User blog:Yuka Ichinose/God Eater: Infinity Paradise, Chapter 6

<< Chapter Five ''I finally got to upload Infinity Paradise's cover after my friend had inked it. Sooner or later, which means a few weeks from now, I'd get to coloring it! Hope it turns out good~''

Being a God Eater is a tough and restless job. It is an occupation most needed and yet people compatible with God Arcs are scarce. They were dubbed as 'Humanity's Last Hope' which only adds to the pressure. And though they were blessed with the power to eliminate Aragamis, it hurts every God Eater to see someone helplessly die in the hands of the beasts, or witness a comrade be killed in the field. That's a guilt carried in the hearts of every God Eater, unless of course he is a heartless being who only wishes to destroy those monsters for no apparent reason.

''What the hell is she thinking? Three years in the job and no lesson learned? What, taking suicide now?! ''"If something bad happens, I swear I'll kill you as many times as it takes to ingrain a few reminders in your head, dammit." He'd give her a lecture thrice as worse as the one Tsubaki gives. Ground her if possible. She's 18 and yet she acts like a child! He'd never seen someone be so immature!

"Oi, Soma! Wait up!" Kota's voice was faint in his ears. In fact, it was too faint to be heard in the pouring rain. "Slow down a sec!"

He only tightened his grip on his sawblade, gritting his teeth.

"Oi-"

Finally, he snapped back at his company. "If you have the damn strength to complain, then use it instead to catch up!"

After that special mission with Sariels, she had began to act differently. Although it wouldn't be that noticeable to people who had barely known Yuka, he knows. He knows her more than anybody. He knows her that much to notice the slightest change in her behaviour. "Oh? Lenka," Hibari's voice played back in his head during said operator's conversation with Sakuya. ''"He did leave with Yuka. ... Uhm, yes, the one with the Aether, I'm afraid." ''Dammit... Only a few days in Anagura and she already have a few screws loose.

In this labyrinth of a field, it was easy to get lost, and the fresh blood he occasionally steps on told him that there'd been a big fight before their arrival.

"This place is real messy," Kota, who had finally managed to catch up with him, said in between breathes. "And it stinks."

He grunted. "Well, thanks for stating the obvious."

"Soma! Let's go out!"

"Here's your hot chocolate, liebling."

"If it weren't for your birth... there would be no God Eaters... There would be no God Arcs..."

"No you? No me either. This land we step on... The entire planet... would have fallen to the hands of these violent gods..."

"You're a monster? That makes the two of us then!"

"Don't shut your doors on them..."

"Anyway... I' really thankful for it! I get to see you again!"

"I knew you love me!"

The past days, they had engaged to various missions together. Even Lindow had noted that he was finally moving up from the status of loner to duo. Well, it wasn't a bad idea opening up to a person returning from his past, right? That aside, where could have that little dimwit gone off to? They've been wandering for hours and his orange-haired companion had began to complain about his legs hurting. As for now, Aragamis aren't a threat to them, but both Yuka and Lenka are still out of sight.

The entire environment had fallen silent. The wind howled low as their brisk steps slowed down to normal ones. The rain continued to pour, though it seemed to have weakened. Finally, after a few more steps, they discovered that the path they had been taking split into three more divisions in front of them. Dang, he thought. ''She better not get lost. ''Though he trusts that she has better sense of direction than what his head thinks. "If something comes up," he told his junior. "Don't ever get in my way." Taking the bloodstains on the ground as a hint, they ventured to the right.

It was -- though he'd dare admit -- a relief to have met someone who shares the same pain. Yuka recognizes the hardships he'd been through, and she completely understands why he turned out the way he is now. She never dared call him a 'Death God' or a 'Loser', not even behind his back. He never knew why she has the habit of busting into his room, rummaging through the contents of his fridge and leaving only when she had prepared a cup of warm chocolate. No amount of shooing her away had worked. She was there like an Ouroboros that had rooted its tentacles deep into the ground.

He could already see the end of the path, and yet, still no Aragamis. It was honestly getting suspicious in his opinion. A few more and...

He thought there was an ambush. He thought a horde of monsters would come jumping into the area. But no... She stood there alone, her back facing them. There was something even more surprising though: what she was standing on. A large pile of Ogretails, some were heavily mutilated. Soma didn't see any Aether that was supposed to be the main target of the mission. Or maybe he just didn't notice because he was too busy staring at her bloodied hands and the fact that her God Arc was right at their foot.

"Dummkopf," he growled at her, causing her to look back at them with a rather straight face and an 'Oh, hello.', which infuriated him even more. "The heck are you doing? And where is that rookie?"

He was not going to ask about the Ogretails that looked like they devoured and killed each other. He's not going to ask about the blood in her hands and clothes, or the kind of expression she wears at the moment. "Lenka?" She replied, as if grasping any thoughts regarding the name. "He went the other way... I think."

"I-Is she alright...?" Kota finally asked in the form of a whisper. "She looks like she had just gone out of the..." There was a short pause, as if he tried to think of better fitting word. "... uhm, a mental institution...?" And then he jerked, expecting Soma to hit him with his God Arc or something. His senior did nothing.

"Let's go find that rookie and go home..."

"Home?" Her ears perked up, and she hopped off that mini-mountain and towards them, picking up her weapon. "Home sounds nice!"

"What happened to the Aragami you were supposed to fight?" Kota asked, obviously confused. He was hoping this oddly-acting female senior of his didn't leave poor Lenka to deal with it alone.

Yuka puffed her cheeks, as if disappointed. "Didn't show up."

He'd seen this before... A really distant memory. From what he could remember...

... A condition that could never be controlled.

***

"It doesn't look like she broke any rules though. The mission was from Hibari. She didn't exactly sneak out of the Den."

And that's what she said. If Tsubaki is not to give her any lectures, then he will.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" He growled. "You seriously think you can take down a large Aragami all alone?!"

"I wasn't alone!" She pouted. "I brought Lenka with me!"

"Even worse! You had me wor-- Just don't do it again! It took you too long to come back and both Lindow and Sakuya had grown worried."

"Okay! I'll bring Alisa next time so you wouldn't be mad. Is that fine?"

"Yuka... tat Sie ass thoe Ogretails? Sie wurden... schwer entstellt," he told her, finally managing to collect himself with a sigh. If Kota had been curious and asked regarding that, explaining would be troubling.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Ich tat nicht. Warum wurde I tun sogar das?" Kicking her legs back and forth whilst seated on his bed, she seemed to be back to normal now. Or at least, she looks like that.

"Nichts..."

It appeared like there were really no Aether in the area. They checked twice and thrice but it was empty. Apart from the few Ogretails littering the field that time, nothing else. If it had fled, the God Eaters were never sure. After all, many Aragamis are highly capable of moving.

She mentioned seeing Sakaki for regular check-ups lately. Is it an issue regarding the P73 Bias Factor? Or is it something that he has yet to know about her? Though he doubt Old Man Sakaki would tell him something not even Yuka would share.

"Soma! Soma!" Her cheery call pierced through his jumbled thoughts, as he felt her pressing against him from behind. "Ik houd van u!"