A Promise Between Worlds

by CrafterofTales

When Emma's life hangs by a thread, a mysterious entity offers her a chance to free her family from the Demon World. The catch: she must participate in a competition between people from several worlds, and enter numerous events for the promised wish. Meeting those of other-worldly abilities, she is a child not only relying on smarts and tenacity, but her heart as well.

8. Beast Valley

Chapter 8: Beast Valley

It was dusk before dawn. The group had awoken early before the sun showed itself and started for the forest of dark green leaves. Garou barely achieved enough sleep, the pained rumble in his stomach had subsided and his energy was considerably restored after he ate that cougar, but he wasn't feeling in top form completely yet. He'll just have to continue on regardless. Whether he was fully prepared or not, nothing was ever guaranteed to be in his favor, he has to make due with it himself.

Garou is determined to give his payback to that kid in green clothing, and that kid in white too. For now, until he can obtain all five stars again, he'll tolerate those two while they make way through this forest, searching for the supposed hidden valley, growing closer to the mountain.

"Do you think we should split up?" Emma asked the other children, looking at her Monster Tracker. "I'm not getting any reading of other monsters in the area. It looks like there are a few caves this map is showing."

She showed Gon and Killua the tracker, the side of the mountain stretching beyond the fifty-meter radius, with indentations within the mountain walls that were depicting cave entrances.

"Sounds good, it'll help speed things up," Killua said. "All we're looking for is a cave that has golden pebbles and a sweet smell inside, right?"

Emma and Gon confirmed, bobbing their heads. As they ponder who should go with who (a discussion needed due to the presence of their fourth follower), Emma turned to Garou. "Do you want to check the cave that way? Me and my friends are thinking of checking the ones over there separately."

A hard blink from Garou. "As if. I'm coming with you."

His blunt declaration startled them. Garou pointed at her, "I still don't trust you, so I'm gonna be sticking with you like glue and find that cave you're looking for."

It was a proposition neither Gon or Killua expected. Emma offered to reason with the man, "It'll save us some time if we split up though."

"Then we'll split up," Garou easily answered, pointing at the boys. "Those two can stay together. You and I are going to go look elsewhere."

"Hold on," Killua said, intervening at once. The last thing they need is for their sole leading navigator to be with a dangerous guy like this. "How about Emma goes with Gon, I go my way and you can follow behind me-"

"Not happening," The dark hunter said before Killua could finish. "I'm not letting any of you kids get the chance to leave me behind," a firm rebuke as his intense stare returned to Emma.

"You're gonna be my insurance, kid. You said you wanted me to be a little closer to you? Well, I'm doing it. Now you'll have to prove you'll keep your end of our deal, by making sure I can still see you."

To keep at reach the girl who was not as fast as those friends of hers, she would be the first Garou will capture if indeed they decided to book it now. He was not a blind fool, he saw how she was relying on that device she has been looking at all this time. Following her may be a better bet to find what they were looking for than he should spend the next moment fighting the urge to hit one or both of those boys in the head. Plus, if they do intend to escape, he has their friend here who he was sure they can't leave behind.

Emma thought about it quietly. "Hey, even if we do want to escape," Killua irritably argued that they were wasting a moment to have this conversation, "You think we'll just leave after there's only one more day left? This might be our last chance to get our five stars. We're not going anywhere until we find the valley."

Gon then suggested, his eyes only showing honesty, "If you really don't trust us, you can follow me instead. I won't try to run away, and I won't lead you to a trap either."

Killua was just about to argue with the boy. Garou glared at him, "The last person I want to be with is you, you little twerp. I still owe you one for that punch you threw at me, and I'm not promising that I won't try if we do go together."

He returned his pointed finger to Emma and reaffirmed his unmoved decision, "Either I go with her, or we're staying together. You don't like that? Too bad. She got me to agree with leaving you kids alone, so she's going to be responsible for it."

Killua's teeth gritted, This guy...

There was no way he could agree to that. Killua did not trust this person at all. While he doesn't think Garou would do anything to harm their only navigator who has the means to guide them to Beast Valley, this man was unpredictable, and if the girl does something that could set him off angrily, or worse yet, if he finds out that all this time she was able to lead because of that Monster Tracker that worked also as a map, he might snatch for himself. By then, he would have no need of Emma anymore, and that may as well be his chance to leave Gon and Killua in the dust.

"Okay." Before the risk of this exchange could be calculated, Emma complied. "We'll go look together then."

The weight of her answer like a boulder slamming Killua's head, though at this point he should not be so surprised by her, the girl who invited this rogue man to come. Gon blinked at the girl. "Are you sure?"

Emma smiled at the boys, "It's fine. We need to hurry anyway." Rather than waste time arguing, they should be on the move at once.

Like a willing hostage, she walked up to the intimidating young man, "Let's go, mister! We'll take the one on the right over there."

Garou kept his estranged attention on the girl as she moved for that direction, and followed her. She waved at the boys, "There are at least about three cave entrances over that way! We'll meet back here later, okay?"

Gon and Killua watched as the little fodder led the prowling wolf to one side of the forest, herself to rely on to deal with his antagonistic company. "Honestly, that girl..." Killua muttered.

What if they do find the cave entrance? How can they be sure Garou won't just kill her after fulfilling her purpose? Dammit, if he could, he would follow them, but that man's instincts are inhumanly good, even while they were using Zetsu last night, that man was still able to tell their presence. It was ridiculous! They'll be noticed at once if they decide to follow, and who knows what that would bring up.

But they also can't afford to waste any more time now. They have to look through every nook and cranny, and in the worst-case scenario, it'll take them all day before they would finally discover the cave to the hidden valley. They had to split up to cover more grounds.

"Let's hurry and search the caves," As if recognizing the indecisive debate in Killua's mind, Gon motivated his friend with these words. He was worried as well, but he had faith that Garou wouldn't harm Emma without reasonable cause, that man has been keeping his promise so far, after all "If we look through the caves quickly, we can meet up with Emma sooner."

It was so far the only thing they could do, Killua evidentally nodded, and together they head for another direction of the forest for the mountain.

/.\

The eyes of the dark hunter stared into the glowing screen of Emma's Monster Tracker as his form loomed over her smaller figure. His cascading shadow did not bother Emma, remaining focused and calm as they follow the easier trail for one of the caves.

"Where'd you get that?" A question from Garou about the device she was holding, it was so sudden Emma's heart jumped before small happiness bloomed, this was the first he initiated conversation.

"A friend I met days ago gave me this," she answered, "It can track monsters and also map our surroundings. With this, we can thoroughly look for any caves near the mountain. My friend told me that the entrance to the cave that leads to Beast Valley has to be a cave that has golden-like pebbles and a sweet aroma from the exotic flowers the valley has."

"Hm," a hum from Garou, interested perhaps? They reached a boulder and Emma climbed over it, proficient in maneuvering obstacles that were constant in Gracefield, so something as small as this was nothing so troubling. Garou waited for her until she reached the other side before he followed after, his hand pressed at the top of the boulder and he leaped a single time, meeting her right away, and they reached the wall of the mountain.

