A/N: Greetings readers, I just need to mention a few things before the story begins.

First, this story's concept had been on my mind for a while now so I decided to try writing it out. I currently don't have any strong desire to complete this story so releases will be infrequent.

Second, it has been a while since I last played God Eater so I might forget some details. Changes from story canon will either be intentional to suit my purposes or unintentional as explained in the previous sentence. Well, it is Fanfiction so I guess it doesn't matter that much.

Finally, I include Japanese honorifics that I know would undoubtedly annoy some people. Initially, I was planning to drop them, but I decided otherwise when I thought about the fact that the setting is in Japan and that it is useful in determining character's intimacy levels and relative social positions.

I will explain the different honorifics below for those that do not understand them. All honorifics are used as suffixes, i.e. "Kannagi-kun." There are honorific prefixes, but that is more complex so I won't be using them.

1. chan - An affectionate honorific that is mostly used for females. Sometimes used for males as well.

2. kun - A honorific that gives respect to the person. Mostly used for males, but can be used for females in a professional setting.

3. san - A standard honorific that is somewhat equivalent to Mr./Mrs. More respectful than "kun."

4. sama - Most respectful honorific. Used for people with very high authority. Not gender specific.

5. sensei - A honorific generally used for teachers, but can be used for those in certain "professions" such as a physician.

6. dono - Similar in regards to "sama." I probably won't use this one.

7. tan - A very affectionate honorific that is sometimes used for females. I probably won't use this one as well.

That's the basics of the Japanese honorific system. Do note that the use of the first name implies close intimacy. A first name with an honorific is not as intimate, but not very distant. Use of the last name without a honorific implies lack of respect and can be insulting. The exception is for people who are in "higher" positions, i.e. a boss talking to his employee.

Well, that turned out longer than I thought so I'll stop for now. I hope that everyone at least understands the gist of it.

RED EYES: THE FIRST NEW-TYPE

PROLOGUE

It was dark. Completely pitched black. The boy struggled to stay awake despite hours had long passed since he became trapped under the heavy rubble. His breathing slow and wheezy. His eyelids weak and heavy as they slid up and down in a constant rhythm like a small wave drifting through the ocean at night. If not for the intense pain burning throughout his body, his mind would have already surrendered to the blissful prospect of slumber.

He tried to move his arms and legs, but they were numb and unresponsive. In attempting to move his body, a drop of something warm trickled down his face until it entered the side of his opened mouth. The taste of iron. Blood. His blood. Apparently the movement had reopened a wound on his head. He had lost a lot of blood in the incident and the effects were beginning to take a toll on him as a result, threatening to drag him unconscious. His mind was hazy and foggy so when he heard footsteps in the distant, he thought it was only his mind playing tricks on him.

"This looks bad. Do you think it was them?" A man asked.

The man wasn't alone because the boy then heard the voice of another man. "Aragami, no doubt about it. The destruction here is not natural at all and could only be made by them."

"Poor souls."

"Do you think there are any survivors?"

"Don't know. I doubt it, but we should at least check."

"Helloooo! Is anyone alive!" One of the men called out, shattering the heavy silence.

"Call out if you can hear us!"

The boy had heard the men clearly this time and tried to call out, but no sound left his mouth as if something was lodged deep within his throat. The boy futilely continued in his endeavor for the next few minutes until the men seemed to have lost all hope in finding survivors.

"Come on, there's probably nobody else around. We should hurry before any of those Aragami comes back."

"Yeah, good idea."

The boy heard the footsteps retreating into the distant. In a final effort to call out, the boy focused all of his energy into his throat. Instead of forming any words however, the boy began to cough violently. The footsteps came to a halt.

"Did you hear that?" A man whispered.

"Sounds like...coughing?"

"There must be a survivor. Where's it coming from?"

The footsteps moved around the area until someone was within a feet of the boy.

"Hey over here! I think there's someone buried underneath. Help me get this off."

A second set of footsteps quickly converged with the nearby man.

"You get that end and I'll get this end."

"Okay."

"On three. 3...2...1...Now!"

The boy could hear loud grunts as he felt the heavy stone on his chest slowly rise, reducing the pressure on his body. A dozen of small rocks tumbled down the large stone as the internal support of the rubble was forcefully removed. A beam of bright light pierced the darkness and blinded his eyes, forcing them shut.

With one final grunt, the men pushed the stone out of the way and stood over the boy, blocking most of the sunlight and allowing him to reopen his eyes.

"Geez, you're in terrible shape," the man on the left commented while shaking his head with sympathy in his eyes. "We need to quickly get you to a doctor!"

"What's your name?" The man on the right asked as he removed a few smaller stones near the boy. "What happened here? Are there any other survivors?"

In a dry raspy voice, the boy replied, "...K-Kan..."

"Kan?"

The boy coughed and then resumed his attempt to identify himself. "Kan...na...gi."

"Your name is Kannagi?"

Before the boy's mind and body completely gave in and fell unconscious, he breathed out one last word. "Yuu."

CHAPTER I: RETURNING HOME

10 years later

February 4, 2071

"Final stop. The Inner Sanctum. Everybody out!"

After the bus driver made his announcement, the sole remaining passenger, a black haired young man sleeping at the far end of the bus stirred and slowly opened his dark red eyes. Shifting his head slightly to the right, he gazed out the window and saw a myriad of uniformed people traversing a small plaza. After an eight hour long plane ride, a four hour bus ride that included half a dozen transfers, he had finally reached his destination of Anagura, a small town in the region formally known as Japan.

