God Eater: Fates Entwined

14 - Come and Go

"IRIS—"

Demi gave the pair a grin before she stood on the chair she was sitting on and spun around. "You know so much about it, but not your roles in it, isn't that right?" The two exchanged silent glances, before giving a slow nod, and Demi simply plopped back down on the chair with a low chuckle. "Four children—each with their own weight to bear and their own methods of surviving the process."

"Three," Alisa quickly corrected. "Sestra clearly said there were three, and it doesn't really explain Lenka's connection to all of it—all of us." The topic is indeed intriguing, and although she wished to clarify all details with Yuka herself, the older God Eater is already pushing herself solving a problem that doesn't involve her in the first place. "Though, he did mention that he isn't Utsugi Lenka at birth, considering he was adopted."

To her surprise, the pale girl leaned forward—too forward to be comfortable—with a finger pressed against her lips. Alisa's instant reaction was to back away of course, out of surprise. "More on that when I elaborate the Devil's method," he smirked. "As I was saying, these four children each developed an interesting affinity—Power, Endurance, Control, and Flow." A section of her hair began to move on its own, reaching towards the sink and turned the faucet on. It poured water on itself, gathering the drops until the tendrils had formed a sphere of liquid trapped inside it. Afterwards, it turned the faucet off and brought the ball of suspended fluid before the pair of God Eaters.

They didn't even look surprised anymore, as though this occurrence is as daily as their field missions.

"Does Power refer to Overdrive?" Lenka then asked, watching with curious golden eyes as the female began to manipulate the orb with her hair, the water seemingly coming to life and trying to burst out its container.

"Indeed, it does," the girl answered. "As a way of refining your own Oracle Cells, they enter the state you refer to as Overdrive, which, in simplest terms, ups your power level exponentially. Think of this as the best example—it boosts your strength from Rank 5 to Rank 9 and even higher, but leaves your physical body at its base level. This is the explanation to the disadvantages of the ability—the shortening of your lifespan and corrosion of your vessel." Lenka found himself lowering his head, and although he had come to terms with his fate for quite some time now, he still wasn't certain how to feel about it.

It was a double-edged sword, and although it helped him accomplish various tasks that brought them to where they are now—the defeat of the Pita, the destruction of the Arda Nova and the rescue of Lindow from the Corrosive Hannibal—it does saddens him that he has very little time remaining and he would have to leave this new family sooner than he expected.

It would be nice... to at least grow old with everyone.

"But—!" He snapped to attention at the sudden change in Demi's tone, seemingly more delighted now. "In return, you have begun to evolve, my little Apostle," she smiled, charmingly and scandalously devious. "Ah, hold up, you aren't exactly a full-fledged one just yet. Perhaps, an Apostle Seedling? I mean, Lesser or Inferior Apostle sounds a little wrong, don't you think?"

When her smile turned towards Alisa's direction, it was received a confused stare. "Apostle?" The Russian questioned. The word isn't exactly new; C had mentioned it at some point but, naturally, she wouldn't bother expanding on the subject.

"Now, now, we'll come discuss that in a bit, okay?" With her attention still on the female God Eater, "Borscht," and immediately sprung the other back to action, returning her focus to the multiple tasks at hand. "But yes, you are Power, why your wonderful girlfriend is Control."