Past is Prologue

by Knowledgeseeker66

Everyone has a past. The Kannagi siblings, Azumi and Yu, are no exceptions to this rule. They along with their family and fellow survivors have survived and endured in a world overrun by the creatures known as Aragami. The past has shaped them into who they are, and it is up to them to decide their futures.

3. Different Worlds

Author Notes: As you saw in the previous chapter, while Haru has certain strengths at being a leader, namely being good on the field, he is poor in other areas. For example, he did let the council speak out a lot before he finally silenced them. Additionally, he is not the best parent to either Azumi or Yu. Sometimes when people have to be leaders, they have to make certain sacrifices or they lose sight of other things.

While I originally planned on releasing this chapter on August 30th, 2016 to coincide with the release of God Eater 2 Rage Burst in the West, my busy schedule and the lack of reviews caused a delay. I do enjoy writing these stories, but receiving feedback in reviews can provide a strong motivator to keep moving forward. I greatly appreciate feedback for my work. However, I did receive more reviews, and I was pleased to get them.

It doesn't surprise me some of you have 'mixed' feelings regarding Haru. The point was to write him as someone who isn't exactly the best father. He is not completely incompetent as a leader, as I showcased with him being good on the field. However, it is difficult being a leader and the stress he has had for years along with Azumi's actions has caused difficulty. He was once a much better leader than this since he did create the group and accomplished much, but he is not what he used to be.

Since Azumi and Yu are the main characters of this story, I'm glad that the reception of them has been pretty positive. I'm glad that I was able to write a good storyline for a brother and sister relationship. Since they live in a post-apocalyptic world, their relationship can't exactly be what you'd expect from current day since Azumi had to teach her brother how to survive, and she was more or less promoted to being both his big sister and parent. However, as you saw in the previous chapter, they have calm moments that show how much they care for each other both on and off the field. The sibling bond is strong, and I look forward to developing it further.

As usual, I hope you enjoy the new chapter and please provide a review. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

/

Past is Prologue

Story Arc One – Surviving in the Wild – Part III

Chapter Three – Right, Wrong, and Gray Part II – Different Worlds

/

The world is different

We can never be the same

That is how it is

/

Location: Japan

Date: June 30th, 2068

It had been two days since Azumi and Yu's encounter with the group that had threatened them. As usual, Azumi had made sure to get her injuries examined by the doctor, and she gave herself some time to rest and recover. However, Azumi was the type of person who could only comply with the doctor's orders for a day or two at most. She and her brother were out and about only two days later, and she was sure that her neck had recovered enough.

As usual Azumi led Yu throughout parts of the ruined city while keeping an eye out for any Aragami or bandits. Their hands were never too far from their weapons ready to draw at a moment's notice. Luckily, they did not have any run-ins with either enemy. Eventually, Azumi noticed a structure that appeared to be intact enough and would be worth checking out.

"All right Yu." Azumi glanced back toward her brother as she pointed out the building. "We'll take a break over there."

"Okay Sis." Yu followed his sister's lead.

As the duo approached the building, Azumi pointed out, "The third floor should give us a good vantage point just in case."

Yu silently followed his sister's recommendation. As they were walking through the building, there was a pipe protruding from the wall that Yu did not pay attention to. "Grh!" Yu grunted as he brushed up against it.

Azumi turned around and asked, "Are you okay Yu?"

"I'm fine. I just …," Yu hesitantly told his sister, "… didn't notice that pipe over there."

Azumi told her brother, "We need to get that wound checked. Did you bring the first-aid kit this time?"

"Yeah." Yu nodded, "But I don't think we need to worry about that. I don't think it cut me."

"Just check it." Azumi ordered. "You already know as well as me that when we do get injured we need to take care of it right away."

"Um … right." Yu nodded. He took off his jacket to see to check the area where he hit his arm. As he thought, it didn't give him an injury to draw blood, but it did leave a noticeable mark on it that would most likely fade away given time.

"Hmm …" Azumi inspected the mark herself. "You should be fine, but put a little bit of ointment on it." Yu winced when his sister touched the freshly formed bruise. "Better to be safe than sorry."

Yu immediately complied with his sister's recommendation. As she was placing the ointment, he said to his sister with a hint of embarrassment and shame, "Sorry Sis …"

"For what?" Azumi asked.

"When we got into this building, I kinda …" Yu admitted, "let my guard down."

"…" Azumi told her brother, "I'm not angry Yu. What's important is that you'll be okay. Just be glad this is all that happened."

"But it was such a stupid mistake." Yu bitterly remarked.

"We all make mistakes Yu." Azumi stated, "And you can't exactly be on guard every moment of every day. It's just not possible."

"I know. I know." Yu repeated. "It's just that I want to be as good as you Sis. You hardly ever seem to make them."

"Don't worry Yu. Your big sister has made plenty of them." Azumi emphasized as she stood up. "Believe me."

"…" Yu remained silent.

Azumi sighed. "All this time being out here Yu the most important thing I learned is when you let your guard down, you leave yourself vulnerable." Azumi added, "What's important is to know when it is okay to let your guard down and be vulnerable. Because like I said, you can't be on guard all the time. Its just not possible."

"Then when would be a good time?" Yu asked. "Like when we're at camp or something?"

"Yeah since we have lookouts." Azumi replied, "Or when you know someone else is watching your back."

"Oh." Yu nodded.

"Anyway, let's eat. We can't exactly scavenge on an empty stomach right?" Azumi chuckled a little as she pulled the food from her backpack.

"Heh." Yu chuckled as well. "No."

As the two ate their lunches, Azumi sat close to the window and occasionally checked outside for activity. While they were eating, Yu decided now was as good a time as any to tell his sister, "Sis … I talked to father about what happened?"

Azumi shook her head and brushed her hand through her hair. "Why am I not surprised?" Azumi walked away from the window and towards her brother, "So how'd it go? Was it as bad as mine?" Azumi dryly asked.

"I don't know," Yu shook his head, "but he said he was worried about you."

"Hmph." Azumi crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Interesting. Anything else?"

"I kinda had a hard time following him. He hates that you killed those guys, but he said it mattered that we made it out alive. Then we got into a whole lot of other stuff." Yu was completely perplexed, "It was really weird. I mean it sounded like he was glad that we were alive, but then he was worried about how this 'world' is controlling us and stuff like that. Shouldn't the two of us being alive be more important?"

"…" Azumi took a moment to calmly tell her brother, "He's just worried about what we do."

"What do we do?" The wrinkles began to form on Yu's forehead.

Azumi clarified, "He's worried about how we do things."

"Is father wrong Sis?" Yu asked.

"Huh?" This time Azumi was caught off guard by Yu's question.

Yu explained, "From the way he talks he makes it sound like we should have surrendered to those guys that attacked us." The fingers of Yu's free hand curled into a fist that ate into his skin.

"He …" Azumi stepped away from the wall as she awkwardly answered, "He didn't mean that exactly."

Yu crossed his arms and legs as he remarked, "It sounds like it though."

"… Yeah. It would sound like that, but I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. Father …" Azumi did her best to pick her words careful as she told her brother, "Father hasn't always been the best at choosing words."

"But still …" Yu said in disbelief, "he would've wanted us to settle things peacefully with those guys. Even though I told him that it wasn't possible, it wasn't enough to convince him. It didn't matter if he could argue back or not. He didn't change his mind or even think about it." Yu bit the corner of his lips before bitterly repeating his questions, "Doesn't this mean that father's wrong? Is his way of thinking wrong?"

"Hmm …" Azumi considered her next words carefully, "I wouldn't say it's wrong. It's just different. You know he was a cop right?"

"Yes." Yu nodded.

"I'm sure you also know that a cop was meant to be a 'peace officer' back in the old days." Azumi stated in a matter of fact tone, "They helped enforce rules and arrested people who broke them."

"Yeah I know that." Yu replied, "He told me lethal force wasn't normally used."

"That's probably true." Azumi affirmatively stated, "It's because he was a 'peace officer,' father tries to hold himself back. That's why we have to remember father lived in a different world than us."

"Hmm …" Azumi's words appeared to have struck a chord with Yu.

Azumi walked back to the window and leaned against the wall again as she briefly checked outside before continuing, "I may not remember much of that world, but I do remember it used to be a lot brighter than this one. Maybe things were more straight-forward back then." Azumi shook her head, "I honestly don't know. All I now is after the Aragami popped up, the world became grayer in more than one way. That's just how it is."

"Yeah …" Yu solemnly responded.

"It's not that he's wrong. It's just that things are different." Azumi clarified, "Different from this world. That's probably why we can't see eye to eye on things."

"That does make a lot of sense … I guess." Yu told his sister, "You're pretty good about thinking deeply on stuff like this."

"Well it's important to understand more than just your perspective. Mom always told me that if you ignore anyone else's besides your own, you might never understand things." Azumi spoke her trademark words, "You got that?"

Yu nodded, "Yes Sis, but there's something I'd like your opinion on." Yu emphasized, "You're honest opinion."

Azumi asked in a dry tone, "Are you saying I'm not honest with you?"

"No! No!" Yu stood up and furiously shook his head. "That's not what I meant at all. I just …"

"Heh!" Azumi chuckled. "I'm just kidding Yu."

