All right guys, this is a long one.

TRIGGER WARNING!

Reference to self-harm

. . .

Far East Branch - Veteran's Floor

In the halls of the upper floors, a trio of soldiers loitered in the back corner. With their rotations falling on the same day, the three comrades were shooting the breeze, discussing topics ranging from women, to food items, to their latest God Eating exploits. All was merry for the group, save for one who seemed slightly less engaged than the other two.

"…Haas!"

"Huh?" Gunter's eyes focused at the sound of Caleb's voice. His head whipped to the side to see his friend, gazing at him with a concerned expression.

"You alright there? We lost you again."

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Otto, the third member of the group snorted at his obvious lie. "Bullshit. Look at him, he's dead tired."

Gunter scowled at him, trying to muster a sharp expression, but he couldn't. After burning the candle at both ends for the better part of a week, as well as last night's excursion, his exhaustion was finally catching up to him.

Caleb sighed. "Maybe you should take a few more days off. Your kill count's through the roof. I'm sure they won't even notice."

The blonde shrugged his shoulders and leaned his head back against the wall. "Would you two knock it off? Nothing's wrong with me, Neo just kept me up most of the night."

"Well, we keep telling you not to…" Caleb's prodding faded into silence as the gravity of his words sunk in. "W-Wait, what?!"

Otto's eyes grew into wide spheres. "Holy… you actually… oh shit, you finally did it. Damn, that took forever."

Gunter rolled his eyes at the two, sinking into the bench. "Calm down, you two. We just Norn and chilled."

"Yeah, I'm sure you did. Hope it was worth the effort."

His head lifted, emerald eyes narrowing at Otto's. "Nothing happened, stupid. We really did just watch some old TV shows. We ended up binging this animated one almost until dawn."

The other two exchanged a look, neither one knowing what to say. Gunter, who had been endlessly pursuing this woman, finally got her into his bedroom… and all they did was watch television. Stranger still, he didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest. They didn't know whether to feel happy or sorry for him.

Caleb was the first to recover, his lips pulling into a sympathetic smile. "Wow. She's locked up tighter than a Fenrir safe."

Otto shrugged. "Of course, she is. She's making him work for it. Told you she was a virgin."

Gunter nodded absentmindedly for a moment, only half paying attention. "Probably. She's really - wait, that isn't the issue here, jerkoff."

"Oh yeah? At this rate, that's all you'll be doing for the foreseeable future. Wasn't that the whole point of this thing?" Otto questioned, playfully poking his shoulder.

Gunter paused for a moment, actually contemplating his question. It was true that when he started pursuing Neo, it had been with the intention of another tryst. A quick fling with a woman who was as wild as they come and seemed just as disinterested in personal attachments as he was. But his initial plan had gone horribly awry as she continued to give him a run for his money. At that point, it was just the principle of the matter, determined to break through her walls and complete her challenge. Now… he didn't know anymore. His mind slowly returned back to the present, fading back into the middle of their conversation.

"…fast enough. The sooner she gives it up, the sooner she can be history."

The blonde turned, his temper flaring to a level that surprised even himself. "Okay, I have just about had it with this. What is your problem?"

"My problem? What is your problem?" Otto fired back, his own shorter fuse lighting almost immediately.

"Why won't you lay off?"

"What is your fascination with her?!"

"Why do you hate her so much?!"

"Because she's -" Otto paused, his mind shifting momentarily to their encounter in the hallway. At the time, he honestly didn't have anything particularly against the New Type. He was already in a foul mood, and she had simply rubbed him the wrong way. But after feeling that sinister presence, he couldn't get the image out of his mind. He couldn't even begin to describe it, but there was something about her. Something that made his skin crawl. Something deadly.

The God Eater knew there was something there, lurking beneath the surface. Gunter just hadn't brought it out yet. And for his sake, he sincerely hoped he never did. That was the issue he had with their ongoing relationship. The longer he stayed involved with her, the greater the chances that she would finally snap. And when she did, his closest friend would be caught in the crossfire. He'd be damned if he was going to let him become another Reaper casualty. "Alright, look… we got into it a while back."

"What else is new?"

"Would you listen?! There is something very wrong with this girl. Something dangerous. I don't know how to explain it, but I'm telling you, she's not normal."

"There is nothing wrong with her."

"Bullshit! What woman do you know that can lift three times her body weight, or hell, what man for that matter?!"

Gunter shrugged. "I dunno. There's a first time for everything. What's your point?"

