A new chapter to the story. A new world ahead for the characters. So I want to rush through the story until something "new" can come up. There will be changes from the OG story, but for the most part, the next three arcs will be the same as the manga. With that said, enjoy.
"Words" Speaking
'words' Thoughts
"Words" Demon Speech
The group had been running since morning, never stopping. Emma and Ray wanted to get as much distance from the farm as possible, hoping to lose the demons. The kids had trained for this, but after what seemed like hours, they were tired.
Don, who stayed behind to make sure not to lose anyone, switched with Gilda to run up to Emma.
"Emma, the younger ones are starting to slow down. I think we should take a small break and restore some energy." Don told the older girl.
"Right! Okay, everyone! let's have some breakfast!" Emma announces.
Everyone gathers under a large tree and starts to unpack some food and water.
"Please don't eat too much! We want to make the food last as long as possible!" Gilda tells the kids.
While everyone is getting ready, Ray motions Emma to follow him away from the group. Getting up and walking towards a nearby tree, Emma starts to fill Ray in on everything Spencer and Norman told her.
"Hmm… Can I see that pen?" Ray asks.
"Sure, this is how Norman told me to open it," Emma said, doing as Norman told her before.
Suddenly, a screen of light appeared in front of her, showing an owl she had seen before, with the code B-01-14.
"The morse code on this one says, "Touch me"..." Emma raises her hand and places it on the screen.
The screen changed, showing the same owl but with a different morse code, along with the code 13-18-02 and an empty bar with numbers under it.
"That morse code, it's "Esper" like the book!" Emma commented.
"13 18 02… those seem like coordinates in a book. So page 13, line 18, word 2…" Ray said, putting the word "Human" in.
The screen changed to one with a lot of text.
"... 'Come to me if you need help. I am waiting in the area B-06-32 -William Minerva!" Emma reads out loud. "It's a message from him! From Mr. Minerva!"
Under the message was another code, but before Ray could put it in the code, he heard a roar coming from the distance.
"You heard that, right?" Emma asked in a serious tone.
"Yeah…" Ray said, starting to run back to the group.
When they got back, everyone was already packed and ready to go.
"Emma! Ray! We heard a loud roar, so we packed everything up as soon as we could!" Don reports.
"Shh!" Ray shushed, signaling for everyone to be silent.
For a moment, there was no sound whatsoever. The children slowly grouped together, looking out into the dark forest.
Suddenly, a giant monster came barreling through the forest, roaring like no other animal the kids could ever imagine. Huge teeth and hundreds of eyes scaring the kids to their core.
"RUN!" Emma yelled, grabbing the youngest kid she saw and sprinted along with the others.
Some of the younger kids screamed as they ran. A part of them hoped the monsters and demons were not real, but now they knew.
Don rushed to the front and gave several hand signal for everyone to see. The kids were brought back to earth and adopted their serious faces, following the signals and split into two groups.
Ray and Emma separated from the groups while yelling, making the monster follow them.
Another monster, one with multiple limbs, appeared in front of the group before the split up. The monster turned and started to chase the group led by Don, who dispersed into a thick tree line, forcing the demon to stop its chase.
Gilda's group kept running down the path, not looking back as they ran over tree roots. At one point, one of the younger children tripped on the roots, but Lannion helped them up without slowing down too much.
Emma and Ray ran between two trees next to each other, and as the monster tried to follow, it got stuck in the trees. The two children stopped for a moment to catch their breath.
"Ray, I think the others are okay. For now, we should focus on making sure the other demon doesn't follow Gilda's group," Emma told the boy.
"Right, I'll distract it while you get the others together. Don't worry, I'm not gonna make a self-sacrifice. I can do this." Ray stated.
Emma was a little apprehensive. Just a day ago, Ray had been ready to die; now he was going to put his life at risk. However, she had a sensation of sincerity in his words. She knew he was telling her the truth. With a nod, the two went their separate ways, Ray going back to where the other monster was and Emma going towards the groups.
Ray ran until he could hear a deep growl coming from an opening in the trees. Glancing from behind the tree, he saw the monster.
Ray ran out into full view. "Hay! Come and get me!" Ray shouted out.
Ray started to run away as the monster began to give chase with an ear-piercing roar.
Ray thought, 'I'm not going to die. I've gone too far to give up! I have to keep them alive, for all the sacrifices I've let happen!'
Suddenly a disgusting sound of ripping flesh came from behind Ray, and as he looked back, he saw the monster's head flying off its body.
Ray ran behind a tree as he heard a voice coming from behind the monster.
A dark and calm voice came from behind the monster, "Just in time…" a tall demon with a white boney face and a black body. As the demon walks in front of the monster, the demon takes out a radio and starts to talk. "HQ, this is search party #2. We found them. We will return them at once."
The demon gives the radio to a more buff demon next to him, who takes it in one of its large hands.
The tall demon picked up a jagged sword next to it and jabbed the monster. "Disgusting… imagine such a barbaric creature of even touching our merchandise."
'Shit! The pursuers are here… we were so careful, was it this thing making noise that led them here.' Ray thought as he peeked from behind his tree. 'Tch… if it weren't for these guys, I would be back with Emma and the others… wait, did they all getaway, the demon said search party two, that means there's more. I think they got pretty far, but I can't tell… I have to run. It's the only option.'
Ray retreated back behind the tree, thinking about what he could do.