"Oh come on Sis!" Yu replied in dismay.

"Sorry. Sorry." Azumi smiled as she sheepishly apologized. "What would you like to know?"

"Ah huff." Yu took a deep breath as he sunk back down to his seating position. "I want to know. Do you think father is a terrible leader or just a terrible father?"

"Wha …" Azumi instinctively took a step back at the question. "What makes you ask that?"

"Why wouldn't I ask that?" Yu held out his fingers as he listed, "First, he lets other people talk bad about you. Second, he keeps letting them do that." Yu's eyes narrowed and wrinkles could be seen forming on his forehead as his voice began to sound rather 'venomous' while asking, "He's supposed to be our father right? Shouldn't he be trying to do something to help you? Shouldn't he try to get things like that under control?"

"…" Azumi could only bite the corner of her lip in response.

Yu gritted his teeth before continuing, "It looks like he just makes it worse. Not to mention," Yu hold out a third finger, "he's always hard on you even when you didn't do anything wrong. That doesn't seem like a good leader or a good father to me."

"Well …" Azumi hesitantly replied, "… I'll admit that father isn't as great as he was …"

"So there was a time when he was a good leader?" Yu skeptically asked.

"Yes." Azumi did her best to explain, "You weren't born yet, but when everything began, he was the one who got things started." Azumi smiled as she told her brother, "So many people wouldn't be alive it if weren't for him, but being a leader is hard Yu. Things are hard enough for me when I just have manage things for the two of us or whenever we bring someone with us. I can hardly imagine how hard it must be for him."

"…" Yu did not have much to say in response.

"I don't think Father is a bad leader, but … well … he's not as good as he used to be." Azumi answered. "I'm sure being a leader for so long has been stressful for him, and I'm sure what happened with those people the other day didn't help matters."

"Do you really feel that way?" Yu asked with crossed arms.

"Yes." Azumi replied.

"…" Yu considered Azumi's response before replying, "Okay. If you say so Sis. In that case, can you answer me something else?"

"What would you like to know Yu?" Azumi took a bite out of her sandwich after asking.

"Well …" Yu seems slightly hesitant to ask his next question before blurting out, "Is there something wrong with mother?"

"Mmm?" Azumi's head shot forward. Azumi looked as if she was about to choke on her food before she swallowed it down. "Ah huff." Azumi let out a breath before asking, "Why do you ask that?"

"Well …" Yu glanced away briefly before looking at his sister again. "I've been wondering this for a while now, and something just feels … kinda of off about her." Yu tried to clarify, "I mean she just seems well … different compared to some of the other people in our group. She has a hard time noticing something when things aren't right. Sometimes it feels like people just want her out of the way. It kinda feels like the doctor is keeping an eye on her rather than having her be his assistant."

"…" Azumi broke eye contact with Yu for a good few seconds.

"Um …" Yu uneasily pressed on, "Is there something wrong with her?"

Azumi hesitantly answered, "Sort of …"

Yu moved his body forward. "So there is something wrong with her?"

"…" Once again Azumi bit her lip lightly before responding, "This is something we really shouldn't talk about now."

"What do you mean?" Yu tilted his head.

"Yu …" Azumi solemnly asked her brother. "You trust me right?"

"Yeah …" Yu replied.

Azumi stated, "You know I've always been honest with you about things, but I've also told you that I can't explain everything to you right away right?"

"That's right." Yu nodded.

"This is one of those things." Azumi remarked, "Sometimes you're better off waiting until you're older before learning them."

"…" Yu remained silent.

Azumi assured her brother, "I'm not saying this because I'm trying to put you down, but please understand that I'm telling you that you're better off learning about it when you're older. There were plenty of things I didn't learn or understand until I was older, so I'm just giving you the same treatment."

"Um … okay …" Yu glanced down.

"Listen Yu." Azumi kneeled next to where her brother was sitting and put her hand on his shoulder to get him to look in her direction. "I promise to answer that question when you're a little older. You know I keep my promises."

"I do." Yu nodded, "Okay. I'll wait."

"Good." Azumi stood up and walked back towards her previous position and said, "Now let's finish up." The two of them took a few more minutes to finish eating their lunches. After Azumi saw that Yu was finished eating, Azumi pushed herself from the wall and said, "All right, breaks over. We need to get some scavenging done. I know this goes without saying, but be on the lookout for metal. We won't be able to make a good spear without it."

"Right." Yu put his backpack back on and followed his sister's lead. He made sure to avoid the pipe this time.

/

As they explored the various buildings to scavenge for supplies, Yu could see that his sister always had her hand close to her gun or knife. He knew that if anyone wanted to cause them trouble she would be able to pull it out either weapon and be ready for whatever danger they posed. He knew he could always count on her for whatever situation they found themselves in. As happy as he was to have a big sister to rely on, Yu felt like there was something lacking.

"Sis …" Yu hesitantly spoke up, "I've been wondering …"

Azumi stopped walking and turned to look back at her brother. "What is it?"

"Well …" Yu was still hesitant to speak the words even though it was his sister. Or rather because it was his sister.

"Why so tongue tied?" Azumi tried to sound encouraging as she told her brother, "Come on. You can tell me."

"I …" Yu took a moment before he spit it out, "I was wondering when I should learn how to use a gun."

"Hmm …" Azumi crossed her arms and briefly closed her eyes as she considered Yu's words. "That's a good question. I'm not really sure."

"Huh?" Yu tilted his head.

"It's not that I don't want to teach you. Believe me I do." Azumi shook her hands as she explained, "It's just things are much worse than when father taught me."

Yu asked, "All the more reason I should learn right?"

"Not what I meant Yu." Azumi shook her head, "Father and I had a lot more supplies to work with and there was more places to practice. Now they're fewer and far between. I can't honestly say if there is anywhere I can help you practice how to shoot."

"Oh …" Yu replied disappointment.

"But you're right. You should learn how to use a gun." Azumi's words caused Yu's face to brighten. It made her happy to see Yu's wide smile. "Practice shooting might be off the table right now, but I can teach you some basics. We'll get started after we get back to camp. You got that?"

"Yes I do Sis." Yu enthusiastically responded.

"Then let's focus on finishing this up and getting back to the camp in one piece so you can learn." Azumi ordered.

Yu happily replied, "You got it Sis."

/

About an hour later when Azumi picked up another piece of metal to add to her backpack, she said to herself, "This might be enough." She then unzipped the backpack and placed it with the rest she collected. She turned to her brother and asked, "Any luck Yu?"

"Yeah. I'm good." Yu was examining a piece of metal he obtained as he asked, "Should we try getting more stuff?"

"No." Azumi picked up her backpack and flung it around as she told her brother, "I think we got enough for today. We should head back."

"Okay." Yu placed the metal in his backpack and picked it up as well.

Crash!

Before they could leave the building, Azumi heard something nearby. Azumi spoke in a low voice, "You hear something?"

"Yeah." Yu made sure to keep his voice low as well.

"Let's check it out." Azumi followed by her brother walked towards the source of the noise. They made sure to keep low and minimize any sound they made. Shortly after, they discovered the source of the noise and hid behind some rumble.

"What are you doing?! You idiot!" A bald man said to one of his companions, "Etsuko-sama wants whatever we find in one piece!"

The bald man was clearly the one in charge of this group because the man he was ridiculing nervously replied, "S … Sorry sir."

"Just be more careful!" The bald man then walked away.

Azumi and Yu peered to see there were several more in the room. They made sure to keep as low as possible not attract attention. It didn't appear anyone noticed them.

"Well …" Azumi softly spoke her brother, "Looks like for once we're the ones who spotted someone else first."

Yu nervously asked, "What … What should we do?"

"Let's avoid them." Azumi quietly ordered, "We got what we need, and there's no need to get into a fight if we can avoid it."

"Right." Yu pointed towards a possible exit. "We can probably get out that way." He made sure to keep note of possible escape routes while he was scavenging.

"All right. Let's go." Azumi responded.

After the two of them put some distance between themselves and the scavengers, it appeared they were in the clear. Azumi and Yu stood up and began walking normally. No one appeared to be following them. They were not far from the exit until something suddenly seemed off.

Creak!

A sound could be heard echoing in the hallway. Azumi stopped walking and her brother immediately stopped moving as well. Azumi casually told her brother, "We had a pretty good haul, but it's starting to get late." As she was speaking, she slowly began removing her backpack with one hand as she held out her other hand which she pointed her index finger behind them. "We don't want to be out there after sunset." Azumi was reaching for her knife.

Yu reached for his knife and slowly began removing his backpack as he glanced over his shoulder. From the corner of Yu's eye, he noticed movement. They were being followed. Whoever was following them must have realize they had been spotted because both a man and woman emerged from hiding and lunged at the brother and sister.

Both Azumi and Yu spun around as they easily removed their backpacks with their knives in hand, but it wasn't necessary. The man attempted to attack Azumi with a wild punch that Azumi was easily able to duck under. She could feel the gust created by the man's outstretched arm before she grabbed it with her hand. Rather than impaling the man with her knife, she let go of it and grabbed his arm with her other hand.

