Author Notes: We are closer to the end. There are only three chapters left of this story, including this chapter. I have written scenes for the concluding chapters, and I plan to finish the writing for them and upload them as soon as possible. It is a shame a few scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, but they could potentially be used in a sequel if this story gets more reviews in the future.

As you saw in the previous chapter, Azumi happily embraces the role to become a God Eater while requesting her brother be put on hold until he is sixteen. I believe the protagonist of God Eater was sixteen when he becomes a God Eater, so I decided this would be an explanation for why that would happen in this continuity. Additionally, Azumi has her own motivations to make this request. Big Sister related motivations.

Lindow more or less suspects they are lying about Minato being their cousin, but he doesn't question it. Lindow is basically a chilled guy that he's willing to let certain things go if it is within reason. Additionally, Minato's talents are quickly making him useful to the Weapon Development department, so it is a non-issue. Very fortunate for him.

I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter, and please leave a review. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

/

Past is Prologue

Chapter Fourteen: Price of the Promised Land

/

Nothing can be free

Everyone must pay a price

Are you ready to pay?

/

It was another day of Azumi. She and her little brother, Yu, had returned from collecting material for the camp. The moment they would enter the camp, Azumi could feel her body tense up more than she did while gathering supplies. Regardless of how she felt, she would not tell Yu what she was experiencing. Instead, she would tell Yu to leave the final part of the delivery to her while he did his own thing.

As a good little brother, Yu would ask Azumi if she was sure. He would offer to be her backup, but she would tell him it wasn't necessary. Twice was enough, and Yu knew it would be better for him to back down. Afterwards, Azumi would head off to speak with their father herself. Thankfully, it was only Haru that was there. None of the others.

Azumi was correct in believing there would be issues between them. As usual there was a table between herself and her father. Despite the barrier, if someone had been there, they would witness tensions escalate between the father and daughter. He would refer to her previous potentially reckless actions, and she would give a rebuttal to justify her actions. In the end, it was a push and shove.

It came to a head when Azumi shouted, "I know you all hate me!"

Haru was taken aback, "What …?"

"I've seen how some of you look at me!" Azumi then pointed directly Haru, "Even you! You and those other 'elders' are scared of me because I'm more willing to kill! You know what, I'm proud of it! I'm not weak like you!"

"…" Haru said nothing in return.

Azumi pointed at herself, "I'm more willing to do what I need to do to keep us alive. I also know the rest of the group is split on what they think of me. One half says I've been doing the right thing so we can stay alive. The other half is scared of me, and they give me strange looks like you and your friends do. I just can't help but imagine how you'd react if I became a God Eater. If they're as strong as they say they are, I can't help but think you'd be scared shitless!" Azumi's voice was raised, "You and your friends always jumped the gun at judging me! You're so predicable it's boring the hell out of me!"

"…" Haru couldn't reply.

Azumi curled her fingers into a fist as the tone in her voice rose, "Until you saw for yourself you always assumed I just liked killing other people because I could."

"That's not true!" Haru denied, "I never said that!"

"Well, well, well. Excuse me for having a hard time believing that." Azumi put her hand on her chest, "You never really seemed keen on giving me the benefit of the doubt before. Why now?"

"That never …" Haru began to speak.

"Every time! Every 'single' time!" Azumi stepped forward, "That's how it's always been! You've never trusted me!"

Haru calmly replied, "I have trusted you, Azumi."

"To get the job done, maybe." Azumi sarcastically stated, "You know I always get the job done." She then tossed Haru the bag of supplies she and Yu had gathered which landed on the table in front of Haru. "At least, I'm good for that." Before Haru could say a word, Azumi turned her back and waved off anything he had to say.

"…" Haru then opened the bag to see what was inside.

As Azumi walked away, she remarked, "I'm sure Minato will be happy to have some of that, so let him have a fair cut too."

/

It was then that Azumi opened her eyes. She looked up to a ceiling that was once unfamiliar above her head. The same ceiling she had been looking up to for the past few weeks while lying on something that provided her with an unfamiliar sensation of comfort and stability. It didn't matter how long she was there. It was still another world.

Azumi felt uneasy when she woke up, and it wasn't just due to this being the awaited day. It was something else. Azumi helped to see someone to work things out before it was time. However, she ran into Lindow shortly after she left her room.

Unfortunately, Azumi's state was highly noticeable as Lindow took immediate notice, "You look like hell. Bad sleep?"

After brushing her hair back, Azumi remarked, "That obvious?"

"Pretty much." Azumi could hear an audible pop from Lindow's neck when he moved it before he then told her, "I've been at this long enough to tell. Anything you want to share?"

Azumi shook her head, "Not really."

Lindow put his hands on his hips as he remarked, "The opposite of your brother, huh?"

"No, that's not what I …" Azumi massaged the back of her neck as she stated, "Look. I appreciate that you and Sayaka are going to keep what Yu told you about me to yourselves, but he shouldn't have told you in the first place."

Lindow concurred, "True, but you know he meant well."

"I'm aware of that, but it doesn't matter." Azumi was exasperated, "I had to make sure he understood that good intentions aren't the same as good ideas."

"Too true." Once again, there was no argument from Lindow. "So what now?"

"Anyway, I can't tell you much because I don't remember much." Azumi looked to the side as she remarked, "It was just a dream, but it did make me think about my family."

"I see." Lindow nodded his head, "It isn't unusual for people to think of such things when they're about to become God Eater. In fact, I'd say it's normal."