'Okay, there are three, the two big guys and the guy who looks like the leader in this group. I can't overpower them. The leader took out that creature in one swing! How can I escape!'
"Find anything?" the leader asked the large demon next to him.
"... this thing hasn't eaten, don't smell any human scent from its mouth. I do not believe it has eaten any of the merch." the large demon replied.
'I've got to go now while they're distracted!' Ray thought.
"... You can come out now… I know you're there." The leader said out loud. "That was a close one, wasn't it?... thank goodness your alright young one… it's okay to come out now; the big bad monster is dead."
There was a moment of silence as Ray took out a scissor blade and started to carve the tree he was hiding on.
"... should I go and drag him out?" the large demon asked.
"No, it's fine, stay here." the leader told him. "Are you by yourself? Where are the others?"
Ray continued to carve, not deterred by the danger only meters away from him.
"You do understand, right? Living in the outside world is not possible for humans… you have no choice but to return with us." the leader told him in a fatherly tone.
'Heh, stop acting like my father demon; you just gave me confirmation that everyone else is safe. They want me to give them up. Not gonna happen, dumbass. I'm gonna make sure you focus on me. I won't let them get to Emma or the others.' Ray thought, finishing his carving. The carving was "GO 06-32 PURSUER". 'I hope you see this Emma, we will meet again, I made a promise, didn't I?' Ray then stepped out into the open.
There was a moment of silence as the human and demon stared at each other.
"Took you long enough… everyone died," Ray said, pulling his scarf to show his ID number.
"So it's the premium quality male…" the leader demon stated.
"Just so you know, I have no intention of going with you just to die," Ray told the demon.
"Your opinions do not matter. Capture him!" The leader commanded the large demon.
With a roar, the behemoth of a demon bolted towards Ray, he began to run as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, the other two groups had convened along with Emma. The second they heard the demons roar, the children huddled up.
"What was that just now?" Emma asked, to no one in particular.
"Wa-was that some big crazy thing chasing after us?!" Nat said in a worried tone.
There was a tense moment as the children stood still, hearing for an indication of danger.
"It doesn't seem like anything is close…" Anna said, breaking the silence.
Gilda started to look around, searching for a certain person. "Ray isn't here… he should be back by now…" She commented.
The other children looked around, noticing the same thing, and began to grow worried looks.
"Do you think something happened?" Anna asked.
"Something like…?" Don questioned.
"Uh… like our pursuers? maybe?" Nat answered their question with a question.
With that thought brought to the attention of everyone, their anxiety went through the roof. Worry and fear began to crawl like ice over their bodies.
Emma started to feel woozy. The thought of Ray being captured was almost too much for her right now.
"Emma? Are you okay? You look pale..." Nat asked the orange-haired girl, very concerned for her.
Emma looked at the young boy with a smile and placed her hand on his head. "I'm fine. Thank you for worrying, bud!" She said.
Emma looks up at everyone to give out orders. "Ray is probably fine, but I'll go check. You all go downhill." She told them.
"Got it!" Don replied.
Emma started her sprint toward the roar, and the rest of the group ran down the hill.
After only a few strides, Emma's lightheadedness overwhelmed her, and she fell over.
Gilda looked back to Emma only to see her body collapse. "Emma!?" She exclaimed.
All the children rushed to Emma, shouting at her to get up.
As Gilda and Anna picked Emma up in their arms, they noticed something.
"Her ear wound opened up and is bleeding again!" Anna cried out.
placing her hand on Emma's forehead, Gilda said, "She has a fever too!"
Lannion and Thoma ran up to Gilda with worried looks.
"What do we do now? First Ray and now Emma…" Thoma said.
Suddenly, the kids heard a rustling from behind one of the trees near them. Looking towards the sound, a figure about their height came from behind the tree. The figure wore a white robe with a hood covering most of their face.
"Come this way." The figure said, sounding like a girl.
"What?" Gilda said, not clear on the mysterious girl's instructions.
"Please come this way, to safety." The girl said, pointing in the direction she came from.
Some of the young kids started smiling, looking at the new figure, someone who wanted to help them. However, the older ones looked worried. The character that was before them was suspicious. As the girl starts to lead them, Gilda speaks out.
"Wait!" Gilda yelled out. 'This is confusing… a Human woman coming to us in this horrible forest when we are so vulnerable? If our pursuers have indeed found us…' she thought.
"Who are you? And what do you want? Why is a Human in this forest? Before we go with you, please show us your face!" Gilda demanded.
There was a moment of silence as the figure looked at the group. From what they could see of her face, she was smiling.
Going back to Ray, multiple demons followed him as he ran.
'Shit, there's more of them. One to the right, to the left, and behind. I'm almost completely surrounded.'
As Ray ran, he continued to think of his best possible route to not get caught.
'These assholes are smart. They run without any waste. They could get me, but they'd kill me by doing that. They are trying to tire me.'
"It's a stubborn little shit, isn't it?" one of the demons chasing the child said.
"It's been running for a while now… it's going to collapse from exhaustion very soon, don't worry," the demon next to the other said.
The leader demon on a demonic horse looked on at the chase from afar, "hmm, it is clear that he will not stop running until he is forced to," the demon takes out a radio and makes an order to the chasers. "Wolf Pack formation now, make haste and corner it!" the demon orders.
The chasers split up into their designated formation, surrounding Ray as he desperately tried to avoid them.
After sprinting for almost five minutes straight, the demons had surrounded him in a clearing. He had no choice but to stop.