By using the combination of his strength and her own to lift him up from the ground, she flipped him over her body. The man's back hit the ground before he knew what was happening. Azumi quickly rendered him unconscious with a swift punch to the face. Her knuckles buried into the man's cheek as she further pressed his head into the floor. She could swear her knuckles left an indentation on his cheek as she moved to pick up her knife. Azumi turned to see how her brother was doing.

Likewise, Yu had someone who was underestimating him. He dodged underneath the woman's attempt to grab him. However, Yu crouched down and kicked out his leg and hit into the woman's ankle. At the point of contact, the woman felt as if the bones of her feet were cracking apart as her face was about to meet the ground. When she attempted to pick herself up, Yu kicked her head as if he was attempting to make a field goal in an American Football game. Her head and body flew in the air before she promptly hit the ground. She would not be getting back up any time soon.

Even though both attackers had been neutralized, Azumi could still feel something else. She could feel it in the air as she held out her knife. After living in this world so long, she had more or less developed a sixth sense. She confidently called out, "You might as well come out. A sneak attack isn't going to work on us."

"Might as well." An unknown voice said in response.

One of the people who emerged from the shadows was none other than the bald man they saw earlier. Similar to Azumi, the man appeared to have seen better days. He had scar that went across his lips and the right side of his chin along with a scar that moved along his left cheek. He had dark brown eyes with a couple of teeth missing. He appeared to be the alpha of this particular group as they followed his order to come out of hiding.

Azumi could feel that there were no other group members to worry about, but she maintained her guard. She continued to hold her knife as she reassured her enemy, "Don't worry about your friends. They're just knocked out."

"Figured as much." The bald man remarked, "You could've slit their throats, but you didn't. I must say that I do appreciate that very much." The bald man sounded sincere as he spoke.

"As long as no one tries doing anything stupid that won't happen." Azumi then pointed her knife down towards her beaten foe. "Now! Stand down!

"…" The bald man ordered, "Everyone! Stand down!"

"Grrh." Even though they listed, none of the remaining members of his group bothered hiding their frustration. Apparently, they were not used to having the tables turned on them. Azumi could feel all their eyes stabbing daggers in her body. Yu felt tempted to move back, but he saw Azumi was standing her ground, and he did his best to do the same.

"That's good." Azumi asked, "Now then. What were you going to do if these snakes' attack worked?"

The bald bandit replied, "Rob you and let you go."

"I doubt that." Azumi dryly replied.

"Hmph." The bald bandit stated, "I suppose I'll just leave it up to you to decide."

"I seriously don't care." Azumi maintained her grip on her knife as she attempted to scan the area for any more surprises.

"You don't have to worry." The bald man assured Azumi. "There aren't any more of us here."

"Figured." Azumi remarked, "But it's not a good idea to take your enemies word for it."

"Hmph." The bald man shrugged. "Fair point."

As Azumi was scanning the area, her eyes came across a traditional Japanese katana that was attached to the bald man's hip. "That's a pretty nice sword you got there. Like doing things feudal style?"

"Sometimes …" The bald man seemed to be caught by surprise by Azumi's question, but he quickly regained his composure as he placed his hand on the sword's hilt. "Things sound like they'd be so much simpler."

"If you go by might makes right, things don't seem that much different from then." Azumi continued to hold out her knife.

"Hmph." The bald man scratched his chin. "True, but not quite how'd I like it."

"Sounds like you were born in the wrong century then." Azumi said with a grin.

"I think we were all born at the wrong time." The bald man chuckled with that remark.

Both Azumi and the bald man chuckled while the rest of the people in the area remained silent. When she was done chuckling, Azumi kept grinning while maintaining a firm grip on her knife. "You'll get no argument from me."

"…" None of the other people on either side spoke up. Yu remained by his sister's side as he watched the situation develop. Despite the friendly banter between Azumi and the bald man, he could felt like he could cut the tension in the area with a knife. Just like his sister, he maintained his grip on his own weapon in case things went south. Or rather when they went south.

Azumi spoke up again in a commanding voice. "Just so you know this doesn't have to go any further. You got two guys knocked out, and it can end right there. No one else has to get hurt and we can go about our merry way."

"…" Yu remained silent as he kept glancing between his sister and the bald man.

Before the bald man could say something in response, "Not to mention, we could've killed you, you know."

"Huh?" The bald bandit seemed rather surprised by that remark.

"You think you're the only one who heard that loud crash earlier." Azumi dryly replied. In turn, it caused the bald man to glare at one of his subordinates with piercing eyes which caused her to back away. "The whole building could've heard it. We could've attacked you, but we didn't."

"Well …" The bald man remarked, "I guess that makes you a 'very nice' or a 'very stupid' person."

"Based on what's happening now, I'd say 'pretty stupid.'" Azumi dryly replied with a shrug.

"Ha. Ha. Ha." The bald man laughed.

"Why don't we just pretend we never saw each other, and we go our separate ways in peace?" There was no pleading in Azumi's voice. She remained firm as she negotiated. "No harm. No foul. Okay."

"Hmm …" The bald man seemed to be considering the idea. "Maybe, but there's still a few issues we need to take care of. Our group does need supplies after all."

"You know what." With her free hand, Azumi reached for her belt. "Let me make this easy for you." Azumi pulled out her gun.

"Holy crap!" One of the bandits who had been silent shouted. "She's got a gun!"

"Yes. And I know how to use it." Azumi sternly remarked as her finger turned off the safety. "If you don't want to be on the wrong side of the barrel, I'd suggest you leave my brother and me alone."

"…" The bald man didn't say a word. He just looked Azumi in the eyes. Both sets of eyes pierced the other. He could tell she wasn't bluffing.

"Hold on a gun!" One of the other bandits spoke up. "That thing's real isn't it?"

"Yes." Azumi replied, "I wouldn't be carrying it around if it was a fake." Her fingers were ready to pull on the trigger if they approached her or Yu.

"You think that's …" One of the bandits began to say.

"It has to be." Another bandit finished the sentence with gritted teeth. "A couple of days ago we heard a gunshot." Azumi and Yu knew where this was going. "After a few of us were eaten by some Aragami, we found a room filled with four of our men dead. One of them looked like his brains had been shot out." The bandits glared at Azumi as he asked, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

"I would. I was the one who pulled the trigger." Azumi unashamedly admitted as her eyes pierced through the ones standing in front of her.

"You … You little …" The bandit began moving towards Azumi only for the bald bandit to put his hand up, "What're you …?"

"Stop!" The bald bandit raised his voice. "Or do you want to end up like Gorou?" He reminded his subordinate in a deadpan voice, "Don't forget she still has the gun. Unless you got bulletproof armor, you've got nothing on her."

"…" The room was silent after listening to the bald man's matter of fact tone. Both sides were holding the line.

Azumi broke the silence by remarking, "Regardless of what happened, it doesn't change that I'm the one with the gun and you're not. You can tell the difference in our equipment, but let me spell it out for you anyway." Azumi pointed towards the bald bandit's belt. "You have a sword. I have a gun. Who do you think would win in that matchup? I'm pretty sure you already know the answer." The bald man took his hand away from the hilt of his blade. "Glad to see you're reasonable. This doesn't have to end with any of us dead. We can all walk away from this alive." Azumi placed extra emphasis on the last word.

The bald man replied in a deadpan tone, "That would be the preferable option." He raised his hand to signal his other men to back down.

Despite the bald man ordering his men to back down, the tensions were still high. It didn't change the fact Azumi was the enemy they had been seeking. Simultaneously, she was so close but so far away for these bandits. None of them dared to take another step out of fear of being on the wrong end of the barrel, but it did not erase the looks on their faces. If their eyes were daggers, Azumi would have been covered in them. Yu held onto his knife firmer just in case.

Regardless of how high the tensions were, the bald bandit remained calm as he spoke to Azumi without worrying about anyone else attempting to break the atmosphere. "I have to say I'm pretty surprised. You're either honest to a fault or completely foolish for confessing."

"Hmm … I'd go with honest to a fault because here's something else I'm going to be honest about." Since Azumi was the one with the gun, no one was going to interrupt her. Azumi's eyes continued to pierce through the bald bandit's as she bitterly and bluntly remarked, "You're friends weren't saints. They held my little brother hostage, and they made the mistake of thinking this gun was fake. When they didn't let my brother go after I warned them, they learned the hard way how wrong they were." Azumi's finger circled around the trigger. If they crossed the line, she would not hesitate. It didn't matter if the gunfire could attract an Aragami or not. She held her ground as she sternly told him, "If you don't want to learn the same lesson, I suggest you let us go, and we all live."

"…" The room was silent before the bald bandit reluctantly replied. "… Fine."

"Are you serious?" One of the bandits angrily asked.

"Quiet!" The bald bandit ordered, "We're pulling back and that's final! Anyone who disobeys this order will have to answer to me!"

"…" None of the other bandits dared to speak out of turn.

The bald bandit refocused his attention on Azumi as he warned her, "We'll end it like this, but we better not meet again."

"If I can help it, we won't." Azumi casually said with a shrug.

"Let's get out of here." The bald bandit ordered.

"But sir she …" One of the bandits attempted to protest.

"She not only had a gun, but four of our men couldn't beat her." The bald man piercingly asked, "What chance do you think we have? Let's go." The bald man glanced back at the two and told them, "We'll be back for those other two in a few minutes. You better make yourselves scarce before then."

