God Eater: Shattered Dawn

Chapter 45: Allergy

"It's official." Aria groaned, flopping back against the wall of the temple the God Eaters were currently hiding out in. "I'm allergic to Quadriga."

The whirling winds of the Tranquil Temple were soaring high over the empty village, their echoing cries matched only in intensity by the white fragments hurling themselves at the floor, bloodless and cold.

The icy shards slammed hard into the temple, enticing a shudder from the ancient walls cowering against the call of the wind.

"If you're allergic to Quadriga," Gina grumbled, tapping her thigh with her nails as she leant to check round the corner of the entrance to the temple, "I must be boredom intolerant."

"..." Karel rolled his eyes, glancing at the ever-quiet Soma. What's his deal?

"C'mon, what are you allergic to, Karel?" Gina added teasingly. "Don't leave us hanging."

The sparkling shimmer of light dancing over an object had caught his eye; metal beaming hopefully in front of the alter, just begging to be found. "Aria, there's some item over there, I think. Oh, hm? You could say I'm somewhat allergic to pestering."

"Good thing we don't pester you then, eh?"

"...Uh-huh."

Aria scurried over to scoop up the gleaming metal, before pointing to Soma. "Well he's allergic to people, if you hadn't guessed."

With a snarl, Soma leapt out from hiding, jaws of his God Arc extended to latch onto a huge, tank-like aragami that had appeared. "You egits are allergic to work, that's what."

"Well, we're all gun wielders-what did you expect!" Aria took up a position further in a corner of the room, lining her sights up with the missile pod on the back of the aragami. "It's not like we can melee attack like some people!"

"Then you should have picked a different mission!"

Karel sighed while Gina merely chuckled, eyes hungrily focused on the ram-like aragami that was bleating its little core out. "I've waited so long for flowers, won't you show me the ruby red roses of agony?"

Aria rolled out of the way of the somewhat galloping aragami, leaning up against the wall to get just out of its range. Clouds of white dust flicked harshly into her eyes, causing a burning itchy pain to erupt beneath her eyelids. She sidstepped the next missile launched from a cavity opened in its chest, rubbing her sore eyes.

"Disperse; there's not enough room to fight it in here!"

Nodding at Karel in recognition, Aria backed off, still rubbing at her face with her gloved hand.

Soma joined her, with Karel finally hurrying over, swiping another object off of the floor. "Good." They held their positions, listening to the rampaging and explosions going on in the temple. "Okay Aria, set up a trap."

"Sure." Grabbing a hexagonal mine-like object from her pocket, Aria crouched for a moment, her ears opened to the sounds of Gina distracting the Quadriga.

Soma scowled, muscles tensed as he waited for Aria to finish. "...It would have made more sense if I had stayed back to distract, since I'm the only blade wielder-"

He cut himself short, finding himself heavily out ranked by Aria's glare.

Aria's scowl melted back into a pleasant smile. Soma fumed quietly in the background while she beamed at their acting Leader for the mission. "So, Karel, what now?"

Karel glanced at her and nodded, as if in self-confirmation of his authority. Aria stepped back from the mine-like trap set up, checking the bullets she had loaded. He joined her, calling back to the two remaining God Eaters; "Gina, prepare yourself! Soma, ready yourself to commence a devour!"