Far East Branch – Den Lobby

"You cannot be serious!"

"I just don't think this is a good idea."

"Why not?" she demanded, following her companion around the room while he gathered supplies. "Weren't you listening? The Nova is maturing. We have to stop it before it can grow to full power."

"I am aware of that, Neo. That is why we are sending squadrons out in every direction containing all members of all units."

"Except for me, apparently," she argued. "Why is everyone else allowed to go? What are you so afraid is going to happen?"

"Exactly what happened last time," Ichiro calmly responded, tossing a few notebooks into his bag. "The Bias Field is still a wild card. We have no idea when or where it might appear, and your biology makes that a hazard."

"Soma's going. He has the same biology as I do, and no one is barring him."

"That's because Soma didn't end up in a hospital bed." Ichiro sighed. "Neo, why is it so difficult to understand that we want to keep you safe? I understand you want to go out there. I do. But it's just too dangerous without knowing what you're up against."

"But —"

"What are you going to do if the Bias Field appears, and you end up incapacitated?"

"I won't be alone. Gina and Karel will be there to provide support."

"They are both ranged types, Neo," Ichiro reminded. "They are among the first affected, there's a very strong likelihood that they won't be able to help."

"That's why we're bringing Shun. Melee types are more tolerant, right? At the very least, we have a diverse composition." Neo rushed around the room, pausing in front of the door to block his exit. "I'm not leaving everyone to do this themselves, Ichi. You know I won't."

Once again, her guardian sighed. He did know. Neo was as strong-willed as she was stubborn. If she set her mind to something, she was going to do it, and it would take more than an army to stop her. And maybe not even then. If she wanted out of the Den, she was going to do so with or without authorization. The fact that she had even come to him about it alone had been little more than a courtesy. Looking down at her, he met her gaze, blazing with determination.

"I know that… and I also know that I can't stop you. But Neo, you have to understand we are only doing this for your own safety. There are powerful adversaries on this, mission, a Prithvi Mata among them. If the Bias Field appears —"

"Then, I'll be fine," Neo interrupted. "Ichi, think about it. A Prithvi Mata and a Polar Kongou? That's an ideal scenario. Their ice cannot hurt me, the worst they can do is a scratch. And either way, in the worst case, both of them are slow. They can't outrun me, and you know it."

Ichiro paused. Much as he hated to admit it, Neo raised a valid point. Out of all the creatures she could encounter, those had to be two of the safest aside from the Vajra. She would be immune to all but their physical attacks, and that would require them to catch her. There was no mission she was better suited for. The biggest danger to her would be the draining of her strength. And, gods forbid, an unforeseen opponent.

"Please, just trust me, Ichi." The New Type continued. "If it gets out of control, I will flee the area. I promise, I won't take any unnecessary risks."

The look of pure desperation on her face was what finally convinced him. One thing Neo didn't do was make promises she couldn't keep. If she was going this far…

"Alright… If you truly feel you must." Neo's face lit up. But before she could bolt out the door, he continued. "But I mean it, Neo. No recklessness and no shenanigans. If you feel the effects start to wear on you, go. I don't care how bad the situation looks. Call for backup and run."

"Okay. I will."

That was how Neo found herself leaning against the mission desk, listening absentmindedly to Hibari's fingernails tapping against the keys. With only a couple of squadrons left undeployed, her presence required a couple of last-minute changes. The operator sucked in a breath, taking note of the team compositions. Making a few alterations, she shifted the second team's second melee into the third, and placed Neo in his spot. Even have Neo and Otto's names in the same roster was a recipe for disaster.

With the last of the details entered, Neo was registered for the mission. Hibari's voice drew her out of her daydreams and refocused her attention. "Alright, Neo. You're all set. On this mission, you will be working with 3rd Unit to search for Nova, as well as clearing the area of Aragami. There is a good chance that you will encounter Nova itself. Take whatever precautions you deem necessary."

"Understood." Her response was merely a formality; there weren't any human supplies that would be helpful to her that her Bias Factor didn't already provide. She wasn't sure who was going to be on her team. Hopefully, they wouldn't be unhappy with the change. With a wish of good luck from the operator, she was through the door and rushing toward the weapons hangar.

