User blog:Roinelll/God Eater - Next Crusade - Volume 1 - Segment 08

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Insanity.

Hands down, humans are insane beings of existance.

What other creature before us shackled itself willingly?

Which living life-form destroys itself out of free will?

Just name even one that acts like one.

...

No one can, that is the sad truth.

''We... are something this world doesn't need.''

The only thing we can bring is destruction.

Anythings...

Including ours.

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========== G. E. N. C. - 1 - 08

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Barna finished the call to Lucas, reporting they've finished picking up the requested materials. Meanwhile the two God Eaters accompanying him were busy loading the small cases on board of the jeeps back. Both of them wore the same black full body protective uniforms, complete with visor. If it weren't for the decals adorning their helms forehead it would have been hard to differentiate between the two.

"You've got to be kidding me!!" Both of them looked at their fuming leader as he was squeezing the phone is his hand hard enough, to nearly break it from the pressure.

"We're not going to like this, will we?" The one with the sword decal mused.

"No, not completely that is." Barna sighed affirmatively, gesturing with his hand for both of them to come closer.

"Then go ahead and ruin our mood." The second one accompanying him had a cross hair decal, which earned him a punch into his shoulder from his partner.

"We're going to hunt a Sariel." Their leader steeled himself to start a really troublesome briefing.

"... For real?" The melee God Eater mused, and Barna nodded to him once again to fortify the claim.

"The two of us? Great... I'm looking forward to it." The sniper retorted sarcastically, this time the vanguard didn't punch his fellow.

"Actually... I'm in it too." This is where Barna scratched his head, this part of the order was new even for him. After all non-Bias Factor infused combatants aren't capable of holding their own against the Aragami for long.

"No offense Boss, but you're a regular." The sniper pointed out that, matter-of-factly which made the target of the claim sigh.

"We've just picked up a specially prepared equipment just for me..." Barna nodded with his head sideways towards their vehicle.

"There's more to it, isn't it?" The melee God Eater mused about it for a bit, just hunting a Sariel wouldn't be that troublesome even for the two of them. There is something that made their boss frustrated along the request for the hunt of an annoying Aragami.

"The head needs to be intact."

"The what now?!" The melee burst out in disbelief, that's just asking for too much. The head of a Sariel is a crucial weak point that can be sniped with ease, downing the flying Aragami where it's defenses drop drastically and he could make short work of it. Ignoring this, the whole ordeal just screams of trouble.

"..." The sniper though the same, however he just let out an exasperated breath and inhaled slowly afterwards. "We need to kill a Sariel without a scratch on it's head?" As he assured that both of them understood the required task, Barna nodded in agreement. In response to that the sarcastic God Eater threw up his arms in frustration and kicked the ground. "Just the two of us?!" Although venting his anger of their leader wasn't the best course of action, Barna said nothing in regards to that as he understood their problem.

"Three." He held up three of his fingers, reminding them that he indeed was involved alongside them. "But, yea... That's the gist of it."

"Wonderful." In reward for the snipers sarcasm the other one smacked the backside of it's visor with a backhand.

"Why a freaking Sariel?" The melee user continued to question the order, although both of them already acknowledged the order... They would have liked to hear the reason for it.

"Because we can't just willy-nilly hunt an Aether." Barna frowned, then proceeded to massage his brows as a headache started to creep it's way into his head.

"What's..." One of the God Eaters asked, and the other finished the question. Both of them regularly studied the NORN database as new information's were divulged regarding Aragami, anything that was useful for them to make sure to take down their targets. "...an Aether?" However this was a name none of them heard beforehand.

"Something that we shouldn't meet head on, that is..." Barna stopped here, they weren't required to know more than that anyways. "Well, these were the bad news."

"Really? I thought the bad are always left to last to brighten our mood." Thanks to the sarcastic comment the sniper earned another smack on his visor, this time from Barna

"Cut the sarcasm, however this will brighten your mood for sure. The sniper I'll be picking up comes with special bullet's that will contain something experimental. If I understood correctly they can temporarily paralyze an Aragami."

"Sweet!" Both God Eaters shouted at the same time. Making an Aragami unable to resist? How long did everyone wish for such a thing.

"Downside is, the duration is quite short... at most 8 seconds." Barna enlightened them, but still their enthusiasm didn't lessen.

"8 seconds of wonder that is!" The sniper laughed, it might have been a short duration, but anything that can create advantage has to be used or abused.