"…" Azumi remained silent as she watched the other bandits leave the area. Afterwards, Azumi placed her gun back in her holster, but she maintained her grip on her knife as she grabbed her backpack from the ground. Her brother did the same. "Let's head back."

"Right." Yu nodded and followed his sister's lead.

As they walked away, Azumi could not help but have a queasy feeling in her stomach as she admitted to her brother, "I can't help but feel I just made a huge mistake."

Hearing his sister say that not only caused the hairs on his back to stand, he began to share the queasy feeling as well as he desperately replied, "But we didn't kill them …" Various thoughts were moving through his head as he kept asking question. "We ended it peacefully right? That's what father wants right?"

Azumi grimly reminded her brother, "They know our faces now, and they know I'm the one who killed their friends … I might've convinced them to stand down now, but …" Azumi didn't know what else to say.

"But … I thought we tried to do the right thing? Didn't we?" Yu nervously asked.

"The bald guy might keep his word, but the others …" Azumi hesitantly admitted to the all too familiar scene, "I could see it in their eyes. They want me dead. You saw it too didn't you?"

"…" Yu reluctantly replied, "Yes."

"Exactly." Azumi bitterly remarked, "This might not be over. Not by a long shot."

"If you think this isn't over, why didn't we kill them?" Yu asked in concern, "Should we chase after them? I'm sure we could catch them if we tried."

Azumi lightly bit her lip before replying, "You know … I'm really, 'really' tempted to say yes, but I'm going to say no."

"W… Why?" Yu was completely confused.

"Remember what I told you about the scar on my cheek?" Azumi touched the scar on her left cheek.

"Yeah." Yu nodded.

"You remember how I told you that the person didn't listen to reason or threats?" Azumi followed up.

"Yes." Yu then added, "You said when you could've killed him, you tried to be merciful, but he ended up trying to kill you anyway."

"That's right." Azumi rationalized, "While that guy didn't listen to reason or threats, that bald guy did, and those idiots seem to listen to him. He didn't give me a real reason to kill them, and I don't want to kill someone without one. If we do that, we're just murderers. You got that?"

"Y … Yeah." Yu hesitantly replied.

"I asked, 'You got that'?" Azumi emphasized.

Yu replied, "I got that."

"Good." Azumi took a breath before stating, "Despite how I feel, I do think the bald guy was reasonable, and I hope what we tried to do sticks." Azumi involuntarily shook her head, "I'm not exactly counting on it, but I'm really hoping it does."

"Hmm …" Yu still did not feel comfortable with this situation.

"Let's head back, and let's do what we can to make sure we're not followed." Azumi stated as she began to glance up and down the area. Afterwards, the brother and sister team began making haste towards their camp while keeping an eye out for Aragami and any other humans.

"Okay, but do you think we should let father and the other know about what just happen?" Yu asked.

Azumi kept a watchful eye throughout the area as she replied, "We already told them that there's another group here. I don't think we need to tell them about this."

"You sure?" Yu remarked. "Not telling them might not be a good idea."

Azumi glanced back before she stopped moving and turned to her brother, "After all the grief they've been giving me, I'd rather not give them something else to talk about."

"But we didn't kill them this time. We didn't have to …" There was a hint of desperation in Yu's voice as he asked, "Wouldn't you want them to know that?'

Azumi crossed her arms as she replied, "... I wonder if they'd actually believe that."

"Why wouldn't they?" Yu assured his sister, "I'll be there to back you up."

"…" After taking a moment, Azumi reluctantly replied, "All right fine. We'll tell them." She then ordered, "Let's keep moving!"

Yu followed suit as he replied, "Great. People will start changing their minds about you."

"Don't expect people minds to change so easily Yu." Azumi warned her brother, "It'll only disappoint you."

"Sis …" The fire in Yu's voice seemed to be snuffed out upon hearing his sister say that.

"Enough talking about that!" Azumi picked up the pace again as she repeated her order, "We need to keep moving! Come on Yu! Time's wasting!"

"Right!" Yu continued to follow his sister's lead.

/

Shortly after arriving back at the camp, Azumi and Yu gave their report to the leaders as usual. They warned them of how the group they encountered a few days ago was part of a larger one, and they would need to be careful. Azumi would attempt to give her recommendation for what they should do next. Unfortunately, Azumi was not the one who could give orders, and her report was received about as warmly as she expected.

"So you're saying you encountered another group that attacked you but you didn't kill them?" Kouta skeptically asked.

"They were willing to listen to reason, and they backed down." Azumi calmly responded. "There was no point in trying to kill anyone."

"I have to say I'm surprised given your track record." Kouta remarked.

"…" Yu bit his lips and clenched his fist.

"That's going a little out of bounds Kouta-san." Shin spoke up in Azumi's defense.

"I don't go looking for trouble, and I don't go out looking to kill people." Azumi put her hand on her chest. "Trouble just has a way of finding me."

"That would be putting it mildly." Kouta dryly remarked.

"From what I heard trouble tends to find you easily too." Azumi snarked. "Did you and my father almost have a run in with Aragami the other day?"

"…" Kouta did not have much to say in response.

"I think that's enough." Haru spoke up as he looked at Kouta and Azumi. "We should just let Azumi finish her report. No more interruptions."

"Hmph …" Azumi continued, "Regardless, I think we should be focusing on the bigger issue. This proves the people I killed before are part of a bigger group. We might have to deal with these people again."

"But didn't you …" Kouta began to speak up only to be cut off by Haru.

Haru asked, "So you believe these people will still be a threat to us?"

"It is very possible." Azumi replied.

"I suppose a truce with them wouldn't work would it?" Haru mused.

"That was just a Band-Aid." Azumi clarified, "I could tell some of those people really wanted to rip me apart. We need to be ready for these people." Azumi recommended, "We should try leaving sooner rather than later."

"…" Haru replied to his daughter, "As much as I'd want to follow up on your recommendation, we still do not have all the necessary supplies. Leaving at this very moment isn't an option."

"If that's the case, we need to get them faster." Azumi firmly stated, "We don't want to be here when someone decides to rip the Band-Aid off."

"Very well." Haru replied, "If we double our efforts, we should be able to finish this quickly. Thank you for your report Azumi."

"…" Azumi respectfully bowed, and Yu did the same. "We'll take our leave then." Afterwards, both Azumi and Yu left the meeting room.

/

After they put their distance from the meeting room, Yu wasted no time voicing his displeasure, "Those guys really pissed me off."

"I can tell." Azumi dryly replied.

"Grrh!" Yu's fingernails continued to dig into his hand as he remarked, "I mean come on. You didn't do anything wrong, and they still treated you like that." Yu raised his arm. "Father barely did a thing as usual."

Azumi put her hand on her hip as she calmly told him, "I told you before and I'll tell you again opinions don't change that easily. Besides, father has other things to worry about as well."

"I know but still that …" Yu took a moment before he could finish that thought. "That just pisses me off."

Azumi smiled before she remarked, "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about what other people think, but that's not usually important."

"How did you stay so calm Sis? How'd it not bother you?" Yu asked has he raised up his fist. "I wanted to belt that guy."

"You weren't the only one who wanted to belt Kouta." Azumi admitted, "Believe me. I just kept it to myself."

"How'd you do it then?" Yu asked.

"Years of practice." Azumi stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Hmm …" Was all Yu could say.

"Don't worry about it." Azumi began ruffling her little brother's hair again.

"Hey!" Yu tried to get his sister's hand off his head, but he failed much to his chagrin.

"Don't worry Yu." Azumi grinned at her brother's reaction as she continued ruffling his hair. "You'll get better at it too when you get older."

"Cut that out!" Yu protested and Azumi complied.

Azumi continued grinning in amusement at her brother's reaction as she playfully responded, "Sorry, sorry. You're just really fun to mess around with."

Yu sighed, "Sis …"

Azumi shook her head. "Anyway, enough talking about this." Azumi told her brother, "Let's get something to eat and then let's do that training I promised."

"You mean it?" When Azumi nodded, Yu's frustration suddenly dissipated and his enthusiasm shot up through the roof. "All right!"

/

After the meeting with Haru and the other council members had been officially adjourned, only Haru and Shin remained in the room. Shortly after the door was closed, and Shin was sure no one else was listening in, Shin stood next to his friend as he curtly asked him, "So even when your daughter manages to avoid taking a life, it isn't good enough?"

Haru glanced away from his friend as he told him, "I was actually pleased by that report."

"Really?" The space between Shin's eyebrows shrunk as he stated, "You have a funny way of showing it."

"I did make it clear that her report was not to be interrupted any further." Haru defensively stated.

"You shouldn't have let Kouta interrupt and diminish her in the first place." Shin sternly told his friend, "As a father and a leader, you should've stopped him from the start."

"…" Haru had nothing to say in his defense as he glanced down.

Shin crossed his arms and shook his head, "What happened to you Haru?"

"Huh?" Haru looked up.

"What happened to the leader who I met all those years ago?" Once again the space between Shin's eyebrows had shrunk. "The man who created this group? The man who trained his daughter to defend herself and trained other people to do the same?"