"I also use it to avoid monsters that I have no idea how to hunt without knowing its weakness or strength," Emma continuously explained. "At this rate though, I'll have to take my chances. If we can get a piece of the monster we've come across though and have this tracker examine it, it'll be able to tell us any weak points it might have."

"That's a pretty useful thing to have," Garou said, actually impressed.

Emma agreed, "There was one monster I've hunted that was poisonous, I wouldn't have known about it if the villagers I met didn't tell me, and I even confirmed it when the tracker examined its scale. It wasn't hard to catch, but it turned out to be a lot more dangerous because of how potentially lethal it was." She smiled then, "Hunting that monster, it's how I met Gon and Killua. We all caught it at the same time and decided to share it between us, and each one of us got a star out of it."

"You kids didn't enter this competition together?" Garou asked, idly conversing. He might as well have something to pass the time.

"No. Gon and Killua did. I came by myself," she walked along the mountainside for several feet, "If I had known I could have invited someone to participate with me, I would have brought Ray. He's my foster brother. He's one of the smartest boys in our family."

A little small smile, "Killua actually reminds me a lot of Ray. Like, a lot. They even sound alike too. It's kind of weird..."

Not to mention Killua also having a similar appearance to Norman, with the cool and calculating personality of Ray, yet a sense of mischievous playfulness that reminded her of her own self. Killua is honestly a nice boy, a boy who has lived a too cold and too harsh of a life for anybody to go through, yet he could still smile and joke with Gon like any normal kid would. It was hard to keep the thought that he had been raised as an assassin.

Her family would have had adored him, and Gon too, especially. All her siblings and herself had been raised with the belief to never judge others, treat everyone kindly, and always attempt to understand, to love.

Of course, that belief was challenged as soon as their angel of a mother and their reason for living was exposed. She had kept her faith in Ray, no matter him working as a spy for Mama, because it wasn't to save himself, but to save Emma and Norman, even if it meant sacrificing himself. But unlike Ray who was in fact a good person granted with such a terrible burden, Emma had to go against her foster mother, an active threat against her family.

For a moment, Emma did have hopes that her mother was a good person also, it was understandable for anyone wanting to survive, and even though Emma hated how her loving mother could allow the deaths of so many children, members of her own family, Emma wanted to believe that Isabella did genuinely love her children. That their Mama would do anything to protect them, never willingly lead them to harm or harm them herself.

But the moment she saw that cold eyes of her Mama, firmly holding Emma's ear that used to be done in endearing affection, but was then done to check her pulse for the rhythm of Emma's heartbeat, to catch Emma in a lie that she knew nothing of what happened to Conny. Mama's reveal of her true character, her deranged view of giving all her love for the short life of her children, never intending to change that or let them free, help them escape, and even tried to convince Emma through that instinctual need to survive, abandon her siblings, save herself than anyone else. Emma thought she knew her loving, kind, amazing mom, she had faith in that.

Don't go, Emma. My sweet, precious children...

But Mama had been an enemy.

"Hey, kid."

A shove to the side of her head by a harsh push of Garou's finger, Emma awoke from her thoughts. "You still here?" He asked her.

"Ah! Sorry. I was remembering something..." Rubbing the side of her head, she looked down on her Monster Tracker as Garou observed her silently. "...Huh?"

She looked ahead of her, and back down at the device with a puzzled frown. "What?" Garou ushered her.

"The map says that there's a cave here..." She looked back up and in front of them.

In front of them, a large extension at the foot of the mountainside that was bigger than both their figures, several grayish-dark blue rocks at its corners and on the ground. Emma walked up to it and at a closer inspection, this extension was actually a separate thing. Likely to have fallen from a higher level of the mountain.

Emma went to its edge, rubbing off the dirt and rock dust as Garou followed her, eyeing whatever she was looking for. It was so thin she could hardly see, but there was a line between the boulder and mountain. "It has to be hiding behind this rock!"

"Is it now?" Garou saw it as well, and takes a step back as Emma looks down at the rocks. Lowering herself, she grabbed one of them and rolled it aside with a hefty push.

"If we move these rocks out of the way," Emma said, "we might be able to push the boulder aside or-"

Garou spread his feet, he curled his fingers and baring his fist, and his body dashed forward, like a fleeting image with a thrust of his arm. The boulder shattered on impact, Emma jumped away and ducked, covering her head with her arms as pebbles scattered everywhere, raining over themselves. When it eventually stopped, Emma peeked over her shoulder.

"Huh. You're right. There is one here."

Garou's vocal confirmation echoed deep through the entrance of the hidden cave. His fist or fingers bore no scratches from his punch, dusting himself off the dust and pebbles from his shoulders and twin-spiky hair. Emma rushed closer, putting aside her amazement of yet another show of his strength, looking by his side and to the newly exposed cave of the mountain wall that leads deeper into darkness.

She jolted in remembrance of a crucial information, forging her amazement, she immediately looked down in search. She dropped to her knees and dug through the dirt with her hands, closer and closer into the cave as Garou watched in peculiar of her work.

Emma gasped, "I found it!" Between her hands that dirted from her digging through dirt ground, glimmering golden pebbles faintly sparkled like unearthed treasures. "This might be it, but we need Gon to check and make sure this is the right one. It has to have a sweet smell."

Garou entered and whiffed the cavern air. It was too far to tell for that distinguishing smell even for himself, and he had a good nose as it is, but he was very sure there was something deep in there. "It's faint, but going in, I can be sure that this is what we're looking for."

"Wait! Let's go back and find Gon and Killua first!" Emma insists. "If this really is the cave to Beast Valley, then we should bring them here first so that we can all go in together. It might be too far in, we have to make every moment count."

He thought over it, gilded eyes trailing back to the girl.

"We did make a deal that we'll go and find Beast Valley together," she reminded him, lifting the device and showing it to him, "And if you want, I can help guide you through the valley with this."

It was a bold, perhaps even careless move to show him the device he could have easily taken for himself, but Emma believed that there was no point hiding it from him, since now that he realized what this device was, if he really wanted it, he could have taken it anyway whether she hides it on herself or not. He was too strong for her to try anything to keep this out of reach, not unless she has the first move and could outsmart him, which even then would be far too daring.

"...Fine," Garou said. "Let's go and find those other brats."

It would be helpful if that device warns him ahead of time for any strong monsters that might get the jump on him, and also to find his way out of the valley if he happens to get lost. That tracking device would certainly be very useful, he might just hang around with these kids a little longer just for that.

"You know, they have names..." Emma told him.

Garou bid the little girl no mind as he walked back the way they came. "I only name people I like."

She watched him go before turning her head down to the remains of the smashed boulder. This man really could have had the strength to smash through that concrete wall of Gracefield. He really is strong...

"Hey, kid. You coming or what?"

She adjusted her hold of her backpack, and hurries after the dark hunter, "Coming!"

/.\

The twitching nostrils of Gon's nose as he sniffed into the newly uncovered cave, Emma and Garou had returned to the cave they've uncovered with Gon and Killua. Gon took only a few seconds smelling the air inside the cave, "I can smell it. A sweet smell like strawberries and flowers."

