Far East Branch - Dungeon

Far beneath the walls of Fenrir, Neo remained trapped in her reinforced cell. She had lost count of the days, each one drifting seamlessly into the next. Soma had remained by her side. He visited often, bringing her meals and other amenities. The veteran had been by not too long ago, looking utterly delighted — about as delighted as Soma could possibly be — to see a partially eaten food tray. She had nibbled on a few things; nothing close to the mountains she typically consumed… but it was something. Admittedly, she honestly hadn't gotten her appetite back. It was only after observing her friend's dedication that she had forced herself to eat, if only to appease him just a little.

He was working so hard for her. The least she could do was eat some overgrown corn.

Strangely, Soma was her only visitor during her stay in the dungeons. Although whether that was through personal choice or some form of policy, she didn't know. Of course, it didn't really bother her either way, as she genuinely enjoyed his company. That being said, she couldn't help but notice the acute absence of a particular God Eater, one she assumed would have been the first and most frequent person at her side. Honestly, she was surprised that Soma was even watching her at all rather than her caretaker himself. Knowing him, he would have made his way to see her regardless of whatever rules had been set in place, protocol be damned. It was unusual to her that she hadn't seen him even once during her time there.

She had asked Soma about it on multiple occasions, but the only thing he would offer was that he was preoccupied. Neo didn't have a clue what that meant, considering his increasingly ongoing time spent with Paylor Sakaki, and any attempts to question him were given little answer. Eventually, she gave up, knowing that he wasn't going to give her any information. At this point, she assumed that he was with the higher-ups, arguing to improve her fate.

The sound of quiet footsteps echoed off the empty walls. They were far too light to be Soma's, yet too quick in succession to be Ichiro's. Perhaps Alisa had finally snuck down to see her. Of the 1st Unit members, she was among the most headstrong, and if anyone were to make it past the heavy security, it would be her. Neo chuckled quietly at the thought. The tapping against the floor drew closer, moving down the hall towards her before finally stopping at her cell. Sitting up, Neo came face to face with the last person she expected to see.

"Oh my, this is quite a predicament," Ren stated, eyeing the New Type through the bars.

"What do you want?" she muttered. It had been some time since the combat medic had shown himself. The last time they had encountered one another was during Brendan's rescue mission. Following that day, the other New Type had been strangely absent. Not that she really cared.

Ren frowned, a look of mild hurt appearing on his features. "Well, that isn't very nice. What an unpleasant way to greet a comrade."

"I'm beyond pleasantries at this point," she snapped, leaning against the wall. "I know you want something. Speak."

He shrugged and sighed. It was clear that she wanted to get straight to the point. He supposed being locked in a cell for days on end could certainly make someone cranky. Regardless, if that was what she wished, he wouldn't bother beating around the bush. "I'm sure you've noticed through Resonance by now. That black Aragami is Lindow, no doubt about it."

"Yeah, no shit," Neo muttered, aggravated with the other New Type for his statement of the obvious. Had he really come all the way down there, to the deepest corners of the dungeon, just to tell her this?

Ren continued, disregarding her snarky response. "Once the Aragami Transformation progresses to where it stabilizes, you can never go back to being human. Surely, you must know that to be true."

"This again?"

"You cannot save him, Neo."

"Fine. Let's say you're right. What exactly do you propose I do?"

"The best way to deal effective damage to an Aragami-turned God Eater is to use the God Arc that they once used. The only person who knows this truth right now, and is able to use Lindow's God Arc, safely… is you."

"Meaning?"

"In other words, only you can defeat the monster that was once Lindow. So, I will ask you again. Can you kill that Aragami?"

Neo fell silent, taking a moment to ponder his question. The obvious answer was no. Not if she could help it. Lindow had been one of the first people in the Far East Branch to show her genuine kindness. Why would she repay him with bloodshed? Of course, at this point, there may not be another choice. Even still… "I can. I just don't want to."

"I understand. But you've seen Lindow's form. You've felt his suffering. Would you leave him to wander this world as a savage beast? Would you deny him salvation?"

"I deny him a needless death. I still believe Lindow can be saved… even if I can't be," Neo murmured, her mind drifting to morbid thoughts as she considered the possibilities.

