God Eater: Fates Entwined

9 - By a Thread

She woke up screaming.

Yuka scrambled out of bed, clutching her chest and catching her breath.

It wasn't like she thought. This whole deal is far from over.

Minutes had come to pass before the sting on her chest subsided, and she was able to calm down. Shaking slightly, the blonde forced herself up. The faint moonlight was casting glow through the window, seeping from the thin, worn-out fabric that acted like a curtain. It was the dead of the night, and the world around her was silent.

Well, save for the Sariel screeching loud and clear in the air. Yuka sighed, pushing herself back to her feet. Blue eyes flicked towards the window, the butterfly Aragami visible from the panes of the window. It hovered in the air, blanketed by the night. However, not even the darkness of the sky was able to protect it from the thorn that pierced right through its torso, eliciting a shrill, pained cry from the beast.

It struggled to free itself from the assault, but its thrashing and flailing only caused the assailant to press further. More thorns erupted from within the Sariel's body, and it finally hung dead in the air. Drops of blood dripped and stained the pristine white thorns, and it only took a few good minutes for tendrils to peel off from the body of the primary spike. They enveloped the dead Aragami slowly as the thorn itself retreated, until the Sariel's corpse disappeared from within the body of Yggdrasil, devoured.

Afterwards, all was silent once more.

Yuka left the window and slipped into her boots. When she opened the door, Aki was on the living room, hunched over a low pile of papers and living the night through a cup of coffee. "That's the third time since the First Unit's visit. I thought you said they stopped." Green eyes left the surface of the paper and peered up at her.

"I thought so too," the blonde replied with a sigh. "I'm wrong, unfortunately." She breezed past the Noah captain and to the small counter, pouring herself a share of the still-warm coffee. "So, you're the one on night duty."

The redhead returned to the papers that held her attention a while ago. "More or less. Yggdrasil's the real MVP though. Been up and about eating every time it gets the chance."

"And the papers?"

"I was out the entire afternoon doing field study, and the persons-in-charge just filed a written report about the settlement's status. I've been going over them for quite a while now to see what things should be worked on. Apparently, a few Cocoon Maidens appeared on the greenhouse and the tree devoured them, plants and all. We've stocked up on foods and medicines, but you know it wouldn't last long." The captain flipped through the paper and focused on the next one. "Our scouts have also reported frequent Aragami sightings within the vicinity. Considering we fought off that massive black Vajra, I think this is to be expected. Adding to that—"

The sound of soft chuckles made her pause. Yuka was leaning against the counter, indulging in her own cup of coffee, with eyes bearing a delightful glint. Aki cocked up a brow in question. "You've changed over the short span of months," the blonde said, smile peeking from behind her mug. The other female quickly feigned ignorance, returning to her work instead. "What happened to the 'We're only here for work' attitude?"

"It's your fault," Aki quipped, leaning back on her chair and her expression serious. It caused an outburst of laughter from the other God Eater, who desperately tried to suppress her giggles through her palm. "If you hadn't started doing these and those, I wouldn't be reading these reports at twelve midnight."

"A little help goes a long way," Yuka replied once her laughter had diminished to breathy giggles. "They're a little less fortunate than we are, and it wouldn't hurt anybody to extend our hands towards them."