Far East Branch – Veteran's Floor

Days passed without any luck. Units all across the branch were pitching in, each trying to find any sign of the Nova. On the ground, scout groups searched high and low, far and wide, spreading out into sectors of the different areas. On the home front, scientists worked tirelessly, studying similar fragments, and trying to pinpoint any information they could surrounding the new threat and its resulting Bias Field. Within a week, progress had finally been made.

Due to a fresh supply provided by Soma, Ichiro was able to recreate a simulation, finally revealing the sources of the field. With this information, Licca created a prototype; a shield that could withstand the effects of the field. Though in its testing stages, it was still the best option they had. And such a discovery hadn't been made a moment too soon.

"Hmm… what if — no, that's not right."

Alone in his room, Ichiro sat on his couch, hands scribbling across a large notepad. He muttered to himself, tapping the pen against the top of the page with a thoughtful expression. Having successfully provided Licca with the tools she needed for their confrontation, the veteran was now focusing on other matters, trying to figure out how to stop the spread of his infection. He was so close. If only —

His train of thought derailed, crashing into a cliff when the sound of an opening door drew his attention. He gave an inward sigh, preparing himself for whatever trouble the New Type had stirred up this time. But to his surprise, it was not Neo's voice that called from behind him, but Soma's. His words even stranger still.

"We found Nova."

It took a few moments for the words to register. "Wait, you did?"

Soma nodded, rounding the couch to face his comrade. The first thing he noticed was the look of exhaustion on his face; it wasn't surprising considering his most recent workload. He had been operating around the clock to get them the shield they needed. The second thing he noticed was the notepad in his hand nearly covered from corner to corner with scrawls of equations, diagrams, and multiple lines and arrows pointing from one to the other. All were equipped with detailed notes of his findings. That was what Soma assumed. He couldn't read Japanese. The third thing he noticed was the hand holding it, and the grey discoloration climbing along the wrist. It wasn't fading this time. That couldn't be good.

"Yeah. It's near the Old City. According to these Oracle readings, it hasn't fully matured into its final form. We'll have to finish it now, and quickly."

"That should be good news…" Ichiro murmured. He tossed his notes on the coffee table in front of him.

"It is good news. The kill squad has been assembled. You —" Soma noticed the guilty expression on his face, the tense posture of his body. "…You're not going." The veteran shook his head, confirming his suspicions. "Hamasaki, you're one of our strongest soldiers."

"You don't think I know that?" he snapped, pausing at the sound of his own tone. He barely recognized himself. The infection was definitely getting worse. Sighing, he rested his arms on his knees. "Sorry."

Soma shrugged, disregarding it; he had grown accustomed to his teammate's mild outbursts. It was arguable that they were rather tame compared to his own. Even still, it was unnerving to see them on one typically so calm… and they were growing more common as of late.

"Trust me, I want to. But Sakaki and I agreed it's best that I hang back for this one. Run some more tests on the Nova fragments." he pushed back a yawn, instead running his hand over his eyes.

"Still? You already designed the prototype."

"Precisely. We designed a prototype. Meaning, it's not perfected. In this case, it hasn't even tested. And trust me, I know all about experimenting with unfinished products." Soma nodded. That much was true. His current predicament was a result of such. "We designed it to protect against the Bias Field, and it's supposed to, but…"

Soma watched him, taking note of his hardening expression. His teeth chewing against his bottom lip, his hands fidgeting with nervous energy. It was a rare display of uncertainty, of vulnerability. He had seen the older soldier express fear before. But it had always been for the sake of someone else. Fear of what could happen to them, particularly their troublesome New Type. He had never seen such concern for himself. It was… unsettling.

"You're worried about the infection," Soma surmised.

Ichiro slowly nodded his head, confirming his suspicions. "Yes… yes. I am. We know that the field affects Aragami by enhancing their capability. We also know that it affects God Eaters by draining their energy. For you and Neo, to whatever extent, it seems to do a combination of both. But me, I…"

"Damn it…" He was right. It was a possibility that Soma hadn't initially considered. With Hamasaki being human, he had figured that he would suffer similar side effects to his fellow kin, losing his strength, speed, and durability. Essentially, rendering him back to his original state.

