Author Notes: Here is the first update for 2019, and it will not be the last one. Despite the lack of reviews for the previous chapter, I will do everything I can to see this story through. I decided to work on Chapter Seven partly due to the release of God Eater III earlier this year for the PS4, and its upcoming release for the Switch.
While I haven't played God Eater III yet, I did play some demos, and I enjoyed it. However, I do not believe I will buy the PS4 version. Due to Sony censoring games, I believe I will attempt to buy 'Switch' versions of the game over the PS4 versions. I do not know if this game was censored or not, I decided that is irrelevant. Until Sony decides to ease off of their censorship, I'll pick Switch versions of PS4, and only get PS4 games at are exclusive to the platform. Due to how some Japanese developers appear to be trying to produce two versions of their games these days, it seems like that option will be open to me more frequently.
Anyway, I was proud of how I introduced the God Eaters in the previous chapter. It was difficult, but it was fun to produce that fighting scene along with having them interact with Azumi and Yu. I did my best to capture Lindow's 'somewhat' aloof but caring personality while Sayaka was more outwardly friendly, and Soma was stoic. I have done my best to continue in that direction for this chapter.
I hope you will read and leave a review. Your feedback is always appreciated.
/
Past is Prologue
Chapter Seven – Gates of Fenrir – Part One
/
Our moment is here
We have faced many obstacles
There is just one more
/
After watching the God Eaters defeated several Aragami, Azumi and Yu had successfully managed to attract their attention with a flare. After speaking to them personally the duo was successful in recruiting the God Eaters to being their group's escorts to Fenrir.
To celebrate their success, Azumi held up her hand. Yu held up his own, and he jumped up. Their hands collided to create a loud high-five while the God Eaters, except Soma, watched in amusement.
"We did it, Sis!" Yu excitedly said, "We actually did it!"
"That we did." Azumi said with a smile. "It's clear sailing now. Ha."
"…" Both Lindow and Sayaka glanced at each other, and Sayaka couldn't help but chuckle.
"Excuse me." Lindow spoke up, "I hate to break up this nice, happy moment, but we really should try getting this show on the road."
"Sorry." Azumi spoke. When she looked to brother's position, he wasn't standing where she last saw him. She then looked to see that he had stepped behind her.
"What's going on here?" Lindow raised an eyebrow. "Are you hiding behind your sister?"
"…" Yu didn't reply.
"Come on, kid." Lindow said, "I'm not going to bite." He gestured to his massive sword, "My God Eater might, but I won't."
"Lindow …" Sayaka nudged Lindow who then started to sheepishly scratch the back of his head.
"Sorry …" Yu bowed his head. "I didn't mean to …"
Azumi interrupted as she bluntly stated, "I think Yu is a little scared of you."
Yu immediately nudged his sister as he loudly denied, "Am not!"
Azumi teasingly retorted, "You are, too."
Yu repeated his claim, "Am not!"
"Really?" Azumi bent over and grinned as she nudged him back, "Then why were you hiding behind me?"
"…" Yu lacked the ability to provide a substantial answer outside of, "Oh, shut up!" He attempted to push Azumi, but she easily stepped out of his way.
"Heh. Heh." Azumi grinned as she chuckled at her brother's expense. "You're too slow."
Before this could go on any further, Lindow pointed to himself as he asked, "Am I really that scary?"
Azumi and Yu turned their attempt back to the God Eaters as Azumi replied, "We can discuss that later." Azumi pointed behind her with her thumb as she suggested, "It might be better if we get going."
"Sounds good to me." Soma finally made a contribution to the conversation. "Let's try to get this over with." On that note, they left the rooftop of the skyscraper and went back to the survivor camp.
/
The trip heading down the skyscraper proved far less perilous for Azumi and Yu thanks to Lindow and Sayaka's help. They were on the ground and heading back to the camp in less than half the time.
As they were heading toward the camp, Lindow was walking next to Azumi as he began to ask, "So kid …"
The 'kid' insisted, "Azumi."
"Azumi." Lindo corrected himself before inquiring, "How'd it look from up there?" Lindow pointed back to the decaying skyscraper, "How'd it look when you were watching us?"
"…" Yu remained silent.
"Hmm …" Azumi replied, "Well … I honestly didn't know what to be expect. It's one thing to be told how God Eater could kill the Aragami, but it was another thing to see it happen."
"So," Lindow rhetorically asked, "that was your first time seeing a God Eater in action?'
"Yes …" Azumi looked ahead before then glancing to Lindow again, "Even though I was watching with binoculars, I … I felt like I could 'feel' the … I don't know … the 'intensity' of the fight from there. It was really weird yet satisfying to watch"
"Hmm. Is that so?" Lindow playfully suggested, "Would you have wanted a closer look?"
"Wha …" Azumi was taken aback as she quickly shook her head, "Hell no! That skyscrapper was definitely the best spot." Azumi looked ahead as she continued to speak out loud, "If I got any closer, the Aragami would've noticed us." Azumi glanced at Lindow again as she told him, "You wouldn't have wanted to protect me and fight the Aragami, right?"
"Oh?" Lindow raised an eyebrow as he appeared rather amused, "So you can be curious, but practical. I can't say I dislike that. I'm sure my sister would like you."