"Huff, huff, huff," Ray panted, trying to catch his breath.
"It's over. You are too exhausted to go anywhere. Give up." The head demon told the young boy.
'Like hell, I'll give up you piece of shit!' Ray thought. He started to look around, trying to find a way of escape. There was a small opening between two of the demons, and he booked it.
But before he could get there, Ray tripped on the tree roots, falling flat on his face.
'Shit, Shit!' he thought, 'come on, get up! Run! Run!'
"You've done good boy, rest now…" the leader said, walking toward the boy on the ground.
Ray felt something wet go down his lips, presumably a bloody nose. As he looked on the incoming doom, the sound of galloping hooves on the dirt broke the silence, when a figure with a white hood riding an odd-looking mount came from the trees. Suddenly Ray was lifted up onto the mount by the figure.
"Get on, Now," the figure said in a manly voice.
As Ray got seated on the mount, Ray had the thought 'Who is this?' before he slipped into unconsciousness.
Suddenly, Ray found himself waking up in an unknown bed on the floor.
"Where am I?" Ray said, getting up from the makeshift bed. Looking around and noticed the dirt and roots around him, as well as a plant that emitted a soft light.
Picking up the lantern, Ray started to walk around looking for an exit.
"A cave? Was I brought here by that mysterious man?" Ray questioned as he walked.
Turning a corner, he saw a patch of orange color on the ground.
"Emma? Emma!" Ray said, trying to wake up the girl in the makeshift bed.
Slowly the girl opened her eyes to see who was disturbing her.
"Ray? Is that you?" Emma asked.
Ray's worry turned to joy as he saw that she was okay, and after rubbing her eyes, Emma faced mirrored his joy.
"You're okay, thank god," Emma said, sitting up from her bed.
After a moment of silence, Emma threw herself onto the boy with watery eyes.
"You're alive! I'm so glad you're alive!" Emma cried out.
"I'm happy you're okay too," Ray said, patting Emma's head.
After separating, Emma looked at Ray with a serious face, 'how does here emotion change on a dime like that?' Ray thought.
"Ray, where are we? And where are the others?" Emma asked.
"Hmm, so you're in the dark too…" Ray started looking at her with his usual stoic face.
"What?" Emma questions, confused by his response. "I was going to run back to you when I fell unconscious, probably cuz I was feeling really sick."
"Dumb ass," Ray commented. "When I was running, I got cornered by them and was about to be caught when a hooded man on a weird horse charged in and grabbed me. I hit my head before and must have lost consciousness while on the horse. He must have gotten to you when you were unconscious."
"Could it be Minerva?!" Emma asked, "I mean a human that fights against the farming of children?"
"It's possible, but it's also possible that it was someone from another faction, a human working for other demons," Ray told her.
Just then, the two children saw a light from the end of the tunnel moving closer.
"Well, whoever saved us, I think we're going to meet them," Ray said, shining his lamp forward.
Tension rose in the two as the light got bigger and bigger until they could finally make out the figure holding the lamp. It was a small figure in white robes, similar in height to Emma, with a hood covering most of their face.
"Umm… excuse me?" Emma started, trying to make conversation.
"You're better!" The figure exclaimed, rushing to Emma and grabbing her arms in excitement. "I'm so glad you've recovered! How are you feeling?" the feminine voiced figure asked.
"Er, fine! Thank you." Emma said, a little confused.
Although the feminine figure hood covered most of her face, Emma and Ray could make out that they were smiling.
The figure reached up to Emma left here to examine it. "The bleeding has stopped, and it looks like the infection was defeated. The herbs worked perfectly!" Then she walked over to Ray and touched his head, causing slight pain for the boy. "The swelling has gone down, and you seem to be fully lucid. Your concussion looks to be gone! However, both of you are forbidden from hard work. If you get hurt or sick again, it could be fatal!"
The girl then reached for Emma and Ray's hands, holding them tightly.
"You did an amazing job escaping from the farm. It's okay, they can't reach you here. You and your family are safe." she said.
The mysterious woman then got her lamb and started to head down the path she came, beckoning the two children to follow her.
"I'm sorry but, where are our friends?" Emma asked.
"Right over here! They are setting up dinner. Come on, you must be hungry!" the woman said.
After a moment of walking, Ray spoke up.
"Excuse me? What about the man who saved me? Is he your companion?" Ray asked.
"You mean Sonju? Yes, he's over here." the woman said, not looking back to answer.
"Ohh." Emma said, disappointed, "So it wasn't Minerva?"
"Minerva?" the woman.
"William Minerva, perhaps you've heard of him?" Emma asked.
"Can't say I have." the woman responded.
After a couple of minutes of silent walking, Ray had finally had enough.
"Thank you," Ray said, stopping in his place. "You saved us, no doubt. But I'd like to know, why, why did you save us? Why are demons protecting livestock?"
Both Emma and the woman's faces warped to confusion by the question.
"Wha-" Emma started to ask.
"One sec Emma. You and this "Sonju" are demons, arent you? So could you tell me?" Ray asked.
A large figure emerged from the darkness behind the two children, holding a spear and having a hood covering its face.
All the pieces started to align in Emma's head as Ray asked the question. Looking at the two figures in front and behind them, she could now see it.
'No, if these two are demons, then the children… are… setting up dinner!' her face started to change from confusion to horror.