And that was precisely the problem. His original state. Hamasaki wasn't entirely human. Not anymore. They weren't certain what he was at this point, but definitely not something that could be trusted around the Nova, not in his current state. If the shield failed, he stood to lose far more than anyone else. What if the Bias Field made his infection turn for the worse? What if it accelerated his mutation and triggered immediate transformation? What if his Aragami — or Neo's rather — side won out and sent him into something like Overdrive? Was such a thing even possible? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became, and his worries must have shown on his face because Ichiro let out a chuckle. "Exactly. So, at least for now, we both think it's safest that I remain here. Until we can enhance the shield, or better yet, figure out what effect it has on me in the first place."

"Yeah. That's probably best," Soma agreed. "I'll get Kota to fill your spot. Our composition can use a healer anyway."

"Sounds like a plan," Ichiro shifted his gaze back to his notes. Back to the drawing board.

"Are you… gonna be alright?" he asked.

He nodded. "Yeah… I'm very close to a breakthrough. Hopefully, once we the Nova is taken care of, I can put something together. Put an end to all of this." With a solemn nod, Soma left him to his research, pausing when his voice stopped him at the door.

"Soma."

"Hmm?"

"I know this probably goes without saying. But be safe out there."

"Not sure why you think I'd do anything else."

"That's not what I meant. I mean…" Soma twitched. He was growing impatient, waiting for the other man to try and organize his thoughts. "We already know what sort of effect the Bias Field has on her… but —"

"Don't worry," Soma said curtly. "I won't let anything happen to her."

The door closed behind him; his teammate was gone before he could even respond. The room fell into a heavy silence, its loan occupant staring pensively at the closed door. "I was talking about you…" He muttered to himself, shaking his head, and returning to his notes. They had seen what happened to Neo within the Bias Field. But the effects were undocumented in Soma's case. For the most part, he was going in blind. Hopefully the other soldier would remember that.

Minutes passed with Ichiro staring thoughtfully down at the page. Soma's tone had bothered him. He was always snappy, that wasn't anything new. Yet there was something in his tone that felt different with his declaration. Perhaps he was simply in a hurry. That made the most sense, Nova wasn't going to wait around for them to exterminate it after all. Even still, that sharpness was unlike him. "Hmm…"

After another minute of inactivity, he decided to leave his business for now. Perhaps Soma had the right idea. The Nova was top priority, he could worry about his infection once it was eradicated. Hopefully. If not, then they would need a backup plan, and it was up to him and his team to find it. Standing, he headed for the door, destination the lab. Maybe there was something he missed.

. . .

City of Mercy

The helicopter blades whirred above them. It was so loud, the scout sergeant had to shout to be heard over the winds. They were nearing the landing zone; Hibari was going over final checks. The four soldiers listened carefully through their headsets for her confirmation.

"Everything looks good. Alright, you should be good to take on the Nova."

"Alright!" Kota pumped his fist in the air, earning a scowl from his teammate. "We've got an anti-Nova shield and a group full of bad asses. That Aragami doesn't stand a chance!"

"We've got an experimental shield," Soma reminded. "That doesn't mean you can get careless. We need to be ready for anything out there." Though his sharp words were directed at Kota, his gaze was fixed pointedly on the New Type at his side.

Surprisingly, Neo didn't argue with him. She only nodded her head in confirmation. "I understand. I will be careful…" He stared at her, a look of clear shock on his face. He had never expected that she would be so cooperative. That woman took the words 'be careful' as a personal challenge to be as reckless as possible. Ideally, her lack of argument should have been a relief to him, but in reality, it was unnerving. To see Neo looking concerned was concerning in itself. One thing his teammate rarely displayed was fear. Of humans, typically. Of monsters, never.

"You okay?" Alisa asked. Her apathetic response hadn't gone unnoticed, and she was growing worried for her teammate. Neo nodded but didn't answer further, only adding to her suspicion. Both she and Soma exchanged a glance at her silence. What was going on with her? Was she actually afraid of the Nova? Of the Bias Field?