Azumi could only say, "Right …"

Lindow inquired, "You doubt me?"

"No." Azumi shook her head, "When does it happen again? I forgot."

Lindow reminded her, "It's about one hour. You have some last minute stuff to do?"

Azumi answered, "I'd like to talk with my cousin."

"That's doable." Lindow replied, "I was afraid you were gonna see your brother. You're cutting it close enough as it is."

"I know." Azumi remarked, "But he's the one I need to talk to about this."

"Very well." Lindow reminded her, "Just make sure you get to the conversion room on time. You know the higher ups don't like to be kept waiting."

"Heh." Azumi scoffed, "They've been waiting for weeks. They can wait another hour."

Lindow couldn't help but grin, "Well said."

"Anyway, you won't need to worry about it, Captain. I'll be there." Azumi assured him before she took her leave.

Lindow casually replied, "Of course, I won't. Later."

/

Azumi found Minato at the workshop inspecting the various material. Unsurprisingly, he was the first one there, so they would be alone. She could see he was picking things up quickly. Nothing could remove his attention to his work until Azumi made her presence known.

Minato grinned as he told Azumi, "Today is the day."

Azumi repeated, "Today is the day."

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Minato inquired.

"Hardly." Azumi held her hand and gripped her fist. "I'm about to do something few people have been able to. I'm not about to throw it away."

"Of course you wouldn't." Minato leaned against his table as he wholeheartedly remarked, "That wouldn't be you. It just wouldn't."

"…" Azumi simply replied with a nod.

"If it isn't that, then I guess something else is eating you." Minato speculated, "Am I warm?"

"Burning up." Azumi then stated, "That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Minato raised an eyebrow while sounding amused, "A confidant session, is it?"

Azumi shrugged, "More or less."

Minato decided to cut to the chase, "Okay then. What is it?"

"Well …" Azumi rubbed the back of her neck as she told him, "I talked to my father." She clarified, "I dreamed of a time I talked to my father."

"I …" Minato broke eye contact as he looked toward the ground, "I see …"

"Specifically," Azumi provided further clarification, "It was when I confronted him about how I thought he hated me."

"Ugh …" Minato cringed, "I heard some of that."

"Of course you did." Azumi shrugged before asking, "Do you remember the part when I told him that he and his friends would be terrified if I became a God Eater?"

"I probably missed that part." Minato then stated, "But it is funny how life works out, huh?"

"Yeah …" Azumi sounded resigned, "I'll be proving myself right. They'll be plenty of decisions. I'll need to make after I become one."

"I know." Minato couldn't help but feel uneasy, "Speaking of which, what do you plan to do now?"

"I've been speaking to Lindow about that. Even with that, I don't know how things are going to go for me Minato, but there is one thing I need to make sure of …" Azumi reluctantly added, "Something I need from you."

"Okay." Minato asked, "What is it?"

"I …" Azumi took a moment before finishing, "I need you to renew your promise to me."

Minato raised an eyebrow, "Renew it?"

Azumi reminded him, "It's the promise you made to me about looking after Yu if anything happened to me."

Minato's eyes widened, "Oh that … I almost forgot about that …"

"It doesn't matter if you forgot it or not." Azumi took a step forward as she inquired, "I need to make sure that promise still stands. It does, doesn't it?"

"Of course." Minato affirmatively answered, "Of course, it still stands. I promised, and I'll keep it. If anything happens to you, I would do everything I can to look after your brother. However, I'll admit that I thought things would change after we reached Fenrir."

"No." Azumi shook her head, "I'm going to be a God Eater. If anything, that promise is more important than ever since I'll be taking on a lot of dangerous missions. There's no guarantee that I'll survive. I've been told a fairly 'decent' number of God Eaters die within their first year."

"…" Minato offered no response.

"If I'm going to have a chance, I can't be worrying about my little brother. The Fujikis may be taking care of him, but I need more insurance." Azumi concluded, "I need to make sure he'll be okay if the worst happens. This might be unfair to you, but I need your help."

"No." Minato replied, "This isn't unfair to me at all …"

"Huh?" Azumi's head moved slightly back.

"You're the reason we got to Fenrir at all." Minato then added, "Even after we got here, you're still not safe. If anything, things are more unfair for you."

"…" It was Azumi's turn to remain silent

Minato reiterated, "I promise I will look after Yu. You won't have to worry about what might happen to him if you die. You can put that out of your head, and focus on the mission. Just make sure you come back alive."

"I'll do everything I can." That was the best Azumi could offer in return of that promise. Azumi took a deep breath as she then asked, "However, there is something else I have been curious about. Something I've been wanting to ask you about since we got here."

"Sure." Minato tilted his head as he asked, "What is it?"

"Minato …" Azumi was hesitant to ask, but she knew it had to be asked. It was something that had been gnawing at her. She didn't want to say anything about it, but she knew she had to. She had to know. "What happened to Yashiko? She was with you when the Aragami attacked, right?"

"Well …" Minato could not stop himself from briefly hesitating before answering, "Not exactly."

Azumi raised an eyebrow as she inquired, "What happened?"

Minato began with, "We did find the beacon thing that was making that sound." He cleared his throat before then telling Azumi, "She was curious about what else could be in the basement while I inspected the beacon. We … We weren't together when those Aragami were coming out of the ground …"

"I see …" Azumi looked away briefly before then asking, "So … You don't know what happened to her?"

"Well …" Minato did his best to sound convincing, "She could be anywhere. At this point, I honestly couldn't tell you."

"Hmm …" Azumi looked at Minato for a moment before then inquiring, "And that blood?"