"And with these golden pebbles on the ground," Killua said, cupping a few shiny small rocks in the palm of his pale hands. "There's no doubt about it. This has to be it."

The young assassin looked up to the sky that was starting to show lighter colors, "The sun is about to come up, probably in an hour or so. If we're going inside the mountain, we better know how to keep track of time, or we might accidentally miss the deadline."

Gon and Emma nodded. Emma looked down at the Monster Tracker as Garou slightly hunched over beside her for a closer look at the map the Monster Tracker details. Killua had thought the worst would happen now that he sees the dark hunter was aware of how they were finding their way around for this long, but to his surprise, the man has left the device alone in Emma's own hand. Was this guy really going to honor their deal? Huh.

"It's a long tunnel ahead," Emma informs, seeing the trail that this cavern leads, beyond fifty meters. "It might take us a while before we'll reach the valley."

"Then let's hurry. Let's go in right now," Gon eagerly suggests.

Killua drops the gold pebbles and patted his pants to rid the dirt from his hands. "It'll be dark in there though. We better watch our steps. Does that tracker have a flashlight?"

Emma shook her head, holding up the device, "No, but we can use the screen. It probably won't be much of a light source, but it's something!"

"We'll probably meet a lot of monsters in there, and especially when we find Beast Valley. If we work together, I'm sure we'll get through it all," Gon raised his clenched fist, "Let's get our missing stars today, and win this Preliminary!"

"Osu!" The children cheered. For them to use such a spirited cheer, Garou was wondering why these children were thinking they were prepping for a karate match.

/.\

A careful and steady tread through the darkness of the cave with only the Monster Tracker's blue-light screen their only light source, which only extends barely a foot ahead of them. Gon and Killua walked beside her as they watch out the trail before them, this time however, it was Gon who was guiding through the tunnel while Emma kept the light of the tracker's screen in front of them.

With the young hunter's strong sense of smell to lead them, when they reached a part of the tunnel where it was split into three other paths, Gon was able to pick out the correct path by following the sweet, almost captivating scent of the fruits and flowers living in Beast Valley. All other paths had a distinguishing scent of either a dead end, or death itself, with either an awaiting monster or traps.

The paceful footsteps of Garou follow behind them as the silver-haired competitor keeps close track of the leading children. They were walking for twenty minutes now, and he was starting to pick up that sweet smell as well.

"The scent is getting stronger," Gon informs, sniffing the air that molded from the nose delight of cherries to something more exotic and delicious, yet still far, "We just have to keep following this path."

"For the birthplace of all monsters, we have to expect a lot of them living there..." said Killua.

Emma agreed. "The tracker will warn us of any monster that comes into vicinity, but we have to look out for any other wild creatures. It can't detect animals or dangerous plants."

"Don't worry! We'll look out for those, even monsters" Gon assured, he turns with the hope that his smile can be soon through this dim-lit tunnel, "I can tell when a strong beast is approaching, and if we leave markings here and there, we'll be able to tell how to get out."

His face went blank and he recalled, "Oh wait! We actually don't need to do that, since we have the ca-"

Killua went and struck Gon's mouth with an open palm. Emma and Garou looked on quizzically. "Keep it down, moron!"

Garou frowned as Killua avoided eye-contact. The last thing they need is for this guy to find out about the Support Cards they have, or if he even knows about Support Cards. Either way, they have to be careful with the ones they have. Essentially the same amount of caution he and Gon as it were in Greed Island where stealing other people's cards was a norm, via obtaining through the use of a Thief Card, or murdering other players and looting their bodies.

"Not so loud, you might attract a monster's attention that can hear us this far," Killua excused, removing his hand from Gon, "Anyway, since we have Emma's tracking device, we'll be able to find our way out of here."

Garou's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He may not be quite "all there," but Killua could tell that this is a sharp individual. As if this person couldn't be any more of a threat. The dark hunter's eyes then widened, "Hey. Up ahead."

The children looked in front of them and were caught off-guard. Deeper in the tunnel, a light, grayish-white mist flows above the ground. A sudden coolness in the air.

"A fog?" She frowned.

"Not good," Killua analyzed with a frown. "Emma, you should let us take the front. Keep a hold of that tracker."

"I'll take the lead," Gon offered in equal seriousness, stepping forward, "Stay close everyone."

Garou also heightened his senses as the children, then himself, walked into the fog. Gradually, for the next ten minutes, the fog became thicker, and higher. Then thirty minutes, and eventually, the further they walked, there was nothing but fog that filled the tunnel.

The light of her tracker's screen was no longer useful as she can hardly see her own feet. The backs of Gon and Killua almost like shadows now, she looked behind her, the front of Garou's appearance was distinguishable enough, able to see his gilded eyes that were intently focused through the thick fog, it was like looking through a fuzzy window, and he was already close as it is.

The Monster Tracker suddenly beeped. Emma picks it up and looks through it as Gon asked her, "Was that your tracker?"

Emma soundly confirmed, peering through the tracker and straining her eyes to read it. Garou leaned over to see it as well. "There's a monster far ahead of us."

Another beep.

"Hold on, there's two now. No wait, there's three-!"

Together with Garou, she watched as more and more dotted presence appeared in the screen of her Monster Tracker.

The motion of Gon's head through the fog, turned as he spoke to Emma, "There is-?"

A sudden, swift rustle that sunk to the earth. Emma and Garou's eyes shot up from the tracking device.

"Gon?" Emma quietly called, stopping her trek. The fog has thickened so much, they might as well be inside a cloud. Neither she, nor Garou, could see the small form of the leading hunter or the young assassin that was right beside them. "Killua?"

Neither responded back to her. "Gon? Killua? What's wrong?"

"Hey, kid."

She looked back at Garou, through the milky fog, she could see his upfront figure, a disturbed sharpness in his eyes, "They're not here anymore."

"Huh?" Emma took a moment to comprehend his words. She looked back at where she believed Gon and Killua should, and tenderly reached out her arm into the fog, waving her arm around.

She could not feel the shoulders or back of either boy. They're gone-?!

"The hell? Where did those brats go?" Garou looked around, though what could he see but this endless mist and the little girl with him? When he had been focusing his senses in order to deal with this fog, he felt the sudden vanish two presence and had to be sure twice, listening to the breaths or stopping of footsteps, before he understood that those boys just disappeared. It wasn't anything like that vanishing act that kid in white used, this was something else.

As he quickly speculates while trying to keep calm, Emma took off running, surprising the dark hunter.

"Hey, kid! Wait!" Garou swiped for her form, but it too vanished into the fog, like grasping a bunny that disappeared into a body of snow.

"Something happened! They wouldn't just leave us!" Emma blindingly dashed into the fog in fear and worry for her friends. What had happened? Did they notice something? If they did they would have warned her and Garou someway. They couldn't have gone off without them! It was like they-

Disappeared into the earth-!

Memories suddenly surfaced of how the beginning trial occurred when they escaped Gracefield, and they fell into the traps of nature, another memory came of her own capture by sentient vines that took her to that village of horror and death.

"Gon. Killua," breathing out their names, Emma skidded to a stop, "Were they taken-?!"

