Even if it weren't, she couldn't access it as it had already been sealed away with the others. And as a thunderous roar echoed from behind the doors, their situation grew even more dire. They were running out of time. Looking wildly around the room, Neo searched for any weapon she could find. Anything to help her safely hold off the threat.

And as the final God Arcs began to seal, she saw it. A familiar red blade she had seen a few times before in the distant past. The image was hazy, lost within the fog of her days as Reaper, but if was enough for her to recognize it.

Rushing forward, Neo bolted towards the crimson Long Blade, eyeing it carefully. She had seen Ichiro wield a similar, albeit larger, sword for most of her life. And while their weapons were of different sizes, their functionality couldn't possibly be too different. Yes. This would do nicely. It would have to. She didn't have any other choice.

From the other side of the room, Licca watched in horror as Neo ran towards the foreign weapon. "Stop, no! You can't! That's Lindow's God Arc!"

Her warnings went unheeded. Reaching forward, she wrapped her fingers around the handle, watching as the familiar tendrils latched into her Armlet. She could feel the Oracle cells in her body dancing through her veins as they made contact, linking with the new God Arc… then, she felt pain. Excruciating, uninhibited, blood-searing pain. Grunting, she stumbled forward, grabbing the railing for support as her body fought against the unfamiliar cells.

"You have to let go! Your body can't handle a foreign God Arc! It'll turn the Oracle cells and devour you. Let go!"

Shaking her head, Neo refused. She knew very well the dangers of wielding a foreign God Arc, which was why she hadn't attempted to use her own. But this was a crisis, and there was little else to do than wait idly for the approaching threat… which she had no intention of doing. Licca had helped her so much throughout her time in the Far East. She had shown her nothing but kindness, constantly repairing her armaments as needed without complaint, and patiently supplying her with augments, clothing, and anything else she requested.

"Neo, stop -" Licca entered the final command and turned, hoping to separate her from Lindow's Arc… but she never got the chance. "Kyaaaah!"

With little more than a thump as warning, the door erupted as their target burst through. The force of the explosion sent the engineer off her feet, soaring into in a nearby metal railing. Neo could hear the crack as her body made contact before slowly sliding to the floor with a thud. Licca moved no more.

Slowly lifting her eye from the unconscious woman, Neo snarled at her attacker stepping slowly through the cloud of dust: a Vajratail.

Over the speakers, Hibari's voice sounded. "The Aragami has broken through into the God Arc Armory. Evacuate immediately! Repeat, the Aragami has breached the Armory. Evacuate immediately!"

"Gah!" Neo wrapped her left hand around her arm, trying desperately to stem the pain. Licca was in danger. She had to move. She had to fight. She had to…

"Arrgh!" Summoning all of her willpower, Neo yanked the blade from its container, rushing forward as the monster opened its jaws. Swinging with all of her might, she tore the blade across the creature's face, tossing it away from Licca and onto the ground. The strike had hit its mark, but she failed to land a lethal blow. Unaccustomed to wielding a shorter weapon, she had miscalculated her distance.

Climbing slowly to its feet, the Vajratail challenged her with an angry roar. Gritting her teeth, she growled back, baring her fangs menacingly at her opponent. But her bark had little bite. Black tendrils climbed along her hand as the cells waged war inside of her body. "Damn… it…" Her hand squeezed even tighter around her arm, slowing the blood flow in her arm as she tried to stop the spread.

"Lic…ca…" Her call came as little more than a whimper as her vision began to blur. Across the room, the target shifted its attention. Seeing Neo as little more than a nuisance in her current state, it approached the unconscious woman, jaws opening wide. It was going to devour her. "N-No… Lic - Ah!"

The walls around her started to collapse as darkness fell across her vision. Her head felt as though it would split in two as images began to flash through her mind. She saw the Prithvi Mata, standing beneath the moonlight before an unseen assailant. She saw a man, leaning against a wall, screaming in agony. His arm wrapped tightly around… what was that? Another flash. She saw the Frozen Witch again, dead in the snow before a screaming mass… what was it? A man? A beast?

Neo didn't know. And as the pain proved too much to bear, she no longer cared. "Aaaaaaaaaagh!" Matching the bellowing creature in her mind, she opened her mouth and shrieked. She screamed at the top of her lungs, the pain coursing through every inch of her body as she sank to her knees.

And in that instant, the tables turned.

The Aragami turned, drawn by the sound of her voice. Moving forward, the Vajratail followed the call, slowing to a stop when she silenced. And as it gazed at Neo, writhing in agony, it no longer saw her as a nuisance, but a vulnerable target. Snarling, the monster charged, leaving Licca forgotten on the floor. She could hear the thumping of heavy footsteps as it approached, fangs bared.

This was it… she was finally going to die. She was going to be devoured, in the same way that Eric had. But that was for the best. So long as someone came. She would struggle and fight. She would kick and flail for as long as she could to buy time. With careful timing, perhaps she could even Burst and freeze it from the inside. Neo's mind worked rapidly, running through her options as it approached. Lifting her head, she glared defiantly at the creature, summoning all of her strength in preparation. Then…

BANG!

A sound all too familiar rang out through the empty room. The sound of a gunshot. Was it hers? No, it couldn't have been. Lindow's weapon wasn't capable of range. But it had come from her direction… hadn't it?

As the Vajratail flew back across the room, she followed its trajectory. Then, she realized. The bullet had come from behind her. Whipping around, she turned her head to see a new challenger, standing near the elevator doors. A boy… no, a young man, no older than 17. A young man with raven locks and crimson eyes. A young man with skin almost as white as snow. A young man who was currently speaking to her.

"You must stand!"

Before she could question him, he fired another bullet, striking the Aragami dead in the chest. Turning around, Neo watched as it reeled back, screeching in agony. It was wide open.

"Quick, finish it now!"

She wasn't sure where her strength came from. Perhaps it was because she now had an ally. Perhaps it was because his milky white skin reminded her of Shio. Or maybe it was pure adrenaline. Whatever the source, Neo forced herself to her feet and tightened her grip on Lindow's God Arc. Growling, she focused all of her strength as the Aragami approached. She swung upward with such force that the creature soared clear across the room, slamming into the ground. It fought no more.

…And neither did she.

With no energy left to fight, Neo succumbed to the pain and collapsed. Her body went limp, falling to the ground like a stone, God Arc still in hand. Behind her, the unknown ally approached, calling out to her with words she could no longer hear.

"Are you well?"

. . .

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

New costume unlocked!

Neo's outfits: h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/imgur -.-c-o-m /a/oRN8qWj