"How come we don't get something like that?" The other God Eater mused, sure it was called an experimental batch yet they should have heard something regarding to such a thing earlier on.

"They are actually working on implementing this technology into God Arcs as we speak. However there is a catch." Barna started his explanation and recalled what he had heard a few minutes ago from Lucas.

"Of course there is, what would life be without catches?" Another sarcastic remark was rewarded by a punch to the shoulders.

"Keep the sarcasm to yourself, will you? The bullet's are limited aren't they?" His partner withdrew his right arm as he turned towards the jeep. Barna took the time to walk there and picked up one of the small cases.

"Total of 6, but that isn't what's problematic." He opened it, and inside were exactly 6 small packages. Each one was inside a white special case, streamlined by orange and silver lines.

"The Aragami build up progressive resistance to the shells don't they?" The melee God Eater mused, recalling the earlier years when Humanity tried to fight against the Aragami. He was also wondering why they had gone through the trouble of manufacturing regular bullets and engineer their content instead of creating it using Oracle Cell technology.

"Exactly. The first shot guarantees the effect, however each subsequent paralysis requires an additional shot and the duration seems to drop 10% each time also. Which means a total of three chances to apply it to a single target... Or if we could spread it out during multiple targets, the applications could rose however..." Barna sighed, he had gone over this in his head previously as well. "Let's just face it, finding even a single Sariel will be a matter of luck, and since we need to recover it's head in whole... We can't waste even a single attempt... We I'll have to make sure each and every shot counts."

"This was the very reason why the God Eaters were created, because even the Oracle Cell enhanced bullets eventually proved to be ineffective. Furthermore it cost way more to continuously reconfigure the shell recipe and manufacture these bullets." This time the sniper smacked the visor of his partner who looked at the other one, Barna could imagine the glare he gave under it's helmet.

"You're a know-it-all, are you huh? And why the hell does a Blade user have to know such stuff anyways?" The sniper snickered as he questioned it.

"I prefer to be prepared, unlike a certain sarcastic moron." The other God Eater bumped his visor against the snipers and in no time they were busy trying to push away the other only using their heads.

"Knock it off you two. There is another matter at hand." Barna sighed, grabbing onto their helms and slightly pulling them apart. Them smacking the two together and they backed away feeling the shock of the collision. Following that their leader just reached into his jacked and pulled out a small sound recorder, pressing the play button an inhuman mixture of a cry and a monstrous roar bellowed.

"What's that lovely melody?" The sniper asked, rubbing the top of his visor... even though that was a completely pointless gesture.

"Didn't I tell you to drop the sarcasm? Although seriously, what was that just now?" His partner smacked the backside of the helm.

"We're going to play this... 'cry' to every Aragami we meet. Especially for the Sariel." Barna smirked.

"Will they drop dead?" The sniper asked curiously.

"As if... Although what does it do?" His partner retorted, though he was also curious about it's purpose.

"Actually, it might trigger a panic reaction in them." Barna answered reluctantly. He wasn't even sure it will work... or not at all, however in the off-chance it might have produced a result it's easier to say there was none, than being uncertain about it.

"I would be really impressed if that would actually happen."

"Me too..." Barna sighed, agreeing to that.

"Anything else on the list? Like bringing down the Moon? Or extinguishing the Sun? I really hope for the latter one." The sniper's usual sarcastic remarks were rewarded by a combo. A slap to the helms backside by his partner, which was met with a punch on the visor itself from Barna.

"Moron." They said both at the same time.

"We'll be picking up our contact after we... succeed with the Sariel hunt." The two God Eaters and their leader got on the jeep and immediately started the engine.

"Wonderful... Can't wait." The sniper dodged the backhand that would have hit the visor from his partner, to get punched in the gut by the follow-up.

"Shut it."

Hours later, a very battered Barna returned to Lucas' office. After he smashed open the door with a kick, he threw the small recorder on the desk where the scientist was sitting.

"So, how did it go?" He raised an eyebrow, for some reason Lucas' subordinate didn't phone the rewards nor the retrieval of the personnel he was tasked with.

"Do you really want to know how many swears can I fit into a single sentence?" Barna slumped into one of the chairs that were in the room, and pulled out the pieces of his phone from one of his pockets one by one. Throwing each one into a nearby thrash bin.

"Humor me." The scientist raised his eyebrow higher as he watched the disposal of the now trash communication device and waited for a debriefing.