. . .

Sunken Grid

Water splashed beneath the God Eater's feet; the four members of Fenrir from various units wandered through the area. Neo was leading the charge, keeping a careful eye out for any abnormalities. Behind her followed Karel, Gina, and Shun, the second of which had all but jumped for joy when Neo climbed into their transport. Working with Otto was never at the top of her list of favorite things, but this was the best possible outcome as far as she was concerned.

"Alright… looks like we're all green. We are ready to proceed with the mission. Your task is to seek out and track the Nova Aragami. Be safe out there."

When Hibari's voice went silent, Shun smirked. "Oh, hell yeah. This is gonna be sweet! Man, just getting eyes on that thing is bound to bring in some serious cash!"

"I admit it's enticing," Karel agreed. "It's been a while since we've gotten any serious work around here."

Neo ignored their chatter. She continued forward, keeping her eyes sharp. Her footsteps came to a pause when she felt a small pang of motion in the distance, keening her senses. The Oracle cells within her body hummed, searching for any sign of life until the signature disappeared. When she had finally shifted her attention, the others had overtaken her. Impatient, Shun turned around and shouted behind him.

"Come on, team, quit your ass dragging! We got cash to make! Uh, I-I mean… a dangerous Aragami to find!"

Gina chuckled at her teammate. To see the typically apathetic Shun showing such enthusiasm was quite the welcome change. "Hehehe… Well, aren't you a little go-getter today."

Shun rolled his eyes at her snark. "Whatever. Hey, New Type, you wanna pick up the pace?" Neo said nothing, but did quicken her movement slightly, jogging to catch up to them. Upon rejoining them, she immediately returned to her slow stroll. Shun wasn't impressed. "Come on, so show some enthusiasms. Don't you wanna get a pay day?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't care about the money."

"Don't care about the —" Shun balked, eyes bulging out of his head for a moment before he realized. "Oh, right. Of course, you don't… I keep forgetting you're filthy rich."

Gina smirked. "Well, maybe you would be if you'd stop overspending."

"Overspending?! Gina, do you have any idea —"

"Enough, you two." Growing tired of their yammering, Karel sighed. "Let's get this over with, alright? Come on."

Shun shrugged, trotting on ahead, looking around for any sign of their quarry. Behind him, the other three followed, Karel in the center with Neo and Gina at the rear. It was humid this afternoon; a heavy fog had overtaken the area. Visibility was at a low, a perfect opportunity to slip away. Falling back into pace with the New Type, she smiled. "Nice to finally be out again, huh?"

"More or less," Neo muttered.

"You okay? You've been a little out of it since we got wheels on the ground. You're not feeling nervous about Shun, are you? Don't worry about him, he's not paying us any mind."

"I'm just focused." Neo turned around at the sound of a noise, eyes zoning in on a nearby brush. Swaying leaves waved slowly back and forth. Nothing followed. It was only the wind.

"Oh, yeah…" Beside her, Gina slowly nodded her head in understanding. Leaning in, she lowered her voice. "I forgot, that's something you guys can do, right?"

"Huh?"

"You Managarm kids. Soma can sense Aragami… that means you can too, right?"

For a moment, Neo felt unsure about responding to her. It was obvious that she was aware of her biology; she was one of the members of the council, after all. Even still, it was going to take a while for her to get used to the idea of humans accepting her. Then again, this was Gina she was speaking to. If there was anyone that would be comfortable with her and her power, it would be her. Gina loved everything about Neo from her mutated hair color to her elongated fangs. So much so that she had even emulated her look with a pair of plastic prosthetic extensions. Neo had the feeling she could go into Overdrive and that woman still wouldn't care. It might make her like her even more. "Yes, I can."

"That's so cool…"

"Heh."

"So, once we find that big old beasty, we get to kick its ass right into the ground, am I right?" Shun called from up ahead. Hibari's voice reappeared moments later to answer him. "Uh… not exactly. Your orders are not to engage. Once you've confirmed the target, we'll dispatch the Execution squad. Much of the 1st Unit has been selected. Get eyes on the Nova and get out."

"What?! Oh, That's bull crap! Bull crap! We finally get something interesting in the Far East and we can't even touch it? Lame."