"Geez Mujika, think you've gone far enough with crypticness? I think you've taken the wrong approach here," The male demon behind them spoke up.
"Sonju… is that the reason you interrupted our walk? You picked a pretty bad time, you know." the female demon said to the larger demon.
"Why did you help-" Ray asked, more intense.
"Sonju, if you put that thing down, you'd be less intimidating. You're scaring these poor children half to death!' The demon woman said.
"Nonsense! What about the little ones over there? All they wanted to do was touch and play with it!" The male demon said.
"Can you stop dodging the damn question! Why the hell-" Ray started.
"Where are the children?!" Emma snapped, yelling her question.
"..." the female demon looked at Emma, seemingly trying to find the words to respond to Emma's question.
Not wanting to wait for another second, Emma sprinted down the cave towards the direction they were headed.
"Emma! Wait!" Ray cried out, but she was already beyond the darkness.
"Keh Keh Keh." The male demon chuckled. "My bad kid, impolite of me not to answer the question. Why would we 'demons' save you? Heh, "Demons," How nostalgic, it's been so long since we've been called that." he continued.
'Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay!' Emma thought, only having one phrase in her head.
After about a minute of running, Emma saw the light coming from a chamber at the end of the tunnel and started to run faster.
When she got to the chamber, what she saw shocked her but, at the same time, filled her with relief.
"Emma!" the others exclaimed, running up and hugging her. Some of the older children continued to set up what looked to be a circle of cups with a fire in the middle.
"You're not sick anymore. I'm so happy!" one of them said.
"Be Careful with her guys!" Gilda said as she continued to set up.
"Everyone... Is... okay?" Emma asked, confused.
"Yep!" Don replied.
"I'm so sorry we scared you, Emma." the female demon said, coming into the room. "We really didn't mean to cause such trouble." She continued as she pulled her hood back.
The demon behind the hood looked nothing like the demons they had seen before, a girl with pale blue skin and long purple hair with two small horns sticking out. Her mask had two vertical holes in the center.
The large male demon was close behind with his hood already down. His mask covered his entire face and had a single horn on his forehead. His hair was crimson and came down to his chest.
"I'm Mujika, and this is Sonju. We do not eat humans, so please relax! We have no intentions of harming you or your family." Mujika said.
The next few minutes were filled with the children and demons getting ready for dinner—Mujika, as she was known, filled the cups with soup for the children who graciously accepted it.
Ray and Emma sat next to each other, watching the children and demons interact so naturally and calmly.
"What is this? They all act so intimately?" Ray asked as Thoma handed him a cup of soup.
Emma and Ray looked at the food in front of them with suspicion, still not believing Mujika's assertion of not eating them.
"Don't worry, we had some of the food earlier today. It's safe." Gilda told them. "If they wanted to do something to us, they would have done it by now."
"Yeah, if it wasn't for them, we would have probably been caught!" Don added. "Let's believe in the people who saved us." He says.
Once all the preparations were done, all the children and the two demons sat in a circle around the fire.
The two demons bowed their heads and lifted their hands, one touching their forehead and the other palm facing forward.
"Blessed and pure is this ailment and blessed are who partake in it. With gratitude for all life in heaven and earth, we say… Thank you for this meal." the two demons said together.
"Thank you for the meal!" the children repeated.
After everyone had eaten their fill and the children had been put to bed, Ray and Emma left the sleeping area to talk to the demons.
"So you're still awake?" Sonju said, hearing the two children approach him as he stoked the fire.
"Can we talk?" Emma asked.
"I don't see why not." the male demon replied. "Although you two should get some sleep, you both have not slept properly in some time, correct?"
"Yes, we plan to get a full night's sleep, but our questions are a little more important," Ray answered as he and Emma sat down across from Sonju.
"Thank you, truly. And I'm sorry for doubting you, even after you saved us. I just assumed all demons were out to eat us. The thought of some being friendly did even cross my mind." Emma said to the large demon.
"Don't worry about it, it's a good instinct to have. When it comes to us, hmm "Demons," human flesh is of great value, and the brain is seen as a delicacy," Sonju replied.
"So why don't you or Mujika eat humans?" Ray asked.
"Faith. Our religion forbids the consumption of human beings," he answered. "However, only humans, we are free to eat anything else," he says as he pours himself a drink of what looked like tea. "Others call us heathens, mainly propagated by the ones who own the farms. I honestly could care less about the cultivation of humans."
The demon handed both of them a cup of tea, warming their hands with the steaming drink.
"But I doubt that's your only reason for coming up to me. So tell me, what do you wish to know?" Sonju asked.
"... could you tell us, if you don't mind, what happened to human-kind 30 years ago? What's happened to the world so that demons are farming humans?" Emma asked.
"30 years ago, nothing substantial. How come you say 30 years? "Demons" have been farming humans for much, much longer." The masked demon replied.
"What do you mean?!" Emma exclaimed in confusion.
"Could it be… that this is not Earth?" Ray thought out loud. "The fauna is absurd, and unlike anything, we know Earth to have."
"Nope," Sonju replied.
"What about the calendar and year? Are the dates a lie?" Ray asked.
"Wrong again. We are on planet Earth, and the year is 2046." the demon told them.
"Then what?" Emma asked.
