User blog:Yuka Ichinose/God Eater: Infinity Paradise, Chapter 14



Her left arm stung. Funny thing is, it shouldn't even.

"I'm sorry..." Alisa was forlorn, as she hugged her own New-Type God Arc close to her chest. "I didn't mean to..."

Yuka's right hand continued to rub her reddened arm, as she tried to mask the pain with a smile. "It's a misfire. Happens to me too. No biggie, Alisa." Ignoring the burning sensation on said body part, which, for reasons unknown, do not seem to go away, Yuka rose to her knees, poking her head out of the debris they had hid themselves behind. The Borg Camlann they were fighting moments ago was now inside a worn-out and abandoned building; she could see it scouting around and here its thundering footsteps. They could go in there and finish it once and for all, but the structure doesn't provide much of a moving space. It wasn't the ideal battle ground against a large-sized Aragami. If luck wouldn't be on their side, the building could collapse in the heat of battle and bury them alive. The safest plan would be to lure the monster out of that small space.

The twist? Well, they're just both fresh out of bullets. Not much of a big deal. "The smirk on your face clearly says that you are, once again, sarcastically talking to yourself," noted the Russian God Eater. "Have you worked out a plan? One that doesn't include you self-sacrificing?"

The older flashed her a small smile, but no words came out of her mouth. Instead, she lifted one hand away from the handle of her God Arc. I'll go in and drag it out, her hand gestured seem to say, which Alisa understood, giving a reluctant nod. That one plan is better than nothing, yes? The battle records clearly indicated thar her current companion is more of an attack person, charging into death with little to no plans. Alisa could very well see that. No wonder Yuka's often in the Sick Bay. Before she could say anymore parting words, her blonde companion had jumped ouf of their hideout and into the open.

"And, once again, folks, Ichinose Yuka had signed up for death," she mumbled to herself with a chuckle, as she made a run for the building, not even bothering to take cover.

"Well, nothing uncommon. Everything usual." Just before she stepped into the building, her steps came to a halt. Luckily, the large Aragami hadn't heard her own footsteps over the sound of its own. It hadn't noticed her yet either. What luck. With a shrug, she pulled on the handle of her God Arc.

***

After the 'black Vajra' incident, Alisa's role had been reduced to support. In fact, even as support, she was doing quite... horrible. "Thank you for accompanying me to this mission. I greatly appreciate it."

Yuka passed on a smile, while her right hand gently pressed over a fabric covering the burn on her left arm. "What happened with the black Vajra--"

"Dyaus Pita."

"-- Dyaus Pita, as you call it... It really took a toll on you, didn't it? You attacked it without a second thought." Which placed your entire team in danger, she wanted to add, but decided against it, not wanting to make the other feel worse. "It must have been a painful memory."

The Russian lowered her head, eyes moving away from the other's. If the loud sounds of their helicopter isn't deafening enough, the silence between the two girls would surely crack their eardrums. Yuka understood if she did not wish to disclose the information, but bottling it inside is never good either. Learned that the hard way. Alisa had barely opened herself up to the entire unit since her arrival, but no one's going to pry her to spill it all out if she refuses to. After all, everyone of them has secrets to keep. "Well, Alisa..." The other's eyes returned to her. "... When you're ready to speak up, I'm ready to listen. And don't be too hard on Kota, alright?"

They talked. A lot. Mostly about things girls do understand. They talked like they were friends going together to the mall for weekly shopping. They laughed and giggled, and even tossed insults to their comrades. They shared lovely stories from their former branches, and their old units. They talked about... pretty much anything girls talk about. Not Aragamis. Not God Arcs. Not being God Eaters. Not the Den nor Fenrir. But not even their lost families.

"I don't like being a burden to anyone. I should be the one doing the protecting," she said out of blue, hugging her knees close. "I am a God Eater, Ради бога. What's the use of being one if I'll just be a hindrance?"

Yuka chuckled, patting the Russian's back. "Jeez, dear. Don't be too hard on yourself. It is alright to rely on other people. We're a team after all. We watch each other's back and support in the battlefield." She continued rambling about the importance of teamwork, and that she shouldn't feel ashamed about seeking help. "It's alright, schweißter."

"Schweißter?"

She just smiled.

"My, my, that's quite a burn right there," Sakuya said, with Yuka hissing on the background. The sniper carefully pressed the ice pack to the other's swollen skin. "In my six years of service, I don't remember a hit that took this long to disspitate. And it is really red."

The bad news is, Dr. Sakaki is still busy discussing important affairs with Director Schicksal. It seemed to be private and confidential, and none of them wishes for any interruption currently. Ice packs would have to do for now, though they really weren't doing much in easing the pain. "I didn't know Alisa was planning to fire, and I was engaging in close combat with the Borg. I accidentally made contact with the bullet." Her mocha eyes rolled, and her lips pursed to a small smile. "She accidentally fired at you. Happens here a lot. If you've been in a mission with Kanon, you'll see. Alisa is still trying to get a good grasp of wielding the God Arc again. Let's just be understanding of the situation." Says the woman who never goes melee. "Sooner or later, she'll return to normal."

"Ah, that would certainly mean a few more burns, yes? Ugh, I hope not." It earned a small chuckle from the older veteran. "That aside, the ice is melting and my arm still hurts." She lifted the pack slightly, only to peek at the pinkish skin underneath. Yuka groaned. Even Sakuya sighed. "Must have been the kind of bullet that deals periodic damage. I've seen Alisa crafting bullets before encounter with the Dyaus Pita, you see. Speaking of that... the Research Unit is working twice as hard to gather information regarding that black Vajra. We're even coordinating with the other branches and the HQ. So far, we know very little. Coming across Pita might become very troublesome. Tsubaki had advised everyone to steer clear from it for now." Sakuya's eyes shot her a worried look. "I'm telling you this because you also have suicidal tendencies."

Her face turned as red as her burn. "I'm extremely careful during missions, and I always weigh my decisions, thank you very much." Which only gained an eyeroll as a response.

"As I was saying, Commander Amamiya wants us to retreat immediately if it shows up in the middle of any mission." This time, her eyes meant serious business. The Far East branch is prioritizing the safety and well-being of their beacons more than anything else they should. Though Yuka doubts she will be following Commander Amamiya's strict orders, when she receives direct special missions from Director Schicksal himself. The cores are very important too, for the fortification of the walls around the branch. The sniper stood with another sigh, placing and arm on the side of her waist just as Hibari's voice rang from the speakers. "Looks like there's some work to be done."

Her eyes followed the woman's figure as it disappeared to the other side of the door, the announcements dying out in a second or two. Yuka carefully slid out of her creased blanket and placed down the dripping ice pack back into the empty bowl, heading for the terminal.

Lindow Amamiya

Subject: Something confidential...

''Message: ... So confidential I should discuss this personally but eh...''

''The Director's eyes are on me, I'm certain of it. I'd have to be extra careful on my dates from now on. And you too. Well, yeah, since you know stuff. If he finds out you know what he's cooking, you're getting grilled, complete with salsa on top.''

''Just act normal. It doesn't look like he's suspicious of you just yet.''

--END OF MAIL--

Blue eyes stared hard at the mail flashing on the terminal screen. The Director's eyes are on me... "Sakuya's right. There is work to be done."