"And what of your friends? If you refuse to do this, they will stand against Lindow instead. Would you leave the burden to your allies, knowing that you have the power to stop it?"

Neo froze, her mind halting its rapid-fire thoughts as she considered his words. Loathe as she was to admit it, Ren was right. If she didn't go after Lindow… then her comrades would. Sakuya would. Such a heavy burden should never fall on someone so kind, or on anyone for that matter. No one should be forced to kill a person so important to them.

At that thought, her frown deepened as Ichiro's face entered her mind. That's right. When the decision was made, Ichiro would likely be sent to exterminate her. He was her guardian, after all. While he had promised that he was no longer her executioner… would he still feel the same way now, after all she had done? She didn't know. And she didn't wish to find out. She didn't want to place such responsibility on his shoulders.

And now, maybe she wouldn't have to.

"…I'll go," Neo muttered, noting the look of relief in Ren's eyes.

"You are ready to stand in battle?"

"What choice do I have? If I don't, the others will be forced to. Ichiro will be forced to…" Her voice trailed off, betraying the lingering thoughts that still continued in her mind.

'If I go after him, maybe we can kill each other… two birds with one stone. Sakuya won't have to face Lindow. Ichiro won't have to face me. Everybody wins.'

Nodding, Ren offered her one last piece of advice. "I will accompany you on this task. You won't have to go it alone."

"Thank you, Ren."

"No problem. Now, there's still the matter of your current predicament."

"Don't you worry about that. Just be ready."

. . .

Far East Branch - Sick Bay

Floors above in the medical ward, Soma stood angrily near the doorway. After days of recovery in a comatose state, Lenka Utsugi had finally awoken from his slumber. The news didn't take long to reach the veteran and he quickly found the New Type, and not a moment too soon. When he located the Captain, he was halfway to his next destination, conveniently stepping into the elevator as Soma was stepping out. As expected, the New Type was in the process of gathering his supplies.

Following Neo's attack, Utsugi found himself hospitalized and his plans to return to North America had been delayed far longer than he intended. Thankfully, prior to the assault, he was nearly finished with his preparations, so he didn't have much left he needed to do. Unfortunately, Soma wasn't making it easy for him. He followed him through the hallways, trying to convince the other God Eater to change his course of action. Their argument continued all the way back into the sick bay where the Captain was checking for any missed necessities.

"You don't need to do this, Utsugi."

The Captain sighed in exasperation, plucking an Ampule from the bedside table. "Yes, I do."

"She is just as much a victim in all of this. Neo is an innocent —"

"Innocent?! Innocents don't kill people, Soma!"

Soma frowned, narrowing his eyes at his retort. "No one is dead, Utsugi."

Lenka gaped at him, taking a few moments to consider whether or not he was serious. When he came to a conclusion, he glowered. "I know she's killed before. Chances are, she'll do it again."

"That was an accident. Neo wasn't in her right state of mind."

"I'm talking about Aegis."

"Aegis?"

"…I found Oguruma's body, Soma. When I was looking for you guys. And trust me, it's something I can't unsee."

"Daigo brainwashed Neo and Alisa. It isn't surprising that she lashed out at him."

"It's so much worse than that." Lenka sighed, shuddering as the vivid image, once again, resurfaced in his mind. "Soma, she tore his heart out… and crushed it." Soma paused, startled by the information. "This isn't a one-time thing. She's hurting people. Look around you."

The veteran crossed his arms, eyes involuntarily drifting to the other occupants of the room. In the bed beside Utsugi's lay Otto, motionless apart from the slow movement of his chest. His comrade, Caleb, had awakened a couple of days before, although he hadn't been released until earlier that morning. Having suffered the least damage of the four of them, he had been in slightly better form.

In the bed beside him lay Gunter, who was in the worst shape of all. Along with head trauma, he had suffered severe asphyxiation as well as possible damage to his esophagus. It was wonder that Neo hadn't snapped his neck entirely. Soma couldn't be sure what precisely had stopped her. Perhaps the New Type really did feel something for the Long Blade wielder. Or perhaps it had been a form of sadism, simply wishing to draw out his death for as long as possible. After learning about Oguruma, the idea wasn't farfetched. Whatever her motivations at the time, Gunter was lucky to be alive.