Azumi picked up on that last point as she quickly inquired, "You have a sister?"
"Yep." Lindow motioned to Yu, "Like your brother here, I'm the younger one."
"Really?" Azumi couldn't think of much more to say other than, "Huh?"
Lindow inquired, "Are you surprised?"
"A little … I mean …" Azumi then pointed ahead, "Hey, look. Camp is up ahead." Azumi and Yu began to pick up the pace.
"Hmph." Lindow spoke to himself in an amused tone, "Saved by the bell."
As they were about to arrive, Azumi stopped walking and requested, "Hey. Do you guys mind hanging back for a minute?"
"…" Soma remained silent in the back of the group.
"What?" Lindow put his hand on his waist as he mused, "You think we might scare your people off?"
Azumi shook her head, "Not the adults."
"Hmm …" Lindow looked over Azumi's shoulder before being nudged by Sayaka.
"We'll wait back here." Sayaka assured Azumi.
"Great." Azumi instructed them, "Just hang around here until I call out to you. Sound good?"
Lindow shrugged, "Fine. We'll do this your way."
"Great!" Azumi gave them the thumbs up.
/
The children were among the first to notice Azumi and Yu's return. One of the children called out, "Hey, look! Azumi's back!"
Another child shouted, "Yeah!"
As usual the children surrounded Azumi leaving Yu the odd man out as he shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Meanwhile, Azumi knelt down as she ruffled the hair of two of the kids as she asked, "Did you guys miss me, already? I've only been gone a few hours."
One of the children answered, "We hate it when you leave."
Another child said, "Please don't keep leaving us."
"Sorry kids," Azumi then started ruffling the hair of two of the other children as she told them, "but it can't be helped."
All the children looked down and simultaneously went, "Aww …"
"Come on," Azumi stood up and put her hands on her waist as she told them, "Don't be like that." Azumi bent forward as she asked, "Now, who wants to go for a ride?"
That caused the spirits of all the children to rise like the sun as they raised their hands and made their requests known. They all cried out, "Me! Me! Me!"
"Okay." Azumi pointed at two of the children, "Akane and Dachi are up first." Azumi knelt down again and held up both her arms. Akane grabbed the left arm and Daichi held onto the right while the other children stepped back. Azumi then stood up, "Here we go!" She began twirling her body around like she was a carousel.
"Yay!" Akane and Dachi were beyond happy as Azumi continued to spin as fast as she could.
Lindow, Sayaka, and Soma could see the show from a distance. Lindow commented, "I think I get why she wanted to go first."
Sayaka complimented, "She's pretty good with them."
"…" Soma remained silent as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
Lindow then noticed that someone other than the children was approaching Azumi's position. He told his fellow God Eaters, "I think it's almost time."
Azumi was in the middle of providing her 'carousel ride' when she noticed her father was approaching. She slowly came to a stop before putting the kids down and telling them, "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to cut this short, kids."
Unsurprisingly, all the children had the same reaction. "Aww …"
"Sorry," Azumi ruffled the hair on two of the children as she told them, "but duty calls. I'll make it up to you later."
"You promise?" Akane asked.
Azumi held up her pinky finger, "Promise." She then locked her pinky with Akane's.
"You better keep it!" Dachi spoke up as he held up his pinky.
"I will." Azumi said as she locked her pinky with Dachi's.
"You better be ready to stick a needle in your eye if you don't!" Dachi playfully 'threatened'.
"Heh." Azumi replied with a grin, "I won't need to."
The children noticed Azumi's father was approaching and dispersed as she walked toward him.
Haru was walking toward Azumi at a rushed pace when he asked, "Azumi, what happened? We saw your flare from the skyscraper. Did something happen? Are you okay?"
"…" Azumi blinked before giving her father an answered, "Everything is fine, father. In fact, it's is better than fine. Yu and I made contact with people who will escort us to Fenrir."
Haru was taken aback, "Escort us? Are you serious?"
"Very." Azumi turned around and called out, "Hey guys, you can come out now."
On cue, Lindow, Sayaka, and Soma revealed themselves while wielding their gigantic trademark weapons for all to see. To say that some people were surprised by their unexpected guests would be putting it mildly. Most of the people stood up and walked closer to get a better look at these God Eaters while others remained perfectly still.
"…" Haru's eyes widened as he saw the God Eaters approach and was left speechless.
"I take it that you're the leader of this group, right?" Lindow rehotrically asked.
Haru merely replied, "Yes."
Lindow then asked, "And you're heading to Fenrir, right?"
Haru gave the same reply, "Yes."
"Then allow us to be your escort." Lindow motioned to Azumi, "Be glad that your daughter managed to catch our attention while we were here."
"Um …" Haru bowed as he said, "This is unexpected, but you have my gratitude."
"No need to get so formal." Lindow held out and shook his hand. "Anyway, we'll get going as soon as you're ready to leave. With your vehicles, we should get to Fenrir in only a couple of days. We'll stick with you until then."
"Thank you, God Eater." Haru bowed his head again. "We are in your debt."
"…" Lindow did not offer an immediate reply to the leader of this group.