Otto sighed. Clearly, he wasn't getting through to him. "Dude, I've been checking this girl out."

"So have I."

"No, you idiot! I mean her data. I've been tracking her for a while now, and her stats don't add up. Her kill count is so high it's practically in outer space… but from what I hear, her core collection is way below average."

"Maybe she isn't extracting them. That hardly proves there's anything wrong with her. And why are you digging around in her business anyway?"

"Because I've been trying to figure out who the hell this woman is."

"There's a search function for that, genius."

"Yeah, and nothing comes up."

"What?"

"There's no information about her in the database. Anywhere."

"That's impossible. She couldn't even work within Fenrir without an identification key."

"Exactly. I've checked every corner of every branch from here to North America. No God Eater by the name of Neo exists. I even checked her codename. There's nothing there. Explain that."

Gunter lifted an eyebrow. He couldn't deny that it was a bit suspicious. Surely, there had to be information about her somewhere. Shaking his head, he narrowed his eyes at him. "…I can't."

"Exactly. There's only two explanations. Either someone has locked her data at the bottom of the ocean, or she's not who she says she is. And considering her body count, it could go either way."

Growing aggravated, Gunter sighed. "Look, why won't you come off of this? Why are you so worried about her?"

"I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about you, you blockhead! I don't want you to get hurt."

"And why are you so convinced that I'm going to be? Why can't you just leave her alone?"

"Why are you so obsessed with her? There are hundreds of women in this compound. No lay is worth getting killer over."

That was the final straw. Gunter rounded on him, rage burning in his eyes like an open flame. "Don't call her that!"

Both friends nearly leapt out of their skin from his sudden shift. Gunter was generally a pretty laid-back person. The careless Casanova quite literally stared even death in the face with a flirtatious smile. Anger wasn't something he displayed very often. Primarily, because not many things could make him angry. His friend had struck a nerve.

"What the hell." Otto muttered, slowly glancing towards Caleb. The two exchanged a look of utter shock as Gunter sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. They could see the exasperation on his features. His patience utterly exhausted… but not necessarily with them. In fact, he almost looked frustrated with himself.

Caleb raised an eyebrow, speaking cautiously to avoid another outburst. "Hey… what's going on, man?"

The two fell into silent observation of their comrade, watching as his face rotated through a series of expressions. They had never seen so many raw emotions from the God Eater and to be honest, it was a little unsettling. Finally, he landed on one, his face twisting into one of acceptance.

And as he slowly leaned forward, emerald eyes falling to the floor, Caleb finally understood. "You actually care about her, don't you?"

The pair watched with bated breath as the veteran took a deep breath. Then, he sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat. "…Yeah. I just - I never thought…" He ran a tired hand through his blonde hair, a sense of relief washing over him as he finally admitted it to his comrades… and himself.

His friends weren't sure what to say. It seemed that the charmer of the Far East had finally met his match. Otto, shook his head in utter exasperation. "You serious? Unbelievable… of all the people…"

Caleb tilted his head and lifted a curious eyebrow in his direction. "Gunter… how many women have you been with since you started seeing Neo?"

"None." Gunter replied, his eyes gazing blankly forward. He spoke the truth. While he generally dated around with little or no commitment, he hadn't been doing so in recent weeks. Between the search and rescue and field operations, he had found little time to do so, and what time he did have was usually spent trying to figure out the unusual New Type. But aside from the difficulties of time restraints, there was another, more alarming reason.

He simply didn't want to.

He wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point, other women had simply stopped being of interest to him. They bored him and some of the time, he didn't even notice they were there. He had told Soma in jest that he only had eyes for Neo, but it turned out to be truer than he thought… And that scared the ever-loving hell out of him.

"Damn. You've got it bad." Caleb muttered, floored by Gunter's response.

"Guess so."

Eyeing the two of them, Otto shook his head in defeat. He would never be able to understand why he had chosen her of all people. But if his feelings were real, there wasn't anything to be done about it. Sighing, he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look, man… I can't tell you how to live your life. Or who to love. Just… for the love of Gods, please be careful. I'm telling you; something isn't right about this girl. But if you're really serious about her…"

Gunter said nothing more. Instead, he slowly nodded his head, still reeling from the admission himself. He actually had feelings for her. And now, that meant he had a new concern… whether she had developed any of her own. While she hadn't rejected him, it didn't necessarily mean she felt the same. Neo was odd that way. "Yeah… I am."