The balms of her foot reached the edge of the ground, it broke under her weight and she slipped down, "Wah-!"

A hand shot for the back collar of her sweater vest and shirt, and prevented her total fall. "Watch your step," Garou's rough voice admonished. "Don't just run through a fog if you can't even see, idiot."

Emma hovered over the trench that was covered in fog, holding tightly the Monster Tracker in her hand. "O-oh. Th-thank-"

The fog then began to dissipate. Emma's eyes widened as the trench, upon the fog lifting, was revealed to be a cliff, then a pit, and then something much deeper and bigger.

A light suddenly flared from a distance, so brightly that Emma's eyes squinted by the glaring flashing that she blinked quickly.

"Whoa."

Emma looked back at the surprised Garou who held her up with his arm extended, and faced forward to see what had his attention.

The fog continues to fade away, and Emma softly gaped at the scene now shown itself before them. The light of a distant, orange and red Sun Stone embedded into the ceiling of mountain stone shown brighter, reflecting the rising sunlight that has appeared outside. Several more colorful rocks glimmered from the light, as it's warm rays reached further upon the unveiled land, grass, trees, and rivers.

Little critters reappeared from their hideouts at the fog's disappearance, creatures of unknown animal genetics. A rumble of a far away, inhuman roar that echoed throughout the entire area, the songs of winged bugs that fluttered through the air as other creatures with wings fly with them, as big as Emma herself. Wonders of fruits, vegetables, and flowers of all exotic appearance and fragrance that entices the fooled little critters such as this purple bunny of four ears, and was eaten, then gulped swiftly by the beautiful unassuming venus fly-trap-like plant.

Uncurtained by the showering rays of several Sun Stones, several canyons that expanded beyond sight, the lowest level was the darkest, with a couple of rivers and lakes down below, and dangerous creatures roaming around there that made the canyon so gigantic and towering at that floor. More creatures showed themselves from the bushes and trees, and rocks and the ground itself, citizens of this hidden plain with vast monstrous descriptions to their overall appearance. The wilds of nature resounded throughout the entirety of this place.

They have found Beast Valley, the morning sunshine overlaying the whole environment.

Thus begins Day 6.

"M-mister? Can you put me down beside you, please?"

Garou eyed back at the girl whom he still held over the hundreds of feet cliff, the little girl looking at her feet and the imminent death that waits below if she were to fall. Steadily, he started bringing her to his side.

"Ah-!"

A little gasp escaped her. Her widened eyes and face paled. Garou looked at it with a raised brow before he followed her stunned gaze.

"Mmmmmmmm..."

A deep sigh through the massive snout of a reptilian nose, a dinosaur-sized dinosaur slept peacefully beside them and the cave they have just exited out from. Its skin was bright orange, with blue stripes at it's back, and a brown helmet-like mask over its head. His white sharp fangs poked out from its huge mouth that surely was hiding several more teeth.

Garou gawked along with the girl.

[Monster Identified]. The Monster Tracker announced loudly, much to their distraught as she has her thumb accidentally holding the higher volume button. [Monster Type: Digimon. Name of Species: Greymon].

The Greymon's eyes opened half-way. He raised his head for where Garou and Emma were, but Garou had already dashed for the cliff, hiding out of sight against the stone wall with his feet finding the thin ledge and Emma still held in his grip. His face sweating.

You got to be kidding me, thought Garou, A f-king T-Rex?!

A real dinosaur, Emma was at horrified awe, but could still have the capacity to calmly evaluate, No, it's not a regular T-Rex, not from what I remember reading about. It's a monster. All these creatures here... We actually found it. This is Beast Valley!

[Monster Identified]-

Identifying another monstrous creature that flew by, Emma quickly covers the speakers of the device and puts it in mute as Garou wide eyes were on her, and then a rumble overhead.

They looked up and saw the jaw of the Greymon, its head lowered to look below, cascading a shadow over their bodies, and otherwise, did not notice them with it's too big a head. They waited until it lets out a low growl in its throat and retreated back.

Garou looked at the girl who noticed his widened gaze, he puts a finger to his lips in a hush. Emma nodded. He then silently pointed at the ledge that her feet were just hanging above by several inches, her form still held by his clutch. He motioned walking with two of his fingers.

I'm gonna set you down and we'll walk along this ledge.

Emma understood and nodded. He watched as she looked down while he slowly lowers her to the same ledge he was standing on, unavoidable to see the deepest depths that were hundreds of feet below, yet she held a calm and brave face as her feet touched the ledge and her back pressed against the wall. Garou will admit, it's actually impressive. The little girl is pretty gutsy.

They started to shimmy their way along the wall, quiet and careful steps so not to attract the attention of the monster above them. But then, a sudden tremor to the earth that they were against, and their instincts screamed, GET AWAY.

Garou quickly grabbed Emma's sleeve and pounced several feet aside and onto another cliff below them, the view of the far drop below them like a weight of a brick inside Emma's stomach as she was pulled along. She witnessed the wall be broken through from underneath, and a large round shape emerged, a dull pink crown-like lips over its orange head with yellow spots. Its crown lips split open, and an awful screech bellowed from its mouth of massive yellowish sharp teeth.

And leaping away from it was a smaller figure of familiar appearance, his white hair and shirt scruffed with dirt and efforts of attacked, his blue eyes focused on the creature that chased him and he cursed out "-Damn!" Tossing a yo-yo around the creature with a long string extending beside its head.

"Killua?!" Emma yelled in shock. Garou landed upon another cliff, avoiding the flying huge debris that scattered everywhere. [Monster Identified. Monster Type: Plant. Name of Species: Garish Gerbera].

The plant-like monster reached for the boy with its wide-open jaw. Killua wrapped the monster's exposed roots that were it's bottom half and swung himself with a hard pull, barely avoiding the snapping teeth of the Garish Gerbera. From the Garish Gerbera's side, it whipped out a green vine-like arm and struck Killua's stomach, wrapping its vines around his waist and hurtling him towards the cliff wall, zipping over Garou's and Emma's head, crashing into the wall.

"Killua!" Emma cried out in horror. Reacting quickly, she perfectly aimed at the green vines, pulling the trigger. A surprised cry from the Garish Gerbera and its vines retracted, releasing Killua who struggled from getting out of the cliff wall he was embedded in. Wiping the blood from his mouth, but otherwise could still move. She was utterly relieved to see that he was still alive.

She then heard another struggling voice and looked back at the Garish Gerbera.

"Darn it!" Gon shouted, his arm and legs were tangled in the green vines that the plant monster had control over. "Let. Me. Go!" With his freed arm, he punched the body of the Garish Gerbera, a strong force enough to free himself, and started to fall. "Oh shoot!" He realized his mistake too late as he looked descended below.

"GON!" Emma screamed and Garou started to move. He bent his knees so far his bottom nearly touched the ground, and with his hand still clutching Emma's shirt, he leaped an incredible distance that he practically bested every jump record Emma only knew in her head and all records that have yet to come in her world. He jumped the same time that Killua has. Garou was the first to reach and grab Gon by the front of his shirt, spun around, and tossed the boy back to his friend who reacted right away, catching Gon by the hand, and tossing his yo-yo with his other hand to a nearby tree, and pulling himself and Gon towards the ledge of the canyon that towered at the right.