/
Shortly after the God Eaters arrived and introduced themselves, it boosted morale of the survivors to an all-time high. They could now directly approach Fenrir without needing to fear the Aragami. According to them, they would receive notification from Fenrir HQ if any new Aragami appeared in the area even though they had wiped out all the local ones. Regardless, everyone was thrilled to have this extra security, and they were even happier knowing they would finally complete their journey to Fenrir in about two or three days if they continued at the current pace.
The survivors decided they would head out at first light. In the meantime, they had to get some sleep. Haru continued to discuss matters with the God Eaters while Azumi and Yu decided to turn in.
"Heh." Azumi chuckled as she told her brother, "What'd I tell you? It was a quick trip and we didn't have any issues with Aragami or psychos." Azumi snapped her fingers, "It was a snap!"
"Well …" Yu reluctantly admitted, "after everything that's happened, it was a pleasant surprise to see it go smoothly."
"You do realize that despite our bad luck lately, the number of our smooth trips beat out those incidents by a lot, right?" Azumi pointed out, "Those incidents are just … let's say 'more memorable'."
Yu merely turned around and went, "Hmph."
"What?" Azumi seemed 'disheartened' as she asked, "Don't tell me you didn't keep count?"
Yu glanced over to Azumi, "Not really. Like you said, the ones where something actually happened stick out more, so I'll take your word for it." Yu then turned his head to face away from her.
Azumi sighed as she shook her head, "Well, let's just hope those times will become a distant memory for us."
Yu chuckled, "Here's hoping."
"Just get some rest." Azumi laid down as she told him, "We'll be leaving early tomorrow."
Yu and Azumi were facing away from each other when Yu asked out loud, "Sis …"
Azumi was attempting to close her eyes as she replied, "Yes?"
Yu confessed, "You know … It was one thing when we were so far away. It hardly seemed real. But now that we're not that far away, it's starting to feel 'real'. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yeah …" Azumi remained lying down as she told her brother, "I know what you mean. I can't believe we're almost there. We've been talking about it for months, and it always seemed so far away until now. It's only a stone's throw away, and we'll be arriving tomorrow. This feels like a dream."
"It really does feel like it's be too good to be true." Yu asked, "Do you think there's something that Lindow isn't telling us? Some sort of catch?"
"Maybe … It wouldn't surprise me." Azumi replied, "But we will cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's just get some rest."
"Okay …" Both Yu and Azumi did their best to try to sleep despite feeling a mixture of anxiousness and excitement.
/
On the first day of their escort, Azumi and Yu were sitting in the back of the same truck with the God Eaters. The God Eaters wished to remain close to their weapons, and the truck was the best place to accommodate them. While some of the other survivors squeezed in on some of the other transport vehicles, Azumi and Yu decided to remain in the same vehicle as the God Eaters. While they were sitting in the truck during their bumpy ride to Fenrir, Sayaka decided to approach Yu, and Lindow approached Azumi.
Azumi was lying on the floor of the truck. Every once in a while she could feel her body jolt up due to the rough terrain, but she was used to it. Azumi looked over to see Lindow leaning back on the wall as he commented, "I saw what you did yesterday. Seems like you're pretty good with the kids."
"Hmm … It comes with the territory." Azumi leaned her head against the side of the truck. "I'm one of the few who actually has a little brother, so I have some experience with kids."
"Heh." Lindow asked in an amused tone, "So, I guess that makes you everyone's 'Big Sister', doesn't it?"
Azumi shrugged, "Pretty much. Most of the families I've seen only have one kid. It's pretty unusual for me to see someone who actually 'has' a sibling of their own. You get what I mean?"
"Hmm." Lindow nodded, "I get it, but why did your family have more than one?"
"My brother …" Azumi glanced away before answering, "He was … Well my parents didn't mean to have him due to the circumstances."
"Hmph-Hmm." Lindow didn't need more of an explanation.
"Don't get me wrong." Azumi waved her hands as she remarked, "I'm glad they had him. I love my little brother. I'd do anything for him, and I know I'd probably would've died a long time ago if he didn't have my back."
"Hmm …" Lindow almost sounded envious as he remarked, "Sounds like you two are very close."
Azumi looked up as she asked, "Is that a bad thing?"
"No." Lindow admitted, "I just can't imagine what life must've been like living out here for so long. My sister and I had the good fortune of being born before all this happened. Being lucky enough to live in Fenrir certainly has helped keep us alive."
"…" Azumi offered no words.
"But you …" Lindow sounded genuine as he told her, "I daresay you're pretty impressive yourself."
"Me?" Azumi asked expectantly as she pointed to herself.
"Yeah." Lindow rhetorically asked, "I take that rooftop mission wasn't the first time you've taken him with you, right?"
Azumi immediately replied, "No."
"Then I take it that you've been watching over him." Lindow gestured to Yu who was speaking to Sayaka, "The fact you've helped him survive this long out here is truly impressive. I'm not joking. I'm actually am impressed."
"Well … Thanks …" Azumi then reiterated, "But my brother has done a good job looking after himself and watching my back.. We're a team."
"Good for you." Lindow remarked, "There aren't a lot of siblings that can get along well enough to form a team."
Azumi raised an eyebrow as she inquired, "Do you and your sister not get along?"
"Meh." Lindow waved his hand as he told Azumi, "I wouldn't say that. She's a big stickler, but I trust her plenty. I know she trusts me to get the job done."
"That's good." Azumi breathed a sigh of relief, "You had me worried for a second."