Beside him, Otto just shook his head. "Great. Fantastic. Gunter Haas, the Far East's greatest player finally bested by a woman. Next, you'll be trying to marry her and make creepy Reaper babies. Assuming she doesn't kill you first."

"Shut up. There's plenty of time for that yet." Gunter laughed and shook his head. It seemed that Otto was finally willing to back off. At least for the time being. As the two started chattering amongst themselves, his own mind started to wander. He hadn't seen Neo since they fell asleep the previous night. When he awoke, she was gone. Along with about four cans of First Love Juice. That girl was something else. He wasn't sure of the validity his friend's claims. It was undeniably strange that her data was missing. Almost as strange as her unique power, which to his knowledge, he had yet to see in any of the Den's other four New Types.

He didn't know. He would have to cross that bridge when he got to it.

. . .

Around the corner down the next hall, the elevator slowly slid open. Stepping through the doors, Neo entered the floor. After a fun and restful night, the New Type had awoken with renewed vigor. Unfortunately, a new day meant new problems as well as the return of all of her old ones. Chief of which was their missing, and now found, Corporal.

Thankfully, she had found some comfort in Gunter, helping her muster the resolve to speak with Major Amamiya. While she wasn't certain how to broach the topic with her teammates just yet, she couldn't in good faith continue to hide the truth from his one and only sister. If Ichiro had transformed into a monster, she would want someone to tell her.

At the moment, there were only two people aware of Lindow's condition and they decided for the time being to keep it that way until they found a solution. The most obvious course of action would be to put him out of his misery and destroy him… but Neo still wasn't sure that was the best course of action. During their battle, she had resonated with him, looking into the depths of his very soul. While his body had changed, his mind was still sentient. Lindow still remembered who he was. He didn't want to hurt them… and that was why he fled.

Perhaps there was still time. There might be a way to bring him back if she could just preserve his humanity. There was still hope for him… and the more time she spent around humans who accepted her, the more she was beginning to think that there was hope for her for her too. While she remained in constant battle with her other half, she was finally beginning to find a place in their society. During her episode, she had swiped at Soma, yet still he embraced her. Ichiro had always been by her side and didn't seem to have any plans of changing that ever again. Even Utsugi hadn't drawn his blade on her, grudgingly accepting her existence. If things continued this way, then perhaps there was a chance. A future for someone like her in the human world.

But upon hearing the following words, her hopes shattered. She should have known. She had always known. Nothing good lasts forever.

"…creepy Reaper babies. Assuming she doesn't kill you first."

Neo froze in place, her eyes widening slightly. She recognized that voice. It was a voice she had grown to loathe almost as much as he did her. Gunter's hot-tempered companion, Otto. The bully. She was accustomed to crude comments from him, many of them more aggressive when directed towards her. Of course, she didn't care. His words meant little to her, generally. She could handle his insults and jabs, but those three words were something else entirely… and the response that followed sent her plummeting into the depths.

"Shut up. There's plenty of time for that yet."

The second voice she recognized all too well. The same she had listened to for most of the previous night as they watched Kota's ridiculous program. Gunter. Of course, if he was there, chances were, Caleb was with them also. But she couldn't concern herself with that right now. Not with her mind running a hundred miles a minute. The words spun around in her head like a whirlwind, her thoughts spiraling out of control.

Creepy Reaper babies.

While the words had no doubt been meant as a jab, they highlighted a far darker reality. Children. Gunter's children. Had that been his plan from the beginning? To breed her? Her mind drifted unwittingly to the North Americans. They had beaten her. Broken her. Violated her. And when they had no further use of her, they had tried to exterminate her. Of course, this wasn't before multiple attempts at replacing her with a more compliant subject.

Was it possible that they had sent an agent to complete their mission? She wouldn't put it past them, considering they had already sent an assassin. Fenrir's treachery knew no limits, and clearly, they already had at least some knowledge of her general location. Or perhaps they had known it all along. What if they had only allowed her to think that she was safe? That she was free from their clutches to lure her into a sense of complacency. To bring down her defenses and destroy her from the inside. Were that the case… it would explain everything. His kindness. His acceptance. His fascination with her. His ceaseless attempts to 'romance' her. All perquisites to lowering her guard to achieve his ultimate goal. To create another.

And to think… she had almost trusted him.

Eyes growing dark, she slowly drifted down the hallway, her body moving on autopilot like a violet specter. She could feel the monster within awakening alongside of her rage as she navigated the halls towards them. It was calling to her, begging for release… and this time, she didn't push it back. She didn't care. Not anymore. They were the enemy. And enemies must be destroyed.