"What?" Minato honestly didn't seem to realize what Azumi was referring to.

Azumi clarified, "You were covered in blood. I remember that."

"Blood … Right …" Minato repeated, "The blood …"

"Whose blood was it?" Azumi pointed out, "I know it wasn't yours."

"I um …" Minato pulled on his shirt as he answered, "I don't know … When the Aragami showed up, someone got eaten by one of them, and it just …" Minato held up his hand then opened his fingers, "splattered … I just kept running like crazy until I saw you and your brother trying to get out of that hellhole. Other than that, it was just a blur."

"Oh …" Azumi looked away, "I understand … It's hard for me to remember everything, but still …"

Minato inquired, "Still what?"

Azumi waited for a moment before shaking her head, "Never mind. How do you feel?"

"Hard to say really …" Minato leaned his back on the table as he answered, "Glad to be alive … I guess …?"

"Yes, but anything more?" Azumi then followed up with, "Are you really okay?"

"That's a really good question, but I don't really know how to answer that …" Minato averted his eyes as he requested, "How about we save that for another time, okay?"

Azumi nodded, "Yes …. That might be for the best."

"You do have something that you need to take care of after this." Minato attempted to redirect the conversation, "It's best you stay focused on that."

"You're right." Azumi held up her hand as she remarked, "This will be the last time my hand will look like this, but still …"

"Sorry," Minato lowered his head slightly as he apologized, "I couldn't tell you more."

Azumi crossed her arms, "It's not your fault. I just wish I could've said goodbye to them."

"It's no one's fault." Minato insisted, "None of that was on you. That beacon was left there, and Kouta betrayed us. You had every right to use your gun. The Aragami were gonna show up sooner or later. If you weren't there, I doubt I'd still be here."

"…" Azumi simply took a breath. She didn't have it in her to argue. Instead, she said, I suppose I should expect my 'cousin' to say something like that."

"Hmm …" Minato nodded, "You can talk to me anytime. If you need me, I'll be there."

"I'll take you up on that." Azumi stated. Their conversation had come to an end. It was the last conversation that Azumi would have as a regular human.

/

The following day, Azumi was no longer the Azumi she had been. After she finished speaking with Minato, she headed to the designated area that Lindow told her to go. It was there that she placed her hand into a machine. It held her in place as she felt foreign substances injected into her body. It began feeling tingly until it was replaced with a sharp pain. She had to bite down on her lip and closed her eyes as she ignored what was happening.

Azumi focused her thoughts on her brother as she felt everything close around her wrist. Anything she was experiencing was pushed down. She had to think of the goal. She had to focus on what was important. This would not be important after a day or even an hour. What came after would be what was important.

The machine then clamped down on her wrist before it released her. Around her right wrist was a large bracelet not unlike the ones that Lindow, Sayaka, and Soma wore on their wrists. She would need to bear this burden for the remainder of her life. That was the price of becoming a God Eater.

After the procedure was finished, Azumi was informed she would be a gunner type. Azumi was a little surprised to hear that, but at the same time it made sense. She couldn't help but look upon the old gun that she kept at her belt.

Even after becoming a God Eater, Azumi was not authorized to enter the field right away. She would need some more training to get used to her new abilities and control her God Eater weapon. It would not be a simple task, but she knew that she could do it. Additionally, since she was in training, she would have a little extra time to visit the residential district. Lindow was more than willing to give her permission to do so as long as she didn't slack off.

/

Azumi wasted no time taking advantage of this benefit. She had no idea when these chances would dry up and how much of a gap there would be afterwards. Despite that uncertainty, she was happy to take advantage of this chance while she had it. Her brother was happy for this opportunity as well.

When Azumi visited Yu, her arm still felt out of place. She was not surprised that his eyes were drawn to her wrist. She told him to get it out of his system.

Yu hesitantly asked, "So that bracelet …?"

"Yep." Azumi held up her arm, "It's the same thing Lindow and the other God Eaters are equipped with." Azumi explained, "Inside this thing are Aragami cells that allow me to wield my God Eater."

"They got blood from those monsters in this thing?" Yu asked in a bewildered voice.

"Apparently." Azumi answered, "I don't think they're kidding about that either."

"That's insane." Yu remarked.

"No kidding." Azumi replied.

"This thing is kinda big." Yu almost touched the bracelet, but he pulled his hand back before he did and asked, "Does it have to stay on?"

"Yes." Azumi took a breath before she replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "If I force it off me, it could kill me."

"…" It took Yu a few moments to process his sister's words. When they did, he felt a shiver crawled down his spine. He wasn't sure if it was what Azumi said or how calm she was that freaked him out more. It didn't matter though. Either would.

As if reading his mind, Azumi spoke, "Don't worry." Azumi flicked her finger at the bracelet and a metallic sound could be heard as she assured him, "With the stuff this thing is made of, it'd barely get a scratch."

"Still …" Yu nervously replied, "It's a really big risk …"

"Risks are necessary to survive and win." Azumi sternly reminded him as she pointed at his chest, "You of all people know this."

Yu took a breath, "Yeah …"

"Anyway, I'm the one who will bear this risk first. If you have it in you to do this when you get older, you're gonna have to bear it." Azumi asked, "Is that understood?"

Yu nodded, "Yes, Sis. I understand."

"Good." Azumi asked, "Anything else?"

Yu held his wrist. "Was it painful to put that on?"

Azumi put her hand on her stomach, "Compared to knife in the gut? No."