"Got to Hell." Barna's eyes twitched as he sighed, finally finishing to remove the last shard. He could have thrown away it much earlier, but he didn't feel like it.

"Well, I presume everything is all right."

"The recording didn't work at all, it might have been the interference of the recording or some other stuff. What was weird that with the exception of the Sariel Aragami simply noticed us... Well, the Sariel went outright berserk and if it weren't for those bullets... Honestly they were rather effective, hell... If it weren't for those, we would have bitten the dust. How long until that technology get's incorporated into God Arcs?"

"Who knows... they were kinda developed by accident after studying Chi-You's." Lucas shrugged, that wasn't his forte of research.

"Great... By the way, that doc is already examining En." Barna's shoulders slumped as he exhaled, he could feel the exhaustion taking a great toll on his body.

"Is he now? Good, I'll meet him. Oh and Barna, I've got another job for you."

"Wonderful... Will this be like this one too?" He grumbled, and saw as his superior handed to him a small envelope. Without opening it, he left the office not even uttering a peep. He knew where this had to be delivered to.

As Barna left, so did Lucas. He headed towards the observation room where his far eastern contact was according to the earlier call. There he was, in the usual getup of his. A lab coat with it's arms folded up, above the elbow. Wearing his yellow shirt, half tucked inside his greenish pants. And the unmissable yellow bandana and smoking cigar in his mouth.

"Ah, Daigo! Long time no see, how's it going?" Lucas stepped in seeing how the other scientist finished his examination.

"Erik... Not long enough in my opinion..." He grimaced, the last time they saw each other they didn't leave on the best terms.

"Don't be like that, so... how is #5?"

"Workable."

"How long until you can wake the girl?" Lucas asked eagerly, he wanted to start ASAP if possible.

"An hour at most, but I believe in 5 minutes." Daigo took a drag from his coffin nail and turned back to En. She was still unresponsive to everything, however according to her vitals everything was fine outside of that.

"What do you need?" The other scientist asked eagerly, and had to wait until another puff was draw from the cigarette.

"How about an explanation for requiring her... awake?" Daigo finished it, and butted the last of the coffin nail on the side of the trash can.

"Is this for you, or for Johannes? I have given more than enough to further his goals... Even my charity has a limits, even though he is still funding me..." Lucas' eyes narrowed, he had already made a deal with the director of the Far East Branch. He wasn't going to add anything on top of the already agreed price.

"He is rather bent on a single thing..." Daigo sighed, he didn't quite understand that zealous motive of his superior. "I want it for myself naturally." However the answer refuted that thought, much to his relief.

"Well... I'll see if you relay it or not anyways." Lucas scratched his head deciding to start his explanation.

"Is it in any connection to your daughter?" Daigo pulled another cig and put it in his mouth, as he searched for a match to ignite.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Before that could have happened, Lucas lunged forward crashing with his shoulders into the chest of the eastern man, pinning him to the nearby wall. His eyes were radiating with a craze, anger filled hatred.

"Relax Erik. I'll be honest, that... errand boy of yours been ratting you out." Without losing his composure, Daigo proceeded to pull out the match and ignited his cigaratte. He took a deep breath and exhaled it into the face of the other scientist, who let him go after hearing the answer.

"Damn it..." In his frustration Lucas was looking for something to throw, but since his last outburst most of the movable things were already removed them the observation room. The ones that were still remaining had been used to monitor the status of En, so they were out of question to be thrown. In the end, he just released an angry yell as he kicked and punched the wall beside Daigo repeatedly. "I shouldn't have told him anything, how do you know that anyways?"

"Johannes also works for them although for a different project. The only info that was shared isn't much. Your daughter was infected in 48 and is still alive. Name, location nothing is known. At least yet." Another puff of smoke was released and he watched as the other man vented his tantrum on the wall once again.

"Word travels fast, I barely told him this two days ago." Finally Lucas managed to somewhat calm himself and exhaled. His hands were numb with pain, some places the skin ruptured and blood was trickling from the fresh wound.

"Well yea, so then old friend. Why do you need this girl, hmm?" Daigo was mostly unfazed, however he was getting more and more interested.

"What do you know of the Nova project?" As Lucas pulled out a tissue from one of his coats and wrapped it around the bleeding knuckles, though it didn't mean much as it was soaked fast and it was still dripping considerably.