Lindow tilted his head, "You were worried for me?"
"Well …" Azumi replied, "I think it's a good thing you can trust your sister. Siblings should always be able to trust each other, right?'
Lindow concurred, "You're not wrong."
"Is your sister a God Eater, too?" Azumi quickly asked a follow-up question, "Have you gone on missions together?"
Lindow answered, "She's a God Eater, but we don't go on missions together. When we have mission, we have more than ourselves to worry about."
"Hmm …" Azumi merely replied, "I understand … I guess …"
"So …" Lindow decided to ask, "About what we were talking about earlier. Am I really that scary to your brother? I'm sure he's seen plenty of things way scarier than me."
"Not you necessarily …" Azumi leaned on the side of the truck as she explained, "We've been running and hiding from the Aragami our entire lives. It was really something else to see you guys take them out like that. You made them look like they were nothing. It was both awesome and scary to see."
"Huh …" Lindow nodded his head as he conceded, "Touché."
"Yu needs a little time." Azumi assured Lindow, "You may find this hard to believe, but my little brother is actually one of the bravest people you could ever know. Believe me."
"Heh." Lindow sounded genuine as he said, "It's not that hard to believe. The fact he was even scouting with you was good enough."
"You know … speaking of fighting …" Azumi looked away as she asked, "What's it like fighting for you?"
Lindow raised an eyebrow, "Hmm?"
"You might've won easily, but I just could feel like if any of you had made a mistake, things could've ended 'really' badly." Azumi looked up to him as she asked, "How do you deal with that?"
Lindow scratched the back of his head, "You're not wrong about that. I guess the secret is simply experience."
"Then what about these weapons you guys carry around." Azumi pointed to the giant sword lying in front of them. "They're pretty cool, but they seem impractical. How do they work?"
"Hmm …" Lindow stared at his weapon for a few moments before telling Azumi, "I won't deny that they're a little inconvenient at times. They're not exactly the easiest thing to carry around. When I was getting started, I remember hitting a door when I was heading out for a mission.
"Heh …" Azumi put her hand on her mouth to prevent herself from laughing, "I …" Azumi quickly cleared her throat, "I can totally see that."
Lindow sounded amused, "I knew you'd get a kick out of it. People always laugh when I tell them that story. Sayaka came close to busting her gut."
"What about the serious kid?" Azumi pointed to Soma in the corner.
Lindow asked, "You mean Soma?"
Azumi nodded, "Yeah. Did that make him smile?"
Lindow answered, "It made him smile."
Azumi asked in disbelief, "Really?"
"Yeah." Lindow held up a finger, "It only lasted for a second, but he definitely smiled. He'll deny from hell to back that he did, but I know he did."
"You know … I wasn't just talking about how big those weapons are." Azumi clarified, "I was really talking about how heavy they must be. Are they that light or are you that strong?"
"Ah. About that." Lindow bent down and grabbed his sword, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to explain that much to you," With the hand that had a bracelet attached, Lindow held up the sword without breaking a sweat as he told her, "but there is one thing you need to understand."
Azumi asked, "What's that?"
Lindow put the weapon back down as he told her, "Aragami are generally massive creatures. I know you've seen a number of them during your travels."
Azumi looked at the sword as she told him, "Yes …"
"We need strong and massive weapons to do damage." Lindow put his foot on the weapon as he told her, "If our weapons are not strong enough to even put a dent into those monster, there would be no point."
"Oh … I see … Now that I think about it, you guys were easily able to cut those Aragami down to size with those weapons." Azumi conceded, "You wouldn't be able to do it with any of the weapons I have."
"Nope." Lindow remarked, "Now, about what you asked me before. Those weapons are too heavy for humans to hold, but not for God Eaters."
"…" Azumi stared at the weapon before she attempted to stand. At that moment the truck hit a pothole that nearly caused Azumi to fall, but she used her hand and the wall to keep herself steady. She looked Lindow in the eyes as she asked, "Is it possible for me to become a God Eater?"
"We'll have to find out." Lindow replied.
/
While Azumi and Lindow were having their discussion, Sayaka and Yu were having their own. Sayaka sat next to Yu as she teasingly told him, "I saw how you reacted when all those kids were gathering around your sister."
"Huh?" Yu glanced over to her.
"So," Sayaka asked, "do you ever feel jealous when all those kids have your Big Sis' attention?"
"What?" Yu crossed his arms and looked away as he denied, "No. Of course not. Why would I be? Why would you think that?"
"I was just curious." Sayaka leaned forward as she said, "It just seems like she's a real big hit with the little kids here."
"Of course she is." Yu told Sayaka, "The kids here know her better than most of the adults."
"Huh?" Sayaka tilted her head, "What was that?"
"Um …" Yu looked away, "nothing … It's just she's a lot cooler than these moody adults."
"So I see …" Sayaka decided to drop it in favor of another topic, "So you and your sister have been through a lot, huh?"
"Yeah." Yu replied, "We've been through everything."
Sayaka was able to keep the conversation going until the truck eventually came to a stop.
/
It was finally night time, and the group had decided to take a rest. Even the God Eaters would agree traveling at night would not be the wisest course of action, so they set up camp. Azumi decided to speak with Lindow some more as he volunteered to help them with the camp preparations.
