Chapter 12
Immediately after they left, Mister started sprinting. The three of them were surprised at his speed despite him carrying a large gun. They then started running, desperate to catch up to him.
"Pick up the pace, will ya?" Mister shouted as he looked back.
"I guess adults are on another level," Emma said as she gasped for breath.
"Haha! Kids suck at this!" Mister taunted.
"He sure acts like a spoiled brat though!" Ray yelled indignantly. He looked at Scarlett, who was next to them, obviously holding back. "You should catch up to him."
"Are you sure?" Scarlett hesitated. "What if something happens?"
"We're not helpless," Ray rolled his eyes. "And besides, I want to see that smirk get wiped off that douchebag's face!"
"... Alright then." Scarlett then started going at a speed that was just as fast as Mister's. She soon was right behind him.
Mister was indeed surprised when he looked back to see that demon kid right behind him, showing almost no signs of exhaustion. 'The hell? Sure this kid has long legs, but is her endurance this high? What the hell are you? And the other brats may be lagging behind, but they're still doing better than I expected.'
Now frowning, Mister then said, "We gotta clear this area as fast as we can. When you can run safely, go as fast as you can. First, we'll head straight east and leave this wasteland. The journey to A 08-63 really starts when we get to that forest."
Emma narrowed her eyes in determination. 'Even if it's super dangerous, I'll do it! And even if there's nothing in the end, I want to see it.'
'We got the guy to come with us,' Ray thought. 'We gotta play smart though. Don't give him an opportunity to kill us or lower our guard. He may have the advantage, but we'll win! With him as a guide, we will reach A 08-63 alive!'
'"We have to do this for the sake of our family!"... is what they're probably thinking,' Mister sneered. 'Poor kids. Gotta hand it to them though, they aren't messing around. They're manipulating me by putting their lives as bait. It's gonna take a lot to shake them off. Dispatching them is way easier out here. I don't even have to do it myself. So, should I just kill them? I kinda wanted to see their reactions to the real world.
Besides, Demon Girl is gonna disrupt my plans. She's the wild card. I could secretly kill one of them and injure the others while running back to the shelter, having them die there. But that four-eye brat is also a pain in the ass. I suppose I should just take them to the real thing and let them deal with that. So, which of you will die out there?'
"After Gilda proclaimed her ultimatum, I think now he's planning to just kill one of us," Emma guessed. "Probably not Scarlett though. It's gonna be one of us two."
"Yeah, or rather, he's gonna let one of us die," Ray corrected. "I think he can kill if it comes to it, but would prefer not to. Deep down, I think he's a good guy. He's in pain though, and it's clouding his faith."
'Our main goal is to get to A 08-63 and find Minerva. But I also want to get to know this guy,' Emma thought.
'Which one should I kill, and where?' Mister contemplated. 'And how am I gonna deal with Demon Girl afterwards? How did she grab that katana? No way am I gonna ask that outright.'
Ray stared at the man. 'It's too naïve of me to say that. He might have been a good guy, but not now. And hell if I'm gonna let him kill Emma, Scarlett, or any member of my family. I am willing to kill him myself if it comes to that. Scarlett probably is too but I highly doubt Emma. She'll probably negotiate and try to reason with him.'
'What are you planning?' Scarlett wondered. 'What happened on your way to Goldy Pond that makes you so unwilling to go there? And why do you keep on eyeing this katana?'
The four of them had finally crossed the wasteland and into the forest.
"Not a bad pace," Mister commented. "The real challenge starts now though. We're aiming for a four day trip. Our destination is Goldy Pond. You could also go through this super long path that takes about three weeks, but is much safer. But we aren't gonna fool around with that, out of the question. Get some water down your throats. This forest is filled with man-eater nests. They see you, you die. Now, let's go clear this place."
They drank some water and walked in the giant forest. The trees looked as though they were made of stone. Felt like it too.
"There's no end to those man-eaters. These guys are actually smart enough to be in packs. When you see one, there's more of them. On top of that, all variants are very aggressive. They can call for more and they will share you as their feast, crunching your bones and licking your last drop of blood." Mister smirked at their reactions of tensity and wariness.
He then put a finger on his chin in a thinking gesture. "I can think of one way you can survive them. Shoot the hell out of them. But with twerps like you? Not a chance. So, don't be spotted, don't let them come close, and advance. We can sleep when we're away from their nests at night."
"How long do we have until dark?" Emma asked Ray.
"About two hours," he replied, checking his pocket watch.
Glancing back at them, Mister thought, 'What's up with these kids? They learn fast. Way too fast actually. They're total newbies, that's for sure, but they already are walking without making noise. In fact, Demon Girl's been doing it since we got in here.' He noticed their intense stares at him. 'They're watching me?'
He pointed to the right. "This way."
"The footprints are new on this side," Ray noticed.
"Really, right?" Emma asked.
"Nope. Left," Mister replied.
'Damn you!' Ray scowled.
"Nice catch, Ray!" Emma smiled.
"Thanks," Ray said.
'I can't use my powers without luring anything to us,' Scarlett grimaced. 'I should only use them if necessary.'
'Got it,' Mister smirked. 'Ginger's the guide. Cyclops here is the wits. And Demon Girl's the guard. In other words, Ginger's more troublesome, Emo Cyclops is the one that lends a hand in the background, and Demon Girl's the one that protects them and watches over them. I wonder… which one will shut up more if they see one of them dead?'
Mister decided to spice things up a bit. It was far too boring. He cocked his sniper rifle.