"He's right here." Haru indignantly answered.

"Pfft." Shin scoffed. "It doesn't look like it. You let Kouta and others walk all over you before you finally man up. The old you would've done that long before that."

"Grrh …" Haru glanced away. "All I want is to …" Haru was unable to finish his sentence.

Shin placed his hand on Haru's should and Haru looked him in the eyes. "Long ago you told me that you want me to give you advice. Well I have some advice for you. I'd advise you to step down."

Haru's eyes widened. "What?"

"Step down." Shin eyes pierced through Haru, and Haru was unable to say a word in response. "It can be temporary or permanent. Either way, I want you to voluntarily step down and make me the leader of the group."

"Even if I did that, why would the others accept that?" Haru protested.

"I'm one of the longest last members of the group, and I'm the first you asked to form this council." Shin justified. "It should be done sooner rather than later. From the way Kouta acts, I wouldn't be surprised if he would try to become the next leader, and I'd be rather concerned about what he would do."

"…" Haru remained silent.

"Right now this is advice." Shin began to walk away. "However, if you keep acting like this, it'll become rather urgent before we reach Fenrir." Shin left the room leaving Haru behind.

/

Before they sat down for dinner, Azumi paid her friend, Yashiko, who was preparing the food a visit. When Yashiko saw Azumi enter the room, she immediately asked her friend, "Welcome back Azumi. How did your scavenging go?"

"Well enough …" Azumi cut to the chase. "I have to say it was a little disappointing you didn't come with us after I offered last time."

"Um …" Yashiko sheepishly replied, as she scratched her head, "Sorry about that, but you know I'm not really cut out for that."

Azumi shook her head and crossed her arms, "That's a poor attitude to have." Azumi bluntly told her friend, "You're not always going to have the luxury of being able to stay on the sidelines. I get your parents didn't want you to do this stuff, but you'll only get yourself and others killed if you're not capable."

"…" Yashiko glanced down before replying, "I can always count on you to be honest."

"Of course. We can all use more of that." Azumi reminded Yashiko, "My brother wasn't sure if he could take it out there, but he definitely can now."

"Yeah …" Yashiko hesitantly replied, "I know."

"…" Azumi could see there was no point in continuing this conversation any further. "Just so you know, the door is always open."

"Okay …" Yashiko did not seem particularly eager to continue talking either.

"Well enough about that for now." Azumi asked, "How's dinner? Did the hunters find anything good to eat?"

"Hmm …" Yashiko shook her head, "Not much on the menu today." Yashiko lamented, "Sorry."

"There will be something to eat … right?" Azumi nervously asked.

Yashiko stated in a matter of fact tone. "We might not have much variety, but we'll have enough to go around."

"Phew." Azumi remarked, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You always seem to."

"If you're so curious, do you want to help out in the kitchen?" Yashiko offered.

"Um … Kinda …" Azumi was uncharacteristically hesitant to reply.

"Why so hesitant?" Yashiko was rather amused by her friend.

"Do I really have to say?" Azumi replied. "You really shouldn't expect much out of me."

Yashiko raised an eyebrow, "I thought your mother was teaching you how to cook?"

"She tired, but …" Azumi seemed a little embarrassed to remind her friend, "I'm sure you remember that fiasco two years ago."

Yashiko grimaced at the thought, "Yeah I do … but I thought she helped you work on that."

"Like I said." Azumi dryly replied, "She tried."

"Ah …" Yashiko nodded in response.

"Anyway, I might not be the 'worst' cook in the world, but I don't quite have the knack for it like I do for scouting and fighting." Azumi admitted, "It might be better to leave it to you."

Yashiko shrugged, "We all have a knack for something right?"

"Maybe," Azumi crossed her arms as she mentioned, "but I'd definitely like to give cooking another shot."

"You really want to?" Yashiko grimaced at the idea.

"I would." Azumi glanced away as she spoke, "Maybe getting someone else to teach me might help." Azumi looked at Yashiko as she asked, "Mind helping me with that?'

"Well … I'll give it a try, but I can't work miracles either." Yashiko replied.

"Gee thanks." Azumi sarcastically remarked before they both began to burst out laughing. Afterwards, the both of them went into the kitchen. Unfortunately, Yashiko was correct. She could not work miracles.

/

During dinner, Azumi observed that Minato was nowhere to be seen. According to Yashiko, he had been in the garage all day. Azumi decided to take his share with her. When Azumi and Yu were outside the garage, she told her brother. "Before we get to training, I need to talk to Minato for a few minutes. Wait for me here okay?"

Yu nodded, "Sure. Okay."

After she entered the garage, she called out, "Hey Minato!"

"Hello Azumi." Minato said in response as he was checking over the vehicles.

"Missed you at dinner." Azumi commented.

"I was on a roll here, so I didn't want to break it." Minato answered without breaking his concentration or missing a beat.

"Hmph." Azumi nodded as she commented, "I can understand that. Yashiko told me to deliver some food for you."

"Thanks." Minato pointed towards a table. "Just put it over there."

"I also got something else for you." Azumi pulled out the bag of metal in her backpack and placed it on the table as well. The sound of the metal being placed on the table caught Minato's attention as he walked over. "Will this be enough?"

"Hmm …" Minato checked the bag. His eyes lit up and a smile stretched across his face. "Oh yes. This'll be more than enough. I'll probably have some extra for something else."

"In that case, you should make something for yourself." Azumi suggested.

"Okay." Minato was pleased at the idea. "I think I'll do that."

"So …" Azumi curiously asked, "How long do you think it'll take for you to make?"

"Not long," Minato added, "especially if I get started tonight."

Azumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you getting started tonight?"

"Oh yes." Minato picked up the metal and put on his worker mask before he warned her, "You might want to step back." After Azumi complied, Minato turned on the power of the blowtorch.

Azumi held up her hands and made sure not to look at the blowtorch's fire as she commented, "I don't think I could ever get used to that."

Minato on the other hand was rather ecstatic as he wielded the device. "Ha! Ha! I was born for this!"

"Well whatever makes you happy." Azumi shrugged and turned around. Before Azumi left, she pointed towards the food on the table. "Don't forget about eating that. Yashiko won't be happy if you don't."

"I won't." Minato replied as he began getting to work.

"Right …" Azumi was 'unconvinced.' "Anyway, see you later."

/

Following the deliveries to Minato, she met with her brother outside. After she made sure they were in an area no one else would bother them, Azumi stayed true to her word, and began teaching Yu the basics of handling a gun.

Azumi held out the gun by the barrel in front of Yu and instructed him, "Hold it with both hands." Her brother complied by placing both hands around the gun's handle. As soon as Azumi saw her brother's fingers wrap around the handle, she let go of it.

When Azumi let go of the gun, Yu could feel his hands be brought down by the weight of the weapon. Yu's eyes widened by the feeling in his hands. He could not only feel its weight, but its 'power.' "It … It's pretty heavy." Yu nervously lamented.

"That's because it's loaded." Azumi stated in a matter of fact tone. "I always make sure it's loaded whenever we're about to head out."

"…" Yu remained silent.

"You don't have to worry. The safety's on." Azumi assured her brother. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't want to take precautions?"

"No!" Yu furiously shook his head as he kept both hands on the gun. "I'd never think that! You're smarter than that! Way smarter than that!" His hands were shaking as he spoke.

"Don't get so worried Yu." Azumi calmly told her brother as she helped straighten his hands. "Especially when you're holding a gun. You got that?"

"Yes Sis." Yu replied and closed his eyes. "Ah huff … Ah huff …" Yu took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before opening his eyes again.

"That's better." Azumi let go of her brother's hands before she continued with her lecture. "Anyway, you can be assured I do my best to take precautions. However, it is important you understand how it feels to have a fully loaded weapon on hand. It goes without saying that there's a big difference between what a loaded and an empty gun feels like."

"… I see." Yu still had a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Anyway," Azumi continued her lesson, "you never know how many bullets you need. If you can, try to carry some spares to reload like I do. You got that?"

"I do." Yu nodded, "I'm just … surprised by how heavy it is." Yu was facing a little struggle to keep his aim straight.

"Hmm." Azumi replied, "Think of it as your burden."

"My … My burden?" Yu hesitantly asked.

"It's something father taught me when I was learning." Azumi began to recite the lesson, "A gun is dangerous weapon that can be used for protection. The burden is knowing when and how to use it because when you pull the trigger there's no taking it back. You got that?"

"Yes Sis." Yu nodded, "I promise to be careful."

"Be sure that you do. Believe me." Azumi could not emphasized this next part enough. "You do not want to have any regrets when you pull that trigger. I didn't have regrets when I shot that man the other day. The same goes for many others"

"Did …" Yu asked, "Did you ever have regrets before?'

"…" Azumi took a moment before she replied, "That's not important right now. What I'm about to say applies to pretty much every weapon you can use, but it especially true for guns. When you have a gun in hand, you need to be ready to use it and be ready to kill. If you're not, you might not be able to walk away. You got that?"

"I understand Sis." Yu answered.

Azumi crossed her arms. "I know you do, but it's important that you always remember this. I know you've killed in self-defense, but you do remember the old saying right?"

"Yes." Yu recited, "The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed."