"Emma!" Gon yelled after her.

"Damn. They're too far!" Killua evaluated as Garou landed at the cliff at the other canyon, holding Emma like a football as Emma held around his arm. They watched as the Garish Gerbera tried to hang on to the wall it emerged from, but its rooted legs lost grip and fell into the distant descent.

"Mister!" Emma heatedly patted the older teen's arm, her eyes directed at the first level they arrived from and Garou followed her agitated gaze.

The Greymon had finally noticed them, an angry snarl that showed its ferocious teeth. He was far from them, however, so surely they were safe.

That is until the Greymon bared its teeth, a firey element building up from its throat that glowed the inside of its mouth.

"Oh... shit," Garou realized.

A massive fireball was spat out, and Garou ran. Putting all his might to flee from the fast-approaching fireball with Emma greeting the deathly heated element that heated the bottom of her shoes and her entire front.

"Keep running! We'll meet up with you guys later!" Gon yelled after them, though they were already gone, so it was a wonder if they have even heard of them.

A rumble from the earth, the boys knew they have to move, less they will be confronted with another monster in such an unfavorable position that they were in.

"Let's go, now," Killua emphasized. "We'll find those two elsewhere... well, if they've survived that fireball anyway."

Truly, this place is housing the most dangerous creatures. He scolded himself for his carelessness. If only he'd been more aware, he and Gon wouldn't have been taken by surprise when that Garish Gerbera dragged them into an underground cove with those vines before they could even yell.

"They'll be fine," Gon said with confidence, his signature smile of hope shining through. "Emma's smart, and that guy is strong. They're at least not alone either. They'll make it through this."

Killua's narrowed after where Emma and the silver-haired competitor ran to, in lack of shared enthusiasm, "Let's hope so."

They hurried and climbed up the canyon, rushing to meet up and likely intercept the separated.

/.\

The smoky trail of the fireball cannon that burnt the grass and dirt until it reached and destroyed a large tree. Garou held onto a vine of a much taller tree that assisted his evasion of the fireball, with Emma dangling by his fingers as she saw the destruction the attack of that dinosaur monster had caused, the pitch-black residue that left what used to be a tree in its ending wake.

He hopped back down and sets down Emma carefully. She picked up and looked at her own feet, black burnt residue at the bottom of her shoes, but otherwise still wearable. "That was close..."

It was incredible how this man was able to outrun the fireball for so long, even more thankful that she was able to only suffer its heat than its total touch that would have burned her to a crisp. She sighed out her relief before looking back to where they had run from. It was quite a mile or so. She then started wondering about her friends Gon and Killua.

"Should we go back?" She asked more so to herself, holding her rifle still.

Garou turned his head to look behind them, "I wouldn't. If that T-Rex is still there, he'll just spit out another ball of fire at us."

Emma had to agree, intertwining her fingers with obvious concerns.

"We'll catch up to those brats later," Garou told her, bringing her attention towards him. "I heard that kid with the fishing pole, said for us to keep moving."

He ushered her with a wave of his hands as he started down a random path forward, "Come on. We better keep moving if we don't want to be easy food for anything around here."

Emma registered his words, though her worries for her friends were strong, she decided to have faith in their skills, and hopes sincerely that they will be alright. She adjusted her backpack and follows after the man.

"You still got that tracker?" He asked her while his eyes kept to the path before them.

She nodded, reaching for her vest pocket and takes out the device. When she flipped it open, several presences were immediately detected, showing as white dots - including the man in front of her - in the dark screen in the midst of the determined environments that lined in distinguishing shapes, several paths in several directions.

"There are so many monsters around here..." Emma said, forcefully quelling her unease. "We're safe for now, if we keep taking this path."

They continue forward until they reached the cliff. A massive area in view, canyons entirely out of trees, forestall plains that were swarmed with unidentified creatures, big and small, and lovely flowers in several colors as in the distance they see more valleys and a school of winged-monsters flew from one place to the next.

"Amazing..." Emma quietly said. Garou side-glanced her at awe expression as she added, "I hope we'll be able to find Gon and Killua through all this."

Just then, the Monster Tracker alarmed her with an approaching presence. She checked just as Garou was on immediate alert, feeling the coming, unseen being.

"It's... coming from behind the cliff!" Emma warned as a rumble was felt. "It's coming fast!"

"Get down," Garou told her bluntly, pushing her down beside him she quickly complied to.

Emerging from the other side of the cliff, it soared to the sky near to the mountain-ceiling. A long, large body that slithered across the air, blood-red scales and wild orange hair with long strands from the snout of the wingless yet flying reptilian.

"A dragon?!" Emma gawked as Garou watched in near equal reaction. A real dragon neither thought to ever see one day. Garou had only known Dragon-Level Threat monsters, a feat he intends to reach for and surpass, but it was an entirely different thing to see an actual dragon in the flesh. From what Emma has read in the library, the only source she knows of to be familiar with most of the world outside her orphanage, this particular dragon was a dragon as depicted in Chinese Legends, creatures without wings and snake-like bodies that are often depicted as gods.

It roared, a harrowing noise that arose goose-bumps to Emma and Garou.

"-ANIKIIIIII!"

And in the midst of its roar, the scream of a child hailed from the back of the dragon.

Emma and Garou gaze up as a figure of a human ran across the long body of the dragon's spine, a sword in each arm- not held, but as. His arms were literal swords, a black-haired individual with sullen brown, vacant eyes, it brings a question if he could even see. A gray cloak over a dark kimono-like outfit with whites shapes all around it - shapes like a round pointed-up arrow with fins at the bottom. His bare legs without shoes were bandaged to his calves.

On his back was a small child with pinned up black hair, and a simple peasant-like green attire, with bandaged ankles and bandaged wrists that clung around the neck of the two-armed swordsman, panicked yelling as the dragon's body whipped and flew crazily across the air in an effort to throw off its unwanted passengers.

"AAAAAH! Bro! Hurry up and get us off from this dragon! AH!" The child, Dororo, exclaimed as he hung for dear life.

The duo-swordsman, whose name is Hyakkimaru, slice the scaly-skin of the dragon while running across the body.

The dragon wailed in pain, a sharp drop down that nearly flung Hyakkimaru and his little companion off if not for his sword deeply stabbed into the body. It then careened to the side, flying straight for Garou and Emma.

"Ah."

Emma ran aside, but Garou ran faster and pushed her along, narrowly dodging the dragon who slammed itself against the stone wall, writhing and bellowing a horrible screech. Garou takes hold of Emma around the waist as they took cover below the ledge, the dark hunter taking a peek as the duo-swordsman ran up and stabbed its head, narrowly the brain but the dragon was able to move in time. It pushed itself off from the wall and flew for the forestall canyon, Emma able to see it clearly in astounding along with her holder.

They watched as Hyakkimaru then swung his sword, missing the eye, but was able to slice off the strands of hair from below the dragon's left nostril, the pieces of hair flew by nearly instantly, but Dororo saw their chance and reached up, a hard grasp thrown in hopes to barely achieve their point, the child was able to succeed in capturing three-strands of hair.