"Let me tell you the tales of old, from a time when the world was much larger." Sonju started. "During this time, there were no "plantations" as the vast world was full of humans that "Demons" hunted to live. The "Demons" were the hunters, and the humans were the hunted. Some humans feared them as wrathful gods and worshiped them. While some with vengeance in their hearts hunted the "Demons." As it turned out, humans were rather good at hunting "Demons" and annihilated swathes of them. The "Demons," in retaliation, started to begrudge the human race. The war that came next consumed the entire world, each side living in fear of the other. Finally, when neither side could stand the chaos, a proposal from the human side came forward. A man came forward with a treaty, "Human beings shan't hunt 'Demons' anymore. And in return, 'Demons' shan't hunt humans. And this world we live in shall be divided in two." That Promise began the world, you know." Sonju stopped to allow both children to consume this part of the story, then continued.
"The ancient contract between our two races was forged, and the world split in twain. We are currently on the side allotted by "Demons." The reason you are here now is that your ancestors were the humans left behind when the world split." Sonju told them.
"Left behind?" Ray asked in a trembling tone.
"The Promise was that "'Demons' shan't hunt humans," Therefore, they've been keeping humans as livestock. The plantations are part of the institution that keeps humans as cattle. Grace Field is seen as one of the very best, their product being relegated only for the highest of class, but they are only one among many plantations. Back to your original question, nothing much has changed in the past 30 years. Because nothing has changed in the past 1000 years. I'm sorry to say that this world you hoped to escape from is one you were born into." Sonju said, rather bluntly.
The two children felt sick. The truth of the world hit them like a train. The world they thought they knew was nothing more than a lie. The world they truly lived in was one that has been set in stone for longer than either of them could imagine.
'This explains everything, the bizarre ecosystem, why it's rare for humans to live outside, and why Mama was plantation born in 2014… this world doesn't belong to humans. It never has!' the two thought. 'This is… the worst-case scenario Spencer was talking about, but that means…'
"Heh Heh." Ray chuckled.
"Ray…" Emma said, a smile forming on her face.
"He yeah?" Ray said between giggles.
"We can do it, Yes!" Emma shouted out, jumping into the air.
"Ohh?" Sonju said in surprise.
"This may be the worst-case scenario, but then after that!..." Emma started.
"Yeah! There is still some stuff up in the air, but the situation isn't as bad as it could be!" Ray said with a grin on his face.
"There is a place for humans out there, it may be a world away, but there is a place that is safe from the demons!" Emma said with excitement.
"Right! We now have a reason to go back and get Phil and the others. There is a place we can take them!" Ray concluded.
"Hate to break it to you kids, but that ain't happening," Sonju said, both their faces dropping. "The gates between worlds have been locked and sealed. It's a law for both sides that "Neither human nor demon shall pass from the either side." so I don't thin-"
"It's okay! We can find a way!" Emma said, her smile returning. Taking one last gulp from her tea, Emma looked at Sonju again. "Thank you, Sonju, for everything!"
"No problem, Emma, it was nice to talk to a human. Now off to bed, it's already late, and I am going to teach you how to navigate through the forest tomorrow." Sonju said, amused with her optimism.
"Thank you, Goodnight," Emma said, walking off to bed while Ray just waved.
"Goodnight," Sonju said.
As the two children walked to the bed, they mulled over all the information they were given. It may seem hopeless, but they now have a goal, a new path to go down other than just survive.
"We have to find Minerva to go to the human world," Emma said, looking at the pen.
"Right, we escaped the plantation, and now we have to escape this world, not a big jump in difficulty, right?" Ray joked.
The next morning, after breakfast, the group of children and their two demon companions walk further into the cave. The demons telling the children how to navigate through them.
As Sonju and Mijuka entertained the younger children, answering questions explaining their surroundings and the like, Ray and Emma told the older children what Sonju told them last night.
"One of Minerva's book covers had the word promise," Emma said. "He must have been referring to the Promise that was made thousands of years ago."
"That makes sense," Nat replied. "But what I'm concerned about is that we're not in the human world."
"The world was split?" Anna added. "What does that even mean?"
"I thought that this started 30 years ago, but it's been thousands of years," Emma frowned.
"Sonju said that there were no ways to get into the human world," Ray continued. "But Minerva must be from the human world. There's definitely some sort of loophole he found or something."
There was silence, as they all thought.
"That's why our final goal…" Emma finally said, "is to go to the human world with everyone. We'll find Minerva and ask him how to get to the other world. Then, we'll have three years of preparation to go back for Phil and the others, and we all escape."
"Yeah…" Gilda murmured. "All the paths were supposed to be closed. And we want to bring over a lot of people. Even if Minerva found a way, it's not gonna be simple."
"No one saying it will," Emma grinned. "Crossing between worlds is probably challenging, and we still have to figure out how to survive in just this world. But with this, we have a reason to hope! We escaped into more trouble, but there's hope! A silver lining in all of this. I'm not letting us die! Someday, we will all live in peace again, happy together! Now that we have a goal, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to accomplish it. Even if it seems impossible, I'll find a way! So let's go to the human world!"
The other children's eyes started to shine as Emma spoke from the heart, trying to encourage the group.
"Oh, before I forget, Emma, can I ask you something?" Gilda said, walking towards the older girl.
"Yeah, sure! What's up?" Emma responded.
Placing a hand on Emma's shoulder, Gilda adopted a serious face. "If you are ever feeling sick, please tell us?" She asked.
"G-Gilda?" Emma asked, a little worried for her own safety.
Gilda grabbed Emma's shoulders and shook her as she said, "Got it? You can't just endure the pain all by yourself until you pass out! We forbid you from doing that!"