"Pipe down, Shun. We don't wanna delve too deep into this barrel of crazy." Lowering his weapon, Karel turned his full attention to his comrade.

"Well, why the hell not? If we find the thing, we should get to kick its ass! That's only fair!"

"Look, the whole reason we're making a heavy payday on this is because it's dangerous. Get me?"

"Uh huh," he mumbled, though he didn't sound convinced. "And how dangerous is dangerous? Like Ouroboros dangerous?"

"Dangerous as in you fight it, you die," Neo responded, startling both him and Karel. "Your chances of survival against Nova are nearly zero."

At that, the gunner gulped. He did his best to hide his concern, scoffing at her harrowing warning. But he couldn't deny her statement surprised him. Neo was one of the strongest God Eaters in the Far East. And, if rumors served true, in North America as well. Considering that their branch was renowned for their military prowess, it might not be an exaggeration to say that she was possibly one of the strongest God Eaters in the world. If she was calling something dangerous…

"Wait… S-Seriously? Like… it's that bad?"

"Worse," Karel confirmed. "As soon as we've hunted that thing down, we get the hell outta there… Best to let our own monsters off the leash to fight that one."

"…"

"Karel!" Gina hissed, glancing sideways at their New Type companion. Neo said nothing, keeping her eyes to the ground below.

Too late. Realizing what he had said, the gunner grimaced. "I, uh… I didn't mean it like that."

Neo rolled her eyes. She had little time to be offended over a poor choice of words. Her senses were going off; their enemy was growing near. "If you guys have time to chat, then surely you have time to — move!"

"Whoa!"

Neo didn't finish her quip. Instead, she rushed forward, grabbing the gunner and tossing him off to the side. Karel flew across the ground before tumbling into a thick bush. Uncomfortable though it may have been, it was nothing compared to the icy javelin now impaling the ground. It took a moment for his mind to register his distance from the ice pike to his location. She had tossed him with only one hand; it was nearly effortless. 'Damn, she really is strong…' Climbing to his feet, he adjusted his weapon and reengaged. Exiting the brush, he walked back out to a battlefield where the other three God Eaters were already in heated combat.

A loud bang rang through the air, Gina firing off a bullet directly into the Prithvi's side. At the burst of crimson from the open wound, she cackled with glee. "Ah, such a lovely spray!"

Shun frowned at the sight. "Gods, Gina, you are so freakin' weird…"

"Less talking, more fighting," Neo reminded, hopping over a massive paw. Karel immediately moved to support, loading in flame bullet and focusing his on their adversary's legs. A blast went off near the back paws, the embers ricocheting against the New Type's skin.

"Ahh…" she hissed, immediately feeling the flame. Her momentary falter cost her. In the next moment she was airborne, the Aragami taking advantage of her pause. Deep red painted the ground as Neo slid across it, grumbling in discomfort.

"Oh shit…!" Karel muttered, taking note of her reaction. As she rose to her feet, he could see red staining her side where claws had undoubtedly penetrated. He hadn't meant for his bullets to hit her. Now knowing that Neo was half Aragami, he was going to need to be more careful when firing around her. Making a note to exercise caution in the future, he reached for his hjealing bullets. But Gina was faster, reloading and taking aim through her sight. The Prithvi had other plans, rushing after the New Type, and blocking her bullets as she fired.

"Damn it!" she rushed around it, trying to get eyes on her but she was already in motion. Gina watched her movements, unsteady at first, but quickly restabilizing. With a carefully placed swipe of her scythe, she slashed the creature's face, sending it reeling back toward Shun who began an assault on its sensitive tail. As Neo slid to a stop beside her, Gina felt her eye grow wide. There, beneath the torn fabric of her bloodied shirt, she could see it. Nothing. The wound had closed. To hear it from Ichiro was one thing. To actually see it in action was another. "Whoa…"

Neo didn't take the time to acknowledge Gina's astonishment. She was rushing after the Prithvi, locked in battle with their other soldiers. Between Karel and Shun, the Aragami was growing unstable, caught between flaming piercing bullets on one end and a sparking sword on the other. Deciding it had had enough, The Prithvi paused, its body growing still and its coats beginning to glow. Neo knew exactly what that meant. "Get back!"