Scarlett stiffened when she heard something in the distance along with vibrations on the ground.
"What is it, Scarlett?" Ray asked.
"Something's coming!" She shouted before a man-eater busted it's way towards them from above. 'Damn that man! He led this guy here!'
"Emma!" Ray shouted, pulling her away.
After Ray pulled her away, Emma took out her hunter rifle and aimed it. She hesitated though when she imagined Ray or Scarlett's head being bitten off by the thing.
Mister aimed his sniper rifle and shot the ugly beast in the face multiple times, making it fall down.
Ray ran to Emma and shook her. "Emma!"
"Huh?" Emma got out of her stupor. "I-I'm alive?!"
"You would have if I hadn't done anything," Mister smirked. "Didn't even pull the trigger in time. But man! That was hilarious! Guess you never thought they could come down from the trees, huh? Well, I did!"
"Damn you!" Ray yelled.
"Thanks for saving me though!" Emma smiled.
"Emma, you wouldn't need saving if the douchebag didn't lead it here in the first place," Scarlett deadpanned.
"Eh?" Ray and Emma looked at her.
"He lured the thing here," Scarlett said as though it were obvious.
"Well spotted," Mister sneered. "But besides, I didn't save anyone anyways. Man-eaters don't die that easily."
"Huh?" They turned around to see the man-eater slowly get up.
"They rise again very fast. It'll call on its friends now."
The beast roared loudly. Immediately, they turn around and run for their lives.
"You bastard, if it's not dead, say something!" Ray yelled.
"I did it on purpose," Mister said cheekily.
"What?!"
"I swear, this guy…" Scarlett muttered. If Ray didn't kill him, she sure as hell would.
"Looks like you three are in a pinch, aren't ya?" Mister commented casually. They climbed up the stone trees.
Turning around, they saw multiple man-eaters right behind them.
"Well then, let's see how you kids survive this. See ya! I'll come rescue the last one alive!" He left without another word.
"Jackass!" Scarlett yelled before she could stop herself.
"Mister-!" Emma shouted.
"Forget it," Ray scowled. "He said he's gonna be close by, so we still have our guide. Right now, we need to deal with these guys!"
"Right!" Scarlett nodded. "But what's their weakness? There has to be one, right?"
"They're climbing up!" Emma yelled.
"This way!" They ran along the branches that connected the trees together.
Turning back, Ray shot the branches above the man-eaters, making them topple on them.
"Emma!" Ray yelled. "Use that pistol!"
"Right!" Emma took out a small pistol with four barrels. "Which bullet?"
"The green one!"
Loading it up, Emma shot it right at them. The bullet exploded, wrapping one up in a giant net.
"All right!" Emma cheered as they ran away.
'So, that's their plan,' Mister thought, hiding in a tree nearby. 'That pistol is the one with all the trick shots. Four different bullets. Flash, bang, tear gas, and that capture net. They deliberately chose that. The rifle isn't so that they can hunt the man-eaters either. Their strategy from the beginning was escape. Smart thinking. Although the red eyed girl chose a sniper rifle and that katana, along with kunais. Definitely the offensive person if it comes to it. But why doesn't she use those supernatural abilities? Is she saving them for later or emergencies?'
Emma looked back to see a horrifying scene. The trapped man-eater was being eaten by its own kind.
Scarlett looked back as well. "Great! They're cannibals as well! Good to know!" She said sarcastically.
"They're free! We need to run!" Emma screamed.
Ray shot his rifle at them as they ran. It practically did nothing though.
'No point in doing that,' Mister commented in his mind. 'You're just wasting bullets. It doesn't matter how fit you are. If you can't kill them, you can't beat them.'
'Dammit! I've used about 48 bullets out of 100,' Ray cursed. 'At this rate, I'll just run out! Not only do they regenerate, but their bodies morph as well. Just what are they? Immortal monsters? No.' He realized. 'The one they killed was proof. And not only that, Sung-Joo said that humans hunted demons as well, and they had even less technology at the time. So what is it?'
'How do we kill them?' Scarlett scowled. 'Decapitation? No. And that'd be impossible anyways. So what? Sung-Joo hunts demons, right? What did he do?'
'Think!' Ray sweated. 'What? I saw it that time. When Sung-Joo rescued me, he did something to kill them. I was losing consciousness though. How did he-?' An image of Sung-Joo stabbing the middle eye of a demon flashed through his eyes. 'I see, they use their masks to-'
'Annnnd they're dead,' Mister thought.
"Guys!" Ray yelled. "It's the eyes! Shoot the one in the middle of the face! Emma, use your bow! Scarlett, use your kunais to slice them!"
Mister's eyes widened. 'How did he..?'
"Right!" Emma loaded an arrow on her bow and shot the closest one in the eye. The demon yelled in agony and fell to the ground.
Scarlett's hair glowed red as she levitated multiple kunais and sliced multiple man-eaters eyes, blood splattering.
"Watch out!" Emma yelled at Scarlett.
One of the man-eaters was too close for comfort. She made a force shield to block it's hit and sped up her pace.
'She can make some sort of barrier too?' Mister frowned. 'What else can she do?'
"There's one in front of us!" Emma shouted.
Indeed, one of them was racing at them. Taking out her sword, she flew towards it, and sliced its eye, the black blade's edge glowing red.
"Nice!" Ray complimented. "But don't get too close to them!"