"Eep!" Emma squealed as she was shaken.
"Promise?!"
"Y-yes!"
Gilda finally let go of Emma, who was a bit distorted from that. Her menacing stare then turned to a pair of red eyes.
"Make sure you take care of yourself before others!" Gilda shouted.
"Yeah, I got it," Emma said hastily. She looked down as she thought of what Gilda just said.
Unfortunately for her, Gilda wasn't quite done with her. She started grabbing Emma's cheeks and stretched them. "And what's up with you cutting your ear! That wasn't part of the plan! It's good that you're a brave girl, but don't overdo it!"
"I-I'm shotty!" Emma said, not being able to speak properly. "But-!"
Gilda closed in on her face with a cold smile and said, "But nothing."
"Should we do something?" Anna asked.
"Nah, just let Gilda speak her heart out," Don dismissed. "She's been waiting for ages to scold her."
"Woah!" Chris said at the front. "Emma's being scolded!"
'You tell her, Gilda!' Ray smirked.
"Ray too!" Chris said.
"What?" Ray sweated.
"I heard from Sonju that you wanted to be bait!"
"And fight that lizard demon alone!" Yvette added.
"And to challenge the farm demons to a run?" Mark frowned. "That's not okay!"
"You take your eyes off of him for one second, and he's already off to try to kill himself," Lannion said dramatically.
"Really, Ray?" Thoma said exasperatedly. "Again? What a suicidal maniac."
"Oh, come on!" Ray yelled. "Don't say that too!"
"Let's ask Sonju!" Chris suggested.
"His chances of surviving that were zero," the male demon replied immediately.
"See?!" Chris exclaimed.
"Hey!" Ray objected. "I won't die, I won't die! So-"
Jemima launched herself towards Ray, hugging him tightly. "I-I was so scared!" She sniffled.
Ray's eyes widened in shock.
"You guys care a lot about us, right?" Don smiled. "And super worried about us. But now, we're super worried about you."
"It's true! Don and Gilda nearly cried when we came here!" Nat added cheekily.
While Don was spluttering for an answer, Gilda continued what he was saying.
"If you need help, say it! Don't try to do everything alone. We're brave too, you know? If you're in danger, please think of your own safety first!" Gilda hugged Emma tightly. "We're happy that you care so much for us, but you guys are family too! So… please…"
"I got it," Emma whispered. "Thank you. Sorry, everyone for worrying you."
The two demons looked on at the bonding moment between the kids.
"They're good children," Mijuka commented.
"That they are," Sonju agreed.
"Then why didn't you tell them?" Mujika asked in her native tongue.
Sonju didn't reply for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"The dangers that these kids will face… if they try to break the Promise, they'll make an enemy of लᘯ⠝ێ." the female demon said.
"Yeah," Sonju admitted. "But I don't need to. They'll know soon enough. Besides… लᘯ⠝ێ was their enemy from the very start."
Over the next three days, the group of children, led by the two demons, made their way through the underground passage. Mujika told the children of the plants that inhabited the world and how to use them as food and medicine, while Sonju taught them how to hunt and survive.
Emma went out with him multiple times, learning how to track and kill game. While Ray stayed behind and studied with Mujika, who taught him how to make various medications for all sorts of infections or ailments.
After five days of travel, they had finally reached the end of the forest, only a few hours' walks to their destination.
As thanks for all their help, the children decided to prepare dinner for the two demons.
During which Gilda stopped for a moment, looking out into the void darkness behind them.
"Gilda?" Ray noticed her deep in thought. "What's the matter?"
"I'm rethinking our plans," Gilda replied.
"Eh?" Lannion clocked his head to the side. "How come?"
"It is good to know there's a place for us somewhere," Gilda said. "But on the other hand… we thought that there would be other human groups in this world. But there's nothing. No other humans on the outside, and we need more people if we're gonna free everyone inside the plantations. That's why we need to rethink."
"That's correct," Ray nodded.
"I remember when Spencer and I confronted Sister Krone. She told us that when she was 13, there was a breakout from one of the other plantations. She didn't say much other than that." Emma told them.
"You said she was 26, so then it was 13 years ago," Don said.
"Sonju?" Emma asked. "Do you know anything about an escape from a plantation 13 years ago?"
"There are many plantations…" Ray thought out loud. "It is possible that Minerva also gave them instructions as well."
Unfortunately, the male demon crushed their hopes. "Nope. I've never heard about an escape. And even if there were, it'd be one or two at best."
"But why?" Emma asked sadly.
"Most plantations have nothing in common with each other than their sole purpose to produce human meat. Premium farms like your Grace Field are an exception. The large majority of plantations are for factory farming." the demon said.
"Factory farming? What's that?" Thoma asked fearfully. All of them knew it wasn't gonna be good.
"The mass production of cheap meat," Sonju replied, much to their horror. "Where the livestock is kept in poor conditions, barely even living. Just fattening for the slaughter. They don't even learn your language. They have no names. They have no free will. And they most certainly can't even conceive the thought of escaping. Even if they did, they can't."
'How awful,' Emma covered her mouth, feeling sick. 'They don't have anything! Not even fake happiness like we did. They really are just food… that kind of farm is the norm? And there are tons of them according to Sonju.'
"Additionally, among several hundred plantations, the total of premium farms like yours account to… a mere four," Sonju said, putting up 4 of his long fingers.