Beside her, Kota noticed her lowering mood. There was an atmospheric shift in the air around her. The muscles in her leg tensed beside him, he could feel the stress practically radiating from her very being. Looking nervously at the other two, he looked back to her, trying to think of a way to get her out of her funk. On top of being utterly terrifying, her nervousness posed a threat to her overall wellbeing. If her morale fell too low, it could affect her on the battlefield. That was a risk none of them could afford to take.

Struck with inspiration, he put on his most comforting smile and a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, buddy. You've got me watching your back! All of us! Right guys?"

Alisa nodded. "Of course! Everyone will have someone keeping an eye on them. We'll watch each other's blind spots."

Their words seemed to reach her, if only slightly. "True…"

Kota jumped on the opportunity. Building on their success, he added, "And with the three of us, you don't have to worry about holding back, you know? No holds barred! Go wild out there!"

The trio waited with bated breath, each watching carefully for her reaction. Finally, she turned her head, bringing her face to face with the goofiest grin she had seen on his face since the season finale of Bugarally. She couldn't stop the smirk that threatened to surface. It was a warm feeling; the knowledge that he was looking out for her, that all of them were. Just as she would look out for them in turn.

But there was still that sinking suspicion. That dark, twisted little voice that reminded her, that threatened to drag her back to the depths of uncertainty. That voice that couldn't help but wonder. What if something were to go wrong? If one of her allies were to fall. Would they be able to help them in time? What if she were the one to fall? What if the Bias Shield failed? What would happen to them? The air began to shift again. Neo was starting to spiral.

But Kota wouldn't let her. He saw her expression faltering and was determined to snap her out of it. Shifting his weight to the side, he moved his hand and extended his arm to wrap around her shoulders with a friendly squeeze. "I got it! Listen, if that Bias Field pops up again, I'll be your decoy…!"

"What?" Neo balked.

"Yeah! I'm really fast! Well, not as fast as you are, but fast enough to be a distraction. I'll get the Nova's attention… and uh… hmm… I hope I stocked up on Restore Pills, in that case." Kota's voice grew lower and lower the more he listened to himself. His expression fell slightly as he realized exactly what he was suggesting, and genuinely wondering if he had packed enough supplies.

The New Type said nothing, only staring at him with a wide-eyed expression. Then, she smirked. "Pfft… " The look on his face was too much. Her little huff of air slowly grew into a quiet giggle. Finally, the tension had finally lifted.

Kota smiled with triumph at the sound of her laughter, squeezing her shoulders once more for luck. Neo chuckled harder, shaking her head, reaching to her shoulder, and placing a hand over his own. He jolted slightly at the feeling, startled by the pinpricks resting against his skin. No matter how close he grew to her, Kota wasn't sure he would ever get used to her claws. Even so, he never lost his smile, laughing with his teammate. When he caught his breath, he sighed. "You know… when I hear the word 'Nova,' it gets me thinking about what happened."

"How so?" Neo asked."

"We had no choice but to rely on Shio before… but this time things are different…" Neo nodded her head. That was right. It had been the Aragami child that had brought them salvation… brought her salvation. But now, she was gone. They would be on their own this time. But that didn't seem to stop his enthusiasm. "Well, that just means we've gotta work even harder, right? We've got to do whatever it takes to find it before it's too late!"

"Hehe… Yeah."

Alisa hummed, smiling slightly despite herself. A small part of her felt off-center, watching the two of them together. But it was quickly erased by joy, seeing Neo's spirits finally lifting. The same couldn't be said for the man beside her, however. She could almost feel the discomfort, the agitation radiating off of him. Confused, she turned to looked toward her teammate. She nearly jumped at his expression. She had never seen such a look of displeasure on Soma's face. Granted, she was used to him being angry; glaring was effectively his default setting. But this was different. His eyes were focused intently on the other pair, particularly on the arm wrapped around his teammate. He looked far more than annoyed. He was glowering at Kota.

'Strange…'

Hibari's voice came through the receiver, breaking her focus along with everyone else's in the transport. "Alright guys, get ready. Wheels on the ground in five. Finish this thing here and now… and come home safe." It was finally time.

. . .