She bolted toward Shun, who was clearly more focused on offense than defense. By the time he noticed the floating frozen sphere, it was too late. The Prithvi hurled the explosive shard in his direction. The swordsman barely had time to mutter a curse before tumbling off to the side where Neo had shoved him. Throwing him out of the way, Neo took the blast, her entire body vanishing within the cloud of frozen mist. "Oh crap!" Shun cursed.

The monster took its moment of respite, turning and rushing off toward the large, abandoned building. "It's getting away!" Gina called, taking aim with her rifle. Her finger was moments from pulling the trigger when Neo reappeared, bursting from the cloud, and rushing after the creature like a woman possessed. Through her sight, she could only let her mouth fall open as she saw the New Type give chase, utterly unharmed. The only thing out of place was her azure scarf, which was now also glowing with a radiant hue.

"Damn, I swear that woman isn't even human…" Shun muttered, Karel helping him to his feet.

"You have no idea," the gunner replied.

Gina was already giving chase, rushing toward the building in the direction of her teammate. With their sniper sergeant en route, the two saw little point in chasing after them. The Prithvi was already in bad shape if it was running way. With those two after it, it didn't have a prayer. In silent exchange, the pair nodded and turned, searching for their second target.

When Gina arrived, she found Neo in close combat. Shifting between two legs and all-fours, her body twisted, turned, leapt, and bounced around the target, her scythe in constant motion. It was like watching a territorial dispute between a pair of hyperactive felines — although one severely outsized the other. Taking aim, she quickly realized she wouldn't be able to get a clear shot with the New Type in the way, moving at such speeds. So, instead, she loaded her bullet and shouted to her. "Watch out!"

Neo turned to see Gina pulling the trigger, aiming in her direction. Without a word, she changed direction and launched herself away leaving the Prithvi to its fate. The creature turned to chase after her, lifting its paws, but the flaming blast that struck beneath it exploded and tossed it off balance. Tumbling backward, it fell with a splash into the large pool of water flooding the corner of the warehouse. A perfect opportunity.

With Karel and Shun's location unknown, Neo was free to unleash her power. Which was precisely what she did. She didn't wait for the creature to rise. Body already overflowing with- Oracle energy, the New Type channeled her electricity, scarf sparking around her neck. At such close range, an open-area discharge would run the risk of hitting Gina and surrounded by conductors, that would likely be a death sentence. So instead of sending her energy outward, she redirected it. Much like she had during her demonstration for Gunter, Neo concentrated, focusing the charge in the center of her palm. The veteran's mouth fell open.

In a display she had only ever seen from the Vajra, Neo formed a crackling sphere in her hand about the size of a watermelon. Then, she launched it, sending it across the building and into the pool of water. The Prithvi, climbing from the pool, didn't have a prayer. The lightning conducted immediately, sparking across the water, and electrocuting the creature within. With the empowered strike, the Prithvi Mata was utterly stunned, collapsing motionlessly to the ground. It lay, its upper half awkwardly sitting above the ground — the lower half remained submerged — unable to move a single muscle. Their target was neutralized. It gave no resistance as Neo calmly strolled toward it, stepping across the sparking puddles and toward her opponent. With the extraction of the core, the Frozen Witch was gone.

Behind her, Gina stared at her with a wide eye. This time, she didn't even try to hide her amazement, mouth hanging open in a large 'O.' It was the sound of her God Arc clattering to the ground that drew Neo's attention. She spun around, lifting her scythe in preparation for combat. Rather than an incoming foe, she was instead met with her teammate rushing toward her. Gina slid to a stop at the edge of the electric field, suddenly remembering that while her teammate was resistant to electricity, she was not. "That was so. Fucking. Cool! You are amazing, you know that?" she shouted.

"Am I?" Neo blinked.

Gina offered no answer; she only shook her head. She wasn't even going to dignify such a ridiculous question with a response. "That was… oh my god, I have never seen — you have to do that again."

"…Why?"

"Because! Dude, I would pay money to see it. Seriously, I will actually pay you to show me that move again. That is the greatest shit I have ever seen in my life!"