Yu merely said in a distressed tone, "Sis …"

"Sorry …" Azumi sheepishly replied, "Dark humor." She bluntly answered, "Yes, it does hurt. Quite a lot. The machine clamps down on you, and you can feel like you're being injected with a bunch of needles simultaneously. It clamped down on my wrist so hard, it felt like I was gonna lose my hand. Then, when it finally released me, the bracelet was a part of my body."

"Wow …" That was the only word Yu could say in response.

"Heh. Wow is right." Azumi chuckled as she scratched the back of her head, "Quite frankly, I don't think words can give that experience justice. It is really out of this world. My body feels completely different than it did last week."

Yu inquired, "How so?"

"Words just fall short." Azumi briefly reminisced, "I remember seeing things like this in animes when I was a kid. Sometimes these people get chosen to receive this power, and it causes changes to their bodies. Problem is you wouldn't know what I'm talking about."

"No …" Yu then told her, "But I'm trying to understand."

"Okay." Azumi took a breath before replying, "I guess the easy example would be that I feel a whole lot stronger." Azumi grasped her chest and clenched her fist as she told him, "I not only feel it, but I know I am. I can tell by my body"

Yu asked, "How strong?"

Azumi looked around. "Do you see anyone else?"

Yu looked around as he said, "No."

"Good." There was a large piece of medal that Azumi noticed lying on the ground. Without breaking a sweat, she was able to hold it up with one hand. It would've taken two people without the bracelet.

Yu was completely in awe, "Awesome!"

Azumi grinned, "I know, right?"

Yu couldn't help but remark, "No wonder they could use those big weapons."

"I'll be handing them a lot more often." Azumi then told him, "I'll be starting my training tomorrow."

/

As Azumi told her brother, she began training how to use her weapon. Even with the strength of a God Eater, she needed to use both hands to give it steady aim. At first, she kept constantly missing the target. It took two weeks before she could even remotely fire straight. Azumi couldn't help but feel frustrated by the apparently slow progress.

Even though Azumi believed her progress was sluggish, she was informed of something to the contrary. She was surprised to be told by Lindow that she was getting the hang of it rather quickly. While such an evaluation gave Azumi a sense of pride, it did give her a bittersweet feeling. She knew that when her training was done, she would be sent out on missions, and she would be separated from her brother far more often.

Azumi continued to visit her brother as often as possible. She told him what Lindow and Sayaka told her. Her brother was proud of her, but he understood what that meant. They would do their best to make the most of it.

At this point, Azumi and Yu found a place where they could spend time together in peace when she would come over that would allow them to spend their time uninterrupted. They would let the Fujiki family know they would be gone for a while. Afterwards, Azumi would have dinner with them before taking her leave to head back to the God Eaters.

While they sat there, Azumi looked up into the sky and thought, "It won't be long now. I'll be heading out there real soon, Yu." She let out a breath, "Real soon …"

"Things are gonna be different out there than they were before." Yu remarked.

"Yeah." Azumi looked to her brother as she held up the bracelet attached to her wrist. "Because now I'll be the one doing the hunting."

"I would love to see you shoot them." Yu stated.

"You and be both. It's gonna be quite a sight shooting something that isn't a target. Maybe you'll see footage of it or something later." Azumi stated, "I heard they record some of these things."

"Really? That's pretty cool." Yu then asked, "They use those 'cameras' you told me about?"

"Pretty much." Azumi stated, "I think they'll use it to gather data on the Aragami to see how we can kill more of them in the future."

"That sounds good." Yu was trying to be optimistic, "Maybe you'll be able to wipe them out someday."

"Maybe. Who knows?" Azumi shrugged as she looked up to the sky again, "I honestly don't know what I'll accomplish as a God Eater. I don't know if I'll make a difference. It all seems like a long shot." Azumi held up her hand as she pointed out, "However, I know doing nothing and staying home isn't an option. It'll guarantee nothing gets done. As a God Eater, I'm going to do everything I can so you, the Fujiki family, and everyone else can have a future. I'll gladly put my life on the line for that."

"In that case," Yu stood up as he declared, "I'll become a God Eater, so I can help out."

Azumi merely replied, "If you want so, sure."

"Really?" Yu tilted his head, "You wouldn't stop me?"

"No. Why would I?" Azumi motioned for him to sit back down.

"I don't know …" Yu sat down as he told her, "I guess becoming a God Eater would be one of those things people would want to convince someone to not do."

Azumi looked him in the eyes as she told him, "I'm your sister. Not our mom. You're your own person. You're free to make your own choices. If you decide you want to become a God Eater when you're old enough, I'll trust you thought it through. If you change your mind, I'll be fine with that, too. Either way, I'm going to trust your judgment." Azumi then ruffled Yu's hair, "You got that, squirt."

"Come on!" Yu was completely embarrassed as he protested, "You can't keep doing this to me! I'm a teenager you know!"

"Barely, and that doesn't matter." Azumi smirked as she quipped, "You're still a squirt. Now that we're here in Fenrir, you better start eating better. I want you to become big and strong." She then teasingly poked his chest, "You are supposed to be the man after all. While I'm out there, try to find yourself a cute girlfriend. I'm sure they'll be plenty interested in an eligible bachelor like you."

"Girlfriend …? Bachelor …? What?" To describe that Yu was at a loss would be an understatement.

"Never mind. The point is now that we're here … we're safe. I want you to make friends with more kids your age like Kota and the Fujiki family." Azumi asked, "Have you been having good time at their home? They seem nice to me."