"Let's attack at a minimum!" Scarlett suggested. "Mister said that there were different variants of these guys! He implied that if two species were to clash with each other, they'll focus on the other instead! We need to take advantage of that!"
"Good idea!" Ray yelled back.
At last, they were able to stop the demons from pursuing them. They collapsed on the ground, taking deep gulps of breath and water.
"Good work!" Mister yelled, coming down from his tree. Inside, he was cursing. "I honestly didn't expect any of you to survive that!"
"Chumps or not, we're still alive and kicking!" Emma grinned.
"... Right."
'Four days to get there, with one day finished. And four days to get back. That's seven days. And I only have 33 bullets left. But, we found out their weaknesses! Bring it on!' Ray smirked.
~0~0~0~0~0~
It was the third day out here. And the three of them had never been so tired or worn out in their lives. Scarlett's condition was barely better than the other two's.
Mister seemed just fine though. He actually seemed pleased at their conditions. No surprise there though.
"Hop to it!" Mister grinned cheekily.
The demons had raided them in the middle of the night. Specifically one. Mister had acted like he had nothing to do with it, but the facial expression gave it away. Just about done with him, Scarlett levitated and threw a large rock at his stomach, making him make an 'umph' sound. Emma had looked at her with exasperation while Ray's expression was of approval.
'The way he stealthily moves, the way he can sense danger, how he handles the demons, and how he shoots shows his capabilities,' Ray thought. 'We need to watch carefully and copy!'
A growl sounded as a lone demon was in front of them. Sighing, they took care of it, Scarlett giving the finishing blow with a shot from her sniper rifle. They managed to kill it just in time for lunch. Which was barely anything. Just a string of grapes and some bread that Gilda gave them last minute. Thank god for that.
After praying, they ate in peace.
'We're starting to get better at saving ammunition and escaping the demons,' Emma thought. 'We can do this!'
It was the same thing. Sneakily go through the forest, encounter some demons, kill or escape from them, take a small break to recuperate, and repeat.
'Their bodies may be tired, but I still see that damned determination in their eyes,' Mister sneered. 'I'm impressed at how fast they adapted. They can't be older than 12. How old was I when I went through here? 15? 16? This won't do.' He covered his mouth in disgust. 'I feel like throwing up. Was it because of that dream? This will be done soon. I just need to pick up the pace. Tomorrow, at Goldy Pond, I'll kill you.'
They took a break for the night. Emma opened the pen to look at their coordinates. "Look! We're closer to A 08-63 than we thought! We'll probably reach it by tomorrow noon!"
"Can't wait," Scarlett grumbled. 'It's been two days and that man hasn't really been pulling anything on us since the first day. There's no way he gave up though. He's planning something. I'm betting it's when we reach Goldy Pond. No doubt has he been there before. He knows two different paths and knows all the tricks to this place. What's waiting for us there? And what made that man change? What's he gonna do when we get there?'
Mister was currently keeping watch away from them.
"Emma, we need to talk," Ray said, turning around. "Tomorrow, that man will-"
"Ta-da!" Emma cheered, showing them a bunch of grapes. "I think I got the hang of finding food in this place!"
"Not bad," Scarlett complimented. She then hesitantly asked, "Emma, even though that man's a total dirtbag, what makes you still have faith in him? How can you treat him so nicely still?"
"Hm?" Emma thought for a moment. Then said, "I try to look for the best in people. Even if that person seems bad, I try to find the good side of them. And then I bring it out, to save them! Especially after we met Musica and Sung-Joo. I don't think there's a single being that's truly evil."
"Yeah…" Scarlett murmured.
"And that man is someone I want to bring something good out of. Before we left, he asked me if I think I made the right choice. It really got me thinking. What if my decision is wrong? What if my decision caused the demise of all of us? I can't even imagine what that man went through. I've been wondering about the words on the wall with all the 'helps'. And watching this man for three days… I've decided."
Emma stood up. "I know what you were gonna say, Ray. But I'm done with all these mind games!" She then ran towards Mister.
"E-Emma!" Ray shouted.
"Don't bother," Scarlett whispered. "You know when Emma puts her mind to something, she doesn't back down on it."
"That's one of the things I like and hate about her," Ray sighed, standing up.
Scarlett tried to stand up too, but her legs felt like they were asleep.
"Need a hand?" Ray held out a hand to her.
"... Thanks." Scarlett took it and Ray hoisted her up.
As they ran towards Emma and Mister, Scarlett thought, 'Why was that so much more embarrassing than it should be?'
"I'm going to save you!" Emma announced to the adult.
"Say what now?" Mister replied. "You're gonna… save me?"
"Yup!"
'"Is this girl crazy? The hell is she on about?"... is what he's probably thinking,' Ray guessed.
"The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there's no need for us to be enemies," Emma continued. "We're all escapees here. We can help and understand each other. And it would be beneficial to both parties, so let's work together! Now spill your guts and let's talk!"
'Emma, what are you doing!' Ray screamed on the inside.
"Annoying bitch," Mister snarled. "Who do you think you are?! You wanna save me?! Quit fucking around, you ginger bitch! I hate you! All of you! I ain't telling you shit! Now back off!"
Emma looked taken aback by the outburst. But then she shouted back just as furiously, "NO!"
Scarlett and Ray just sweatdropped at this, smiling in amusement.
"I don't care if we're hated or killed! But I wanna take care of this!" Emma yelled. "Let's stop all of this! Let's stop hiding! It's useless and nothing will be solved if you keep running away from it!"