Rounding the corner, she confronted him, her voice a haunting lilt that sounded almost nothing like her own. "So, that's what you've been after."

The trio jolted from their merriment, all three heads turning in her direction. Their eyes widened as she strolled slowly down the hallway. She could see the looks of concern in their expressions… smell the fear their radiating off of them as she approached. Good. They were right to be afraid.

Leaping to his feet, Gunter immediately went into defense mode, assessing the situation for damage control. "N-Neo! How much did you hear?"

"Enough to finally understand your behavior. I was wondering why you've been so kind to me… Pursuing so relentlessly."

Shaking his head, Gunter grew panicked. Flustered and uncertain, for the first time, he didn't know what to do. He was afraid. Afraid of losing her. "Neo, that wasn't - please, just let me explain -"

"I should have known."

"Listen, Otto was being a jackass. You know how he is."

Neo continued forward, her steps slow and even as she stalked towards them. Her lips pulled into a grin at their nervous forms, like a predator circling its prey. Her heart leapt with amusement at his attempts at redemption, begging for her clemency. The others had begged her too. They had ignored her pleas for mercy. So, she showed them none. "You wish to mate me, is that it?"

"It has nothing to do with - wait, what?" Gunter's apologies came to a screeching halt. It seemed that even in a situation like this one, she never ceased to derail his train of thought.

Grin widening, she repeated. "That is your desire, isn't it? You wish to mate me, yes?"

Gunter swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to formulate a coherent response. He was cornered. What was he supposed to say? He didn't want to lie to her. She had garnered far too respect for that, and she would see right through him anyway. It was true that his intentions may have been less than honorable at one time, but… "That's… Okay, yes. But that's not what I -"

"If that's what you were after… why go to so much trouble? All you had to do was ask." Neo shrugged, her lips pulling even further into a coy smirk. The monster within rejoiced. She loved to watch him squirm. To toy with him as he had done to her.

"I only - wait, you… huh?!" At that, Gunter shut down entirely. What on earth was she saying? This was a complete U-turn from the woman he'd rested with last night. Had her innocent behavior truly been a clever performance? No. Surely, she couldn't mean it. She was playing with him. That had to be it. Playing with him the way he had meant to play with her. He deserved it. He knew. But still, if possible, he wanted to salvage what he could.

Beside him, Otto felt an icy chill run down his spine. He recognized this presence. It was the same as the one he had felt before all those weeks ago. The malicious aura with murderous intent. There was something dangerous in her venomous gaze. If evil were a manifestation… this was it.

Reaching them, Neo slowly looked up at him, ignoring the other two in favor of her primary target. "Is that what you want…? Tell me the truth." Her heterochromatic eyes looked curiously up at him. She wasn't wearing her eyepatch around him anymore. The thought should have brought him great joy, a small victory in earning even a morsel of her trust. But…

His gaze drifted to her left eye, drawn to the ominous hue of her golden iris. It was all but glowing beneath her bangs, radiating with Oracle power. Had it always shown so brightly? Shaking his head, he banished the thought. Now wasn't the time for that. If he didn't play his cards right, he may never look upon them again. Sighing, he answered as honestly as he could, hoping that she would just hear him out. "The very thought of it drives me wild. But please believe me, that isn't all I want from you. We don't have to -"

"Go ahead." Neo interrupted him, raising an eyebrow at his flustered expression.

"What - now?! That's - I'm so confused…" Gunter blanched, his mind reeling as he tried to keep up with whatever it was they were doing. Her icy gaze betrayed nothing of what she was thinking. Was she angry with him? Was she spiteful? Was she serious? He didn't know. But what he could tell was that there was something unnerving about her gaze. Something frighteningly familiar about her golden eye. He knew he had looked into those eyes somewhere before. "Uh…" He found his memory failing him as he felt Neo's warm breath against his neck.

Slowly sliding a glove from her right hand, she looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. She had him right where she wanted him. Vulnerable. Just as she was. Her gloved hand pressed his chest, bidding him to sit as she stood before him. She leaned forward, her voice lowering into a sultry whisper. "You may breed me if you wish…"

'Wait… it can't be…' Gunter's mind went into overload, alarm bells ringing in every direction as her gaze yanked a far repressed memory back to the surface. And as her mouth pulled into a deadly smile, he saw her elongated fangs. Combined with her golden eye, the sight something awakened inside of him. He finally realized where he had seen it before.