"Yeah …" Yu nodded, "The Fujikis have been good to me."

"I want you to do more of that." Azumi then told him, "Don't rush things. You can become a God Eater when you're old enough, but there is something I want you to promise me."

Yu inquired, "What's that?"

Azumi told him, "If you truly desire to become a God Eater, can you please wait until you're sixteen years old? That's how old you have to be."

"Sixteen?" Yu was completely caught off guard, "Isn't fifteen …"

"Yu …" Before her brother could say a word, Azumi interrupted him. The tone was not harsh, but it was firm enough to stop him from continuing. This allowed her to ask the most important question, "Do you trust me?"

Yu was taken aback, "What?"

"Yes or no." Azumi repeated, "Do you trust me?"

Yu almost sounded offended as he asked, "What kind of question is that? Of course, I do.

"Then, you will listen to me." Azumi told him and Yu complied, "Fenrir is the closest thing I've seen to the 'old world' that I remember. The world you never got to be a part of. I know the area down here isn't exactly ideal, but you'll have access to food and water regularly. They'll be kids your own age to play with like Kota-chan. You can do what you want down there, and you won't need to worry about some damn Aragami breaking in out of nowhere. You'll be able to live the closest thing to a normal life. It might not be the best, but it's as good as you can get, and I want you to try enjoying that. As your sister, please do me this favor. Azumi grasped his hand, and asked, "Please. Live a normal life for the next three years. You'll have to wait one year longer than you're required, but please do this for me. It would mean everything knowing you're here. Knowing you're here waiting for me will mean the world to me."

Yu sighed before replying, "I can't say no to you, Sis."

"Huh …" Azumi stunned to the point of almost sounding disappointed as she remarked, "Just like that?" Yu nodded, and Azumi jokingly replied, "I was expecting more of a fight."

"Sis …" Yu sounded resigned as he spoke, "I can't say I happy about this … You could get yourself killed out there even after all the trouble we went through to get here."

Azumi let go of Yu as she assured him, "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"I know, but …" Yu pointed to himself, "If me being safe here can make it easier for you to complete those missions, then …" Yu took a breath and sighed, "then … I will do what you ask."

"…" Azumi took a moment before she patted him on the shoulder and told him with a smile, "Thank you."

"Just make sure you're ready for when I can be a God Eater." Yu proudly proclaimed, "We'll be back to being a team like we always were."

Azumi smiled, "I look forward to it. In the meantime, while I'm on missions, I will keep an eye out for mom and dad. I doubt I'll find anything, but …"

Yu told her, "Just make sure you come back home alive."

Azumi promised, "I will."

Yu told her, "I want to see them again, but you're the one that's here. I need you to come back."

"I know." Azumi then told him, "But please promise me. Sixteen. I need you to be at least that old."

Yu uneasily replied, "O … Okay, I promise"

Azumi held out her hand, "You swear?"

Yu accept her hand, "I swear."

Azumi shook Yu's hand as she told him, "Good. I want you to try living a normal life for the time being. Leave the fighting to me for now. You got that?"

Yu complied, "I got it."

"Great." Azumi brook off the handshake and stood up, "Anyway, I have the rest of the day off. How about we try to get to know Fenrir a little better? How does that sound?"

Yu happily replied, "Sounds great."

/

As predicted, Azumi was sent off to a number of missions. With the limited number of God Eaters, they had to make use of them as often as possible. At the beginning, she was under the direct command of Lindow. She would either go on missions under him, or she would team up with other God Eaters that were part of his squad, such as Sayaka or Soma.

Out of the three, Soma was not only the youngest, but he was the hardest to work with. During their first mission, he outright told her not to be surprised if she gets herself killed. He'd seen too many God Eaters that were too sure of themselves. Azumi told him that she appreciated the warning. In that moment, Soma's stoic demeanor was cracked by surprise only to be put back together moments later. Sayaka would commend Azumi on doing what few had accomplished before, but Azumi remained focused on her mission.

Most of her early missions were the basic kill the monsters in the territory variety. Azumi understood that this was a prelude to the larger missions that she knew she would need to be prepared for. Luckily for Azumi, she was capable of handling these missions without much of an issue. They were child's play to her compared to other rookies.

After spending more than half of her life hiding and avoiding Aragami, Azumi was good enough to take the stealthy approach when dealing with the Aragami. Even while carrying her large weapon, she would approach the Aragami slowly before getting into position to shot them with the highest damage possible. Sometimes she would be fortunate enough to end them with one shot. The other Aragami would be alerted after hearing the blast, but their large sizes made them easy targets.

When the mission was over, Azumi would come back exhausted. She would hit the shower and then lay on her bed. Afterwards, she would then head to the training room to further hone her skills. She rarely did anything else besides eat and train. That's what she generally did except for when Lindow would speak with her.

/

While Azumi was busy on most days, Fenrir also had to ensure the God Eaters were well rested and motivated. While it wasn't unusual for God Eaters to have some free time, they were generally still on the clock for a potential mission. As a result, the higher ups would arrange a number of days for various God Eaters to take off in shifts. Whenever, it was Azumi's turn, she would let her brother know she was coming.

During one visit, Azumi proudly proclaimed, "The 'Conquering God Eater' has returned!"

"Took you long enough." Yu smartly remarked.

Azumi slapped her hands together, "Sorry, sorry. They assigned me to a new mission while I was wrapping up another one."

"Hold on?" Yu asked in concern, "They had you do missions back-to-back?"

"Yep." Azumi sighed, "A real double header."