"That's right." Azumi nodded with her arms crossed. "That saying is especially true when you are using a gun. Knives can be used for, and guns are meant to mean business." Azumi further clarified as her brother remained silent, "You put your life on the line when you draw. I may have used my gun to sell the threat to those guys before, but I was ready to use it if I had to. I also knew they might draw their weapons on me too even though I was sure they didn't have anything to match it. I put my life on the line when I did that, and …" Azumi briefly closed her eyes and uncrossed her arms as she hesitantly admitted, "I also put your life on the line too."

"…" Yu considered his sister's words. "I see." Those were the only words Yu could say in response.

"I'm not trying to frighten you." Azumi assured her brother, "I just want you to understand a gun is not meant to be taken lightly."

"Ah huff …" Yu took another breath. "I understand Sis." Yu did his best to remain calm and firm. "I do."

"Good because I'll be holding you to that just like I'd want you to hold me to my word." Azumi asked her trademark question, "You got that?'

Yu gave his usual response, "I got that."

"Glad to hear it. Now let's move on to the next step. Reloading." Azumi took the gun from her brother as she began providing him a demonstration.

/

While Azumi was giving her brother a lesson, Yashiko was paying Minato a visit. When she walked in, she saw him eating the dinner she prepared. It was a good thing he decided to take a break a few minutes earlier. Otherwise, she would not have been pleased to see the dinner lying around wasting away.

"Hmph." Yashiko commented, "I see that you're finally eating something."

"I've had a lot to do." Minato responded in-between bites. "It's kinda hard to find a stopping point sometimes."

Yashiko sighed and shook her head, "Honestly. You really need to do a better job taking care of yourself. You won't be much good to us as a mechanic if you starve yourself to death."

"Yes 'Mother.'" Minato sarcastically remarked.

Yashiko looked upon his worktable to see the progress Minato was making. "So how are things going for Azumi's new weapon?"

"They're going fine." Minato asked, "Why do you ask? You don't usually check in on my work."

"You know that wasn't the only reason I'm here." Yashiko sat next to Minato as she quickly added, "Besides, from how things are going, Azumi's going to need as many weapons as she can get."

"That's true." Minato remarked, "It is better to be safe than sorry."

Yashiko took a closer look at the work-in-progress. "How strong do you think the spear will be?"

"Pretty strong." Minato indignantly answered, "It won't break anytime soon if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm sorry if it's coming across wrong." Yashiko backed away, 'I'm just worried. That's all."

It was Minato's turn to sigh before he responded, "You're not the only one. She gets into messes a lot." He added, "A whole lot."

"I … I don't think that's really her fault." Yashiko defensively remarked.

"No, but trouble does tend to find her really often." Minato lamented, "It might catch up to her if she's not ready. Here's hoping the spear can help with that."

"Eh …" Yashiko could feel a shiver crawl up her spine. "It always sounds like the worst is going to happen."

"Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst." Minato put his plate to the side as he prepared to get back to work. "That's how Azumi likes to do things."

"She asked you about the backup plan?" Yashiko inquired.

"Yep." Minato looked towards the motorcycles in the garage as he told her, "We should be all good with that too. All we need to do is keep the gas level in mind."

/

After Azumi had finished giving her brother a few of the basics, they decided to take a break. Azumi placed the gun back in her holster and the two sat by the wall on the floor. Azumi had one knee up and leaned against it as she told her brother, "Sorry I couldn't give you any shooting practice, but I hope this helped."

"It's fine." Yu assured his sister. "I'm glad you taught me what you could." Yu adjusted his posture as he glanced upon Azumi's holstered weapon. "I had no idea you've been carrying around something so heavy this whole time."

Azumi remarked, "It's not too heavy anymore. I'm used to it."

"That's not what I mean." Yu clarified, "I mean … I always knew guns could be dangerous, but when I had it in my hands, I could feel how powerful it was for myself. It was greater than I could've imagined." Yu said in awe, "I find it incredible that you were able to wield this kind of power all this time. Even … Even with that power, you've done your best for this group."

"Heh." Azumi chuckled as she moved back and leaned against the wall. Her hands rested on her outstretched knees as she looked towards the ceiling. "You know … I find it amazing how many years it has been since I first learned how to use a gun. You were still a baby when I learned."

"…" Yu remained silent as he listened intently to his sister's words.

"Father was 'reluctant' to say the least, but he still taught me. I wanted to help him protect you, mother, and everyone else." Azumi closed her eyes as she reminisced upon her own instruction. "The way you felt when you held that gun … I felt the same way when I learned. Even after all these years, I still remember that feeling I had." Azumi opened her eyes. "However, as time went on it became something more than a burden. Much more."

"What did it become?" Yu broke his silence.

Azumi glanced toward her brother as she answered, "It became a means for protecting the people I cared about and surviving. The gun is powerful, but it is nothing without someone using it. Despite how dangerous it can be, the benefits far outweigh the burden."

"I see." Yu looked ahead as he replied, "That makes sense."

"Anyway, if you don't mind, could you keep our little lesson a secret from father?" Azumi stated, "I wouldn't want to give him something else to be upset about."

"Of course." Yu assured his sister. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good." Azumi stood up and brushed herself off. "Anyway, since we're here, we might as well do some more training. You up for a second round?"

"Heh." Yu stood up as well as he enthusiastically replied, "You bet I am!" His feet were sidestepping repeatedly left and right as if he was a boxer.

"All right then." Azumi walked to the center of the room and faced towards Yu before raising her fists. "Put'em up." Yu raised his fists as well to which she waved her hand to egg him on. "Now come at me." Afterwards, the two of them engaged in another training exercise.

/

While the Kannagi siblings were continuing their training session, their parents were having a discussion of their own. Kaede made sure she and Haru were alone before she began talking to him. The door was closed, and there was no one else in the room.

"I heard that Azumi gave you another report about the area." Kaede stated before she lightly bit her lip.

"She did." Haru remarked, "She warned us about a potential threat we might face."

"I also heard that she wasn't exactly given a warm reception upon her report." Kaede bitterly remarked.

"…" Haru was silent for a moment before asking, "Who told you that?"

"That doesn't matter." Kaede asked, "Is it true?"

"…" Haru hesitantly answered, "I did thank her for …"

"It's true!" Kaede concluded as she sharply stated, "It sounds like you've been having difficulties speaking with both our children."

"Hmm …" Haru could not reply to that.

"Why is it suddenly becoming harder for you?!" Kaede angrily asked, "I know you've been having difficulties, but things didn't seem too bad last year. Even a few months ago, you didn't have that much trouble. What happened to those days? It keeps getting worse and worse. You keep acting so cold to them. Why?"

Haru put his hand on his forehead and brushed through his hair as his mind thought back on the increasingly troubling conversations he had with his children. "This world is changing them or rather altering who they should be. It's altering them more and more every year."

"That's to be expected!" Kaede reminded her husband, "Azumi was still young before the Aragami appeared and Yu was born after that! This world is practically everything they've ever known!"

"I know! I know that!" Haru frustratingly remarked, "Trust me I do!"

"Then what's your problem!" Kaede raised her voice.

"They … They frighten me … Especially Azumi …" Haru admitted.

"Wha … What?" Kaede responded in disbelief.

"They … They are so ready and willing to kill … to decay …" Haru quickly corrected himself, "I can practically feel their morals decaying … It's frightening … Even when Azumi did handle the situation peacefully, I could feel that she would have rather kill them. I could feel she regretted sparing them."

"Dear … That's not the kind of people our children are." Kaede stated. "They don't go out trying to kill people."

"I know what happened the other day was self-defense." Haru clarified, "That part doesn't bother me. Not even close. I wish it did, but it's not. If it was, that'd be a different matter altogether."

"Then what is it exactly?" Kaede demanded.

"It's just … It's just the way they talk about how those men died …" Haru bitterly remarked, "They don't seem the least bit disturbed by it. I didn't realize it at first, but the more these 'confrontations' happened the more they appear to shrug it off like it was just another day."

"…"Kaede remained silent as she let her husband continue.

"Being able to kill without feeling anything even if its self-defense is a sign of moral decay." Haru stated, "If this keeps up, there's a chance they'll cross a line one day they'll never be able to come back from. If the line becomes so blurred how will they ever know where it is? How can we be expected to bring back society if we forget everything about it?"

"If that's how you felt, why didn't you do anything before?" Kaede then asked, "Why didn't you try discussing it with me or them?"

"It was something I noticed over …" Haru began to say.

"There is no excuse for this!" Kaede cut him off. "They're your children! If you're concerned about them, you should talk to them!" Kaede continued, "I can understand you've had difficulties. A lot of things have been stressing you out, and you're tired. I get it. I can understand the concerns you've had, but have you properly told this to either of your children?"

"I …" Haru hesitantly replied, "I have spoken with them both."

"Really? You 'really' had conversations with them?" Kaede did not even attempt to mask her skepticism.

"What are you …?" Haru began to speak.

"It doesn't sound like you've had conversations with either of your children." Kaede pointedly cut her husband off again. "Because it sounds more like you had arguments with them rather than having a real conversation."

"…" Haru found himself incapable of responding. There was no denying those words.