He grabbed his blue duffel bag resting by his feet, flung it over his shoulders and made his way to the front. The driver got a glimpsed of the young man's clothes as he walked by before calling out to him.

"You with Fenrir?" The driver then noticed the large red armlet adorning the young man's left wrist. "As a God Eater?"

The young man glanced at the aging bus driver who looked like he had his own fair share of depressing and sad memories. The young man nodded. While wearing black combat pants, boots and a white coat over a black collar shirt, it wasn't very difficult to identify his affiliation. People could've figured him to be part of the normal military, but the wolf emblem, Fenrir's symbol that was plastered on the back of his coat had indicated otherwise. Particularly the red armlet on his wrist revealed his status as a God Eater, special soldiers of Fenrir that specialized in defeating the Aragami monsters who had quickly became enemies of mankind within a few years of their appearance.

"I haven't seen you before so...new recruit?" The driver asked. "If it isn't too late, then I advise against joining. That's dangerous work. You're just going to waste your only life. And you're still so young. I know that it's a bleak world, but you have other options, you know. Even if the benefits conferred to you God Eaters sound enticing, it isn't worth it all."

The young man looked past the open gate leading to the Outer Ghetto and saw a few laughing children playing with a large red ball on the streets. Through their dirt covered faces, he could see that they were happy and unburdened by the problems of the world. He then turned back to the driver and looked him straight in the eye.

"Do you really mean that? About me skipping out on my duties as a God Eater?"

The driver had followed the young man's gaze and saw where he had been looking. The driver frowned and took off his black driver's cap before scratching his bald head in embarrassment. "I guess not. But I truly do want you to stay alive however. It's just that I know the world needs people like you. It's for the sake of ordinary people like me and for them as well." He gestured toward the children who were now running around playing tag. "I become torn each time I drop off a new recruit and I never see him or her again. I always wonder if it's a fair price to pay, the lives of the God Eaters in place of our lives. I'm not sure, but at the very least, I feel like I should try to persuade a new recruit from walking down such a difficult path in life. Even if that means one less person to protect us from the Aragami."

"Duly noted. But I'm still going to continue. I chose this path on my own free will and I intend to walk as far as I can." The young man stepped off the bus and took a few steps before he turned around again. "Don't worry, I'm not going to die that easily." Without looking back, he walked away and toward the massive gray building at the end of the path.

"I better see you again!" The driver shouted.

As the young man continued down the path, he observed his surroundings that included many well constructed shiny buildings. It wasn't a majestic place by any means, but it was luxurious in comparison to the small towns and villages he passed through on the way here. Anagura, or at least the inner area was quite appealing in aesthetics and appearance because of its brightly painted colors. This was a substantial improvement from when he was here nine years ago where it wasn't very different from the outer area called the Outer Ghetto, which surrounded this inner sanctum. Maybe that was why he didn't feel a hint of nostalgia that he'd expected.

When he was within a few dozen feet of his destination, a large monument caught his interest in the corner of his eye. It was an erected cement wall that served as a memorial for people that had fallen in battle. Posted on the wall were dozens of pictures, a few he'd known and many more he didn't. Nine years was certainly a long time.

A slight shiver ran through his body after he entered the building's glass double doors. The temperature outside was probably in the nineties, but it was at least twenty degrees cooler inside. Most of the destroyed world had lived in poor living conditions so electricity, water, and heat were used sparingly. Many of the few places that had any semblance of luxury were those facilities that were connected to Fenrir, the organization that rose to the height of its power and becoming the world's de facto leader when it developed technology to counteract the Aragami. The headquarters for the Far East Branch was no exception.

He was in what appeared to be the lobby of the branch's headquarters which was called the "Den" because most of the facilities were located underground that stretched across the town. The air was cool and filled with a pleasant sweet aroma mixed with the blood, sweat and tears of the Fenrir employees. To his immediate right and left were two small sitting areas with comfortable soft looking sofas, coffee tables and two large screen television sets in each corner that were currently displaying the local news. A man in a blue business suit had looked up from his newspaper when the young man entered, but then quickly returned to his article.

The other people in the lobby paid him little attention and dressed as he was, believed that he was just another Fenrir employee. They continued as they were, chattering amongst themselves and moving from one place to another.

He continued moving deeper into the lobby until he saw a receptionist's desk at the center, surrounded by two large sets of stairs that ascended a few feet to the upper area.

The red haired receptionist, a young girl in her mid to late teens smiled at him when she saw him approaching the desk. It was a warm and sincere smile that could have melted many frozen hearts, hardened by countless battles. She wore a black vest over a white sleeveless garb that ended at her knees like a skirt. She dressed like a typical receptionist that could've been found at any of the few existing grand hotels.

"Welcome to Fenrir's Far East Branch, how may I help you?" She politely asked.

"I'm Yuu Kannagi and I'm being expected," he curtly replied.

"Kannagi-san is it? Please give me a moment." She tapped a few keys and then scrolled down the list that had loaded on her monitor. "Yuu Kannagi...I've found it. Tsubaki Amamiya-san is awaiting your arrival. I'll send word to her right away." She gestured toward the sofas on the southeast corner of the room. "Please have a seat. She'll be with you momentarily. If you need something, please don't hesitate to ask me. My name is Hibari Takeda."

"Understood," Yuu replied with a slight nod.

"Hiya Hibari-chan." A young man suddenly appeared next to Yuu and propped an elbow on the counter. "Another beautiful day isn't it?"