"… and suffer the same fate as the rest of them!" Her voice rose into a violent hiss.

The God Eater had no time to react as Neo's ungloved hand moved forward with lightning speed. He could feel fingers wrapping around his neck, pressing him against the wall. Small, sharp knives bit into his skin, drawing blood from every prick. Were those… claws? Gasping for breath, he grabbed her hand, trying to pry her off of him, but he was no match for her iron grip. She was truly as strong as they said. Her body pressed against him between his legs, rendering kicks useless. He was trapped.

Alarmed, Otto rushed forward to grab her. "Get off him, you crazy bitch!"

She spared him barely a glance. Turning, she drove her free hand backward, throwing the other man clean off his feet. He soared clear across the hallway, slamming into the back wall with a thunderous crash. As the less reactive of the two, Caleb opted for the opposite strategy. He was no fool. He had no delusions about his own strength in comparison to hers. It was a battle he couldn't win. Instead, he would find someone who could. The image of her guardian came to mind. He had stopped her once before. Surely, he could do it again. His room should be somewhere on this floor. If he could just get to him…

But he never did. His attempts to flee only shifted her attention and as a human, he had no more luck than his comrade. His sudden motion set her off, making himself her third target. Without shifting her grip, Neo turned her flexible body and lifted her leg over Gunter's. A violent kick sent Caleb smashing into the vending machine, bending it through the center. Random cans of all flavors came tumbling out of the exit tray, spilling with loud clatters and rolling across the floor. His body slowly slumped to the ground with a quiet thump.

With her two nuisances neutralized, her focus shifted entirely to Gunter, her eyes burning with hurt and rage. The poor man didn't have a prayer, grasping desperately for anything he could reach, trying to free himself. He felt lightheaded, the world starting to spin around him. Feeling had left him, leaving his flailing limbs as little more than wiggling ornaments. He must have grasped something however, as he finally got a reaction out of the New Type. Though it was far from a preferable one.

His fingers clenched around the edge of her blue coats, further agitating the irate woman. This was now the second time he had done so and she was in no mood to tolerate it. The first time, she had chosen flight. This time, she would do the opposite. His twirling vision jarred as he was pulled forward and slammed back against the wall, ceasing his struggles. His bloodshot eyes slowly began to close, gazing painfully into the eyes of his killer.

Otto had warned him. Caleb had warned him. But he didn't listen.

Gunter knew what she was capable of. And while he never thought she would turn against him; he knew that she was dangerous. Her power alone was a testament to that. And as he gazed into her narrowing pupil and golden iris, he finally understood why. He had seen those eyes before, staring back at him on top of bloodstained fangs. There was no way to explain it and by all accounts, it shouldn't even be possible. But her lightning shouldn't have been either. Somehow, she had manifested what he despised the most. The monster that had stolen everything from him.

Now, years later, he had walked willingly into its trap. How fitting. Despite all of the cautionary flags, he foolishly pressed forward and now… he was going to die for it. By the hands of the woman he unexpectedly cared for. In a dark way, it was kind of amusing. Otto had always said that he would fall at the hands of a woman, but this was far beyond even his wildest nightmares. Oh, well. At least he would finally see Alma again. The last of his vision faded to black, a muffled shout the last thing that he heard.

. . .

"Neo!" Charging forward, Soma grabbed her shoulders, yanking her backward with all of his might. Considerably stronger than Otto, the veteran nearly pulled the New Type off of her feet, startling her with an angry hiss. With her grip released, Gunter collapsed from the bench into a crumbled heap on the floor. Soma had successfully distracted her from her target… and instead turned her ire on himself.

Enraged, Neo spun around, throwing a violent punch that sent him tumbling down the hallway nearly into Ichiro who had followed behind him. With Soma out of the way, she turned back to her prey, leg lifting to stomp his skull into a pile of bloody mush. She never got the chance. Maneuvering around the rolling Soma, her guardian grabbed her arms and dragged her away from the motionless God Eater. She struggled against him, switching to defense mode.

Ichiro's entire body trembled with effort as she thrashed within his grip. "Neo, what are you doing?! Stop this!"

His pleas went ignored. She continued writhing around, shrieking back at him with her eyes locked on Gunter's sagging form. "Let go of me! He's one of them! Liar! Deceiver! Betrayer!"

Ichiro tightened his grip, nearly stumbling to the ground as she shoved him backward. "Neo, stop!" He shouted, trying to halt her assault. She was out of control.