After landing, the group split off, each searching a separate quadrant of the city. They didn't travel far from one another, just enough to expand their coverage; to alert the other when they spotted their quarry. The teams were separated such that each pair had one Managarm child, maximizing their scouting potential. The female pair were exiting the large tunnel, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of movement. After a few minutes of tense silence, Alisa checked in.

"Hey Neo… are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay… if you're sure. I'm just concerned. This isn't like you."

"I'm just…" she paused, looking over her shoulder. "I have a bad feeling about this. Something isn't right."

"What do you mean? What doesn't —" her words halted, body going rigid at the sound of heavy footsteps. Both women ducked away, pressing against the wall and out of sight. Alisa shivered, a feeling of dread slowly washing over her. "Whoa… I… I can feel its power…" she muttered.

To her side, Neo's eyes narrowed, pulling out her phone and sending a quick message to the other team. Typically, she would take this opportunity to charge forward, agitating and starting the engagement in her signature style. But this time, something was stopping her. She knew something wasn't right, and its Oracle signature was proof of that. If it was strong enough that even a human could feel it…

No. This was not something to mess around with.

The pair followed the sound, keeping a safe distance and tailing the monster's movements. It took only a few minutes for the other pair to arrive on the opposite side, nodding their acknowledgement to their peers. A head of violet hair carefully peeked around the wall, taking note of the bright pink tuft vanishing around the building's wall. She felt her heart sink into her stomach. Divine. Of course, it would be divine. Forcing her nerves back, she spoke quietly into her radio. "Hibari, I think we've got eyes on the Nova."

The line was silent for a few moments, leaving the group waiting for her answer. "Yes, Oracle Response confirmed! It's close. Kill Team, you have permission to engage. Good luck, everyone. Please, be safe."

"Let's rock this!" Kota exclaimed, jogging around the bend and down the street. Soma sighed, rolling his and eyes and running after him. Their operator told them to exercise caution. It hadn't even been sixty seconds, and he was already doing the opposite.

Neo felt an uneasy sensation in her stomach, quickly chasing after the pair. When Kota emerged into the open, he came to a stop. "Huh…?" All he saw was open terrain, dilapidated buildings, and a few collapsed structures. The Nova was gone.

Soma followed up behind him a moment later, similarly, coming to a halt. "What the hell…? Where did it go?"

"I'm not sure. I know went this way," Alisa replied.

The group slowly emerged, looking around for their missing adversary. How could something so large disappear so quickly? There was something very unsettling about the entire situation. Neo frowned, hairs on the back of her neck standing straight in the air. "It's here. I can feel it," Neo answered. Keening her senses, she listened for any sound, any footstep, any breath. Yet found nothing. She was almost beginning to doubt herself. Turning to her teammate, she asked for confirmation. "You can sense it too, right?"

Soma nodded. He could absolutely sense the creature. That was the problem. All he could sense was the Nova. Everywhere. In front of him, behind him, to both of his sides. As if the creature was surrounding them, standing anywhere and everywhere all at once. It didn't make any sense. "Damn it… the Bias Field must be messing with us."

"That's mildly concerning…" Alisa muttered.

The group slowly spread out, looking down alleyways, inside of broken-down buildings. Kota sighed. "Aw man… and when we were so close too. Should we split up again?"

"Don't," Neo warned. Her nerves were alight, alarm bells ringing off like a blaring siren. She couldn't trust her senses, but she trusted her intuition. There was something very, very wrong. "I don't like this… We should reassess the situation."

Soma's eyes grew wide. First, she was acting nervous. Then, she was distressed. Now, she wanted them to turn back? What the hell was going on with her? What was it she could see that he couldn't? "Neo, we can't turn back. We have to stop the Nova, here and now. We need to end this."

Their gunner groaned. "I gotta agree with Soma on this one. We can't just —" Kota's complaint was silenced, cut off by a startled scream. One moment, he was searching the city streets. In the next he was airborne tumbling across the ground like a ragdoll.

"Kota!" Alisa took immediate action, taking aim with her recovery bullets. Neo split off from her, tearing across the area in a small streak. Soma chased after her, buster raised.

"It snuck up on us? How?!"