"Good afternoon, Tatsumi-san," Hibari greeted and flashed a smile at the cheerful young man. "Did you just return from a mission?"

"Yeah, it was fortunately a simple mission so I was able to head back sooner than expec-" The young man stopped talking when he noticed Yuu standing nearby, silently watching the both of them with curiosity. "Oh, didn't see you there. And who might you be?"

"This is Yuu Kannagi-san, he's a new member of the Far East Branch starting today," Hibari introduced.

The young man noticed the red armlet. "A God Eater, huh?" He held a hand out to Yuu. "Nice to meet you, I'm Tatsumi Omori."

Yuu shook his hand. "Likewise."

"Do you know which unit you're assigned to?"

"Not yet."

"Is that so? Well, I'm the leader of the 2nd Unit. Hopefully you get assign to my unit because it looks like you're quite capable." Tatsumi quickly looked over Yuu's appearance. "How old are you by the way?"

"20."

"Really? You look a lot older with the way you're frowning." Tatsumi laughed at his own joke. "Well, I'm 23, but I've been often told that I look young for my age."

Yuu could understand why. Tatsumi had short black hair and a very cheerful face. He wore a red jacket over an orange t-shirt, white khakis, red and gray sneakers which altogether gave Tatsumi a young teenage appearance. Yuu's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Hibari's sudden giggling.

"What is it?" Tatsumi asked.

"I just realize that you both look alike and could be mistaken as brothers," she explained.

"Do we?" Tatsumi stood next to Yuu.

Hibari giggled again. "Yes."

The two young men were physically similar in some regards. They both had short black hair, were of similar height, and build. Tatsumi essentially looked like a happier and more cheerful version of Yuu.

Tatsumi shook his head even though he didn't look annoyed at the very least. "Anyway, I gotta head back to my room now and write up the report. It's nice meeting you Kannagi, I'll catch you later." He waved his hand and headed up the stairs before disappearing from their sights.

Yuu walked over to the sofas, dropped his duffel bag and sat down, stretching his tired legs. Feeling fatigue washing over his body, he closed his eyes and intended to catch a quick nap. It didn't last long however as someone came over and interrupted his rest.

"Hi, may I sit here?"

Yuu opened his eyes and saw a young teenage boy with a yellow woolen cap over his orange hair and a gray scarf covering his neck. He wore a yellow sleeveless shirt that divided midway, exposing his midriff. His bottoms consisted of long orange shorts and sneakers.

"Sure," Yuu replied and moved over to make some room.

"Thanks." The teenager plopped down onto the sofa as if his legs had lost all energy. "I've been here for a while now. I was walking around the area, exploring actually as I waited to take the Aptitude Test to become a God Eater. The receptionist, Hibari-san told me that you were a new member here and since I didn't know anyone, I thought I'd wait with you. Since we're in similar positions, right?"

Yuu frowned after listening to the teenager's unusually high pitch voice.

"I'm Kouta Fujiki, what's your name?"

"...Yuu Kannagi." He murmured after realizing that Kouta's voice remained relatively loud and unnatural.

"So Kannagi-san, did you always wanted to be a God Eater? I always did." Kouta suddenly looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. "But well, the truth is that I just liked the perks that came with the job. My father died when I was young and then it was just me, my little sister and my mother. We were happy for the most part, but we didn't have much money or anything of much value. With the Aragami becoming such dangerous threats, we moved closer to the Far East Branch for protection and stayed at the Outer Ghetto. Life is tough out there so I want to help improve my family's lives."

Yuu stared in amazement at Kouta who had just spilled his entire life story to a stranger that he had just met.

"Do you always act so friendly with everyone you meet?"

"Huh? N-no. I'm a friendly person in general, but I usually don't talk that much. It's just when I get nervous, I deal with it by constantly talking. Hahahaha." Kouta's legs were restless, quickly moving up and down like a jackhammer.

"Why are you nervous?"

"You know I'm waiting to take the Aptitude Test, right. I heard that if you don't match with the God Arc, then you'll die on the spot. I guess the thought just scares me."

"Well, that may be true, but the chance that you'll be a match is very likely. Even though Fenrir is short on God Eaters, they won't summon any possible candidate until they are quite certain that he will match with the God Arc. With the new recent change in policy, it's been a few years since the last reported fatality by the Aptitude Test so you don't have to worry."

Kouta jumped off his seat. "Really! That's great to hear! Thanks for the reassurance, Kannagi-san." He forcefully took Yuu's hand and shook it before Yuu quickly pulled it back. Kouta sat back down after letting out a large sigh of relief.

"Don't think that this'll be the last time that you'll fear for your life. This is something that is expected of ever-" Yuu stopped in mid-sentence when a woman called out to them.

"Fujiki and Kannagi?"

The pair stood up and faced a woman wearing white pants and a long sleeved collar shirt that exposed a good portion of her voluptuous chest. Her long black hair covered part of her right eye creating a secretive and mysterious appearance. She raised her right arm and wrote down something on her pad, showing the black armlet on her wrist.

"I'm Tsubaki Amamiya," she introduced with a frown. "That'll be Captain Amamiya to the both of you. I'm the supervisor for Units 1 through 3 and since you both will be part of the 1st Unit, I'll be your superior officer and will answer to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes!" They replied.

"Good. For now, Fujiki will be heading downstairs in preparation for the Aptitude Test." Tsubaki made eye contact with an employee passing by. "This young man will be taking the Aptitude Test. Please take him down to the research lab."

"Yes ma'am." The employee gestured toward the stairs. "This way."