"What?!" Mister shouted indignantly.
"It was painful, wasn't it?" Emma asked more calmly.
Mister's eyes widened slightly.
"You had a good family, didn't you? And you loved all of them, right? But then you lost them and became sad, frustrated, and hateful. You suffered so much on your own for so many years. You felt like you were being torn about those feelings, right?"
"T-the hell you think you know about-"
"I don't," she interjected. "I'm just guessing. You're an older man who's lost all of his comrades. It would be insulting to say that I know how you feel. But the thing is, I do know. We're exactly alike, aren't we? The current me and the old you. Our family and your comrades. And that's why you felt pain whenever you saw us, right?"
Mister looked at her darkly.
"You even felt the need to pull a gun on us, right? But what you wanted to disappear from your life wasn't us, right? It was your old self. If you kill us Mister, it might serve as a temporary distraction, but it doesn't change anything in the end! You'll still suffer! And that's not good, so let's change that!"
"And how?" Mister looked almost somber for the first time. "How the hell do you suggest we do that? There's nothing you can do about it. No matter how much you regret it, you can't take back the past. My dead comrades ain't coming back. Your face… it disgusts me. Yeah, you look just like how the old me looked. You can't save them. You can't escape this hellish reality. So what the hell do you think you can really do?"
"A lot, actually," Scarlett spoke up. She shrunk slightly at Mister's glare. Ray patted her back in encouragement. He had a tint of red on his cheeks as he looked away. She sent him a grateful glance.
Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Is sitting around, moping and thinking about how much you regret all the bad choices you made is what your friends want? Because if they are similar to our own family, I don't think that they would. Until a few months ago, I felt alone. My powers and my looks made me try to isolate myself. I hated myself as well. But, in reality, I was never alone. When I finally realized that, I regretted that I didn't realize it sooner. That my family didn't care about my looks. That they don't care how different I am. Now, I don't regret it anymore. Because what does that do?"
Scarlett felt more confident. This wasn't like the speech she gave with the others back at the house. "You're right when you said we can't change the past. But we can change the future. We can learn. Humans make mistakes. That's the best and worst part of us. With mistakes, we can improve ourselves. The past should stay in the past. Through all of this, I've made a decision as well. Even if my decisions were bad ones, I'm gonna learn from that and improve myself. Emma said earlier that she doesn't think that no one is truly bad. I'm not entirely on board with that, but I'm willing to see. And I believe that you're a good guy, even if you've been a douchebag to us."
Mister's eyes widened even more. 'T-this girl…'
"Mister." Emma looked at him with determined eyes. "We're gonna go back to Grace Field and save everyone there. And bring them to the human world. So help us! We can go there together! Let's go to the world that our friends wanted to see!"
'What? These kids just keep on getting more and more crazy!' Mister exclaimed internally.
"We lost someone dear to us as well," Emma shook, looking down. "His name was Norman. He's irreplaceable and a good friend of ours. A member of our family. But he died. Shipped like the rest of our family. I bet he wanted to be here more than anyone else here combined. But now he can't. He entrusted everything to me and Scarlett and Ray. That's why I pushed forward. So that I can make his dream come true! So live with your comrades' dreams too!"
'Their dreams…?'
"Even if you're alone, you can still do that much for them! Your comrades don't wish for you to give up, and neither do you!" Emma yelled.
'Nicholas… John...Dinah… Lucas… Mike...everyone… they all wanted me to live. But why? Why are you letting these brats words move you? Weren't you gonna kill that antenna girl?'
"Look," Mister said. His eyes grew dark. "Turn back now."
"Eh?" Emma squeaked.
"That place. It's dangerous. By morning, those guys will have-"
"Emma, Scarlett!" Ray shouted.
Vines suddenly circled around them and dragged them away before they could do anything. Scarlett tried to use her powers but felt herself hitting something...
"Stop!" Mister grabbed Ray and pulled him back. "It's too late! You'll be taken too!"
"Let me go!" Ray shouted. 'Dammit! I was supposed to be looking out!'
"The fact that you managed to react in time is plenty impressive," Mister scowled in frustration as he ran.
"Will you tell me what's going on?!" Ray demanded. "Taken? By who? Are they alive?"
"They are. For now. It probably hasn't started yet…" Mister trailed off.
'Started?' "Were they kidnapped by the demons?"
"Correct. Specifically, the poachers. One of their factions. I had lured them in… to get rid of you two."
"You can't be-!" Ray stiled. 'The first day?'
"I shot the lot of them with holes. More than necessary. You kids hit them quite a bit as well. If you kill them, their pack will get rid of them. But leaving them alive and riddled ones with holes will get the attention of the poachers. That's how me and my friends were caught. The lot of you are from Grace Field, a high grade plantation. I figured they'd be on the lookout for you."
"Tsk," Ray scowled. "I'm gonna rescue them."
"Give up," Mister advised. "We're not nearly strong enough to beat them."
"You bastard, this was your plan-!"
"And I'm sorry. I don't wanna cause you guys anymore trouble. Best thing I can do is bring you back in one piece. So we gotta hurry back."
"I said I'm bringing them back!" Ray shouted. "I'm not leaving them behind! They didn't, so I'm gonna return the favor! So tell me! Where are they?"
"... They're in A 08-63 now. Goldy Pond," Mister finally responded.
~0~0~0~0~0~
'Ugh… what happened?' Scarlett thought groggily. She slowly sat up from her position on the ground. 'It's morning? But… ugh, what happened? Weren't we talking to Mister? Where am I?'