Yu tilted his head, "A what?"

"Still?" Azumi asked in disbelief, "No one's taught you that? It's a baseball thing. Didn't they teach you about that at school?"

"Oh?" Yu was rather interested in that. "No. They don't teach things like that. What is it?"

"Honestly." Azumi told him, "Anyway, it was basically double what I thought was gonna happen. God Eaters on another mission needed help, and I happened to be close enough."

"I see." Yu felt it was probably rhetorical, but he was still curious, "That must've been tough. Everything went okay, right?"

"Yeah." Azumi proudly stated, "They all made it back. It was a bit of a close call, but they owed me one, so I have time off."

"I see … You know … People in school have been saying things about the God Eaters lately." Yu hesitated to asked, "How often do … Are the chances of God Eater not coming back really that high?"

"They can be." Azumi put it bluntly, "We are going up against Aragami. Those things are dangerous to us even with our weapons. We're heading straight into them, and we're practically baiting ourselves."

Yu merely replied with, "Right …"

"Don't worry." Azumi assured him, "Things have been working out. My missions have been going well. Lindow is an excellent leader. He's been doing his best to reduce the number of God Eater casualties, and it really has been showing. We haven't had any for months, and our numbers have been steadily growing."

Yu inquired, "He's really that good, huh?"

Azumi grinned, "Like you wouldn't believe. It's no wonder even Soma respects him."

Yu tilted his head, "Who was that again?"

"He's another God Eater. You might like him." Azumi then moved on, "Anyway, my real problem isn't with the missions themselves. It just feels like I'm spending more time out there than here."

Yu rhetorically asked, "That's because they need you, right? You're a great God Eater, aren't you?"

"Nah." Azumi waved it off, "I wouldn't go that far, but I don't get any complaints."

"They need you out there." Yu looked down as he told her, "I want you around, but they need you."

Azumi shook her head, "Not true."

Yu asked, "Huh?"

Azumi put her hand on his shoulder as she told him, "We're family. We need each other. I know I'm always gonna need you."

Yu attempted to speak, "But Sis …"

"No, buts little brother. Even if you're not on the field with me, I need you." Azumi reminded him, "You and Minato are the only family I have left. You guys are what I fight for. You keep me going. You guys mean everything to me."

Yu could only say, "Sis …"

Azumi stood up as she told him, "We don't always get moments like this, so we should make the best of it while we can. I made something. Why don't we have a picnic? Just the two of us."

Yu happily accepted the idea, "Of course. The usual spot?"

"Of course." Azumi happily asked out loud, "Where else?"

/

Despite what people believed how Fenrir would be a paradise with the world of the past existing within it, there were still many problems that existed within the walls. Besides the limited capacity, the terrain was uneven as it was outside. When Azumi walked on the ground, she couldn't help but think if she drove her motorcycle on this, she'd be in for a bumpy ride. The very thought made her stomach turn. Apparently, Fenrir didn't have the budget to rectify this at the moment and remained focused on weapon development. She could only hope something could be done to clean up the interior.

Regardless of Azumi's feelings regarding this area, she did feel thankful that for the peace that existed here. Even on the calm days outside the walls, she couldn't stop herself from feeling a chill. She would always need to be on her guard whether it was to keep an eye out for Aragami or other humans. Here it felt different. Azumi felt a sense of ease that was uncommon to her. That sensation almost made her feel uncomfortable even though she knew it shouldn't.

While the interior of Fenrir didn't have an ideal environment for a picnic, Azumi and Yu had a spot. It was a partially constructed park. It was part of the Fenrir expansion project that had been indefinitely shelved. Enough of the area was cleared.

There was currently no way of knowing when or if they would be able to continue with the expansions of Fenrir. It went without saying they would need more room for a growing popular. It would also act as a morale booster knowing that little by little humanity could regain some land. At the same time Aragami roaming the area was frequent and construction would leave Fenrir vulnerable.

Azumi did her best to keep herself appraised of potential updates to the situation. Unfortunately, even she was left in the dark about decisions being made behind closed doors. She would do what she could to pry them open, but there was only so much a rookie could do on her own.

For the time being, Azumi and Yu made the best of the situation. Thanks to the park only being partially completed, hardly anyone else was there, so it was only the two of them there today. It was a blessing in disguise. They were relatively peaceful. It was as quiet as it could be, and they felt a little gust of wind that would stroke them.

As she sat on the blanket, Azumi looked up and said, "It really is nice here."

"Yeah … I wish … Yeah …" Yu did his best to sound happy, but he couldn't stop himself from looking down.

Azumi patted his shoulder, "Let's try not to be depressed and enjoy the moment. How are things going with you? Have you met that special someone?"

Yu chuckled, "No."

Azumi merely replied, "Aw. That's no fun."

"What about you?" Yu grinned as he nudged his sister, "I'm sure some God Eater like Lindow-san must be your type."

"Wha …" A blush formed on Azumi's face as she attempted to deny, "What're you saying?"

"Wow, looks like I got something I can beat you in." Yu proudly proclaimed, "Finally."

"Beat me? Hardly." The blush was not going anywhere, and it remained pained on Azumi's cheeks.

Yu curtly asked, "Then, why are you blushing redder than a tomato?"

"I ... um …" Azumi was finally at a loss for words.

Yu was uncharacteristically smug as he crossed his arms. "I think you have a case of being tongue tied. Very common is situations like this."

"Don't you dare act smug. You don't get to act smug." Azumi pointed at him before then pointing at herself, "I do."