"O-Okay." Kouta went up the stairs and to the elevator on the left.

"Kannagi, come with me," Tsubaki ordered before walking up the stairs and headed toward the elevator at the end of the building.

Yuu quickly followed after her. They took the elevator and got off two floors above. After briskly passing through a hall, they entered a room that appeared to be Tsubaki's office. There was a large desk at the end with a computer along with some small framed photographs on top. Other than a few file cabinets, there wasn't any other notable objects in the room.

"Sit," she ordered after sitting down at her desk.

He sat down on a brown leather chair and for a while, the two stared at each other without a word. They didn't seemed to be bothered by the heavy tension created by their silence. It was Tsubaki who eventually broke the silence.

"It's been a while."

"Yes it has."

"I've heard many stories about your accomplishments and successes at headquarters. People say that you're quite capable now. Headquarters wanted you to lead the 8th Unit here, a special team that we're in the midst of preparing. However, I'm assigning you to the 1st Unit instead. Not as a leader, but just as an ordinary unit member. I've received permission from the Director." After noticing that he was unfazed by the announcement, she asked him, "You're not surprised?"

"No. I didn't think you'd be so willing to trust me now despite what I've done in the past."

"You've grown more sensible and logical," she commented with a brief smile. "But yes, the incident is still fresh in my mind even though many years had gone by and only a small number of people here still remembers. Because of that, I wouldn't feel right placing you in a leadership position even though you are qualified. We don't quite trust you...yet."

"I understand. I'll leave it to your judgment."

"I see...Then one last question. Will you be okay now?"

He didn't reply immediately and instead, unconsciously reached into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around a small steel case. "I believe so."

"I sincerely hope so. It would be a shame to leave you as an ordinary member so quickly prove yourself and make us forget about that time."

"...I will."

She stood up. "Here are your orders, 1st Lieutenant Kannagi. First, you will report to Director of Fenrir's Far East Branch, Johannes von Schicksal. Next you will meet with Chief Supervisor of Fenrir Far East Branch Aragami Technology Department, Paylor Sakaki. Then head to the God Arc Maintenance Unit to check your God Arc's condition. Afterwards, meet with Dr. Elena Thompson for a health check up. Finally, you will join 1st Unit leader, 1st Lieutenant Lindow Amamiya on a mission."

"So he's the 1st Unit leader now?" Yuu asked. "That's surprising." His lips slightly rose into a half grin.

"Yes, he succeeded my position after I retired. He isn't perfect." Tsubaki shook her head as an irritable expression crossed her face. "But he is quite capable when the situation calls for it. Any other questions?"

"No."

"Then you may leave. I assume you remember how to get to your destinations?"

"I believe I do." Yuu got up and after making a quick salute, he left the room and took the elevator up one floor. After reaching the door at the end of the hallway, he knocked on it.

"Enter," a man replied from inside the room.

Similar to Tsubaki's office, the Director's office didn't have many notable personal furniture. The primary difference is that it's much bigger than the offices assigned to the Unit Supervisors. At least twice as large.

Toward the end of the room behind a very polished wooden brown desk was a well groomed blond haired man in a large white coat. His expression was very serious and business like as he wrote down a few things on the document in front of him. When he was done, he looked up and motioned Yuu to sit down.

"I've been waiting for you, Kannagi. I hope that there weren't any problems on your way here."

"I have no complaints."

"Good to hear that." Johannes placed the document on top of a stack of papers. "I'm going to skip with the formalities that I usually have with newcomers because we've already gone through this process once, haven't we?"

"That's correct. Back when I first joined this branch."

"What happened back then was very misfortunate and I don't want any repeated mishap during your stay. Don't expect me to be as lenient as I did back then. Do you understand."

"Of course."

Johannes' face then lightened up. "With that being said, during the few times I returned to headquarters, I heard great things about you. I think I speak for most people here when I say that we still have high expectations for you. Even more so than when you first stepped through that door all those years ago. You helped stabilized the region over there so I think you could do the same here. Luckily, the importance of the Aegis Project had allowed me to transfer you back to this branch." Johannes leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms. "Have you heard about it? The Aegis Project?"

"It's the project to create a massive facility that is completely self-reliant in terms of production and consumption, right? I think most people in Fenrir has heard about it."

"You are indeed correct. It's a project that began since the founding of Fenrir and it's intended to provide a place where people could live free of dangers by using durable Aragami Armor as protection. The facility is being built on Aegis Island, a few miles from here. A few of your duties will include protecting the island as well as acquiring materials for the facility's development."

"May I ask when would the project be completed?"

Johannes slightly grunted and closed his eyes. "...Soon is all I can say."

"I see."

"Well unless you have any other questions, that'll be all, Kannagi."

"I don't."

"Then I look forward to working with you once more." Johannes walked up to Yuu and shook his hand.

After excusing himself, Yuu took the elevator back to the lobby. He then entered the same elevator that Kouta had used a few minutes ago and descended one floor down. This area was filled with many researchers in white lab coats who shot him a few curious gazes and quietly whispered amongst themselves. No doubt they too had heard about his arrival.

When Yuu had reached the end of the hallway, he saw the door to Paylor Sakaki's office was laid wide opened for all to see. From his initial observations, there was no sign of anybody inside the room. Instead he saw countless paper strewn on the floor with some stacked into large messy piles. Then he heard someone faintly snoring behind the desk so he intentionally cleared his throat in a loud and somewhat obnoxious manner.