Lenka shook his head, eyes watching Soma as he looked around the room. He had made his point. "Listen… I don't like this any more than you do."

"Yet you're still going through with it," Soma snapped. "You have no idea what they —"

"What would you have me do then? Soma, she's dangerous… this most recent incident is proof of that. We can't have her attacking people and you said it yourself, no cage can contain Neo forever."

"Because it can't. Which is why we shouldn't be caging her in the first place."

"We don't have the resources to handle her. And with Hamasaki gone, my hands are tied."

"So, if he were here, you'd come off this?"

"I don't know, Soma. Probably not. Hamasaki can't control her. He's made that abundantly clear."

"Utsugi. At this point, I'm sure you know they're after her."

"Not everyone there shares the same views. Maybe someone can help her —"

"If you hand her over to them, they'll kill her."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do!"

"Look, I don't know… but we can't have her killing everyone else. I'm sorry, Soma." Lenka said his piece. Offering a sad smile, he maneuvered around him and took his leave.

The veteran sighed in exasperation. It was just as he had feared. Utsugi had made his thoughts clear, and he intended to go through with them. And at the moment, there was little he could do to stop it. The Captain needed the medication. Without it, he ran the risk of death or total transformation. Amamiya and Sakaki wouldn't be willing to allow that just to keep him there. And since Neo's presence there was confidential, going to upper management wasn't an option.

He couldn't halt him himself either. Even without his Bias Factor, Soma was more than strong enough to physically stop him. But doing so would be pointless. All it would do is land him in a jail cell right beside Neo, and it still wouldn't stop him from going overseas. Even worse, once he went, there was nothing to stop him from divulging everything; Neo's location and her condition… as well as those who had been harboring her. Then, should they come back to collect her, he would be imprisoned, unable to help her. He couldn't afford to risk it. With Hamasaki gone, he and Alisa were her only remaining line of defense.

His decision was clear. Utsugi would be leaving in 24 hours' time. He had until the following sunset to find Hamasaki. He wasn't sure what exactly her guardian was supposed to do about the situation. Whether he could convince Utsugi, speak to the top brass, or take her from the branch entirely. Whatever his plan, he couldn't do it from wherever he was. It was time for Ichiro to come home.

With newfound resolve, Soma strode towards the door and vanished into the hallway. In his aggravation, he didn't notice a pair of brown eyes slowly sliding open.

"…Ae… gis…?"

. . .

Forgotten Carrier

The following day, Soma found himself running aimlessly through the wilderness, seeking any sign of where the God Eater had gone. The previous day had been fruitless, finding little more than a Fallen Sariel and a handful of Vajra. Hamasaki had disappeared, and with a damaged Armlet, there was no way to effectively track his bio signals. Either the other man was dead or somewhere off the radar. Forced to admit to defeat, he returned and reconvened with Hibari on the matter, hoping to get some insight.

Thankfully, he was in luck.

While he had been gone, the operator had been doing some digging, scanning over the data file with absolute precision. Her investigation had provided him heat maps of Aragami migration patterns, tracking their activity. They spent the better part of that evening searching for any abnormalities that may lead them to Ichiro's location. After pouring hours over oracle charts and multiple maps, carefully marking, and comparing notes, they finally had a lead.

Soma set out at daybreak. With permission from the Major and Sakaki himself, he followed their map. Alisa stayed behind, convincing Kota to assist her in stalling the Captain for as long as possible. It was a race against time and Neo's life hung in the balance.

Their tracking led him to the Forgotten Carrier, ironically, the last place that Neo had truly lost control. He wandered into the city, the call of Oracle cells drawing him forward. If the coordinates were correct, Ichiro should be somewhere in the vicinity, assuming he hadn't already moved on, which was highly unlikely. Her guardian didn't have the speed or even close to the stamina that Neo had and unlike her, he couldn't survive on a diet of Aragami cores. It was doubtful that he could have traveled very far between yesterday and this morning, especially considering that he wouldn't have done so after nightfall.

As he drew further into the city streets, he found himself grimacing as the air around him grew thick with the heavy stench of death. The smell of blood was so powerful that even Soma's stomach turned as he made his way towards the center of the chaos. His feet moved wetly across the ground, nearly stumbling over a squishy mass of something that he'd rather not identify. He followed the trail of corpses down the block, turning into a clearing around the next crosswalk.