She saw Emma on the ground next to her. Quickly, she shook her.
"What?" Emma asked sleepily. As she got up, she became more awake when the surroundings around them were not familiar.
"Where are we?"
"Some sort of village," Scarlett murmured. "But how? The last thing I remember was…" she gasped. "Some vines dragged us somewhere! I tried to use my powers but I was knocked out."
"You're right!" Emma's eyes widened.
"Emma, check the pen for coordinates."
The screen popped up and showed them at A 08-63.
"So this… this is Goldy Pond?" Emma clarified.
"Let's look around," Scarlett said, standing up. She lent Emma a hand, which she took.
"This place is so colorful… like a fairytale," Emma commented as they walked through the village.
"Is this a place for humans?" Scarlett wondered. "If it was… why is no one here?"
"What's that over there?" Emma pointed to the distance.
"A… country mansion?" Scarlett replied dubiously. "Now that I think about it, everything here looks like how the human world should. But there's no way that this is the human world, right?"
"Yeah. And not only that, but we still have our weapons. Well, I lost my bow, but that's it."
"I still have my katana and sniper rifle… but I'm missing some kunais. I bet they got lost when we were dragged here," Scarlett guessed.
"I don't know what's happening here or where we are, but the first priority is finding Ray and Mister," Emma said.
Emma and Scarlett noticed someone running.
"Hey!" Emma called out. She and Scarlett started chasing the kid.
As they ran towards the kid, they noticed a sign. Stopping, they decided to look at it.
Rules:
Music
Monsters
Survive
"What kind of rules are these?" Scarlett wondered incredulously.
"Maybe the monsters are demo-"
Emma didn't get to finish due to music suddenly blaring out the speakers throughout the village.
'What's going on?' Emma and Scarlett thought at the same time.
"The monsters are coming."
Both of them quickly turned around to see the kid they were chasing there. They couldn't tell if they were a boy or girl. They had violet eyes and hair.
"You'd better hide fast," the kid told them. "Whenever the music plays, they come out. Wealthy man-eaters come for the cattle they let roam here. They want to hunt like they did in the old days."
"This is… a hunting ground?" Scarlett clarified.
"Correct."
~0~0~0~0~0~
"Well then, esteemed friends!" Lord Bayon boomed. "What shall be your sport today?"
"Something marbled, with more fat than muscle," Nouma responded.
"Then… the white one with brown hair about 14 years of age," Nous, Nouma's brother, decided.
"I just want to mow down the weaklings!" Luce cackled, his many servants around him. "Anything's fine as long as I have a good time!"
"And you, Archduke Leuvis?" Lord Bayon turned to his long time friend.
"The same as always," the duke replied. "A strong human who fights back with the eyes of a killer."
"Delightful choices," Lord Bayon grinned. "Now, let us hunt!"
~0~0~0~0~0~
"What?!" Emma exclaimed. "Wait! Tell us more! Is this another plantation? Or are they the 'poachers'? Or are they-?"
Scarlett chopped her on the head. "Emma. Relax."
"I knew it," the kid said. "You guys aren't like the others. You know about the plantations. About them. This isn't a farm. At least, not the one you probably grew up in. It's a secret garden. That country mansion in the distance? That's where the poachers live. It belongs to Lord Bayon. You, me, and the other kids are only alive now because they want to hunt us."
'That makes no sense!' Scarlett thought. 'Wasn't it part of the Promise that we couldn't hunt each other?'
"The farms don't know about this place. It's a hidden playground," the kid scowled.
"What about the kids here?" Emma asked.
"All of them are innocent newbies. Once a month, the poachers replace all the kids they've eaten."
"...Replace with what?" Scarlett asked slowly.
"Mostly farm kids. They have some sort of privilege that lets them ship them here alive," the kid responded. "Those kids don't know anything. They think they were fortunate enough to be born and raised in a happy orphanage and chosen to be adopted by a loving family. Even when they see the truth, they convince themselves that either monsters have kidnapped them or that this was all a bad dream and that they will wake up."
"How awful…" Scarlett murmured.
"Anyways, we gotta get moving. We're sitting ducks here. Let's find a place to hide and I can show you guys to some people."
"AHHHHHHH!" A kid yelled in the distance.
Being the selfless person she was, Emma ran towards the voice. And being the loyal person she was, Scarlett was right on her heels.
"Hey!" The kid who was with them yelled.
The scream they heard came from a forest where two kids were surrounded by the servants of Luce.
"M-monsters!" The girl with the spear shook.
'What are these creatures?' The boy questioned, crying. 'How come there are monsters like this? This isn't the real world! I refuse to believe that! I want to go back with my friends and my kind teacher! I don't wanna die…'
"Ahaha!" Luce chortled. "I see you!"
Meanwhile, their older brother was hiding behind a tree nearby, holding an axe shakily. 'I have to help them… I have to help them… but I can't! I can't face those monsters! I'm sorry… forgive me!"
"I'm gonna give you kids… ten seconds!" Luce announced. "Choose one among you three for me to hunt! After you decide, I'll let the other two go!"
"H-huh?" The injured boy whispered.
"So, what's it gonna be?" Luce asked slyly. "The little boy who's already hurt, the girl who managed to injure one of my attendants, or the one hiding behind that tree that wants to abandon their loved ones? 10...9...8…"
'What a pathetic game,' Leuvis sighed, leaning against a nearby tree. 'It's obvious that you're just gonna kill all of them anyway. A good hunt needs good beasts. What's the point going after little scared rabbits? It's been a long time since any have put up resistance… not since that group all those years ago.'