Whoever was behind the desk, had woken up with a start. A head full of messy hair rose up from the desk, revealing his face a moment later. The man scanned the room and was somehow able to locate Yuu through his apparent closed eyelids. His mouth opened wide before he quickly scampered out of the desk and ran up to Yuu. Unlike the other researchers at Fenrir, Paylor chose to wear a dark brown kimono to work instead of the white lab coats.

"Ah, my favorite God Eater," Paylor greeted as he took Yuu's hand and shook it.

"I'm still the favorite?" Yuu asked and then joked, "I would've thought you had found a new favorite by now."

"I'll always have a soft spot for the first discovered New-Type. Although, this is largely because headquarters continues to neglect the Far East in regards to New-Types. So I don't have any other speci-, I mean individuals to collect data from. So you're my favorite by default." Paylor walked back to his desk and sat down while Yuu remained standing because there weren't any other seats in the room.

"It seemed like you haven't change much, professor." Yuu noticed that Paylor didn't really age much since the last time he saw him. He should have been in his forties by now, but instead looked like he was in his early thirties.

"Well you certainly have. I've been keeping track of your progress so I could measure your development throughout the years." Paylor slapped the desk excitedly with his right palm. "Remarkable is what I would call it. I'm not surprised because I always believed your potential was limitless. It's such a shame that you couldn't develop your abilities while you were here. I would have liked to view first hand the abilities of a New-Type. Honestly, these past few years have been dreadful. There weren't any large developments in God Eaters or Aragami so all I could do was to roam around and find something to occupy my time...Well, there is something I've been working on that is rather interesting."

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid it'll take some time for an explanation so I'll leave it for another time. But now..." Paylor got back on his feet and guided Yuu to the door. "I believe a new God Eater will be joining this branch and that he's currently taking the Aptitude Test."

"You mean Fujiki?"

"Is that his name? Well, I don't really care because he is just another Old-Type. But how about going down and taking a look? We might see something interesting."

"It's fine. It's on the way to the maintenance unit."

"Oh? Are you going to check your God Arc? I think I'll join you. Fufufufu."

The two took the elevator down one floor. As the doors slid opened, they walked into a large room with a massive glass screen at the end. Paylor greeted a few of the researchers standing nearby before the two took their positions and peered down the screen, observing the soon to begin Aptitude Test.

The room below where they were standing was even larger than the observation deck and just as empty but for the large metal contraption in the center. There was also a large object that appeared to be a huge gun with a long barrel. A moment later, the doors opened and a nervous Kouta entered, noticeably rubbing his right shoulder.

"It looks like the boy is still feeling the P53 Bias Factor injection," Paylor commented. "Hopefully we could someday forgo this step to create God Eaters. But for now, this injection of Aragami cells is still needed for the God Eaters to wield the God Arcs."

An unseen person then announced from a speaker, "God Eater candidate Kouta Fujiki, please approach the table in the center for the Aptitude Test."

Yuu could see Kouta take a nervous gulp before slowly walking toward the contraption.

"Lay your right arm flat down and grip the God Arc's handle," the announcer ordered.

Kouta placed his arm down on the circular indentation and held onto the large object. He tried to calm his breathing as the contraption's lid descended and covered his arm. The contraption rumbled and he instantly winced in pain.

"Do you remember how it felt when you took the Aptitude Test?" Paylor asked Yuu.

"Even though it's been nine years, I still remember that sharp pain that coursed through my body. It felt...strange, almost liked I was changing..."

"The Aptitude Test certainly is an interesting procedure. The feeling created from the bonding of God Eater to God Arc seems to be indescribable."

The metal lid then lifted from Kouta's arm, revealing a newly created red armlet on his wrist that was near identical to the one Yuu wore.

"How do you feel?" The announcer asked.

Kouta rotated his wrist and moved his right arm back and forth. "I feel fine."

"Excellent, now take your God Arc."

He grabbed the gun's grip without hesitation and waved the God Arc in the air, surprised by how light it was despite its large size.

"Kouta Fujiki, you are now a God Eater. Please head back to the maintenance room to check the God Arc's condition. Then head to the infirmary for your own health check."

With a smile on his face, he quickly left the room.

"It seems like that young man's demeanor had changed in a split moment, didn't he?" Paylor said. "He was initially full of nerves and now he doesn't look like he could be any happier. Is it because of the newly created bond with his God Arc or is it because of the Aragami cells' injection?"

"I doubt it's either because that's probably just how his character is."

"Is that right? How disappointing. In any case, it's about time we head down to the maintenance lab ourselves."

The two returned to the elevator and descended another floor. After passing a few doors on the floor, they arrived at the maintenance lab that was full of various machinery that Yuu knew had played some role in developing and fixing God Arcs. The members of the maintenance team all wore gray jumpsuits as they hunched over the machines, engrossed with whatever they were currently working on and remained oblivious to their presence.

Paylor moved to a large table on the right and tapped the shoulder of a short dark silver haired teenage girl wearing the same uniform as the others.

"Ah, Sakaki-san, what are you doing down here?" She asked after being a bit startled by the sudden contact.

Paylor grinned. "I've brought someone special."

"Someone special?" She noticed Yuu who was hovering nearby and focusing on the large black God Arc blade displaying on the table. "So he's the rumored New-Type?" Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Correct. An old..."He paused, trying to find the right word.

"Acquaintance of mine."

The girl took off her dirty brown gloves and held a hand out to Yuu. "Ricca Kusunoki, a mechanic at your service."