As they were setting up one of the tests, Azumi assured Lindow, "Okay, that's good. I can finish this."
"Okay." Lindow backed off and turned away. As he faced away from Azumi, he pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.
When Azumi heard the lighter, she couldn't help but shake her head. She remarked, "Quite a far cry from what you're used to in Fenrir, right?"
"Heh." Lindow pulled the cigarette out of his mouth as he replied, "That's one way of putting it."
"What is it like living in Fenrir?" Azumi curiously asked as she finished putting up the tent.
Lindow breathed in the cigarette and breathed out the smoke. Even though the smoke wasn't in Azumi's path, she couldn't help but cough at the smell, "Oh right. Sorry about that." Lindow flicked the cigarette away.
"Ugh …" Azumi groaned, "That stuff's nasty. How do you smoke that crap?"
"Meh." Lindow shrugged, "Helps take the edge off.
Azumi asked in disbelief, "Seriously? What are those things exactly?"
"You've never heard of …" Lindow had to remind himself, "Oh, right. I guess you wouldn't." He then asked, "How old were you when all this went down?"
Azumi answered, "Nine."
"Hmm …" Lindow nodded, "I guess you wouldn't remember what cigarettes were even if you had heard about them when you were a kid."
Azumi tilted her head, "Cigarettes …?" Azumi repeated, "Cigarettes … That does kinda sound familiar."
Lindow put what was left of his cigarette pack back in his pocket as he warned her, "You're probably better off not smoking them. It wouldn't be for you, trust me."
"… Okay," Azumi pointedly asked him, "so why do you smoke them?"
"It's just my thing." Lindow quickly changed the topic, "Anyway, you were asking about fighting Aragami back in the truck … As dangerous as it is, it comes with a rather unique reward."
"Really?" Azumi took a step forward.
Lindow told her, "God Eaters get a decent place to live, and we get good food. Of course, we constantly get sent on 'Life or Death' missions, but it comes with the territory."
"I … see …" Azumi then asked, "What about people who are not God Eaters?"
Lindow made himself clear, "They're not allowed to live with the God Eaters if that's what you want to know. Even if they're a family member, they are not allowed to live with the God Eater. I think the higher ups might allow a 'sleepover', but even that might be pushing it."
Azumi raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"
"It's not exactly unreasonable." Lindow clarified, "The God Eaters are the ones putting their lives on the line, so it's only fair their quality of life would … For a lack of a better word, be 'higher'."
Azumi replied, "I'm not disputing that, but you're not exactly answering my question."
Lindow sighed, "Well I suppose there's no getting around you." Lindow explained, "Let's say you become a God Eater but no one else in your family can. You'd be allowed to stay in the God Eater's accommodations while other member of your family would be placed in designated housing."
"What's that?" Azumi inquired.
Lindow replied, "Nothing to be proud of, but they'll be a lot better off staying in there than out here."
Azumi bluntly asked, "So you're saying they're kinda crappy, right?"
Lindow shrugged, "I guess that depends on your definitely of 'crappy', but I suppose you wouldn't be wrong."
Azumi asked for clarification, "… But they'd be safe, right?"
Lindow answered, "We'd do everything we can."
"I see …" Azumi breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good enough for me."
Lindow remarked, "Nice to know you're practical."
/
Yu watched from a distance as Azumi and Lindow were talking. Sayaka walked up to him and asked, "Worried about your sister?"
"Um …" Yu glanced at Sayaka then back at Azumi as he attempted to give an answer, "Well …"
"Don't be." Sayaka assured the boy, "Lindow isn't the type to hit on someone during a mission. I don't think you need to worry."
Yu looked in Sayaka's direction as he told her, "It's not that. Actually, I wouldn't mind it."
"Oh?" Sayaka raised an eyebrow, "You don't mind someone stealing your big sister away?"
"Don't say it like that!" Yu shivered as he told her, "It sounds creepy."
Sayaka laughed, "Sorry. Just teasing." Sayaka's tone changed as she said, "But seriously, you wouldn't mind if your sister started dating someone?"
"Dating …" Yu asked, "That's what people do when they get together, right?"
"…" Sayaka took a moment before responding, "Yes."
Yu replied as he looked in Azumi and Lindow's direction, "Then, it depends."
Sayaka asked, "On what?"
Yu looked Sayaka in the eyes as he asked her, "Would he make her happy?"
Sayaka's eyes widened upon hearing Yu's question. "Oh …" Sayaka momentarily didn't know what to say as absentmindedly said, "… I underestimated you."
"What?" Yu sounded baffled as he tilted his head.
"Um …" Sayaka quickly corrected herself, "What I mean is that you're more mature than I would've expected." Sayaka then put her hand on Yu's head and ruffled his hair, "You really are a good brother."
"Hey!" Yu protested as he put his hands on Sayaka's arm, "Cut that out!"
"Heh." Sayaka chuckled as she let go, "You're too easy."
Yu sarcastically remarked, "You and my sister would really get along."
"I bet." Sayaka grinned, "She seems to like teasing you, too."
"Hmph." Yu crossed his arms and glanced away.
"You definitely are a kid." Sayaka playfully remarked.
Yu repeated his protest, "Just cut it out."