"I got it! WHOA!"

The dragon flew for the forest, and it's wounded body that coated its red scales in a darker and richer color, it plummets towards the tree in a spiraling sort of dance. Hyakkimaru jumped as Dororo screamed right near his ear that pained his newly adjusting sense of hearing, and together they tumbled across the ground. Hyakkimaru recovered and continued onwards in a sprint as Dororo tells him "Go go go!" The dragon recuperated quickly, wriggling in the ground and chased after the fleeing two persons into the thick forest.

Other competitors? Emma intuitively wondered. Their wear was something that looked to be of Asian-style like Ancient China or Ancient Japan, it was unlike what modern people would dress themselves in anymore. Were those competitors from an era long ago? An old era of a world as opposed to hers?

-Water Breathing, Fourth Form -

Their instincts warned them of something nearby. Garou and Emma looked down.

Striking Tide!

Somewhat far below them, at a grassed flat area that was like the cliff they were holding onto, a figure leaped out from the bushes, slicing through with water trailing from his coated sword. A tide-like flow that swiftly traveled like rushing river streams, consecutive cuts throughout the bushes, and the two creatures he was fighting against, the bodies of the monster cut in half and he landed upon the grasses area, his feet skidding to the edge.

Silk threads tangled his white cloud-pattern blue overcoat, red-brown hair and dark red eyes that were both fierce yet showcased a kind warmness to it, but was overlayed with an urgency of the boy who was in battle, a black katana sword in his hand, and the corner top of his forehead blazed by blood color that tattooed on the skin, and carrying on his back is a dark wooden box with dark metal closings.

He turned at another monster approaching from behind him. A bug-like thing as big as a vehicle, with a purple-blue body, long, sharp, spider-like legs that traveled across the grass for the boy in blue coat, orange bug eyes and two sharp insect fangs, a white clunk of fuzz at the top of its round bug body at the rear end, spewing out silk threads that were like webs.

[Monster Identified] [Name of Species: Silkfang].

The boy cuts through the coming webs and he moves to the left, a powerful tug from the threads that had lingered on his overcoat but he cuts them immediately and sets himself free. Raising his black sword, he lunges himself directly for the Silkfang.

Emma gasped as the boy ducked from the fierce bite of the insect monster's two fangs, he slides and slices underneath the body, black-blue blood spilling over his form as he reached the other end and rushed forward.

Looking back at the newly killed monster, the boy name Tanjiro's nose twitched, sniffing, "This is bad. More are coming."

Intense rustling from where he first came, Tanjiro jumped back and barely dodged the sneak attack of a sharp leg of another Silkfang that emerges from the bushes. "I have to hurry!"

He breathed, deeply. So deeply that it seemed as if steam was actually leaving from his teeth. Water Breathing, Second Form -

Tanjiro clutches his water-coated sword and lunged his body forward.

Water Wheel!

A fast circular motion that left a water trail, his sword cuts through all of the silk threads and reaching the insect monster. With a single strike and he sliced the monster all the way through, killing the creature and its blue-black blood tainting his overcoat, then rushes forward back to the wilderness below them.

Garou's eyes lightened with intrigue as Emma looked on in absolute amazement, and then a shadow fell over their forms, glancing up, they see the Silkfang looking over them, its sharp leg ready to strike them.

"Watch ou-!"

Garou reacted before Emma's warning, clutching the side of the grip in one hand, he flung himself over the monster from behind with the little girl in his other arm, and landed his foot directly into the Silkfang's head, crushing it against the edge of the cliff underneath his foot.

"Behind you!" Emma spotted another Silkfang that had been behind the monster Garou had just killed. She quickly took aim with her still clutched rifle and fired several bullets into the body of the monster, it cried out in utter pain with blood leaking from its bullet wounds, and swung one of its legs forward to stab. Garou sliced off the piercing leg of the Silkfang and jumped away, landing at a ledge this time above, and observed as the Silkfang fell forward, writhing in agony.

Shadows still fell over them and they glanced up. Several more Silkfangs suddenly appeared, lowering themselves down from the silk that extended from their bodies like dangling spiders. If Garou knows anything about being outnumbered, it's that it is an unfavorable position. He kept moving them, leaping from one ledge to the next and so on with Emma in his hold.

"-CHUUUUUUU!"

He stopped as a bolt of lightning burst from the trees at another valley wall just far in front of them. A young boy appeared, with a red and white cap he wore backward, and a little creature appeared by his feet, a cat-size yellow mouse of some sort, with a zig-zagged tail, red circle cheeks, and black-tipped ears. A monster?

"Pikachu! Use another Thunderbolt!"

Yellow electricity sparked from the red cheeks of the critter, and much to Garou and Emma's ironic shocked feelings, a bolt of lightning was summoned and cast by the Pikachu that enveloped the creature's form "Pikaaaaa-CHUUUUUUUUUU!" and shot the element for a target they do not see. The little boy then continued running

"This way!" The cap-wearing boy directed the strange yellow electric animal, who followed his leading human without hesitation.

Rushing after the boy and his smaller companion, a giant lizard of green-coloring scale slammed the side of its body against the tree in too much eagerness for the fleeting competitor, and chases after the boy and his electric-casting creature with its open mouth filled with salivating sharp teeth, its tongue sticking out in absolute deranged delight for the boy and his pet friend.

As Garou continued onward while the Silkfangs were still on his tail, their focus on the cap-wearing boy remained and saw him reach into his own pocket. Still running for the cliff.

"Pikachu! On my shoulder!"

The Pikachu hopped, climbed the body of his trainer, and clutched his shoulder.

"I-is he gonna-?!" Emma started, as it seems the boy was about to do exactly what she is suspecting.

The trainer, Ash Ketchum, pulled out a small ball in between his fingers, a red-half and white-half object separated with a black line and a circular white button at the center. With his thumb, he pressed the button and the ball enlarged and he grasped it in his hand, now the size of his palm.

"Charizard! I choose you!"

He threw the ball in front of him beyond the edge of the cliff. It split opened, revealing it to be some sort of spherical container of unknown mechanism and technology. A flash of light trailed out, taking shape of a large reptilian with wings, orange skin showed, limbs of white nail-claws, black eyes propped open, blue-green wings. A mighty roar bellowing from its dragon-face and sharp teeth.

"What, the, fuuu...?" A dumbfounded stare from Garou and a baffling impression from Emma, from the ball that was the size of a fingerprint, a large orange dragon had come out of it, taking immediate flight by the cliff. In an utter daring and bold move, Ash with his Pikachu holding over his shoulder, reached the edge of the cliff and jumped, the chomp of the lizard monster barely missed and the monster nearly falling off the cliff, dragging its talons against the dirt for dear life.

He descended briefly and landed on the back of his Charizard, flapping its wings as they took flight. The lizard monster climbed back but as it did, Ash and his dragon companion returned, "Charizard! Use Flamethrower!"

A wallop of fire filled the throat and mouth of the orange dragon, and a stream of flames burst out, coating the entire form of the lizard monster and its wet skin, drying it completely and charring its exterior skin, though it still lived yet struggled.