Yuu shook her small yet rough hand. "Yuu Kannagi, God Eater. Are you the one who handled the maintenance for my God Arc?" He gestured to the large black blade.

"That's right. I admit, I was excited at the chance to examine such a rare weapon." She beamed with delight.

Yuu ran a hand over his God Arc. "You did good in its maintenance." Before he left for the Far East, his God Arc was in poor condition as a result of many continuous battles.

"Thank you. I spent all day yesterday fixing it."

"Kusunoki-kun, what can you tell me about this New-Type God Arc," Paylor asked.

"Hmmm, let's see...First, its appearance is similar to the other God Arcs. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed that this God Arc was made of a higher quality material than the others which could explain the sharper blade and stronger durability."

"Excellent observation, Kusunoki-kun!" Paylor applauded. "New-Type God Arcs are made from special Aragami cores that provide better performance. It isn't just the ability of changing weapon forms that makes the New-Type God Arcs special, but also the all around better quality weapon. And...there might even be other unique characteristics that we're still not aware of at this time." Paylor smiled knowingly at Yuu who just shrugged his shoulders.

"I have a mission in a few minutes so is the maintenance completed?" Yuu asked.

"Just a few touch ups here and there and it'll be done," Ricca replied. "It'll be ready for you in the garage after a few minutes."

Yuu nodded. "Then I'll take my leave now."

"Don't wait up for me, I'm going to stay here and chat with Kusunoki-kun for a while longer," Paylor called out.

Yuu left the room and proceeded down a series of hallways that would have became confusing to a first time visitor. On the way to the elevator, he passed through various equipment rooms filled with weapons and armor for non-God Eater personnel. In no time, he had reached the dormitory section that was located on the east side of the Den. There were a few young people who were likely God Eaters hanging around in the area.

He pressed the up button on the elevator that connected to the one on the east side of the lobby. The doors slid open and a girl with short pink hair appeared, smiling at him. Her seemingly kind and innocent looks along with her attractive smile likely made her popular amongst the young males.

"Which floor?" She asked after Yuu boarded the elevator.

"B1."

She pressed a button that closed the doors. "So you're a God Eater." Her gaze was directed at Yuu's armlet. "New member?"

"Yeah."

"I'm a God Eater too." She raised her right arm to show her armlet. "I'm a member of the 2nd Unit. What about you?"

"1st Unit."

"Lindow-san's unit. I should have expected that because many new members are initially placed in his unit. I'm Kanon Daiba by the way."

"Yuu Kannagi."

"You don't speak much, do you?"

"Nope."

Kanon giggled and maintained her attractive smile. "That's okay. Most of the male God Eaters here are very chatty so it's nice to have someone who is more quiet."

"Is that so?"

The elevator stopped moving once it reached B1.

"I'll see you later then, Kannagi-kun." Kanon waved her hand after Yuu stepped out of the elevator. When he reached the room labeled, "Infirmary", he knocked on the door.

"Coming," a voice called from inside. The door opened and a woman with long blond hair wearing a white doctor's coat appeared. "Yes? How may I help you?"

"I'm Yuu Kannagi and I was told to come here."

"Kannagi? Oh right. Please come in."

The office had a computer and various charts and diagrams at the front. It was likely the doctor's workstation. At the end were a dozen white beds, all currently empty.

"Please have a seat," the doctor said.

He sat down on a round stool.

"I'm Dr. Elena Thomson," she greeted as she scanned the contents inside a vanilla folder, which were probably his medical records. "I've been a member of Fenrir for several years now, two of them is with the Far East Branch."

As she was introducing herself, Yuu observed her closely and believed that she was somewhere in her late twenties. If she had been a doctor for several years already then she was likely very intelligent and capable.

"How much do you know about my medical records?" He asked as he made calculations on how much he should divulge.

Elena stopped reading the contents and looked at him with a serious expression. "I know that you were a member of this branch at age 11 which lasted for only a year. I also know about the incident and your subsequent transfer to headquarters. Your training, your development and your power. I know all of it...At least I think so."

Yuu had on a complicated expression. On one hand, he felt completely exposed as if she could completely read him like a book. On the other hand, he felt some sort of relief knowing that he could depend on her should the need arise.

"I see..."

"I'm just a normal medical doctor so when I received your information..." She leaned back in her chair and breathed out a sigh. "I was taken aback and wondered what was going to happen to me now. Well, you don't have to worry about me telling people about your secrets. Doctor-patient confidentiality, right?" She winked and gave him what she hoped to be a trustworthy smile.

"Thanks. Headquarters trusted you with the confidential matter so I don't think you're in any danger if that's what you meant."

She nodded. "As a doctor, I'll just say one thing. Don't overdo it."

"Of course."

"Good. But I think we should move on to a more positive note, shall we?" She resumed reading his medical records. "Your physical statistics are outstanding and far exceed the others in this branch. There isn't a problem in that regard. However..." She eyed him suspiciously. "I know the records don't say it, but do you take any physical enhancement drugs?"

"None at all."

"Really?" Her eyes grew wide in surprise. "To think you would reach your level naturally. Simply amazing. Not only are your physical statistics great, but your mental statistics are generally just as good, other than that one significant flaw that is. Which leads me to the question, what about your medication? Is it effective for it?"

"Yes. They work perfectly fine."

"That's good to hear. We don't want a repeat of the incident here now do we?"

"No we don't." He mumbled.

"Then there isn't much else to talk about. Let me just take some rudimentary tests." She placed two fingers on the bottom of his wrist and checked his pulse. Then she took a stethoscope and listened to his heartbeat. "Everything checks out so you're good to go. Good luck with your mission."