He was interrupted from his thoughts at the shaking of the kid in his hand. He let go of the pitiful thing. "Go ahead and run."
The boy did so immediately, screaming as he did so. Foolish human. With all that racket, he's just gonna be found by someone else.
'Those were the good days. Trying to outwit traps, outthinking the opposing side, what thrill! It got my blood pumping! A hunt is only fun and interesting if both sides put their lives on the line. But nowadays, look at this! Pathetic.'
"3...2...1…"
Suddenly, Emma bursted through the trees, having stolen the axe and launched it right at Luce's eye. "Run!"
Unfortunately, Leuvis had managed to catch it right before it hit him.
Scarlett shouted, "Emma! In front of you!"
In front of her was one of Luce's servants who was running towards her. Scarlett quickly took out her katana and launched herself forward, slicing the mask in half. She did a backflip by using the demon's body as a launch pad and as she fell down, sliced the eye.
Emma gaped at her. "Nice!" She complimented as they ran.
"Thanks," Scarlett replied, scowling. "I landed almost badly though. I could have fallen on my butt or twisted my ankle and I'd be screwed. My movements aren't fast enough still." 'I'm still not good enough.'
'Are you kidding me?' The violet-haired kid thought incredulously. 'You just killed a demon like that, and you're pointing out your flaws?'
'This must be where Mister lost all of his friends!' Emma thought confidently. 'What a place to land in! But this is our chance. We can find what Minerva left here! I have to do it! For the sake of us and that man too! And these kids here!'
"Dammit…" Luce growled. "That little brat raised it's paw against me! And that other one killed one of my servants! How?! I should have resurrected them! But just two swipes from that blade and they're dead!"
'That red-haired girl was going for the eye…' Leuvis thought. 'And her friend killed one of Luce's servants. Which means they know our weakness. Even in a hopeless situation like that, she still dared to jump in. And her friend was right behind her. With no hesitation whatsoever. But what is with that blade? How can it cut so cleanly and swiftly? Could it be…?'
'But putting that aside…' Leuvis had a large grin on his face. 'Magnificent! Perhaps I have finally found some entertainment! You two are my prey now. You'll never get away.'
The group of kids were now a decent distance away from the demons. They rested for a bit to catch their breath.
Scarlett put her head near the ground to listen for footsteps. "No pursuers. We're good for now."
'Now what?' Emma asked herself. 'We need to find Ray and Mister. They're probably not here though…'
She and Scarlett were suddenly hit on the head by the kid that followed them. "Are you two idiots?! Just when I had thought you'd had run for it, you suddenly went ahead and saved some kids you don't even know! Are you crazy?!"
"Yes," Emma replied simply.
"I can attest to that," Scarlett added.
"Hey!" Emma protested. "This is the part where you defend me and say something like 'You're not stupid!'"
"Why would I defend such a lie?" Scarlett asked bluntly.
Emma made a constricting sound while the others sweatdropped. 'This girl sure doesn't like to sugarcoat things.'
"Anyways, you went ahead and barged in there as well!" The violet-haired kid said to Scarlett.
"What kind of person would I be if I left my friend to fend others on her own?" Scarlett pointed out.
'Me,' the oldest kid of the three that were saved thought. He was ashamed. 'You would be me.'
"Anyways!" The violet-haired kid shouted. "You even had to get the worst one's attention! The one with the hat is no laughing matter!"
"The demons… I mean monsters that come to hunt here, are they the same ones every time?" Emma asked.
"Yes, why?"
"How many?"
"Five, not including those servants you saw earlier."
"And how many humans?" Scarlett questioned.
"Usually around 50."
"How often do they come to hunt?" Scarlett narrowed her eyes.
"Every three days. You'll know anyways because of the music," Violet-haired kid replied. "But now's not the time to answer these questions! We really need to find a good place to hide now! Even if they're not tracking us, they will soon if we're in the open like this!"
"But what about them?" Emma asked worriedly, looking at the three kids they saved.
"Go!" The injured one insisted, smiling weakly. "We can deal with this! And thanks. You three really risked your lives to save us!"
Violet-hair scoffed slightly and looked away.
"I...I can run already! I just need a little break, and I'll be fine!" The injured kid insisted.
"Alright," Emma smirked. "We'll split up then."
"But where to?" The girl asked. She then looked at her brother with a triggered expression. "You're still injured."
"We brought ourselves some time, so rest for a bit and then head downwind and find a place to hide! If you stay downwind, it'll be harder for them to smell blood or hear any sounds. And hide your tracks too! And if they spot you, run. Just run," Emma advised.
"As for that wound…" Scarlett put down her pack and grabbed some medical supplies. She wasn't like Anna, but surely she can somewhat bandage this. "We don't have time to properly clean and inspect it, but I'll make do for now."
She took out a white elastic bandage wrap, her bottle of water, a cloth, and the salve for Emma's ear wound. Taking the water bottle, she poured some water onto the cloth and then cleaned the blood off the wound. The boy winced from the sting.
Scarlett then took the salve and roughly smeared it onto the wound. She was usually squeamish at this kind of stuff, but it wasn't too bad, the injury. After that, she roughly wrapped it with the bandage wrap. "There. That should do until this is over."
"T-thanks," the kid smiled.
"One last thing…" Emma said. "If you do get caught and you can't escape, tell the monsters to come after me and my friend."