"Okay, okay." Yu clapped his hands together, "Sorry. I should never try to upset the power dynamic between a brother and sister."

"Hmph." Azumi grinned as she cockily replied, "Good. As long as you don't forget your place, we'll be fine."

"But seriously," Yu sincerely told her, "I do think Lindow-san would be a good match for you."

"Maybe …" Azumi then told him, "if he wasn't already taken."

Yu was taken aback, "He is?"

Azumi told him, "Don't act surprised. If you spend time with them, you can tell he and Sayaka-san are totally an item."

Yu inquired, "Really?"

"Yep." Azumi told him, "If they aren't officially one yet, they will be soon enough."

Yu prodded further, "So you don't actually know?"

Azumi admitted, "Technically not, but I know it's something I don't want to mess with."

Yu nodded his head, "Huh … Interesting."

"Believe me. They are totally into each other." Azumi made it clear, "I'm not getting involved in that."

/

Azumi started as a rookie like any other God Eater, but it didn't take long for Azumi to rise through the ranks. Through Lindow, Azumi developed connections with other God Eaters. She took part in more missions with different players. After only a few months of being a God Eater, she was informed that she was on the verge of reaching a promotion. She would actually have someone under her command if she kept up the pace.

Regardless of how things were changing for Azumi, she still remained focused on her brother. When it was her day off, she would still visit him. However, one day when they went to the usual spot, things were not off to the usual lively start.

Yu began to say, "I don't want to seem like a downer, but … um …"

"Yu?" Azumi asked in concern.

"Oh …" Yu stopped, "Never mind."

"Hey!" Azumi chastised him, "You can't stop halfway. What's eating you?"

"Fine …" Yu reluctantly asked, "Sis, is it okay for you to visit this much?"

Azumi was stunned. "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, some of the other kids told me a while ago that since you're a God Eater, you'd never come here. You'd never want to …" Yu couldn't finish that sentence, but what he was implying was clear to his sister.

"What're you talking about?" Azumi leaned forward as she pointed out, "I've been coming here all the time since I started."

"Exactly." Yu told her, "I told them they didn't know what they were talking about. I told them you'd always come back, and you're here."

"Okay …" Azumi asked, "What exactly is the problem?"

"My problem is …" Yu took a breath, "Do you get tired of doing this? You come down to see me when you have the chance. Do you ever get tired of that? Don't you have other things you'd rather do?"

"…" Azumi remained silent.

"Um …" Yu uncomfortably shifted in his seat as he looked away from Azumi. His voice was soft, but it remained audible as he said, "It's okay if you do … That's not a problem for me."

Azumi softly replied, "Yu …"

"Yes?" The moment Yu looked in Azumi's direction he could see Azumi's hand hanging directly in front of his forehead. Yu's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen next, but he couldn't do a thing to change the outcome.

Without a moment's hesitation, Azumi flicked her finger, and she made contact with his forehead. The impact of the hit hurt more than he would have imagined. The flick was enough to force his head back.

"Ow …" Yu clenched his head as it hurt more than usual. "Come on! God Eater strength! God Eater strength!"

"Oh …" Azumi sheepishly replied, "Sorry about that, but I needed to get you to think straight. After Yu groaned in response, Azumi casually remarked, "Don't ask me something like that. You're being ridiculous."

"…" Yu did not say a word.

"Family is …" Azumi paused for a moment to find the right words, "It's a little hard to put into words, but seeing you is not an inconvenience for me. Far from it."

"Really?" Yu didn't seem completely able to believe it.

Azumi held up her finger as she asked, "Do you need another one?"

"… No." Yu took another breath as he relied in relief.

Azumi sighed, "Do you honestly have to ask me that by this point?"

"No …" Yu replied with a hint of shame, "I shouldn't …"

"Whoever told you that probably has some messed up crap to deal with in his life." Azumi grinned as she patted Yu's shoulder and told him, "I'm sure that person probably didn't know how to deal with it, and he decided to take it out on you. You're better off not dealing with twerps like that."

Yu nodded, "Okay."

"Well …" Azumi paused before retracting her advice, "Maybe I shouldn't say that …"

Yu raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Whoever told you that might have a reason." Azumi suggested, "Maybe you should try to find out what that reason is."

Yu inquired, "Then what?"

"Not sure." Azumi suggested, "I guess it'll be up to you to decide whether or not that kid is worth the trouble."

Yu pointed to himself, "You want me to decide?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Yu." Azumi reminded him, "Your 'Big Sis' can't make your decision for you. You're growing up, and you've got to make decisions for yourself."

"Do you really think I can …" Yu struggled to finish, "you know … I might …"

"Screw-up royally?" Azumi laughed at the idea as she playfully told him, "Of course you will. You're gonna screw up a lot in life, kid."

"What?" Yu was taken aback.

Azumi assured him, "Everyone makes mistakes. Including me." When Yu stared at her, she told him in a deadpan tone, "Don't be surprised. I've made plenty." She then sincerely told him, "You're just gonna try and learn from them. Then, you can make good decisions."

"…" Yu was not entirely sure what he should be taking from this, but he did his best to listen.

Azumi seemed to understand her brother was at a loss. She decided to make another attempt as she then said, "You know believe it or not you've been making choices. Like when you saved me from Estuko. You remembered what I taught you, and you managed to pull it off."

Yu reminded her, "I guess, but that was all because of your training."

"Exactly." Azumi reminded him, "You learned from me, and you built off from there. You put it to work, and you did well."

"Still …" Yu couldn't help but look at his sister's abdomen as he said, "I still need you to bail me out of that one."