Neo didn't know. She didn't know how it had managed to trick them. She didn't know how it had managed to get the first strike. But she knew it was the last one she would allow it to get. Scythe lifted for a strike, she cut the Nova off, halting its pursuit of their teammate. It jumped back, dodging her swipe and retaliating with one of its own. Her nimble body danced out of the way, ducking low under a magenta claw. When she rose to strike again, the Nova was gone, leaping over her, and rushing back toward Kota who was now on his feet.

'What the hell is going on…?'

It was the first time she had ever seen such careful movement. Not only had it managed to mask its presence, but it was now targeting their weakest unit. Kota was a skilled marksman in his own right, but as a ranged type, he had no access to a shield, leaving him the only member of their group without a defense. The circumstances of their engagement were getting more and more grim. Soma leapt forward, lifting his blade high in the air. It was a miss, the Nova hopping out of the way and continuing pursuit.

Aided by Alisa's bullets, Kota scrambled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the Nova's fangs as it clamped down with a loud snap. He bolted away, trying to place some distance between them. He yelped, making a clever maneuver to fake-out the creature and send it smashing through a concrete wall. Neo didn't have time to be amused by the display, she was too deep in thought, eyes watching for signs of movement. She could see the tail disappear into the cloud of smoke. It was turning around.

Something needed to be done and quickly. With Kota in its sights, they were going to have to draw its attention. He couldn't get a hit in, even take aim with the Nova chasing him around. The creature's agility alone meant he stood no chance. "Okay…" Neo focused, scarf sparking with electricity and eyes following Kota's movements. She had never channeled a bolt at such a long distance. It was going to be a long shot, but one that would possibly save his life. She only hope that the Nova shared the same weaknesses as so many of their targets.

"Huh…?" Kota felt his hair stand on end. But the rise wasn't due to his own fear. It was external, the area around him growing charged with static. "What the…"

Soma's movements came to a pause as he felt a shift in the air, a beacon of Oracle cells from the other side of the clearing. The signal sounded the alarm, shifting his gaze immediately to the source. Bright light reached his eyes, emanating from Neo's scarf. He opened his mouth in warning, but he wasn't fast enough, the Nova shooting out of the crevice like a large bullet.

"Wagh?!" Kota turned and fled, the creature coming right for him. Neo released her energy, right in the Nova's path. The creature had no time to stop, taking her strike full force as a large bolt erupted from the glowing circle. Kota's mouth fell open, watching the creature stumble. "Oh, hell yeah! Nice, Neo!"

Alisa took aim, firing off a round of bullets from her gun, hoping to capitalize on her teammate's opening. But rather than tear into the skin of its side as she had expected, her bullet ricocheted, sparking and bouncing to either side. "What the…"

Soma was up next, closing the distance and bringing down his blade upon its outstretched leg. His result was more successful, tearing a large gash down the hide. It wasn't as deep as it should have been, leaving the Nova to reorient itself and leap away, hopping onto a nearby perch and out of reach. It snarled, shaking itself of the remainder of its paralysis. Then… it turned.

Neo felt her body go rigid. With the creature still, she was finally able to get a good look at her opponent. And it was the most disturbing thing she had ever seen, an amalgamation of Aragami and man. More accurately, multiple Aragami. It had the body of a Vajra, with similar size, build, and mobility. But rather than a smooth furred back, it had ridges, rippling all the way down to a long, thick tail. It was although someone had taken a Vajra, an Ogretail, and a human, mixed them all together and then spat them back out.

Most frightening of all was its head. It did not bear the crown of its predecessor nor the feminine face of the Frozen Witch. No, it had the fuchsia-colored hair and face of a woman they recognized. The female component of the Arda Nova. Aisha Gauche. Soma's mother. But it was distorted, twisted, and mangled into a sickening opening that served as its maw. And that wasn't even the worst of it. It wasn't its body or its power that unsettled her. It wasn't its novelty or even its Bias Field… it was the way it looked at her.

It was the way it narrowed its eyes, zoning in on her as though she had affronted it. Like it knew she was the one who had cast the lightning bolt. Like it knew that she had similar power to itself. Like it recognized her. Understood. It looked aware. It almost looked sentient.