His last stop was the garage which was on the same floor, but on the western side of the Den. It had a ramp that lead outside to the rear of the building. When he arrived, he opened the steel door and entered a large partially lit room filled with various automobiles ranging from armored vehicles to trucks.

"Yuu, over here," a voice called out from the shadows. As if on cue, the lights turned on one by one and a man appeared, his arms crossed and his face grinning. Wearing an opened black coat with the sleeves rolled up, dark gray combat pants and boots, he was clearly dressed for battle.

It didn't take long for Yuu to identify the man because of the dark hair that had covered one of his eye, very similar in style to his older sister.

"Lindow," Yuu confirmed.

"The one and only," Lindow replied as he took out a cigarette and lit it.

"I see you haven't changed."

"Thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Ouch." Lindow winced as if he was in pain.

"Congratulations on making unit leader."

"I hope that was a compliment." Lindow said, walking over to Yuu and placing an arm over his shoulder. "Why are you acting so distant? I remember all those years ago you used to chase me around calling out "Lindow-nii, Lindow-nii."

Admittedly, Yuu found it surprising at how familiar Lindow was acting despite the years that had gone by. "You never change," he whispered, a faint smile forming on his lips.

"What was that?"

Yuu shook off Lindow's arm. "Keep the smoke away from me and how about providing me with the mission details?"

Lindow took a whiff of his cigarette before he said, "A simple Aragami execution mission ten miles away. Nothing too difficult, mostly Ogretails and Zygotes. A typical mission for entry level God Eaters. I know that doesn't really apply to you, but I want to see what you are now capable of."

Yuu sighed. "Alright, when do we begin?"

"Now." Lindow raised an arm and they heard the sounds of moving gears. The large garage doors opened and a new wave of light pierced the room. A person had started up the nearby truck and then waved at them.

"Hey Lindow, I'm ready when you are."

"That's Ogata-san, a driver for Fenrir," Lindow explained. "Come on."

Yuu followed Lindow and jumped onto the back where he noticed his God Arc was resting near Lindow's red God Arc.

"You got the directions?" Lindow asked Ogata who replied with a thumbs up. "Okay, let's go!" The truck lurched forward before it slowly drove out of the Far East Branch and onto the main road.

The two God Eaters didn't exchange many words as they traveled to their destination. Yuu watched absently at the scenery and reminded himself that he was now back in the Far East, his homeland. Sadly, there wasn't anything beautiful or eye catching at what he saw. Lots of dirt, rocks, and ruins of once great boisterous cities that were now buried in heavy rubble and dirt.

"Is the Far East still the same as you once remembered?" Lindow asked.

"Almost exactly," Yuu sadly replied.

"I don't know about the other parts of the world, but redevelopment here is moving at a snail's pace. All of our efforts seem to be placed in the Aegis Project lately."

After a moment of silence, Yuu asked, "You're not going to ask me how it was over at headquarters?"

"I was until I saw you. It doesn't look like you're going to tell me much anyway."

"True."

Lindow chuckled. "Hey, did you know Sakuya is now a God Eater? She's actually the sub-commander of the 1st Unit."

"I knew from her emails."

"So you did receive them. Sakuya was worried that she got the address wrong. She'll be pissed once she knows that you just didn't bother replying."

Yuu didn't say anything in response and instead allowed the silence to fill the distance between them.

"We're here," Ogata announced as the truck came to a sudden stop. "I'll just wait here as usual while you guys do what you do best."

Lindow threw his burnt out cigarette onto the ground, picked up his God Arc and jumped off. "Let's make this quick and get back."

Yuu grabbed his God Arc and followed after Lindow. They soon walked into a wide opened field and could clearly see all of the Aragami in the vicinity. Just as Lindow had said, there were only Ogretails and Zygotes. The Orgretails were two legged brown beasts with a large heavy white tail. Standing at above 6 feet, their mouths were big enough to swallow a child whole. As for the Zygotes, they appeared to be flying silver skinned women carrying a large black egg on their backs. The egg had one big eyeball that served as the Aragami's vision. Judging by the distance, the God Eaters were about 50 feet away from the Aragami who have yet to notice their presence.

"Yuu, listen up," Lindow ordered. "You will defeat all of them by yourself without any help from me."

"Are you serious?" Yuu asked, a hint of irritation registering on his face.

"Yup, dead serious." Lindow sat down on a stump that used to be part of a massive tree. "I'll be completely defenseless so my life is in your hands." To make his point, he tossed his God Arc faraway into a bush and lit another cigarette before he whistled loudly, getting the attention of the Aragami.

As they converged on their position, Yuu glanced at Lindow and realized that his defenses were in fact completely down and that he had no desire whatsoever to do anything.

"Better do something before I get eaten," Lindow joked.

"Tch." Yuu clicked his tongue and turned his attention to the approaching Aragami. A dozen Ogretails and a dozen Zygotes. It'd take about a minute before they reached Lindow. Luckily for Yuu, they weren't tough Aragami and are easily disposable. First, he had to take down the flying Zygotes because they could discharge poisonous gas over a large area. Changing his God Arc into a gun with a six foot long barrel, called the Assault gun type that was capable of a high rate of fire, he took quick aim and fired.

The large bullet struck the nearest Zygote dead center and knocked it onto the ground, its body twitching a bit before its life ended. He continued the process with rapid fire shots, one after another, until he swiftly dispatched the remaining Zygotes. 12 out of 14 shots had hit their targets in 25 seconds.