"Four?!" Don exclaimed. "Only four?!"
"Your own and three others. You said that you want to discover the truth, right? I have doubts that such a feat can be achieved. And all of you know how hard it is to live out here. Other fugitives are therefore unlikely." Sonju said matter of factly.
"However," Sonju added, "I've heard of cattle raiders. They are demons who are consumed with the thought of eating humans that they would break into plantations and steal them. They're rare, though. They might be useful tools for your cause. I can't think of anything else, though."
'The mood just got a lot darker,' Ray noted.
"They are probably not as smart or knowledgeable as you are," Sonju admitted. "These are the hard facts. It's hard to take in, I bet, but you're gonna have to get used to it."
While the others went to bed, Emma was still in the tunnel.
"Emma?"
She looked up to see Mujika standing there, a lantern in her hand.
"Oh, Mujika!" Emma exclaimed with a smile.
"Are you okay? After what Sonju told you, I got worried." Mujika said.
"No, no, it's fine. I mean, yea, the factory farms were a horrible shock, but I will find a safe place to stay and find a way to make more friends. A friend told me that the Impossible is possible. All you gotta do is make it so." Emma said, raising her fist into the air.
'Her courage knows no bounds,' the demon thought.
"There's no time for me to be depressed. I have to keep moving forward, for all my little brothers and sisters that are counting on me." Emma told the demon girl.
Mujika's eyes widened at Emma's declaration. Mujika then sat next to Emma as the Human girl smiled at her.
"Do you want to see the rest of my family?" Emma asked.
As Mujika smiled and nodded, Emma started to take out the pictures Ray took of their family back at Grace Field. With each picture, Emma told Mujika who the children in it were and what they were like. For about an hour, Emma told the female demon stories about her family until she came to the last picture, one of her, Norman and Spencer.
"... and these two, are Norman and Spencer…" Emma said, with a melancholic smile.
"... Norman is the one with white hair, and Spencer is the one with sandy hair. Norman was the smartest out of all of us. It was he who came up with most of the plan to escape. Spencer was the best at predictions, almost like he could see the future… A joke Spencer kept making was predicting exactly what I was about to say, down to the word, like he could read my mind…" Emma told the demon.
'See the future? Read her mind? Could he be?...' Mujika thought.
"I'll never forget the Promise I made. Never give up. Never leave anyone behind. And save every brother and sister. We all knew that it's an arduous goal. We didn't even have a plan for getting the ones we left behind. But to live in peace, with everyone, I'll do everything… For the sake of my family, I will do the impossible. I will overcome anything in my path." Emma said, almost talking to herself.
Mujika smiled at Emma's determination and love for her family. 'She is so strong for her age… If I was in her position… I don't know what I'd do.' Mujika thought.
Emma looked away from the picture to the female demon, "It's kind of funny. I can't think of you as a demon." Emma said.
"!" Mujika looked at the human in surprise.
"I don't mean to offend you!" Emma said, worried she hurt Mujika's feelings.
"No, no, it's fine, I understand," Mujika said, smiling.
"What I mean is that the only demons I've seen are so much more… Menacing and large, you seem so much more, human," Emma explained.
"Yes, we have degraded much in the past 100 years…" Mujika said in the demon language in a hushed tone.
Emma looked at Mujika in confusion, not understanding her words.
Standing up, Mujika looked at Emma with a smile.
"You know? This is the first time I've ever met a human before, much less talked to one. And it's all thanks to you escaping with your family Emma. I really love this, being able to see each other not as enemies or pray, but as fellow living beings." Mujika said.
Grabbing Emma's hand in both of hers, Mujika looked into Emma's eyes. "I'm so happy I got to you and your friends Emma. And happy we could become friends." The demon said with a smile.
Emma smiled and put her own hand around Mujikas, "Me too. I'm grateful I've gotten to meet you and Sonju and become friends."
The two then separated to go to bed for the long day ahead, smiling as they drifted off to sleep.
The next day, they ate breakfast and went towards the exit. Sonju went out first to scour the area one last time. Emma peeked her head through as well.
"No enemies in sight!" Emma said when Sonju gave her the green light. "Let's go!"
All of them got out of the hole in the ground one at a time.
"All right!" They cheered. "We made it out!"
In front of them was a great plain filled with grass.
"It's huge!" Don gaped.
Sonju pointed into the distance. "Keep heading southwards to arrive at your destination."
'Area B 06-32!' Everyone thought.
Meanwhile, the younger kids were crowding around Mujika.
"Nooo! Mujika!" Alicia cried. "I don't want to say goodbye!"
"Can't you stay with us a little longer?" Mark begged.
They felt a hand plop down on their heads. "You guys have to stay strong."
They looked up to see Ray.
"Ray…" Alicia sniffled.
"These guys have somewhere else they need to be," Ray reasoned with them. "We have to be able to stay strong enough on our own. We need to be independent."
"Don't worry about demons," Sonju reassured them. "As long as you stay out here, you shouldn't run into any. If all goes well, you might be able to find this Minerva."
"Yeah!" The little kids cheered, feeling better.
Sonju stayed silent. He then suddenly rounded on Thoma, Lannion, and Nat. "Don't you go back to the forest or go near a body of water, you hear me?"
"Y-yes, sir!" They saluted in panic.
Mujika smiled. 'Looks like he got quite attached to them as well.'
"Emma," Mujika pulled the girl over to the side.