Her plan to distract it from Kota was a success. But now, it fixed her with its murderous gaze, leaping from the wall and charging toward her with reckless abandon. Neo readied herself, gripping hers scythe with every hair on her body standing on end. The creature wasn't able to reach her, it was intercepted by another foe; a forgotten threat that had been following its movements. Soma's blade tore against the side of its opposite leg, sending it stumbling, but not off-balance. With a growl, it hopped away from them, twitching only slightly against the hailstorm of bullets raining on it from their allies. If they were doing any damage, the Nova wasn't showing it.

The air shifted again, Oracle cells radiating through the air. Soma and Neo scattered, moving away from the glowing purple coats. The New Type gasped, skidding into a turn, and narrowly avoiding the large pink circle glowing on the ground. The Nova utilized her own strategy against her, striking the ground with a divine bolt. Spinning around, she stared back with widened eyes.

A lower guttural growl rumbled in its throat, sending chills down her spine. Attacks like those weren't uncommon among Vajra types; it was why she could utilize them herself. But that attack had been purposeful; there was a reason it had chosen that method. It was copying her. She could see it in its mischievous eyes. It was taunting her. Their stare down was interrupted by gunfire, Kota providing suppressive support from the flank.

A new contender appeared, Alisa rejoined the battle in sword form, swiping her blade along its side. She could hear the screech of metal, the edge scraping against its armored skin. "What?!" Lifting her shield, she tried to block its counterattack. It was a moment too slow, ending her flying through the air and onto the ground. Charging its power, the Nova began to glow. But her teammates didn't give it a chance to follow up, Soma catching a well-placed blow against its whipping tail and Neo striking its leg with charged electrical swing of her scythe.

Its screech echoed across the clearing before it leapt away, confirming two of his theories. The first was that it bore similar weaknesses to the Vajra; its tail was sensitive and a preferable target. The second was that much like its cousin — and Neo as well — the monster required focus for its elemental attacks. It was difficult to move freely and channel its power simultaneously.

Neo turned her focus to Alisa, taking its flight as an opportunity to switch to healing bullets. A scowl formed on her face when she fired them, watching her teammate climb to her feet. She didn't like the look her face… something was off. It wasn't an expression of pain, but confusion.

She didn't have time to think on it, turning her attention back to their adversary. But it seemed that the Nova had lost interest, narrowing its eyes and bolting away into the city streets.

"After it! We can't let it get away!" Soma ordered. Neo scowled, watching the team following their leader. Then, she shook her head and turned.

The group tore after it, following it deeper into the city. It was fast, faster than any of the other Vajra types they had faced before. But not fast enough to lose them. Having spent years running around the area, Soma tracked its trajectory. "It's going to the Cathedral!"

"Good, we'll corner it in there!" Alisa responded, keeping her eyes locked on its tail tuft as it rounded another building. "Neo, let's —" her words stopped in her tracks. Neo had been with them moments ago. Now, she was gone. "What — where's —"

"We don't have time for this, she'll catch up!" Soma grabbed her attention, reminding her of their task. Knowing the New Type, she had probably gone to replenish her energy or readjust her God Arc. It was even possible that the Bias Field was affecting her, in which case, she was right to distance herself from the fight.

. . .

City of Mercy – Cathedral

Soma was right, their pursuit led them to the towering building near the center of the city. Within stood the Nova, face buried in a pile of organic matter, clearly trying to regain some of its strength. The God Eaters wouldn't let it. In the next moment, a pair of jaws clamped down on the Nova's tail, startling it and sending it into a rampage. It activated, appendages glowing with rage and power. Alisa leapt back, narrowly avoiding its swipe as it rushed after her. But she wasn't able to get very far.

While their new terrain provided less space for the Nova to run around in, it also provided them less space to evade its maneuvers. The cat-like creature leapt over Soma's blade, kicking off one of the stone walls and launching itself upon the unsuspecting New Type. Alisa shrieked, crashing to the ground beneath the swiping paws, edges digging into her skin. She wriggled beneath its grip, trying desperately with what strength remained to free herself, but it was no use. Even in first level Burst, its claws didn't budge. Above her, she could see the monster's maw, opening wide. She saw darkness. She saw death itself. Alisa screamed.