"Uh…" Neo wasn't sure how to respond. To see a human so accepting, even excited, by her power was strange enough. Seeing Gina in such an overjoyed state was simply mindboggling. A bit off balance and somewhat eccentric, she had grown accustomed to the older gunner's unusual habits, particularly her obsession with making Aragami bleed. But even in the most stimulating of situations, Gina always maintained cool composure. She had never once seen her behaving like this; like a child running around in a room full of candy… after already achieving a sugar high.

The sound of footsteps interrupted their one-sided discussion. Karel and Shun arrived in the building, taking in the unusual scene. A bloody New Type walking back to a shouting Gina. Behind them was a pool of sparking water; their target lay dead, little bolts still ricocheting across its corpse. Karel's mouth fell slightly open. "What the hell happ —" the shorter woman shifted her gaze to him, snapping his mouth shut. "…You know what? Never mind. I don't want to know."

"Scouting operations complete." Hibari's voice came through their radios, putting an end to the festivities. "Good eyes out there! Come on home."

Karel scoffed. "Hard to call it complete if we never caught sight of the damn thing…"

"Ugh, this sucks!" Shun complained.

"Don't worry, little boys. I'm sure we'll find it sooner or later. After all, anticipation is half the fun," Gina replied. Neo merely shook her head. Her social meter was nearly drained. And apparently, she wasn't the only one.

"Well, it's gonna have to be later then because I am beat. I'm calling for exfil," Shun gave a wave over his shoulder, pulling out his phone and tapping rapidly against the buttons. Karel followed after him, shooting one last look at the disastrous scene behind. Yeah, this was definitely going to take some getting used to.

With the other pair making their way from the building, Gina turned her attention back to Neo. Her voice lowered to a more discrete volume but didn't lose its initial excitement. "Seriously… you are incredible. You've really been holding out on us, haven't you? Do you always fight like this?"

"With trusted allies. Otherwise, I have to avoid…" Her gaze flicked briefly toward their sword-wielder, disappearing around a damaged wall. "…prying eyes."

At that, the sniper sergeant sighed. "Well, damn. I'm proud to count myself among them… I like you more and more every day. It's no wonder Romeo loves you so much."

"Romeo…?" That caught her attention. Neo's head immediately swiveled, eyes widening in confusion. "I… I'm not sure who that is."

"Yeah, Romeo." Neo gave no reaction; she stared back at her with the same puzzled expression. "You know, the guy who's head over heels for you?" Again, she received no reaction. Only a blank stare. Gina lifted an eyebrow. "Practically worships the ground you walk on?"

"Huh?" Neo understood even less now than she did before she asked. Gina gaped at her, taking in her round eyes. She looked hopelessly befuddled. Wow. It seemed that Juliet was deaf, blind, and dumb when it came to matters of the heart. Or at the very least, paying attention to them. Who knew someone so aware could be so utterly oblivious at the same time? Up until this moment, she had always admonished Ichiro for his inability to make a move; chalked it up to fear or indecision. Now, she was beginning to see the problem…

Gina finally sighed in utter defeat. "…You really have no idea, do you?"

"About what?"

"Oh jeez." Shaking her head, the gunner decided to drop it for now. "Never mind it… now getting back to that superpower of yours… what exactly do I need to do see that again?"

"That depends… What more do you want to see?"

"There's more?" Gina's mouth pulled into a wide grin. "I wanna see everything. When are you free? I'll block out the training room. I'm sure Sakaki can organize a lockdown on the area or something. Oh! Maybe we can —"

The New Type gave an inward sigh, her mind slowly tuning out the gunner's rambling. It seemed that she had gone from being a fearsome monster to a circus act, and she wasn't entirely certain how she felt about it. She liked Gina. But that didn't mean she was willing to start shooting off ice blocks and lightning bolts for her entertainment. On top of having little interest in doing so, it would also be exhausting unless she could restore her energy somehow. Then again…

Neo's eyes lit up with a devious idea. "Gina," she interrupted. The sergeant halted her babbling immediately. "…How's your juice ration?"

. . .

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

To whoever is sending me messages, kudos, or comments, thanks so much for reminding me to post my chapters lol.