Upon his arrival, he found nothing short of absolute decimation.

The streets had been painted red, with bits of flesh lining the ground, buildings, streetlights, and nearly everything in between. One could barely take a single step without tripping over a body as gore lay scattered across every corner. It was dangerously similar to the carnage he had seen many months ago when Neo first lost her senses… but this time it was even worse. This was controlled. Intentional. Precise. Lifeless husks were kicked carefully out of the way to create a walking path, one Ichiro had undoubtedly traversed to continue his rampage.

Soma walked along the makeshift pathway, keening his senses for Aragami activity. Strangely, he found none, the area as silent as the grave. Of course, taking a look at the savagery, it wasn't too surprising. He had probably destroyed nearly every creature in the area, waiting and slaughtering any new ones as they appeared. At this point, the only signs of life remaining were the dark crimson footsteps leading into and around the buildings. Most were dried and faded, cracked from the wind, or washed by the rain. But one pair was relatively fresh, deep red and trailing into a nearby office building. They had to be his.

Following the bloody trail, the veteran wandered into the building, stepping carefully to avoid loose beams and broken glass. The footprints grew erratic once inside, overlapping, and layering overtop each other, indicating movement. He had likely been hiding out in the building for a couple of days now, utilizing it as a hideout of sorts. The question was, was he still there.

His answer came in the form of a tired, gravelly voice.

"Hehe… didn't expect to see you here."

Soma turned, his eyes sweeping in the direction of the sound. There he was on the floor, resting against the wall. "Didn't expect I'd have to find you," he muttered, referencing Neo's frequent trysts into the wild.

"First time for everything," Ichiro retorted, slowly lifting himself from his seated position. He had been sitting there for a while, watching the clouds go by through the broken glass. They had helped, soothing his remaining rage, and returning him to a state of relative calm. Now, coming down from the violent high, he was tired and sore. Ironically, he had been planning to head out shortly when he heard movements outside of his base.

"You good?" Soma asked, noting the current state of his being. He was covered from head to toe in some form of red. The rains had washed away a good bit of it, turning his crimson clothing into dull pinks and browns. Stubborn patches of dried blood crusted over his skin, giving him a distinctly murderous aura. It was like something straight out of the ending of a slasher film.

Ichiro nodded. "Yeah. It's been a rough few days, but it's under control." He didn't need to ask for clarification. Soma could only be talking about his infected state.

The other veteran nodded, slowly taking note of his darkened skin. Discoloration was evident along his wrists, bleeding up his arms and disappearing beneath the sleeves. It was receding at this point, but it was evident that his situation was getting more dire. "Good. You need to get back to the base. Right now."

Ichiro sighed. He had a feeling that was his purpose. Surely Soma hadn't come all the way out there for tea and pleasant conversation. He could only imagine what number of things could have happened to cause him such a journey. "What did she do now?"

"At the moment, she isn't doing much of anything."

"That's surprising… well, actually, no it's not. I know she's in good hands with you."

"Not as good as you think. Come on, you need to come back."

"I will. I just… needed some time."

"Well, there is no more time. Neo needs you."

"Neo has always needed me, Soma… and I failed her."

"Yeah. Yeah, you did… so did I. And we're gonna fail her again if we don't get a move on."

"What are you talking about?"

"Neo's imprisoned. Right now, she's sitting in a cell totally defenseless and Utsugi is a few hours away from hopping a plane to North America. Alisa is stalling him, but I don't know for how much longer. He will make good on his threat, Hamasaki…"

"What?" Ichiro snapped, his earlier listlessness vanishing as the gravity of the situation set in.

"There's nothing any of us can do to stop him from telling them once he gets over there, and we can't stop him from going. You need to get back to base, so you can get Neo the hell out of here. Take her and run."

Hamasaki could see the sadness in his eyes. Hear the distress in his voice. Soma was serious. He was prepared to do whatever was necessary to keep Neo safe… even if it meant sending her away. Ichiro understood. It was better than losing her entirely. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to either of those options.

With a silent nod of affirmation, Ichiro followed him, bolting from the office building and into the streets.