User blog:Warden-Cypher/God Reaper Burst - Chapter 16 - The Bond

Another of Shio's 'date'.

This time Kota's with us. The Ogretails were numerous, but it was more of a nuisance than anything else.

Shio's preparing for dinner under our attentive eyes.

I may have been the only one to notice that, but as she followed us in these 'dates', she grew in her fighting abilities.

Before, she was just hacking her weapon, making too much of unnecessary movements. Now, she's more precise in her attacks.

As sh'es about to bite at the Ogretail, she turns to look at Soma.

"Soma...come eat with us!"

Kota replies that we, humans, don't eat Aragamis. Shios innocently reply that Soma's Aragami says he want to eat.

Yikes...

He lash out at her immediately:

"Don't give me that! You little...I'm not a monster like you!"

He turns his back on us, heading to the Den. Shio follows him, trying to stop him by stating that she is happy that she found him. Because before that, she was alone for so long.

For so long...

''How old is she, truly? ''

Soma leave without a word. When Kota tries to stop him, i shake my head.

"Let him be."

Kota look at me: "Wait. Do you know something we don't?"

I show the edge of the carrier.

"I'll explain everything i know."

Kota listened to me closely, never interrupting me.

I tell him everything. About the Managarm Project, the relationship between the Director and Soma, and Sakaki's part in all this. The fact that Soma's Half-Aragami, and the prime Gods Eater, as well as the basis for God Arc technology. That his mother died in childbirth.

When i'm finished, Kota look to where Soma was standing.

"He's been carrying around baggage like that all this time? He shouldn't be so arrogant!"

Arrogance?

''Can it truly be described so simply? ''

Can we really blame Soma for not telling us all the truth? Can we really reproach him the fact he doesn't want to involve anyone?

I won't, because i understand why he did that. And if i, too, am called arrogant for that, so be it.

Sakaki's once again summoned us to his Lab. All of the 1st Unit.

I look quickly at Alisa. She doesn't seem bitter about our last conversation.

Good. I don't want to think about it.

I look at Sakaki as he explains the reason.

"There's an issue, you see...Would you mind...dressing Shio?"

Okay, now we're fully into the 'creeper zone'.

''If he asks us to play dolls with her, i'm out. I mean it.''

"I've tried so many different approaches, and they've all ended up in failure."

I look at Shio. She wince her face and spit out: "Stiff and scratchy...No, no!"

I quickly brush off the thoughts of the 'approaches' Sakaki's tried. I still value my sanity.

"And so i thought i should ask the help of a woman."

Was it really necessary to summon us all, then?

Soma leave as soon as Sakaki's finished talking. Kota says that the episode of Bugarally he was watching is too much important, and leave as well. And so i'm the only one left.

Awkward, at best.

Sakuya take the back room to try to dress Shio, requesting help from Alisa.

I look at the door, while Sakaki goes on about one of his usual monologues about Shio's uniqueness, stating she might well usher a new future beyond our imagination.

A loud sound comes from the room. Sakuya and Alisa, covered in dust and coming from a mist of smoke, manage, between two coughs, to explain that Shio's destroyed the wall and fled.

Brilliant.

Sakaki's panicked and request me to find her immediately. I leave the Lab without saying a word.

''Leave her be, only for a moment. She's not a pet to be put back in her cage.''

We're searching the Tranquil Temple, the very area where we first met Shio. Where else could she have gone?

I recall Lindow saying he, Tsubaki and Sakuya were all from here. Did Shio already live here as well?

Who knows...

I take a chocolate bar from one of my pockets and eat it, my God Arc resting on my shoulder. I don't need eyes to sense that Soma's already found Shio.

I smile and look at the moon.

Let the two of them have a little heart-to-heart. They have much in common, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

I direct the others away from the temple, to buy them some time. Soma needs to know he's not alone. And only Shio can bring him this.

Only a being not fully Aragami can trigger this sense of kinship in him.

Me, a simple human, can only wait while he warms up to her, and slowly, the world. Only then will i be able to be friend with him.

Somehow, i envy him. But i can only blame myself. I had the chance to be close to someone, and chose not to, to better focus on my duty.

Let the others have their happiness. I don't need it to live.

As if it's sensing my monologue, my God Arc seems to awaken a bit.

''Right. ''

I'm not truly alone, either.