The three siblings looked at her in shock and confusion.
"I didn't exactly consent to this, but alright," Scarlett grumbled.
"Tell them this. We're from Grace Field. First come, first served. Got it? Just say something like that."
The statement was confusing to them, but they agreed nevertheless.
"I'm Emma!" She then greeted. "And this is Scarlett. What's your guy's names?"
"I'm Theo," the injured kid said.
"I'm Monica," the girl replied.
"And I'm Jake," the oldest brother finally said.
"Let's meet again later!" Emma said.
"Good luck," Scarlett added.
They then split off.
'So, Emma wants to save the kids by using our lives as bait?' Scarlett thought. 'Risky, but not the worst. Even though they love to kill, they have a limit. And Emma's using our premium quality to lure them. We're indispensable. Poachers like them would probably never dream of having something like that. Maybe the lord has though? But how often do premium kids come by? Obviously it's very rare. Would even someone of his status have access to that? Who does?'
"I can't ignore them!" Emma protested out loud. "I'm not gonna leave anyone to die!"
"... Then why did you seem so willing to leave those others behind?" Violet-haired kid questioned.
"I felt like we would have too much attention on us," Emma replied. "And those demons are gonna be after me and Scarlett."
"I see. That makes sense."
"Then you should run away too!" Emma suggested.
"Shut up," they scoffed. "As if I let myself get killed like that. The crucial thing is to buy time. If you manage to hide away until the music plays again, you're safe until the next hunt."
"There's one thing I'd like to do before we run though," Emma added.
They stopped when they reached a pair of demon footprints.
"They're not even bothering to hide them," Scarlett murmured. They must be very confident in their abilities that they wouldn't even care to do something so useless.
"We'll stay one step ahead of the demons so that Scarlett and I can save the other kids here! This is the least we can do."
"Because you can't ignore them?"
"Yes!" Emma replied.
"Sigh… dealing with you is kind of a pain."
"If I dealt with it my whole life, you can too," Scarlett shrugged. "Besides, wherever she goes, I go too. She's too reckless to leave on her own."
"Hey! Well… maybe…" Emma trailed off sheepishly.
"Those guys aren't the only hunters here," Scarlett narrowed her eyes.
"And Scarlett has some really cool 'tricks'!" Emma added.
"I-I mean… it's nothing really amazing and I still haven't mastered them and…" Scarlett kept muttering.
"Don't worry," Emma reassured the other kid. "She's a bit insecure about herself. She's really something else!"
'Yeah… from what I saw earlier I can believe that,' they thought. "Ok, I get it. But if things go really south, I'm getting you two out of there, even by force if I have to."
"Fine," Scarlett agreed.
And so, they managed to save many children from the clutches of the demons. The demons were very confused as they did so.
"That servant's annoying," Scarlett grumbled. One of Lord Bayon's servants was a bit too close to them for their liking. He was far enough away from Bayon himself though that he won't know what will happen. She used her long jacket as a blanket to cover herself, only showing her face making the other kids with them confused. She also put on some sunglasses.
The ginger then looked at the other kids. "You guys ready for a trick?"
Scarlett activated her powers and levitated her katana. The others gasped softly, making sure not to make too much noise.
She then suddenly hurled it at the demon and started slicing at him. The demon was dead before he could say anything.
After bringing her katana back, she took off the sunglasses and put back on her jacket. "That's taken care of now. It's annoying how flashy it is though. Really does bring a lot of attention."
None of the kids could say anything.
'This one… she'll probably interest him,' the violet-haired kid thought.
~0~0~0~0~0~
At last, the music sounded and all the children came back to the village. All of them were beaten and in shock.
"Is anyone hurt?" A male with a box called out.
"Come here for help!" His male companion added, also holding a box. They started distributing medicine out to the injured.
'They have proper medicine here?' Emma thought. She then remembered Theo, who was injured and needed that wound treated properly.
Scarlett thought of the same thing and they both scanned through the crowd to find him.
"Theo?" Emma called out. "Monica? Jake?"
They both started running through the crowd when they didn't get a reply, bracing themselves for the worst.
"There!" Scarlett pointed at Theo. He was kneeling on the ground near the back of the group. They raced over to him. Monica and Jake were nowhere to be found.
"E-Emma? Scarlett?" Theo asked shakily.
"W-where's Monica… and J-Jake?" Emma questioned, her eyes hollow.
Theo started sobbing. "T-they're dead! I tried… I tried so hard! H-he, that monster with the hat! He killed t-them! It's all my fault. Bro… sis… I'm sorry! Jake! Monica!"
Scarlett gritted her teeth. 'I shouldn't have agreed on splitting up! Maybe… maybe they would still be alive. Dammit, don't feel regrets! They're dead. And I have to accept that. We can't do anything for them other than sending them off… to hopefully a much better place than this hell.'
~0~0~0~0~0~
It was nighttime now. Emma and Scarlett were sitting on some steps, grieving. Scarlett cleaned off her weapons as she sat with Emma. She managed to kill two demons today. But none of them were the bosses. It's those five. Luce. Nouma. Nous. Lord Bayon…
And, him. Leuvis.
She had only discovered their names when she asked one of the medicine kids.
"Are you sad?" The violet-haired kid asked, coming towards them. "That's just how it is. Someone has to die."
"It must be hell, living here," Scarlett commented. "The outside isn't much better either."
Emma gritted her teeth at the message Leuvis sent them.