The flamethrower resumed as the Charizard flew for the valley wall that Garou and Emma were on. Panic struck the dark hunter and the girl, they ducked in time, feeling the heart of the attack as Charizard's flamethrower breathed onto the several Silkfangs that were chasing after Garou and Emma, their silk threads burned instantly and the Silkfangs enduring the intense heated damage. It was super effective.

The Charizard and its trainer then flew away as the Silkfangs, one by one, began to fall to the lower levels. Fire spread across the moss and grass, the trees becoming giant flowers of uncontrollable flames for petals. Dark smoke came from it and Emma coughed, covering her mouth.

"Stupid kid should watch where his dragon is aiming," Garou bitterly muttered, rushing to avoid and escape the fire that was starting to swarm them.

"We have to put out the fire before it spreads!" Emma said. Garou stopped and looked up to the wall of stone and dirt. A quick yet hard several jabs to the wall, it cracked under his fists, reaching to the top, and several enormous chunks of the wall fell forward. Garou sprinted away, down the uneven trail as ground material fell upon the fire, burying it until to the last bit of flames was put out.

Reckless destruction, but effective.

"Over there!" Emma spotted an opening into the new forestal area. Garou rushes for it as the avalanche collapses behind them, and kept running until the rumble of the falling wall debris grew farther, and farther away.

Eventually, he stopped, huffing out a breath and wiping the sweat from his chin, proving his stamina spent even for someone as strong as he. "Here should be good..."

He sets down Emma and he visually assessed. Her hair was more frazzled than before, and her form was covered in dirt, and her face tells him that she just faced through death's door more than a few times. But, well, she was alive, so that's good.

"You okay?" Garou asked her. Emma looked up at him and nodded right away.

"Yeah. I'm okay," despite how she looked, she was quite well in coping with those dangerous life-threatening scenarios, it wasn't something she was unfamiliar with anymore. She turned around for where they have escaped from. "Those must have been other competitors... they really are incredible."

I'll say, Garou thought to himself. What kind of person could just summon monsters like that? Did he catch those monsters while he was here? Is that what he can do?

He didn't even know that was actually possible. If a kid like that showed up in his world with that sort of ability, to call forth monsters, monsters that can unleash such powers, he'd be a high-class level threat immediately. And who knows what other monsters he has hiding in his pockets.

Literally.

"Oh, shoot," Garou said suddenly, bringing Emma's attention to him. "I missed my chance getting a star from those monsters we ran from."

With all that excitement and action, he didn't even have time to consider it. He sighed. "Ah well, just have to look for another one then."

"Shouldn't you rest for a little bit?" Emma asked but the dark hunter was already on the move towards one direction.

"There isn't enough time to rest as I please, not while we still got two stars and only one day left."

Emma watched him as he dusted away the dirt from his waist, a lingering hold to his stomach in a subtle caress as he breathed deeply through his nose with a narrowed gaze. Is he still hurting from Gon's attack three days ago?

He really shouldn't push himself if he's in pain, but he was also correct that they were running out of time. She examined his walking form for a brief moment before following him.

A startling beep grasped their attention. Garou sharply turned his head for Emma as she takes out her Monster Tracker, "There's a monster coming this way!" She warns.

A steady vibration that pounced every few seconds, Garou lets out a slow creak of a devious smile, "Perfect. Guess I don't have to look far at all."

From several meters away and from the midst of bushes, a huge and heavy figure hopped over, its landing causing Emma to jump while Garou's footing grounded. When the monster revealed itself, Emma blinked twice.

"A... frog?"

It was, in all simplicity, a very big frog. More accurately, a toad. [Monster Identified] [Name of Species: Big Toad]. A straightforward and rather uncreative reveal of this simple-looking creature with pink rubbery skin and red eyes, its size was anything but the normal sizes of toads Emma has seen in books. It was very large, much bigger than even Garou, and wider than a car. It croaked at its discovered the sight of herself and Garou, his throat bulging out and retracting in.

"It's kind of cute," Emma could not help but identify. Compare to the other ferocious beast, this one was not as terrifyingly looking.

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I'll be nice to it," Garou started to approach the Big Toad. "You stand back, kid. This one is mine."

"Ah! Be careful!" Emma warned him, "We don't know anything about the monsters that live here in the valley. It might be really dangerous!"

"Well so am I," Garou refuted with an arrogant grin, "All these big fellas are small-time compare to me."

It would be all fine and good to know where to hit where it really hurts, but if that tracker of hers can only know a monster's weakness by first examining the contents of said monster, then he might as well have it erupt all of its innards. Several feet away from the Big Toad, Garou entered into a fighting stance, ready to strike, "Time to make my mark in these territories. Here's an attack from a True Monster!"

His arms flowed like river streams. He pursued forward, a hitting grip that slammed into the body of the Big Toad. The rubber-skin rippled from his impact that could smash concrete and spill out the organs of anyone. Emma watched wide-eyed at the sensation of a powerful force that reached her and the area that was disturbed by his imposed attack and strength.

The Big Toad was unfazed.

There was a moment of pause, and then the Big Toad glomped its toothless mouth down over Garou's head and pass his shoulder. Emma reactively sputtered at the absolute unprecedented as the monster lifted Garou's body and began to slowly swallow him whole. "M-mister! Mister! Are you okay?!"

She hurriedly latches onto her rifle and aims as Garou kicks the chin and throat of the Big Toad in quick, urgent, brutal sessions. His distress obvious as he fights to pull himself out, but the Big Toad continued to eat him in a consecutive pace.

"I-it's not affected by his attacks?!" Emma realized. She carefully aimed away from the captured man, and fired at the Big Toad's side. A contact from the bullet to its skin, the bullet was bounced off and shot elsewhere, Emma ducking her head and witnessed her deflected shot be embedded into a tree. "It deflected the bullet... Could it be-?!"

It's immune to blunt damage?

Emma ran to the Big Toad's side as only the flailing legs of the dark hunter remains yet to be swallowed. Think! Think! If normal attacks won't work, what else could I use?

Her four-barrel pistol only unleashes pacifism effects that deter the monster, none of them which would harm the monster enough to free the man. I have to act fast! His whole body is being swallowed slowly, it will take time before he'll be completely digested. I have to think of something before that happens!

She picks up some rocks and threw them at the Big Toad's eyes, but the Big Toad only blinked at its ineffectiveness before the pebbles also bounced away. If bullets won't work, then-?!

She stops by a tree and arms herself with her bow and arrow. If attacks from a round surface like that man's fist and her bullets, then what of an attack with a sharp-pointed surface? She has to test this, now! She has to hurry and save the man!

Pulling her arrow by the bowstring, she releases.

The arrow pierces through the leg of the Big Toad and the monster flinched, its inhuman blood escaping. That's it! She has to fight this monster with something of a sharp end! It doesn't matter if the attacks were as fast as a bullet or as fast as that man's kicks, if they weren't sharp, then this monster can't be harmed. It was just the feet of the dark hunter now, she must kill it quickly before the man fully enters and be melt inside the monster's stomach!