But his voice didn't reach her. She was in overload, screaming at people he couldn't see. "There won't be another! There will never be another!"

"Neo! You have to - gah!"

With a violent shake, she wrenched herself free. Turning, she gripped his shirt, claws tearing through the fabric as she pinned him back against the wall. He fought against her, using his larger size as leverage to hold her at bay. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the mess she had left behind. Three God Eaters, only one confirmed alive. The situation couldn't possibly get any worse… until it did.

"What is going on over - Neo, what the hell?!" Drawn by the noise, Lenka rushed into the fray. Down another hall, he had been packing his supplies in preparation for his trip back to North America. He had nearly finished when he heard the crash, exiting his room to follow the commotion. He didn't have a clue what had happened, but from Gunter and Caleb's unmoving bodies and Otto and Soma's wobbling ones, he had a pretty good idea. Especially considering that Ichiro himself was currently grappling with the perpetrator.

Rushing behind her, Lenka took advantage of Neo's position, grabbing her beneath her shoulders and hauling her backward. He succeeded, freeing Ichiro from her lock. But it quickly backfired. Unfamiliar with her strength and nimble fighting style, he was driven backward as Neo used his own momentum against him. She pushed him off his feet, sputtering as his back hit the floor. She curled, tumbling backward over his chest and onto her feet in a crouch. A quick roll to the side was all that prevented her from tearing his throat out with the swipe that followed.

She lifted her hand for another strike before suddenly finding herself on the ground. Otto had recovered, tackling her from her crouched position onto her back. His strength was no match for hers and he quickly found himself overpowered and tumbling to the side as she retaliated. But Ichiro was right behind him, pressing her back down to the floor and pinning her kicking legs. Quickly scrambling to his feet, Lenka joined him, helping to hold her arm as she thrashed beneath them.

"Get off me! He's one of them! He's one of them!"

"Holy fuck! She's so strong!" Otto recovered, returning to the fray to assist the pair. Knees atop her arm, even with all of his weight, she threatened to topple him once more. She snarled and hissed; eyes wild with rage as Hamasaki shook his head. She was beyond calming at this point. They were going to have to sedate her. It was the only way to tear her from her crazed state.

Soma recovered, quickly assessing the situation unfolding before him. Neo was on the ground, struggling angrily beneath a group of male God Eaters. Three of them. He quickly thought back to her outburst in the laboratory so long ago during her first relapse. There had been three of them then too. Ichiro, Lindow, and himself. There was an obvious pattern, and this was a recipe for disaster.

Searching for his emergency needle, Ichiro quickly directed the other two to restrain her… and in doing so, he made a terrible mistake. "Hold her down."

"Hamasaki, don't -" Soma rushed forward to stop him. But it was too late.

At the sound of those three words, Neo exploded. She was back in the underground laboratory, pinned helplessly beneath her captors. Otto and Lenka were no longer recognizable, their faces morphing into that of Rodrick and Samuel. And in the center, Ichiro disappeared, replaced by the man she hated the most.

With a shriek, Neo went into full-scale panic. Her scarf hummed with electricity, sparking violently as she discharged. Holding her directly, Lenka and Otto surged, current coursing through their bodies before falling lifelessly to the ground. Ichiro jumped backward out of reflex, a reaction honed over many years of training. It protected him from the shock… but now Neo was unrestrained.

Launching from below, she leapt at him. Her body collided with his chest and sent him falling backward, crashing into the wall beneath her. Her clawed hand raised to rend him without remorse, coming down with deadly force. But Ichiro was faster now. Lifting his own arm, he caught her wrist with his hand, halting the claws mere inches from his face. Then, the world froze in place.

A violent sensation took over him as sparks erupted from their point of contact. His stomach turned, growing nauseous as his very soul was torn from his body. Neo felt the same, her mind and body accustomed to the sensation.

. . .

Ichiro sighed, leaning his head against the wall behind him. A quiet clatter from the entrance reached his ears. Something was coming. A bitter smile formed on his lips as he gazed up at the Cathedral ceiling. All of his life he had wondered about his father's fate. Then, he had been led to believe that the woman he loved had murdered him in cold blood. Now, he knew Neo had tried to save him, at the expense of her very self. And as thanks, he had nearly slain her. Perhaps he deserved whatever fate would befall him.