"OH... Not you too... I'm out of here." Daigo's face twitched as he spat out the half consumed cigarette, turning around.

"Daigo! Wait. What you think to know of the Nova, is only the surface." Lucas quickly stepped forward and reached for his old collagues shoulder to stop him.

"Is it?" He glanced sideways, seeing how the blood was now staining his coats shoulder and Lucas quickly pulled it back.

"Who do you think planted that ridiculous idea inside Johannes? More over, who do you think planted the idea of God Eaters in Aisha? Or the final one in Paylor? Neither of them came up with such crazed ones, I can assure you of that." Lucas threw the bloodied tissue towards the trash can, though it missed it and pulled a clean one out again. He quickly wrapped even that one around his knuckles, then pulled out another as it still wasn't enough.

"What... Wait..." For a moment Daigo seemed to lose his composure, but that wasn't more than an instant. Following that he reached inside his pocket to fish for another cig. Taking it into his mouth, he leasuirely ignited it and puffed twice. "I'm listening, start from the beginning."

"I will... But first wake her."

"You're not going to con me again, talk or I'm out." Daigo glared at the other scientist, who gave up with a sigh.

"Sheesh... You really can bear a grudge..." Lucas muttered that, more to himself than to his would-be-partner.

"It was merely 20 years ago, of course I can bear 'THAT' grudge." Who retorted sarcastically, voice dripping with hatred venomously.

"... Yeesh... Right... So... It all started when the Aragami appeared suddenly across America. You know that part of the story, don't you? By that time I've been fighting close to 3 years combating my daughters illness..." Lucas started his recollection.

"I'm really astonished on that fact. All victims die in at most a week, but usually in less than half a day. How... is she still alive?"

"I'm not talking about my daughter!" The scientist retorted in anger, but managed to compose himself quite fast after that. "Anyways... the idea formed inside me to use the Oracle Cells against themselves... we would just have to make it so that the host is compatible with them. You know, inject a weakened variant like how innoculations are done, the result would them becoming immune to such infections."

"That idea was to make an antibody for your girl, wasn't it?" Daigo could add one plus one perfectly, he understood his goal fast.

"Yeah... Well, it kinda backfired... Countless... 'volunteers' died...." He sighed as he recalled that part of his past... It wasn't pretty, however... He would make the very same choice again and again for his daughter any time. "However some of them doing so excerted inhuman capabilities. That is where I understood that my daughter wasn't infected at all, she merely possessed it from birth."

"You're saying that your daughter was harboring Oracle Cells even before the Aragami appeared?" Mentioning that Daigo's eyes widened for a bit, what the other man was implying is something close to impossible.

"No, that would be completely impossible." Lucas laughed, especially when he saw the confusion spreading on Daigo's face. "Everything on this planet has them, even if only a small trace of Oracle Cells inside it. My daughter merely has an immesurable amount." The scientist sighed in exhaustion. "Also don't confuse Oracle Cells with Aragami either."

"So, what's your point?" Although some of the revealed things did confuse Daigo, he knew for the better than to distrust the words of Lucas.

"My consultation with Aisha and Paylor produced interesting results. Aisha based on my daughters case, held the idea of adding a man made Bias Factor to growing fetus to raise it's compatibility and as the child would grow create a stronger, more resilent human race. To ensure our guaranteed survival, even against all odds versus these mockeries posing as Gods." Lucas laughed sarcastically. "Similarly  Paylor brought that idea even further, and created the God Arcs very prototype. Only to be used by such enhanced humans to fight for our cause."

"You weren't part of that small group Fenrir sponsored... At least on paper that is..." Daigo recalled those times, he was just starting out at Fenrir himself and only later made connection with Johannes. Though he did tell him about the trio of them working on some project to nurture the Oracle Cells into an energy source of a sort. "Are you suggesting that you provoked the creation of both the God Eaters and their weapons, the God Arcs?"

"Not me..." Lucas sighed and paused for a while, Daigo waited a bit impatiently for the answer to came. "My daughter's condition did." Eventually it arrived after an almost awkward silence.

"So, how does this girl fit into the picture?" Another puff of a long drag signaled the end of the cigarette, and Daigo butted it out on the side of the trash can.

"Because what Aisha and Paylor pulled off was merely the surface. I'm intending to go to an even deeper level." Lucas looked into the eyes of his old collague.

"I'm all ears."

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End of Chapter 2016,02,07

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