"There's no shame in that, and I always will." Azumi smiled, "No regrets."

Yu nodded, "Right."

"You know." Azumi told him, "You really don't give yourself enough credit. You already made the huge decision to become a God Eater on your own. That's a bigger call to make things almost anyone else would be able to."

Yu replied, "I made that decision because I didn't want you to be the only one."

Azumi stated, "Right, but that doesn't change anything."

Yu asked, "What?"

Azumi told him, "You just told me that without hesitation, and you were filled with conviction. That's what you need to keep doing."

"…" Yu remained silent.

"Confidence and resolve." Azumi held up two fingers, "They're two important things to have, and I know you are capable of both. I've seen it. You might have what it takes to be a leader someday."

"A leader?" Yu pointed to himself in disbelief, "You mean me? You seriously think I can be that?"

"Someday. Not today." On cue, Azumi began ruffling his hair.

Yu unsurprisingly protested, "Cut that out!"

Azumi grinned as she playfully asked, "Cut what out?"

Yu continued to protest, "This!"

"Oh this?" Azumi continued to ruffle Yu's hair as she acted oblivious, "You want me to stop this?"

Yu shouted, "Yes!"

"I guess I 'could' stop, but this is just too much fun." Azumi was clearly having fun as she remarked, "You're just so cute when you get riled up like this."

Yu begged, "Come on, Sis! Have mercy!"

"All right. All right. I'll stop." Azumi then grinned, "In another minute."

Yu merely groaned and resigned until Azumi stopped.

"And we're done." Azumi let go.

Yu sighed, "I'm really getting tired of this. You're gonna pay for that someday."

"Too bad." Azumi cheekily grinned, "It's all part of being a Big Sister. If you ever want me to stop, you're gonna have to grow up. Literally."

Yu replied, "No fair!"

"Life isn't always fair, kid." Azumi stated in a matter of fact tone, "That's just the game, and you've got no choice but to play it."

Yu complained, "But I'm never gonna win."

"Not with that attitude. You never know. You might just surprise us all one day." Azumi ruffled Yu's hair again, "Just not today."

Unsurprisingly, Yu complained, "Oh, come on!"

Azumi began to laugh, and Yu began laugh as well.

In this life, tranquil moments were few and far between. When they occurred, it was right to enjoy them to their fullest. The Kannagi siblings certainly did their best to do just that. No one was around to ruin this moment. Neither human nor Aragami. However, they could never know what tomorrow would bring or guess the next moment. That's why they had to live in this one.

/

Over a year passed, and Azumi was in charge of her own squad. She still took orders from Lindow, but she was independent of him more often than not. She had her own subordinates to worry about. She used him as a role model, and she aspired to make her squad as famous as his.

One day, Azumi had been called to take care of a mission, and she'd be working under Lindow for this mission. She told Yu that when she got back, they'd have more time off than usual because the higher ups really owe her one. Yu would be waiting for her until then.

A few days later, Yu and Kota were playing outside when they heard a God Eater was in the area. Excitement filled the air. Yu and Kouta rushed off to where the God Eater was. When Yu found the God Eater, it was not his sister. It was someone he recognized. It took him a moment to place him though.

After a moment, Yu recognized him. There was no mistaking that person. He was none other than Lindow. While they only met a couple of times over the past couple of years, there was no way he could mistake him. The brown jacket. The dark hair that nearly covered his eyes. A laid back attitude that could make anyone underestimate him. All that was missing was his trademark cigarette.

According to Azumi, he was easy to approach, and he was a fine field leader. Everyone felt at ease around him, and he always knew when to take things seriously. He earned his title as a God Eater many times over. He was also the person capable of raising people's spirts. However, that did not appear to be the Lindow Yu saw standing in front of him.

Rather than seeing a man with a cigarette in his hand and head in the clouds, his hands were in his pockets, and he was looking down. It was as if a dark cloud was hovering over his, and he was preparing himself for it to begin pouring. Seeing Lindow in that state was enough to make Yu uneasy. He couldn't bring himself to take another step forward nor did he have the voice to ask 'What's wrong'?

When Lindow looked up, he looked Yu in the eyes, and Yu had his answer. Yu could swear his heart stopped in that moment. His legs gave way as he fell to the ground.

"Yu!" Kota called out to him. Kota may have said something else, but Yu was hardly capable of registering much. All his attention was focused on the approaching Lindow.

Lindow slowly walked up to the two future God Eaters. He did not bother with any formalities. He simply said in a solemn tone, "I'm sorry …"

There was no denial. No bargain. There were only tears.

Yu didn't care who saw them. He could feel them welling up in his eyes as his breathing hastened. His vision became blurry before he closed his eyes.

/

Author Notes: This chapter could be at best be described as an 'abridged chapter'. The contents of this chapter were originally meant to be stretched over a significant period of time of the course of several chapters. There was going to be a story arc regarding Azumi's time as a God Eater, but lack of interest in this story caused me to decide to streamline the overall content and simply focus on Azumi's relationships with her brother and to a lesser extent Minato.

In a way, this might have been a good thing. Azumi and Yu's relationship was the focal point of this story, so having their relationship be the focus of this chapter seemed like the right call, and it also opened up a new possibility if I ever decided to create a sequel to this story.

In a potential sequel, it would incorporate the Azumi God Eater arc into the segments of the story that would focus on Azumi's character. We would also get more insight into what Yu's life was like living in Fenrir beyond the time he spent with his sister whenever she would come to visit him.