Patiently, the God Eater waited for death to claim him as the pitter patter of small feet echoed through the silent hall. How strange that the reaper would sound so… small? Lifting his head, he blinked, coming face-to-face with a child, face as pale as moonlight. She looked no different than a human, save her ghostly skin and platinum locks. What stood out the most were her golden eyes, the irises reminding him eerily of another woman roughly the same height. Could this child be…?

She watched him curiously as he slowly sat up from against the wall. The two stared at one another for a few moments, each evaluating the other.

Then finally, she spoke. "I am hungry."

Ichiro nearly jumped at the sound, his eyes bulging out of his head as he looked her over. Apparently, the child was capable of speech. But those three words only strengthened his suspicions. His brain's first instinct was to reject the possibility. An Aragami in human form? Impossible. Then, the rational part reminded him… was it truly? How could something like this even come to be? "Uh…" He muttered, unsure of what to say.

The child stared for a moment before repeating him. "Uh?"

He blinked, baffled by her parroting. It seemed that she had a limited vocabulary, which didn't exactly surprise him. An Aragami shouldn't have a vocabulary in the first place, let alone an extensive one.

Growing impatient with the silence, she spoke again. "I'm hungry."

"Yeah… I can imagine." He muttered, slowly forcing himself to his feet. "What's your name, kid?" The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to smack himself. Somehow, within seconds, he had forgotten that this child only knew three words. Four counting his unintentional utterance.

Unsurprisingly, she simply stared back at him. "What's your name, kid? I'm hungry…"

Of course. Sighing, he shook his head, pondering what his next course of action would be. After a few moments, the child made the decision for him, wobbling towards the entranceway. Reaching the opening, she turned and looked back at him expectantly. Did she want him to follow her?

The echoing roar of Vajra in the distance gave him an answer. He couldn't honestly say that following an Aragami child into the wilderness was the smartest idea, but staying there wasn't an option. Not if he wanted to live. Besides, he couldn't bring himself to leave her on her lonesome, despite the fact that she was probably far better off than he was.

Slowly, he followed after her to the doorway, his injuries aching with every movement. When he reached her, she smiled up at him, with the most adorable face he had even seen. Then finally, she said something unique. "Shio."

He paused, staring curiously at her. What an unusual word. In fact, it almost sounded like… Was Shio her name? How on earth had an Aragami gotten a name? It seemed that this mysterious child was chock full of surprises. Shrugging, he smiled back at her. "Ichiro."

. . .

Neo lay silently on her bed, eyes gazing lifelessly at the ceiling above. She had lost track of the days since her last 'treatment'. Tears streamed slowly from her eyes onto the pillow below. How much longer would she need to endure this? She didn't know. And she wasn't about to wait to find out.

A dark expression clouded her face as she slowly rose from her bed. Walking towards the terminal, she gazed momentarily at the screen. It seemed that her pen pal wouldn't arrive today either. Possibly ever again. Either way, it didn't matter. She wouldn't be seeing him anymore.

Clenching her hand into a fist, she punched the screen. Shattered glass rained to the ground below, collecting into a small pile beneath her feet. Kneeling, she slowly plucked a large shard from the bunch, inspecting its size and sharpness before returning to the bed. The mattress sagged beneath her weight as she settled in. This would be her last time in this bed. She might as well make herself comfortable.

Her lips moved, but no sound escaped her. Her voice was stolen long ago. Turning her palm skyward, she lifted her arm. Then, she slashed it, dragging the shard along her skin, leaving a thick oozing trail of crimson behind. Switching to her other arm, she did the same. Leaning against the wall, she waited patiently for darkness to claim her… but it never did.

Horrified, she looked down at her bleeding arms… only to see the wounds slowly beginning to close. Grabbing the shard again, she repeated the process, reopening the wound. She did the same to her other wrist once more, trying desperately to keep the blood flowing from her body… to the same result. She repeated it once more, growing distressed as the wounds continued to close.

Her efforts were in vain.

The harder she tried, the more upset she became. The more upset she became, the faster her wounds would heal. Finally, she gave one final attempt, nearly reaching bone as she violently rent her flesh. Switching arms, she lifted her hand one more… but the glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor as her body slumped motionlessly to the side. Her mind fell into darkness, hopefully never to emerge again.

. . .

Time resumed, returning both God Eaters to their senses as their brief link severed. Neo gaped at him, their resonance waking her from her deadly trance. Her eyes widened, realizing what she had seen. Shio had saved Ichiro. Was that where he had gone following their escape from the Infernal Subway?