Kaede began listing things off. "First you attempt to chastise Azumi who fires back at you. It's not like you were there when it happened. Then Yu defends his sister because he thinks you weren't being fair to her. Just so you know, Yu is still willing to talk to me because I actually listen to him. You're so judgmental of your daughter that you've failed to notice so much of what has been happening."

"Hmph …" Haru failed to form any words beyond that which gave his wife the opening to continue what she was saying.

"Don't forget. Azumi didn't come out unscathed." Kaede pointed out, "The doctor and I saw the marks on her throat. Whoever did that to her nearly killed her. You should have been more respectful to that. Attempting to grill her while her throat still hurt wasn't the best idea." Kaede bitterly admitted, "Not to mention, the fact that she was nearly killed should've been more important than her killing someone else."

"…" Haru had difficulty looking his wife in the eyes after that last part.

Kaede stated, "Sometimes I think you forget how to be a father."

"What?" Haru asked.

"You're a leader. You've been a good one for years because you never forgot how to be a police officer." Kaede sincerely praised her husband. "Many people would've been dead without you or they could've become like those people that threatened Yu. People follow you because you're a good person. You don't just give orders. You take action, and you go out on the field yourself rather than letting everyone else do the work. You do what you can to keep everyone's head on straight. Everyone respects you for it." Kaede's tone changed when she broached the other subject. "However, while you used to be good at leading, it's almost like you forget to how to act like a father, and that hurts Azumi and Yu more than anything."

"…" Haru took a few moments to let everything his wife said to sink in before sighing. "Then what should I do?"

Kaede instructed her husband, "You should try talking to your children not as their leader but as their father. Try telling them what you said to me and not put them on the defensive."

"How do you suggest I do that?" Haru commented, "I'm not so sure they'd be interested in having a 'converation' with me now."

"There is something else you could do to break the ice." Kaede replied.

Haru raised an eyebrow, "What would that be?"

Kaede suggested, "The next time Azumi and Yu go out on a scouting assignment you should go with them."

"Hmph." Haru sarcastically asked, "Is that supposed to be a bonding activity?"

"It would be the closest thing you've had to bonding activity for a while." From the tone in Kaede's voice, Haru could see that she was serious about her suggestion.

"…" Haru considered the idea for a few moments before replying, "She'd probably think I'm supervising her."

"Not unless you let her be in charge." Kaede suggested.

"Put her in charge?" Haru asked in dumbfounded tone.

"Why not?" Kaede stated, "You put her in charge of Yu and anyone else who goes with her. If you allow her to make decisions, she'll appreciate it. Not to mention, she might not think of you as being her 'supervisor.' Maybe she'll think you're her there as her father."

"Hmm … I don't know." To describe Haru as being hesitant would be putting it mildly.

"She's your best scout and scavenger, so it should be okay." Kaede stated, "If you do that, she might be more open to talking to you later, and I'm sure the same will be true for Yu."

"…" Haru was still not too sure about say in response.

"Don't forget what you always told them." Kaede recited the famous quote, "'What's past is prologue.' Just because things look bad doesn't mean you can't do anything now. Azumi and Yu live by those words. They believe in them. You've said and done a lot of things people believe in. Try to remember that."

"I would …" Haru stated, "I would never forget that."

Kaede replied, "Sometimes people need to be reminded of the past to set themselves straight."

"Ah huff." Haru took a breath before stating, "Guess I can't argue with that."

Kaede said, "Of course you can't."

"All right fine." Haru brushed his hand through his hair again, "You made your point. I'll give it a shot."

"Good." Kaede merely replied. The wheels were in motion.

/

"Heyah!" Yu cried out when he swung his arm in the air, but his sister moved out of the way, and he could hit nothing but air. Without saying a word, she held out her arm and shoved him to the ground with little effort. "Gah!" Yu cried out as he hit the ground.

"I think that'll be enough for today." Azumi held out her hand to pull Yu up. As Yu brushed himself off, Azumi praised him, "You're fighting is getting better Yu, but you've still got a long way to go."

"Heh." Yu chuckled, "It seems like I got a lifetime before I can catch up to you Sis."

"Try not to sweat it." Azumi cheerfully told her brother, "It took me a while before I could start getting the better of our old man."

Yu shook his head. "I just can't picture you losing a fight."

"That's because you saw the result rather than the work-in-process." Azumi remarked.

"What?" Yu tilted his head in confusion.

"Never mind." Azumi shook her head. "You're definitely making progress. If you keep this up, you might be as good as me someday."

"That's hard to believe." Yu glanced away.

Azumi placed her hands on her waist. "Try to look me in the eyes Yu." On Azumi's word, Yu looked at Azumi before she said, "It's possible as long as you don't give up. You got that?"

Yu answered, "I got that."

Azumi was satisfied with her brother's response. "All right then. Let's take a breather. We both could use that."

"Okay." Both Azumi and Yu leaned against the wall again. "You know … It's amazing how much things have changed."

"Hmph …" There was something that had been on Yu's mind for a while, so he finally spoke up, "Hey Sis."

"Yeah." Azumi glanced to her brother.

"Would you ever want to become a God Eater and fight Aragami?" Yu asked.

"What?" Azumi flatly responded. She was not entirely sure if she heard that question right.

"I asked," Yu repeated, "Would you want to become a God Eater?"

Azumi raised an eyebrow. "What brought this on?"

"Well we're heading to Fenrir and that's where God Eaters live right?" Yu further inquired, "And Aragami seemed to be the only things that scare you, so I want to know if you'd want to turn the tables on them?"

"…" Azumi was not entirely sure how to respond at first. Her wrist shook ever so slightly as she clenched her fingers together in an attempt to stop. "Ah huff …" It took a moment for her to ask, "You … You think the only thing I'm afraid of is Aragami?"

"Well yeah. I've seen how Aragami scare you. There's no shame in it." Yu could feel a shiver crawl up his spine which caused him to pull his legs into his chest. "Mmm … They scare the hell out of me too. You're just better at keeping it together than me."

"… Of course there isn't any shame." The thought of being in an Aragami's line of sight made Azumi cringe. "We've seen what they can do."

"I know right?" Yu bitterly remarked as he pulled he hugged his legs, "You'd … You'd have to be completely braindead not to be afraid of those things."

"No argument there." Azumi rubbed her hand on her forehead as she asked, "You really think those things are the only things that scare me?"

Yu let go of his legs as he asked, "Aren't they? I've never seen you be scared of anything else."

"Sometimes …" Azumi chose her next words carefully, "Fear isn't that obvious …"

"What do you mean?" Yu tilted his head again.

"…" Azumi straightened herself against the wall. "You'll … You'll understand more when you get older Yu."

"Oh …" Yu couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but there are some things you're better off learning as you get older like I did." Azumi clarified, "There are always 'subtleties' to keep an eye out for. Some are harder to spot than others. Sometimes, they're almost impossible to notice. I miss the mark too, so there's no shame in that either. You got that?"

Yu replied, "Of course."

"Good. You always need to keep that in mind." Azumi informed her brother, "It'll help you out a lot when you talk to people when you get older."

"Okay … Wait!" Yu's eyes widened as he realized something. "Hold on! You didn't answer my question. Would you want to be a God Eater?"

"Hmm …" Azumi thought, "Looks like we came back to it after all." She hesitantly replied, "… Maybe."

"Maybe?" Yu asked in curiosity.

Azumi explained, "I would like to be strong enough to be capable of fending off anything, but that doesn't mean I want to go looking for a fight. Not with Aragami anyway."

Unfortunately, Azumi's attempt fell flat as indicated by her brother's raised eyebrows. "Huh?"

Azumi expanded on her explanation. "I'm sure you know that God Eaters are sent to different parts of the country or the world to fight Aragami. They're not just going to defend their home." Azumi rubbed her temple as she told her brother, "I'm not sure I'd be onboard with taking them on even with one of those weapons."

"But they do protect people like you've always protected me and the group. Isn't that why some people like them so much?" Yu asked with a raised eyebrow.

Azumi sighed. "It's also the reason why people fear and hate them too."

"What?" Yu was surprised by the response.

"Don't be too surprised Yu." Azumi stood up and stepped away as she told him, "Some people get jealous of people who have what they don't have. In this case, that's power."

"Why would they …?" Yu began to ask.

Azumi cutoff her brother, "It's not too different than why people are afraid of Aragami."

"What?" Yu was taken aback by his sister's strange statement. "How is that possible? It's not like God Eaters eat people. People don't eat other people right?"

"Um …" Azumi lightly bit her lip.

"They … They don't right?" Yu nervously asked.

Azumi shook her head and hands. "That's not what I meant." Azumi tried to get the conversation back on track by following up with, "What I meant was that people are afraid of Aragami's power. The Aragami eat us because they find us delicious, but they are able to eat us because we have 'no power' to stop them. They're big, strong, and almost nothing can hurt them. The only thing we can do is hide and run. There aren't any other choices."

"…" Yu had no response to that.

Azumi crossed her arms as her back leaned further against the wall. "If God Eaters are as strong as I hear, it's no wonder people would be afraid of them too."

"I wouldn't be afraid of you Sis." Yu assured his sister, "I know you'd do the right thing."

Azumi smiled at her brother's statement as she told him, "At least I know I could count on your support."