"Okay, okay. I'll stop." Sayaka decided to ask for clarification, "So would you want your sister to date Lindow? He's an eligible bachelor, after all."
"Bachelor?" Yu inquired, "What's a bachelor?"
"Um …" Sayaka gave a brief explanation, "It means he's single."
"Oh …" Yu looked toward Azumi and Lindow as he said, "Well … he seems okay … I guess, but he smells horrible." Yu waved his hand, "Why does he smell so bad?"
"Hmm …" Sayaka then realized, "Oh yeah. I guess I got too used to it."
"Seriously?" Yu cringed at the thought, "How could you get used to it? He smells worse than crap. What makes him smell that bad?"
Sayaka held two fingers in front of her mouth as if she was holding something before she answered, "Cigarettes."
"Cigarettes?" It took a moment for it to click with Yu, "You mean those things that caused that smoke?"
"Yep, but don't worry." Sayaka assured Yu, "Lindow would quit smoking cold turkey if he ever started dating someone."
"Um …" Yu tilted his head again, "Cold turkey?"
"Oh." Sayaka attempted to correct herself, "I mean …"
"Ha!" Yu pointed at Sayaka as he exclaimed, "Got you! My sister taught me that saying."
"Hmph." Sayaka responded in amusement, "I guess you did get me."
"But you know … I've never had 'turkey' before." Yu then asked, "Do you have that at Fenrir?"
"Um …" Sayaka replied, "We do have some animals reserved, but we can't always go about killing them for meat. If they all died under our care, that might be it for them as a species worldwide."
"Oh …" Yu looked down disappointed.
"Anyway," Sayaka then tried to steer conversation back, "I guess when it comes to your sister dating, you'd prefer her to date a nonsmoker."
Yu was affirmative, "Definitely."
"You know." Sayaka replied, "I've always been under the impression that bothers tend to be 'overprotective' of their sisters, and they aren't always so keen on seeing them date someone."
"We've already done a lot together." Yu looked at Azumi and Lindow talking as he stated, "After everything that's happened, I just want her to be happy. If she can be happy by dating someone, then that's how it has to be."
"Wow." Sayaka marveled as she repeated her praise, "That a pretty mature attitude."
"Shut up." Yu crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks, "I don't need your commentary."
This caused Sayaka to think, "He can be mature, but he's still a kid underneath that."
/
The following day, Sayaka found herself being approached by Azumi instead. When Azumi spoke to her, she said, "Um … Sayaka-san … can I um …"
Sayaka smiled as she told Azumi, "No need to be so formal. You can call me Sayaka if you want."
"Okay, Sayaka." Azumi then told her, "I appreciate the time you spent speaking with my brother. You've definitely helped him feel more at ease with God Eaters. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I was happy to do so." Sayaka remarked, "He's a cute kid. You did a great job raising him."
"Um … Thanks." Azumi then said, "Anyway, I don't want to sound offensive, but …"
Before Azumi could finish, Sayaka rhetorically asked, "It's about the way I dress, right?'
Azumi asked, "How'd you know?"
Sayaka replied, "You're not the first person to ask me about it. Plus I've seen enough people giving me weird looks to know what's on their mind."
"I'm sorry," Azumi scratched the back of her head as she told Sayaka, "but you're outfit isn't exactly a kid friendly look, and we do have a quite a few of them here."
Sayaka shrugged, "Touché."
Azumi then inquired, "It's not some kind of uniform is it?"
"No." Sayaka replied, "I just like wearing this."
Azumi raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Yep." Sayaka explained, "It's pretty convenient for me to move in this. If you become a God Eater, you could ask them to give you a uniform. They're fine with letting you wear whatever you want as long as you can fight."
"I guess that makes sense …" Azumi replied.
As Azumi was speaking to Sayaka, her father, Haru, was watching from a distance.
/
When Azumi was finished speaking to Sayaka, Haru finally decided it was time to speak with her. He said to her, "Azumi …"
"Father …" Azumi replied in kind as she attempted to walk passed him only for him to stand in front of her, "What is it?"
"Azumi …" Haru asked, "Have you been avoiding me?"
Without hesitation, Azumi replied, "Yes."
"Why?" Haru asked.
"Do you really have to ask?" Azumi rhetorically asked.
Haru countered, "If I knew, I woudn't be asking."
"…" Azumi looked her father in the eyes as she told him, "Because you're disgusted by me."
"What?" Haru was taken aback.
"You heard me." Azumi repeated, "You're disgusted by me. You always have been, so don't act surprised that I figured it out."
Haru was aghast as he asked, "Why would you think that?"
"Because you are!" Azumi exclaimed, "You've been disgusted by how I've been willing to kill to survive. You've never really tried to stop me because you know I was right, and you hated that!"
"…" Haru offered no words.
"The other day …" Azumi told him, "I saw how you reacted the other day. I saved your life from those assholes, but you were still disgusted that I killed those men."
"I was …" Haru began to speak.
"Do you know how I felt when you were knocked out?" Before Haru would reply, Azumi coldly told him, "I was frightened that you might've been killed, father. I was scared that you wouldn't wake up. I didn't know if you'd open your eyes before another one of those psychos came along or an Aragami decided to tear through the building and eat us."
"…" Haru was having difficulty trying to find the words to speak up to his daughter's onslaught.