In front of her, Ichiro's eyes slowly refocused as he returned from his hypnotic state. His stomach was doing somersaults and his mind felt detached. He could still feel the excruciating pain from the glass. Inch by agonizing inch cutting through his flesh like an uneven scalpel. As his brain caught up to his body, he began to rationalize what had just happened. It was a brief connection, sharing only a momentary glimpse. But it was a resonance all the same. And as that realization hit him, he felt a new emotion rise to the surface. Rage.

Climbing to his feet, Ichiro rose to his full height, his hand still wrapped tightly around her wrist. Neo yelped in surprise as she tumbled off of him and was hoisted to her feet. She struggled to pull away from him, panic rising as she realized that she couldn't. His grip was like a vice, lurching her forward as her guardian pulled her towards him. When had he gotten so strong? Desperate, she yanked away from him, trying to shield her naked arm. But it was already too late.

His eyes widened into saucers as he gazed down at her exposed wrist… and the jagged discolored lines running along the length of it.

His heart stopped beating, his mind going blank as he tried to rationalize what he was seeing. He didn't want to believe it. But he couldn't deny the evidence right in front of him. He had both seen and felt her pain, no different than a blade against his own skin. Neo had tried to commit suicide. Previously casual behaviors suddenly took on new meaning as he came to the horrifying realization.

His companion had always bore a strange habit of covering her arms. Sleeves were a preference of hers, but not one that had ever given cause for concern. Now, he understood. The reason for her endlessly reckless behavior and utter unconcern with her own health. Why she thoughtlessly allowed her body to endure unnecessary abuse, charging headlong into any challenger that would stand against her. Why she was so quick to sacrifice herself in the Infernal Subway and why she had gazed gratefully upon him.

Neo didn't care if she left this world.

She wanted to.

What he couldn't understand was…

"Why…"

Neo stared at him, unblinking as she watched his face twist into something she couldn't hope to describe. Was it anger? Anguish? Betrayal? She didn't know. And she didn't have a chance to ponder it.

In the next moment, Ichiro exploded. "Why?!"

She squeaked, shrinking away from him as his voice echoed through the hallway. She had seen him in many stages of fury throughout their lives… but nothing like this. She could feel his grip tightening around her arm, absolutely seething with rage. And even more confusing… it actually hurt.

"Why would you do this to yourself?!"

For a moment, the hall fell silent, the only sound her guardian's heavy breathing. Then, it filled with the sound of her own voice as she retaliated. Rounding on him, she returned his anger three-fold as the pain returned to her tearful eyes.

"I HAD NO CHOICE!" Her voice bounced off of the walls, ringing in his ears. But Neo didn't stop. She couldn't stop. She had held on for far too long. For years, she had remained quiet. For over a decade, she had suffered in silence, clutching her pain close against her chest, and shoving it into the deepest corners of her mind. Now, the dams had finally broken. "What would you have me do, bend to their will?! Allow them to spread their infectious disease of corruption and misery to somebody else?!"

"Who's will? What the hell are you -"

"NO! I refuse! No child will come of this! No one else will suffer as I suffered!"

Ichiro blanched, utterly lost as Neo continued her tirade. "Child?! That's -"

"There will never be another. Never! I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!" Neo's skin began to hum as her temper flared. She was entering Burst.

Alarmed, Ichiro loosened his grip. "Neo, what is -"

"Let go of me!" She shrieked, wrenching her hand free from his grasp. Then, she swiped, her claws slicing skin as they raked across his face.

"Agh!" Her guardian reeled back, bringing a hand to his wound in reflex.

Taking advantage of her opening, the New Type fled, bolting down the hallway to freedom.

Snarling, Ichiro recovered, stumbling after her as red clouded his vision. Although from blood or Oracle cells, he didn't know. "Neo -"

"Hamasaki." Soma halted him, keeping him back with a hand on his shoulder.

"Let go of me, Soma."

"You can't help her right now."

"She's on a rampage, we can't let her escape!"

"She's not rampaging, she's running. She's afraid."

"Afraid of what?!" Turning, Ichiro glowered at him, the blood flow already slowing as his wound began to heal. He found it incredibly difficult to believe that Neo was the frightened one in this scenario, in a hall filled with lifeless bodies.

Soma only shook his head. "Look, there's something you need to see."

"It's gonna have to wait."

"This can't wait! It's urgent!"

"More urgent than Neo going berserk?!"

"Yes!"

"What, Soma?! What is so goddamn important?!"

"…The reason why."