"So …" Yu sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "I guess that means you wouldn't want to be a God Eater then?

"I didn't say that. I'm … mmm …" Azumi appeared to be in deep thought before she answered, "more on the fence. I can see both good and bad to becoming one.

"Ah. Fair enough." Yu replied.

"Don't forget our words Yu." Azumi recited, "'What's past is prologue.'"

"We can't change the past, but we can change the present right?" Yu asked.

"That's right. We focus on getting to Fenrir alive, and then we do the best we can with what we get when get there." Azumi saw Yu nod at her words. She then could feel a yawn coming as she told her brother, "Anyway, I'm gonna turn in early if you don't mind."

"No I don't mind." Yu told his sister, "Go right ahead."

"See you tomorrow." Azumi then walked away to her bed.

/

After Azumi excused herself, Yu decided to pay a visit to the garage and saw Minato hard at work. Minato turned his head to see Yu standing there as he turned off his equipment. He asked, "You here to check up on my progress with your sister's weapon too?"

"That's one reason, but I'm actually curious about a few other things." Yu answered.

"Oh?" Minato raised an eyebrow, "Curious are you?"

"I don't usually talk to you besides when I'm with Sis, but I also know you've been our mechanic for a while." Yu explained, "Since I've been trying to do more for the group, I'd like to know more about what you do."

"Hmm …" Minato considered Yu's words before turning his whole body and giving Yu his undivided attention. "Okay. Ask away."

"What kind of weapons can you forge?" Yu inquired, "Did your father teach you that?"

"Sort of …" Minato explained, "You see my father liked to produce weapons mostly for display purposes."

"Display?" Yu raised an eyebrow at the word. "You mean just show and not actually use them?"

"That's what he told me." Minato answered.

Wrinkles on Yu's forehead were visible as he scratched his chin and tried to understand. "Would someone want to just show off a weapon and not use it?"

"No idea." Minato shrugged, "I guess that's just how things were like back then."

"That just sounds so weird." Yu replied.

"I know right." Minato stated. "Using weapons for fighting is what they're meant for. Not for showing off."

Yu scratched his chin as he contemplated, "If what he did is weird for us, I wonder how weird it was for your father to make weapons that people needed to fight with."

"I wouldn't know." Minato shrugged again. "By the time he took me on as his apprentice, he seemed to be really into it by then."

Yu replied. "I see. So … when we get to Fenrir, do you think you'd want to help develop weapons for the God Eaters?"

"Well …" Minato considered his answer. "I've never been much of a fighter, and I doubt they'd want their 'refugees' to just sit around. They'd want me to pull my weight. I guess getting some kind of supporting role would be what I should be hoping for."

"What about the God Eater weapons?" Yu repeated his question, "Would you want to make them?"

"Hmm …" Minato's thought about his answer. "To be honest, I would be very curious about those weapons. I'd definitely be interested in finding out what makes them tick and what goes into making them. It's only a matter of whether they'd want to take the time to train me."

"Wouldn't they?" Yu raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't they want as many people capable of forging weapons?"

"You'd think so, but I'm an outsider." Minato explained, "They might not be so willing to sharing those kind of secrets with me." He shrugged, "Not for a while anyway."

"Hmm … That's a good point." Yu replied, "It could take a while before they'd even trust you to look at things."

"Exactly." Minato casually remarked, "Worse come to worse, I can always help out with their vehicles. I'm pretty good with that to. They might be willing to at least let me do that at least."

Yu stated. "That's true."

"Hmm. Hmph." Minato proudly remarked, "Always good to have a fallback plan."

/

The wheels that Kaede had set in motion were far from the only wheels. The bald bandit had returned to his hideout and was speaking with the leader of his own group. He shared the details of the encounter earlier that day. The moment he mentioned the identity of the one responsible for killing her men the other day, she looked as if her head was about to erupt like a volcano.

"What did you just say?" The leader bitterly asked her subordinate.

"Based on the situation Etsuko-sama," the bald bandit began to reiterate, "I believe it would be best to let …"

"Let her go?" The wrinkle marks in Etsuko's forehead were become more visible as she continued to raise her voice, "After what she did to Gorou, Hachiro, Hiroki, and Ayumu?"

The bald bandit tried to futilely reason with his leader, "Considering what happened, I do believe that would be the best thing to do. We won't lose any more if we let it end here."

Etsuko began nursing her head as he began to speak again. "Okay … Okay … Let me see if I'm processing this correctly. This scar faced girl shoots the brains out of Gorou, slashed Hachiro's throat, stabbed Hiroki in the stomach and neck, and bashed Ayumu's head in." There was barely anything retaining her rage. She was ready to burst. "She did all that, and you want to let her go?"

The bald bandit replied, "In her defense, they held her brother hostage, and they attacked first."

"Why should that matter?!" Etsuko sharply asked. "She killed our men! Whether she had reason to kill them or not is beside the point! Besides, do you actually believe her?"

"She struck me as a very honest girl." The bald bandit replied.

"Oh really?" Etsuko sarcastically remarked with narrow eyes.

"Yes." The bald bandit stated, "Not to mention what she said coincides with Gorou's rather 'unfortunate' behavior. He never had much brains before they ended up on that wall."

Etsuko crossed her arms as she remarked, "Whether you believe her or not doesn't matter. She killed four of our men. Seven if you include what happened after which I do."

"Those three were eaten by Aragami. They weren't killed by her." The bald bandit pointed out.

"Our men heard the gunshot and so did the Aragami." Etsuko justified.

The bald bandit remarked, "I don't believe it's fair to blame her for that."

"That doesn't matter." Etsuko declared, "She has to pay the price. She will pay the price. You will see to it personally."

"…" The bald bandit could see there was no getting past this as he reluctantly replied, "Fine. Then what do you propose we do? Tracking her down might not be easy."

Etsuko inquired, "Didn't you have someone follow her?"

"Of course I did." The bald bandit informed his leader, "However, my scout had a difficult time keeping track of her. Apparently she and her brother were a little more slippery than he anticipated. Our men did fail to take them by surprise before, so they were extra cautious. They made a couple of circles. When he tried to pick up the trail again an Aragami appeared, so he fled. Trying to find their camp will be easier said than done."

"Then we'll do the next best thing." Etsuko asked, "From what you could tell she was scavenging right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't exactly narrow things down." The bald bandit dryly remarked.

"No, but we do know at least two places she's been, so we can eliminate those." Etsuko considered the facts. "Since we've never encountered a girl matching her description before, she's most likely part of a nomadic group. They'll have to gather supplies from key locations. We'll have groups stationed at these places, and we'll find out if she enters one."

"Very well, but I should warn you. This isn't going to end well. She has a gun, and she is skilled at fighting." The bald bandit gave his final warning, "This is just going to get more people killed."

Etsuko remained unmoved. "Not ours. Now get everyone ready for the job."

"Yes Etsuko-sama." The bald bandit respectfully bowed.

Before her bald subordinate could take his leave, Etsuko spoke up, "One more thing before you go. If you can, be sure to bring her back to me alive. I want to put her head fresh on a pike myself."

"Understood." The bald bandit then asked, "What should I do with anyone else who might be accompanying her? I'm sure her brother might be with her. He's just a kid."

"Hmm … Do what you want with them." Etsuko responded with a shrug. "I don't care. I just want you to bring her." The leader suggested, "If you want, you can even give them a front row seat. I'm sure that'll be exciting." Estuko grinned at the thought.

"… Very well." The bald bandit hesitantly replied before taking his leave.

When she was by herself, Etsuko looked upon her room as she said to herself, "You're days are numbered scar face. Just like theirs were." Etsuko was looking upon a room decorated with the rotting heads of her enemies on pikes. All of their eyes once brimming with life had long been extinguished. The sounds of flies buzzing around could be heard echoing throughout the room consuming what was left.

/

Author Notes: As you can see, Azumi cannot seem to win when it comes to her decisions even when she does her best to end things peacefully. In a world that has decayed, trying to do the right thing or the person's definition of the right thing is difficult to accomplish. However, that can be true for anyone regardless of what world you live in. Sometimes there is just no pleasing someone despite your best efforts.

Having Azumi and Yu have an encounter with the friends of the bandits that attacked them was one of the first things I planned. Unfortunately, her actions lead to other problems even though she and her brother could have probably been killed if she didn't take those actions in the first place. Another example of how Azumi just can't win besides earning the respect and admiration of her brother and other people of the younger generation.

As usual, the bond between Azumi and Yu is a major theme in this story. Yu follows Azumi's lead, but he isn't afraid to question things either. He personally thinks his father is a terrible leader and father, but he respects what Azumi thinks because he knows that Azumi knows more of the details. A part of him also understands that he'd probably have more respect for his father if he knew him as long as Azumi did.

In regards to Haru's 'leadership' abilities that most of you found questionable, it was always my plan to make it clear that more than a few people in the story find it questionable at best. As you can see, they have mixed to negative feelings regarding his abilities. However, their general consensus is that they think he was once a good leader but not so much now. Sometimes it is better to step down after a while and possibly leave yourself open to taking up the sword again someday if needed rather than decaying.

I hope you enjoyed reading the new chapter, and I would greatly appreciate feedback.