God Eater 3 (Complete Retelling)

Chapter 5: Ash Storm

    Night began to fall as the three AGEs rest with dead Aragami around them. Luca was lost in thought as Zeke's God Arc devours one of the corpses for genetic material.

Hugo: Luca... You okay?
Luca: Of course I'm not okay! Sho is dying and those bastards won't lift a finger to do anything! All they care about is themselves!
Hugo: ...I know, but getting angry won't help.
Luca: Ngh!
Hugo: Hound 1 calling Pennywort Port. Come in Port.

    Hugo waits for a response from the Port, but all that's coming through is static.

Hugo: That's odd...
Luca: No response?
Hugo: Yeah.
Zeke: Something must be broken on their end.
Hugo: Wait, hold on! I think I'm getting something!
???: [--ad me. --ome I--]
Hugo: Damn, signal's weak.
Luca: Hugo! Zeke! Over there!

    Something had caught Luca's eye. The two turn towards him and what they saw was a massive wall of black mist; an Ash Storm. Not only that, but it was moving towards the port.

Zeke: T-That thing's headed for the Port! What's gonna happen to Keith and the kids?! Hugo, we gotta...
Hugo: Just calm down, Zeke! We'll think of something!

As Hugo tries to figure out a plan, the signal from before became much clearer. On the other end wasn't the Port guard, but the voices of a young woman and an older woman as well.

Young Woman: [Caravan calling any AGEs in the field! Please respond!]
Hugo: We read you.
Older Woman: [Thank god we finally got through. Listen carefully; there's an Ash Storm headed straight for your Port. If you can clear a path for us, we'll be able to get to you before the storm does.]
Hugo: Just why should we do that? And more importantly; who are you?
Older Woman: [There's isn't much time! Look, if this is about money, I'll pay you. Just hurry!]
Hugo: ...Right. Listen, there are AGE children at the Port, don't worry about us and go help them.
Older Woman: [I promise I'll do everything I can. Godspeed. Caravan out.]

    It was a race against time. The AGEs moved fast to clear out the Aragami in the caravan's path. After killing several Aragami, they assumed they were done. But suddenly, Luca felt the ground shaking. He looked at his feet and could feel the shaking intensifying. Suddenly, another Aragami emerged from the ground. Barbarius; an Aragami with three drills on one of its arms. It fired a beam of ice at the three, Hugo and Zeke dodge, but Luca's right leg was caught in the blast, freezing it in place. The Aragami ran towards Luca and then hit him with it's drill, knocking Luca into a building.

Hugo & Zeke: LUCA!!

    The Barbarius walks toward the dust cloud caused by the collision, only to be met by the predator form of Luca's God Arc.

Luca: DEVOUR!!!

The serpant-like jaw shot right at the Aragami's drill and with enough force, crushing it and devouring the pieces. Just like when an Aragami's Oracle Cells activate from physical damage and fatigue; A God Eater's Oracle Cells activate when their God Arc devours the flesh of a living Aragami, a phenomenon more commonly known as "Burst". This gives them heightened strength and speed, but it does even more when an AGE activates. They awaken an innate ability to concentrate oracle energy into their God Arcs, called Burst Arts, while in Burst state. Luca rushes towards the Aragami, his blades giving off a yellow glow. The Barbarius tries to attack, but Hugo and Zeke begin to assault it with gunfire. Once Luca was within striking range, he unleashed a relentless assault on the Aragami. He then jumped, and stabbed it in the eyes while Hugo transformed his Arc back into a sword and ran it through the Aragami's throat, ultimately killing it. With the way clear, they headed out of the city.

There is only one safe means of transportation through the Ashlands; massive vehicles called Ash Crawlers. From the bridge of one such Crawler, the women who contacted the AGEs prepares the ship to leave right as they finish evacuating the Port.

Young Woman: All of the AGE children are aboard safe and sound. Just like Ricardo said; they were being held in a prison cell. It also appears that the most of the Port has been evacuated moments before the storm arrived.
Older Woman: ...Just terrible. How could they have just left these children to die? What's the status of the AGEs in the field.
Younger Woman: I've already sent rendezvous coordinates. Do you really think it's wise to offer them whatever they want, ma'am?
Older Woman: Probably not, but regardless, I'll do whatever it takes if it means getting them as far away from that storm as possible. Set course for the rendezvous!
Younger Woman: Understood.

From a cliff, the three young men watch as Pennywort Port is consumed by a black miasma of death and destruction. As they watched, they heard the sounds of a massive vehicle approaching. The Crawler halted and Hugo, Luca, and Zeke boarded.