And Kota saw red.

He wasn't sure when his barrel started moving, nor when he started taking aim. All he knew was that in the second, his finger was holding down the trigger. It didn't matter that his bullets didn't penetrate. The machine-gun assault of bullets pelting into its open mouth were more than enough to interrupt its action. The Nova rumbled and stumbled back, shaking its face against the bullet storm. Soma was ready for it, following up with another swing of his blade, cutting right along the front of its legs, shattering the cells binding it.

But it still wasn't finished. Before he could deliver a finishing blow, the Aragami evaded him, out maneuvering and hopping away as Soma gave chase. Behind him, Kota rushed to Alisa's side, grabbing any healing item he could find. It turned out he had remembered a bundle of health pills.

Now with its attention, the veteran was locked in all-out battle. It was in a weakened state, that much he was certain from the desperation of its movements. Unfortunately, much like Neo, with its growing Oracle levels meant growing speed. He couldn't get a hit on it, the creature just barely evading his strikes. It was no use; his weapon was too heavy, too slow to finish the Nova in this state. "Damn it!" he cursed, flipping away from an incoming sphere of crackling divine energy.

"Ugh…" Alisa groaned, climbing unsteadily to her feet.

"You okay?!" Kota exclaimed.

She nodded, rubbing her head with a shaky hand. "Y-Yeah… Yeah, I'm…" her sentenced ended in a gasp, eyes moving upward.

"If you have any ideas, now would be a good time!" Soma shouted.

Alisa did have an idea. Taking aim, she angled her barrel, not to assist him in combat but to put an end to the battle entirely. With its essence still coursing through her weapon, the New Type utilized it, lifting her sight high above the battle where a small silhouette was waiting. Neo had gone the long way, granting herself the element of surprise. Now, standing in the wide opening of the Cathedral wall, she met Alisa's gaze.

Neo could feel a surge of power when the bullet struck, sending her into Burst. But she didn't leave her perch, instead crouching down and bracing her body. Like a game of hot potato, she took her gifted energy and sent it right back, channeling all of her power into the barrel of her weapon, willing it to extend. With her God Arc empowered, she sent a blast, an electric bullet, brimming with Oracle cells, at blinding speed. The loud shot of her cannon drew the Nova's attention. It turned toward the bright light with no escape. The force tossed it off balance with and sent it tumbling onto its side, trembling with current.

Leaping into the air, Soma came down with all of his strength, smashing his blade overtop of its head. Dark liquid spewed from the wound, painting him red and his jacket purple. He wiped his eyes in disgust and quickly lifted his sword again in preparation should it move again.

It didn't.

Soma smirked, lowering his weapon with a triumphant sigh. Neo lowered her God Arc as well, deactivating her extension. Alisa barely had time to put down her own before she was stumbling backward from a collision. It took her mind a few moments to register what was happening; a flood of emotions washed over her, fear at the sudden impact, anger at the source of it. Confusion and embarrassment at the realization of what it was. Kota had embraced her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Holy crap… we did it… I… I was —"

"Kota?! Wh-What are you doing?" Alisa squealed, eyes growing wide.

"I thought I was gonna lose you…" he whispered, more to himself than to her.

The words were so quiet, she almost didn't hear them. She wasn't sure she was meant to. But she didn't have the strength or will to question it. She was too busy trying to contain her rapid heartrate, to stop the deep red color rising to her face. She hadn't realized he was that worried. That he cared that much about her. She should have felt agitated at his sudden action… but she only felt warm. "K-Kota… I — th-thank you…" she forced out.

At the sound of her voice, he snapped back to reality and realized precisely what he was doing. With a startled yelp, he released and stepped back from her, rubbing his head sheepishly. The color of his face matched her own. "Oh, uh… s-sorry. Hehe."

"No, I… it's fine. Um…"

"Uh…"

As the two stuttered and stammered at one another, Soma shook his head in exasperation. "Idiots…"

"Uh, a-anyway! Looks like Kota saved the day. The end!"