Lindow whistled approvingly. "Great shots, keep it up."

By now, the Ogretails were already within a few feet and getting ready for their attack so Yuu changed his God Arc back to blade form, charged forward and sliced an Ogretail in half with one clean cut. Next, he swept the area in a large circular motion and killed two more Ogretails.

The remaining Ogretails seemed to have lost all interest in Lindow and instead focused all of their attention on their quiet killer. Three Ogretails simultaneously leapt at Yuu and unsuccessfully tried to bit his arm off.

He'd jumped a few steps backward to evade before countering with a cut to an Ogretail's feet, slicing it off. After the Ogretail fell with a loud roar, Yuu kept his momentum going by striking down the other two before finishing off the footless Ogretail. Just when he felt like he was making great progress, he soon found himself surrounded by the remaining six Ogretails. Their ability to organize was much better than he'd given to these simple minded monsters.

With all eyes glued to the lone God Eater, they slowly circled around their prey, growling hungrily with saliva dripping from their mouths as they waited for the right chance to attack. In the meantime, Yuu maintained his composure by slowly breathing in and out and getting his body to quickly move at the point of attack. The standstill came to an end when the apparent pack leader, howled and charged while the others followed its example.

Waiting until the last second, he quickly leapt over an Ogretail and cut its back opened in the process which sent the Ogretails into a state of confusion and panic. With their formation in disarray, he took advantage of the situation and proceeded to finish them off. They fell one by one in a flash until there was only a single one remained. However, the final one had disappeared from his sight.

He looked left and right and couldn't find any trace of it. After taking a second to concentrate on its presence, he turned around and saw it on a direct course to Lindow who watched the approaching Ogretail with little concern as if he was merely watching a show on television.

Even though he was confident in his own shooting accuracy, he instead chose to engage the Ogretail in close quarters because of the small chance of shooting Lindow. Time was quickly running out for him as the Ogretail was within normal shooting distance of Lindow. He needed a lot of speed so he dropped his God Arc, reducing the weight and ran with all his might to catch up.

The Ogretail was fast, but he was faster as he'd reached the Ogretail when it was about a feet away from Lindow. With one final push of his legs, he lunged and grabbed the Ogretail's legs which knocked both of them down. Their bodies intertwined as a result of the momentum.

After rolling around together for the new few seconds, Yuu finally got back on his feet before the Ogretail and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to its jaw. The force sent it sliding a few feet back, which in the meantime, Yuu had retrieved his God Arc. Once he was back within five feet of the Ogretail, it quickly spun its body in a full circular motion, whipping its large dangerous tail. However, he jumped over the attack in time and lobbed off the Ogretail's head. Dark red liquid gushed like a geyser from the round stump before the body fell down into a pool of its own blood.

"That better be the last one," Yuu said as he wiped his forehead. He then turned around to the sound of Lindow's enthusiastic clapping.

"That was amazing. Nothing like I've ever seen. You certainly came a long way from attacking Ogretails with a steel pipe. Once a rash hot headed young boy, now an efficient calculating and composed fighter. As expected of the one called Red Eyes."

"Are you mocking me? I don't call myself that you know."

Lindow grinned and then said, "Known for his dark piercing red eyes, the First New-Type is an unparalleled God Eater who can overcome any challenge." His grin suddenly grew wider. "If people knew that there was more to your red eyes then I'm sure your moniker would spread like wildfire."

"Don't," Yuu threatened in a menacing tone.

"I was just kidding."

Yuu sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, you better not pull of that stunt ever again. If you do, then expect different results from the one today. I don't want to save your ass when you're not helping at all."

"I won't, even though it's such a great opportunity for me to claim rewards without doing anything. Well, I think we should get back now. But before that, let's get the Aragami cores."

Yuu stepped over to an Ogretail's corpse and readied his God Arc. A dark shadowy beast's mouth appeared and devoured the corpse, spitting out a small steel object which was the Aragami's core. He and Lindow then split the work for the remaining ones and were finished in no time.

"Done already?" Ogata asked when he saw them returned. "That was quick."

"With two of the Far East's greatest God Eaters, it doesn't take long to finish a mission," Lindow replied.

Yuu mumbled something under his breath before climbing onto the back of the truck. The return trip was mostly quiet and peaceful so Yuu closed his eyes and rested his weary body. It had been a very long day for him.

Once they returned, they saw a group of people gathering near the garage entrance to meet them. The group included Tsubaki, Paylor, and a short black haired young woman wearing a dark top and sarong that covered one of her legs.

"Yo Sakuya, we're back." Lindow announced.

"You should have waited for me before you left on the mission," Sakuya protested.

Lindow halfheartedly replied, "Sorry about that, but I couldn't find where you were so..."

"Geez, I've should have known you'd say that." She then turned her attention to Yuu and gave him a heartwarming smile. "Welcome back, Yuu-kun."

Yuu looked at the people coming to welcome him back one by one until he was suddenly overtaken by a wave of nostalgia that he'd expected earlier. His lips rose into a half smile. "It's good to be back."

A/N: Well, that's the end of the 1st chapter. The longest 1st chapter of anything I wrote before. After this, some of you may be wondering about pairings. I'll only say that Yuu is paired with someone eventually, but I won't reveal who it is just yet because I want to keep the pairing a mystery as I build up towards it. I'll drops some hints however such as that it will be a heterosexual pairing. So it's not a guy (no offense to those that enjoy such pairings). Also, the pairing is somewhat common on this site. That is all.