Azumi looked away as she told him, "When you woke up, I was so relieved. I was happy that you were alive. However," Azumi then glared at him, "I stopped feeling relieved … When I saw your eyes, I started to feel angry. You were horrified by what I had done." Azumi corrected herself, "What Yu and I had done. It didn't matter that we had to do it. You were still horrified by what we did. It didn't matter that we didn't have a choice. You didn't care about that at all."
"That's not true." Haru attempted to protest.
"It is." Azumi stated, "I saw it in your eyes. If you're so afraid of me now, how are you going to look at me if I become a God Eater?"
"A God Eater?" Haru backed up.
"Yes. A God Eater." Azumi stated, "Thankfully, after we get to Fenrir, we won't have to deal with each other anymore. I'm sure they'll be plenty of jobs, and if I can, I will become a God Eater."
Haru asked, "Why would you want to become one?"
"It's simple." Azumi answered, "It's because I'm tired of running away from them. You may feel satisfied running and hiding, but I can't. If I can fight them, I will. And what would you do if I became one?"
"I would …" Haru took a breath before he answered, "If you did become a God Eater Azumi, I would be proud. I know we can trust you to do the right thing like you always have. I believe in you."
"…" Azumi was silent as she tilted her head. She asked in a dumbfounded tone, "What?"
"I'm …" Haru admitted, "I was weak, Azumi. I made mistakes, and I was afraid. However, I wasn't afraid of what you think. I was afraid of losing you."
"Losing me …" Azumi couldn't bring herself to comprehend as she said, "You never lost me. I've always been here. Doing what I had to do for you. For mom. For Yu. For everyone."
"I know." Haru briefly looked down as he stated, "It's just that … There isn't much of an excuse to how some of the 'elders' look at you or how I acted … Things were different before all this happened. Laws were different. Society was different. I was a cop, and I had to uphold that order every day. It's hard to forget it even after all these years. We didn't have to worry about killing other survivors until only a few years ago. Almost everyone we met, either joined us or went their own way. We didn't think about how there'd be survivors that would want to kill us. However, you were willing to pull the trigger first before I even pulled out the gun. That scared everyone that you could make such a split second decision like that."
"I …" It was Azumi's turn to be speechless.
Haru put his hand on Azumi's shoulder, "I have to remind myself that you barely lived in the world I knew. You've spent most of your life in this one. It's only natural that things would be much different for you. I wanted you and your brother to have a better life … A life much better than this, but I know I can't … I knew things would never be what they were again."
"I …" Azumi put her hand on her father's hand, "I may not remember much of it, but I do wish we could go back to that time."
Haru nodded, "We all do."
"But it's like you said father." Azumi repeated his words, "The 'Past is Prologue'. We can't do anything to change the past, but we can do something about our futures."
"Spoken like a true Kannagi." Both he and his daughter laughed.
"I …" Azumi happily admitted, "I missed moments like this father …"
"Me too." Haru smiled.
Azumi said, "I'd like to keep things like this if we can. I don't want to go back to us always fighting."
Haru replied, "I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. I want to keep this going as well."
"Do you think it'll get easier when we get into Fenrir?" Azumi asked in a hopeful tone.
"Maybe …" That was the only answer Haru could give.
/
Today was the day. It was the day that they were supposed to arrive. When Azumi noticed something just on the horizon, she picked up a pair of binoculars and looked into the distance. Through them, Azumi could see a structure. It was hard to make out what it was, but she could tell this structure was not a remnant of a city building.
Azumi excitedly exclaimed, "Hey! I see something!" Other people looked in that direction as well.
From what they could tell, the structure appeared to be intact, and they could tell that it would be big up close. It dawned on them all on what they were gazing upon. It was Fenrir. After months of traveling, they had nearly reached their destination.
When Azumi saw Fenrir, she didn't know how to react. A smile crept along her face as she continued to look through the binoculars. As more details became noticeable, the structure appeared to be large and circular. The walls of this structure appeared to be half the height of the skyscraper her brother and her had climbed the other day.
'Fortress' was the first word that came to Azumi. She remembered seeing fortresses on TV when she was a child. A 'fortress' was the first word that came to mind to describe this structure.
Lindow was next to her when he asked, "Quite a sight, huh?'
Azumi took her eyes away from the binoculars and looked to Lindow as she responded, "Yeah … It looks great. It looks safe."
"Safe." Lindow repeated, "I guess that's one way to describe Fenrir."
"…" Azumi then decided to asked, "Have the Aragami ever managed to get in?"
"They've tried." Lindow told her, "We've had some minor breaches in the past, but we've been able to take them out and repair the damage."
"So …" Azumi came to the realization, "… even Fenrir isn't imperturbable."
"No," Lindow remarked, "but it's the closest thing we have."
Azumi reluctantly stated, "I guess beggars can't be choosers."
"Exactly." Lindow remarked, "Now you're getting it."
/
Unfortunately for the survivors, their mood would immediately change upon their arrival at the gates of Fenrir. Fenrir's gates were not about to open and let them in with open arms. Everyone was confused at first by what was going on. Lindow attempted to speak with the people at the gate, but they kept the gates closed. Instead, they took out these testing kits.