Mujika smiled at Emma and stuffed something into her hand. "This is a good luck charm. I'm confident that all of you would keep it safe." She then frowned and leaned in towards her.
"Look for the Seven Walls, and follow the FLOW," she had whispered. "The future you are looking for lies beyond that point. Use the FLOW to get there."
Emma's eyes widened. Mujika then pulled away and smiled again.
"Yooooo!" Ray called out. "Ready, Emma?"
"Coming!" Emma raced over to them. She looked over her shoulder. "Bye, Sonju and Mujika! Thanks for everything!"
"Let's meet again in the future," Mujika called back.
As they walked through the plains, it looked all the same.
"Are we heading in the right direction?" Gilda asked Nat, who was holding the compass.
"Yep!" He replied.
"There's like nothing here!" Don complained.
They kept walking, taking short breaks every now and then.
'We're coming, Mr. Minerva!' Emma thought in determination. 'We'll ask him how to get to the human world and survive! We're gonna get Phil and the others too! We'll liberate our kind! And we need to do our best for our lost comrades too.'
After walking in the great plains until nightfall, the group had finally reached the coordinates.
"We're finally here! B 06-32!" Don yelled out.
Emma was already looking at the screen, as it shows the current position. What confused her was that in this position, there was nothing.
"We're here, but all there is grass… there's nothing here!' Thoma said.
"What do we do?" Emma questioned.
"There's nothing here!" Thoma said, outraged.
"No sign of anything at all…" Don sweated.
"LIAR LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!" The five year olds suddenly screamed, shocking the others.
"HE SAID HE WOULD BE HERE!"
"HE TOLD US TO COME AND VISIT!"
"AND WE CAME ALL THIS WAY TO FIND NOTHING!"
After the kids stopped yelling, Ray raised an eyebrow and asked, "You done yet?"
"Yeah!"
With a sigh, Ray continued, "Then calm down and listen. If Minerva's going back and forth between worlds, he won't always be on the demon side. And even if the demons don't come here in this deserted place, imagine if humans stood around here like sitting ducks. You can imagine how long we would last, right?"
Ray then stood up, holding out the pen. "Last night, I found the next part. The contents of the pen after what we have seen."
"And what did you find?" Gilda asked Ray.
"Nothing. At least, nothing I could see… yet." Ray replied.
"What do you mean?" Emma clocked her head to the side.
"I couldn't access the rest of the data," Ray clarified. "And I'm 100% sure I put in the right answer. But no matter what, I couldn't go past Minerva's message. Ever since Norman gave us instructions, I've been wondering if there was any other information he didn't find. After all, he didn't have much time. But that wasn't it. Norman couldn't access the data either. There must be a certain requirement to do so. My theory is that the pen will show it to you once you reach a certain location."
"And you think it's here in B 06-32," Emma guessed, smiling.
"Bingo," Ray smirked.
Ray opened the pen again and touched the owl logo. The code that popped up was 45-03-03.
"Page 45, line three, word three!" Dominic and Alicia recited.
"Got it!" Don said as he opened the book. "Come on…"
"Huh?" Emma said. "The code's different from last time…"
"Must be a pain to have to find the code over and over again," Nat grumbled.
"Better safe than sorry, right?" Gilda reasoned.
Ray put in the code, and Minerva's message popped up. Then he went back to the main screen. A new code was there. 108-15-01.
"The word is 'history'!" Don yelled.
Ray quickly typed it in.
"Come on!" The kids yelled.
The screen started to change into a new design.
"It worked!" The younger kids cheered.
The older kids stayed silent, though, as they took it in.
"But… what is this?" Anna wondered.
"It's a map…" Ray murmured. his eyes then widened. "It's underground!"
They gasped in realization once he said that.
"Everyone, scour around!" Emma shouted. "The entrance is around here somewhere!"
Most of them went ahead and split up.
After looking at the screen a bit, Ray pressed something on the screen, and then part of the ground had opened up near them.
"Look!" Emma pointed at it.
Everyone circled the hatch that Emma found. Ray opened the hatch revealing a latter down into darkness.
Here it is," Emma breathed.
"It really was here after all!" Yvette grinned.
"He wasn't lying!" Chris said in relief.
"What are we waiting for?" Don questioned. "Let's get inside!"
Emma went in first, and the others followed after her.
They went through a tunnel and found multiple rooms, each with a number on them.
"This is… an underground shelter for human beings?" Ray wondered as he looked around.
Jemima ran up to Emma and grabbed her hand, "Emma! I heard someone behind that door!' She said.
Listening carefully, they could hear something through the door.
Slowly, Emma knocked on the door twice. Nothing. She then turned the knob and opened the door.
Inside were multiple screens on the wall and a big table in the middle. At the end of the table was a man with his feet on the wooden surface, teacup in hand. There was also a box of cookies on the table. He had black hair with white streaks in it.
"Hello There!" the man greeted.
Chapter End.
General Kenobi… sorry I had to do that. HOLY SHIT, FINALLY. Longest chapter yet, but I think it's worth it. So first, I want to preface that yes, I am following the Manga, not the anime. While I do not like what they're doing, I guess it's cuz the author didn't like how he ended the Manga. I have no clue when the next chapter comes out, I haven't even started, but hey, I'll do it eventually. School and work are a bitch, so again, it might be a while, don't hold your breath. After Goldy Pond, there will be an OG Arc, so stay tuned.