"Tell this to the red haired and black haired girls. Do not run away all the time. Join the hunt… and come at me."
'Weapons are allowed in this park. Our weapons that we already had weren't taken away. The ones we don't have simply got lost when we were taken here. But that's not the point. The point is that to these poachers, human resistance is just a game. A game. Damn demons… at least two people are dead because of this game. For the sake of a game, Theo is all alone!'
"Emma? Emma!"
Scarlett suddenly smacked the back of her head. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Emma asked.
"Follow me," Violet-hair said. "There's some people I want you to meet."
They walked towards some sort of windmill.
"It's me, Adam. Open up."
A giant behemoth of a man opened the door for them. He had a strange symbol tattooed on his left side of his chest. Scarlett and Emma looked at him curiously before the violet-haired person brought their attention back to them.
"Everyone, I brought them. Let me introduce you to my comrades."
Two of them looked familiar. 'Oh! Those two were the ones giving medical care!' Emma recognized.
"Those guys you saw earlier, they are Sandy and Zack. As you might have guessed, they're in charge of relief aid. Nigel over here is our mechanic. Pepe, Paula, and Gillian are the ones in charge of provisions. Sonia's the second in command. Then there's me, Violet-"
"You are a girl!" Emma exclaimed, pointing at her.
Scarlett elbowed her. "Not the time, Emma."
"Don't worry," Nigel reassured them. "We all wondered that when we first met her."
"And finally, Oliver, our leader," Violet finished.
"Nice to meet you," Oliver greeted, shaking their hands. "We all know the truth like you. We're the ones who managed to stay alive for months… some of us years."
"Who are you guys?" Gillian asked, bouncing in front of them. "Where did you come from?"
"Um… I'm Emma. And this is Scarlett," Emma introduced awkwardly. "We're both from Grace Field. A-are you guys escapees too?"
"Nope," Oliver replied. He along with the others showed them their tattoos right below their collarbones. "All of us were taken here, as live game."
"We're all from Grand Valley," Paula added. "The plantation that Lord Bayon manages as a purveyor."
'Grand Valley… one of the four high grade farms,' Scarlett thought.
"Pretty much every kid here is from Grand Valley," Oliver continued. "Probably because it's the only place where Bayon has any influence. Including you, there's only about maybe five from other farms. And you two are the first from Grace Field."
"And you're real escapees even!" Gillian added in admiration.
"As you've been told… this place is a hunting ground for those monsters. Every few days they come out in the morning, hunting on a whim. It's all a game to them. It's a never ending cycle. We want to end it."
Nigel brought out a box and hefted it onto the table. It was filled with guns.
Emma and Scarlett looked at the guns with wide eyes.
"These are the toys that they gave us to play with!" Nigel said scornfully.
"They somehow appear to be unkillable… so they gave us these to 'spice things up'," Sonia spoke up for the first time.
Oliver picked up a simple handgun and looked at it with sad anger. "Many of our comrades went to fight them with these in hand… and ended up dead. Then again, many children couldn't grasp the mere concept before they met their demise, let alone wield a weapon. Those monsters just kill, kill, and kill." He gritted his teeth and slammed a hand onto the table. "We're going to destroy this playground with our own hands."
"Because their hunting ground is kept a secret, there won't be reinforcements," Sonia said. "The other monsters don't know about this place. And they can't afford for them to. Even if this is found out, it'd be a while before action is taken."
"We're not going to just rely on that though," Paula added. "Even with the weak guns they gave us, we improvise everything and use what we've got for other purposes as well. Like using a musical instrument as a signal. Using our surroundings to our advantage. Making new things with what we've got."
"And we're gonna kill all of them and move all of us to a human village," Oliver said.
'A human village?' Emma and Scarlett thought.
"We want your guy's help." Oliver outstretched his hand. "You guys know the truth and still dare to face them. Scarlett, was it? Even though you're new here, you were able to kill two demons. And you have these powers from what I've heard from Violet. And Emma, your tactics are very useful and the death toll today was lowered because of that. We can use both of you guys on our team."
"Do you even have to ask?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Emma grinned. "We want to destroy this place too. Although… I have a question. How did you learn all of that? About the plantations and demons? If you're not escapees, then how?"
"Some certain people told us," Oliver smirked.
"People?" Scarlett repeated.
"Two, to be exact."
"We're basically all of their agents," Zack explained.
"They're the only adults here," Pepe added.
"Their existence is kept a secret, so keep quiet about it!" Gillian made a shushing gesture.
They heard footsteps coming into the windmill.
"I told you guys I wanted you to meet some people, didn't I?" Violet reminded them.
Two adult males stepped into the room. One had maroon hair, three large scars on his face, and stabilized himself with a cane, appearing to have also lost an arm. The other had dirty blond hair and a long scar that started at the base of his neck and seemed to go to his chest. He also had a cane but used it due to his slight limp. They then noticed that his left foot wasn't there. Instead, it was just a wooden stump that was pretty roughly made.
"Nice to meet you," the first man greeted. "My name is Lucas. My companion here is Mike."
Emma and Scarlett's eyes widened. Lucas? Mike? As in Mister's companions? They both remembered Mister mentioning them when he had his crazy conversation to himself that first day and saw their names in that room with all the writing on the walls.
"You two have a pen, right?" Lucas asked. "Let's talk… about William Minerva."
Make sure you guys vote on the poll and give me your opinions! Also, I forgot to mention that if you have a suggestion for the poll, it does not have to be anime/manga related!