The kits in question were supplies meant to test people if they had the compatibly to become God Eaters. They announced to everyone that only those that tested positive would be allowed through the gate. Only them and their families. Everyone else would be left outside. Needless to say, a sense of dread hovered all the survivors, including Azumi and Yu.
As everyone was reacting to the news, Lindow took out another cigarette and began to light it. He had barely taking one puff before someone was next to him to demand an explanation.
"Lindow!" Sayaka walked over to her commanding officer as she demanded an explanation, "Lindow are you joking? Are you saying they might actually turn these people away?"
"Unfortunately," Lindow replied, "that's exactly what I'm saying."
Sayaka then asked, "Didn't we use to let everyone in?"
Lindow somberly told Sayaka, "We did, but things changed a while ago. This is just the first time you're seeing it for yourself."
The anger in Sayaka's voice was becoming more evident as she continued to speak, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
Lindow merely replied, "I honestly thought they told you."
"…" Sayaka lightly bit her lip before saying, "Please don't tell me you're okay with this, Captain."
Lindow took another puff of his cigarette before answering, "Whether I'm okay with it or not is irrelevant. The higher ups made their decision and these guards 'will' enforce it."
"…" Sayaka glanced away as she weakly told him, "It's not right … They all came here just for this …?"
Lindow continued to hold his cigarette as he conceded, "Many people will agree with you."
Before they could continue, they saw Azumi and Yu heading their way, "What the hell is going on, Lindow?! You didn't tell me about this!" Azumi angrily asked, "Did you know we'd be tested at the front gate?"
"…" Lindow took a breath.
"Well ...?" Azumi asked pleadingly.
Lindow exhaled before admitting, "I was hoping you wouldn't."
Azumi was taken aback, "What? But that's insane? They'll just leave us out here if we don't pass?"
"Yep." Lindow flicked his cigarette away as he explained, "I've told the higher ups we should be a little more open minded with letting in those that are 'incompatible' to become God Eaters into Fenrir since they might have other uses, but they also have a point. Unfortunately, there's only so much room in Fenrir."
"But …" Azumi attempted to protest, "… how many people can actually be alive out here?"
"Hmm …" Lindow crossed his arms as he glanced away, "That's not a bad question. All the more reason I'd rather hash things out differently, but it's not up to me. Sorry, kid."
"…" Azumi and Yu offered no words.
"Anyway, we might as well get this over with." Lindow handed the test to Azumi and Yu, "Here. You definitely won't be let in if you don't take the test."
"Fine …" Azumi reluctantly accepted it.
Lindow oversaw the results of Azumi and Yu personally. The test took place in the form of patches that were placed on the person's skin. If their skin's color changed after removing the patch, it would mean they are compatible to become God Eaters. Apparently, that also meant if they had children, it was likely their children would inherit the compatibility as well.
Azumi and Yu placed the patches on their arms, and their eyes were locked on them. After a few moments passed, Lindow told them, "All right. That should be long enough."
"…" Both Azumi and Yu glanced at each other. They both nodded and simultaneously removed their patches.
The two gasped when they saw the tone of their skin had changed. According to Lindow, that meant they both tested 'positive' to become God Eaters. The two remained silent, but their surprised expressions quickly changed to a smile. They both looked at each other, but they lacked the ability to find the words to express how they felt.
Lindow decided to chime in, "Congratulations, the two of you made the cut. Although, I can't say I feel surprised."
"So …" Azumi took a step forward as she asked in disbelief, "That's it? We really passed?"
"That's what the test says." Lindow pointed at Azumi's arm. "It doesn't lie."
"We did it… We actually did it, Yu." Azumi and Yu hugged each other.
"Yeah! We did it, sis!" Yu happily proclaimed, "We can live in Fenrir!"
As the two of them were celebrating, Lindow glanced over before telling them, "Sorry to cut your celebration short, but that only means the two of you and your family can be allowed in."
When they heard that, Azumi's hug loosened as she asked, "What …?"
"Look over there." Lindow pointed to the other members of Azumi's group. None of them were in the same celebratory mood Azumi and Yu were in. "It doesn't look like the test went nearly as well for anyone else."
"Then …" Azumi began to ask, "Are you saying after all this …?"
Lindow confirmed, "I'm afraid most of your caravan won't be allowed through the front gate."
/
Author Notes: Azumi and her father have definitely had plenty of complications in their relationship. As noted before, the way they grew up is the major source of this. While Azumi was born in the world her father knows, she spent most of her life, including her childhood in this desolate world. She knows this world best, and she understood much earlier that certain morals from the old world do not apply or cannot be maintained in most situations. I would say that while they have talked out a few differences in this chapter, they are not entirely resolved. It would take time.
It was also always my intention to have Azumi have the capability to be a God Eater. Since Yu had the capability, I figured if he had a sibling he/she would probably have the same potential he had. I think it's likely their father would also have the potential, but their mother wouldn't. However, she would still be allowed in because her family passed.
In the God Eater anime, she showed how a number of civilians attempted to enter Fenrir, and none of them were allowed in. I figured that while having the potential might be a dominant trait, it was still rare due to it only recently developing in humanity. Thanks to state of the world, it would be unlikely for a sizeable amount to share that ability.
Thank you for reading the chapter, and I will see you next time for the anniversary of this story. In the meantime, be sure to leave a review.