Alisa frowned at his rapid change in demeanor, but she couldn't hold it. It bled into a smile. "Yeah… Looks that way."

"Eh?!" Kota looked ready to fall over. Alisa was agreeing? With him? How hard had the Nova hit her? It must have knocked a few screws loose.

"It's true… I would have been done for otherwise. Thank you."

Kota sputtered. "I — uh, sure! Um… but what happened back there? I mean, I thought you would at least have activated your shield…"

"I tried but…" Her eyes fell to her weapon. "It's strange… My Arc wouldn't respond. Every command I gave was met with a struggle. It was like… it didn't want to fight it…"

Kota hummed. "Super weird…"

Up above, Neo was examining her own weapon, turning her rifle over in her hands. Alisa's words rung true; she had had more an enough trouble trying to get her own weapon to obey her commands. The activation of her cannon was directly a result of her own efforts, using every ounce of Oracle cell energy in her body. It seemed she wasn't the only one having difficulty.

Down below, Soma jolted, a familiar feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. Not even a moment later, Hibari's voice came through the receiver. "God Eaters, respond! Are you sure you killed it?"

Kota looked over his shoulder at the Nova again, still lying motionless on the ground. Shrugging, he turned back. "Uh, yeah… Looks totally dead."

Hibari didn't sound relieved. She sounded panicked. "Guys, the Nova's Oracle Response is still stable! Something's wrong!"

While the God Eaters listened, behind them, the Nova was slowly, rising to its feet. Its movement was similar to their initial encounter… silent. Soma turned, feeling his senses kicking into high gear. "No… No!"

At the sound of Soma's shouting, the other two turned. Alisa gasped. "She's right! Get back!" Grabbing Kota's collar, she yanked him away from the growing threat. But Soma didn't move. He didn't like the look on the Nova's face. Its coats were glowing, it was activating its power… By the time he realized it, it was too late. Javelins of divine energy hovered in the air above its head. But they didn't angle toward them.

Soma panicked. "Neo, look out!"

"Huh?"

Looking up, her eyes widened at the floating pikes, pointing right in her direction. Soma felt his heart drop into his stomach. It was the absolute worst-case scenario. He was moving forward as fast as his legs would carry him; not nearly enough to overtake the spikes hurling toward her at rapid speed. There was no way that even Neo was fast enough to evade them… and she was in sniper form.

He felt time slow, watching the pikes collide. They exploded on impact, leaving a cloud of purple in their wake. The ground beside him trembled as the monster leapt, smashing through one of the Cathedral windows, leaving only devastation behind. The Nova had escaped. But Soma didn't care. At that moment, the only thing that mattered…

"No!" Alisa screamed.

"Oh crap! Neo!"

Soma didn't say a word. His mind was blank, his legs taking him across the Cathedral and into the air. He scaled the ledge, his Oracle cells pushing him forward to clear the height. I won't let anything happen to her. Those were the last words he said to Hamasaki before he left. The words he had promised himself. That he would not allow their New Type to come to any harm… but he had.

He knew it was pointless, but his body moved on his own. His hands dug through his bag, grasping at anything that felt like a needle. Anything to convince himself that there was a chance. A feeling of nausea settled in the bit of his stomach. He wasn't sure if he was even breathing anymore. He was only focused on the shimmering cloud in front of him.

Then, he heard a cough… and the world started moving again. Rushing forward, he skidded to the corner of the ledge where Neo had been crouching and nearly fell to his knees in utter disbelief. There, crouched behind her shield, was Neo, all in one piece. And protruding from her now broken weapon was the remainder of the purple shards. She let the pieces fall, separate chunks of metal falling to the ground with a heavy clang.

Soma was speechless. He didn't know what to say. He just watched her as she staggered to her feet, looking out into the city. "Damn it… looks like the Nova tricked us…" It didn't take long for her to find it, a large silhouette standing atop a collapsed. The Aragami stared right back at her, eyes narrowing in a vicious glare. She couldn't describe the expression on its human-like face. Was it malice? Loathing? No. She recognized that expression… it was hunger.

Turning away from her, the Nova leapt out of sight, leaving the battered squad behind.