She fires yet another arrow, this time striking the monster at its eye. It croaked loudly in pain as its eyelids closed in between the stick of her arrow, and then, it bulged out.

Huh? Emma looked on confused.

Several places bulge from the inside of the Big Toad's body, punched and kicked from within in incredibly fast afflictions. Although it was at first unbothered, it started to sweat slime in distress and pain when its eyelids were forced open, and the left eye of the frog started to bulge, wriggling.

Blood seeping through the corners of its eyelids, the eyeball was pushed out by the sharp grip of a human hand. Emma spotted Garou, carving his way through with his bare fingers and fingernails, forcing himself out from the eye socket.

Emma stood there appalled at the horrifying, bloody display, her disturbance paling her expression as Garou dragged himself out of the monster and dropped to the ground. The Big Toad fell aside, losing much of its blood and having lost the ability to see from his left side.

But Emma no longer paid it any more mind as she stared up at the bloodied figure, his sharp eyes that glinted gold staring at the frozen child. He raises the giant eyeball in his hand.

"This is mine." He pointed at the eyeball in his hand, asserting his prize.

"O...Okay..." Emma mustered the courage and will to a whispering response.

They later then put the Big Toad out of its misery, Emma finishing it off with a Vida Flower against where its supposed vital organs are, and got a toe the size of a melon out of it.

/.\

The meat of the Big Toad cooking by the campfire Emma and Garou set up. The remains of the deceased monster beside them were mostly in bones, the majority of its body has been consumed by Garou who still had more room in his stomach to finish any leftovers, biting another chunk of toad meat, roasted to perfection, from the giant frog leg he held.

Together, they achieved collecting their third star. Emma was once more at awe of the questionably human man. She had her own share, a smaller portion compare to how much the man sitting beside her has eaten. It was actually rather tasty, especially when she added the small bottled soy sauce the kind Kijin clan had gifted her.

If this is the closest she is to know of Eastern delicacy, it was quite scrumptious, if an entirely new experience for her, though her sympathy for the Big Toad remained in her heart.

"Hey, what was that thing you've used?"

Emma paused her bite of the toad meat she held by the stick, looking at the man of astounding appetite. "Huh?"

"That white flower that turned red after you stabbed it into that frog," Garou elaborated. When he saw the little girl pull out that flower and prayed with it in her hands, it was an intriguing scene of the flower to suddenly be brought to a rich color of blood red, and the life essence of the Big Toad completely drained before it died peacefully.

"Oh. It's called a Vida Flower," Emma answered, then explained, "It's a vampiric flower that can drain blood. In my world, it's done as a religious ritual. Hunters especially, after they've captured their prey. It'll also help keep the meat fresh longer."

"Kind of a dangerous thing to carry around," Garou said. "Hope you know how to handle that thing."

Emma nodded, "It's... not something I like carrying, but it is useful when hunting, and it doesn't leave any creature suffering for long..."

So promised Sonju to put her at comforting ease, that all of the previous adopted foster siblings of hers were not in agonizing pain. A pinch that draws the victim under this flower into a deep sleep, never to wake again.

Garou watches as Emma absentmindedly stared into the fire with sadden eyes, slurping another piece of meat from the big bone leg in his hand, wondering why she suddenly looked rather down.

"You know, you eat a lot, mister," Emma suddenly said, verdant eyes looking back at him. "I've never seen anyone eat as much as you have. It's actually really amazing."

Garou answered as he grabbed and stretched his shoulder, a pop heard in rolling it, "Having fought as much as I have, I get a big appetite to keep up and replenish my stamina." It also does well to cope with his stomachache, as contrasting as it is.

"I get that," she craned her neck to glance at the skeletal remains of the Big Toad. "But eating that much, you must have been through a lot of fights, mister."

That was certainly true, he mentally concurred.

A distant rustle from the other side of the camp and Emma instantly looked over, her round eyes of innocent youth intensified with alerted focus, it would startle any adult for such a child to have such intense eyes. Garou needn't looked as he already sensed the little harmless squirrel-like critter, keeping his eyes on Emma.

He's noticed before, the girl has decent instincts. Although it wasn't as honed or adept as that friend of hers, the boy in green clothing, Garou could tell; she has potential. She had to have lived in the wilderness for some time for her to know how to hunt and always be aware of her surroundings, but it was evident enough that she had not been raised in that environment. She did say that she lived in an orphanage, but what sort of orphan life was it that she knew how to use a rifle? Bow and arrow he can reason, but guns? An eleven-year-old using guns?

Even that bullet graze on her cheek brings up all kinds of questions, and if that wouldn't, then those numbers on her neck sure as hell would. What on earth were those for? And if that wasn't even the end of it, having caught only a glimpse of it, he was sure that this kid was missing an ear, and it sure didn't look like she was just born with it. How in the hell did that happen?

She couldn't have lived a regular life. Either there was a reason that led her to know how to fight and suffer those scars because of it, or that foster mother of hers has got to be the most irresponsible woman in this girl's planet. What kid has a tattoo on their own neck? What adult would even allow this? That orphanage has got to be the worst sham of a so-called foster home in history. Unless all these markings on her were earned outside that place.

"Who taught you how to use a rifle?"

Emma regarded him once more at his question. Finishing eating her piece, she took a moment to consider, "No one really. There was this man I met who hunted through a dangerous forest for a long time. I saw how he held his rifle and how quietly he walked through the forest, and I mimicked them."

"You learned by watching?" A surprised tone from Garou. Sounds a lot like how he is.

She nodded. "It was, in a way, the only thing he'd ever taught me and my friend Ray, even though he tried everything to get rid of us."

"You stepped on his shoes or something?"

She shook her head, "It's more like we brought up a bad memory for him."

"Hm..." Garou replied. He tossed aside the bone piece to the pile behind him, and stood up, "Alright, that's enough of a break. Come on, let's keep moving."

Emma understood and began putting away all of the food, hot to the touch, she wrapped them in cloths and inserts them inside her backpack. Garou dug his foot into the ground and kicks a chunk of dirt to the fire a single time, stomping on it repeatedly and ensuring the fire was put out completely.

"Ready?" he asked.

Emma nodded, "Let's go!"

/.\

They walked through the forest-area, this side of the long, long valley, with Emma guiding them using her Monster Tracker and avoiding stepping into any hidden traps or blindly run into monsters. It was this that she started pondering why she didn't detect the trap Gon and Killua fell into. Even though it was foggy, she had examined the device in her hand closely, she was certain she couldn't have missed anything.

Then she recalled that plant monster that attacked Gon and Killua, it's vines that could extend so long. It was without a doubt that one of monster presence detected was that Garish Gerbera, and after a thought, Emma realized that likely, with this tracker, it's detected presence does not extend to the monster's own capable reach.

"We should watch our steps carefully," she warned the man beside her, whose intimidating physique and that piercing gaze of his she was becoming accustomed to. "That trap Gon and Killua fell for when we all first entered Beast Valley, it must have been that plant monster that dragged them away from us. This tracker could only detect monsters' presence and location, but not how far they can attack. Like that giant snake monster, it was two snakes conjoined together, so the tracker detected it as one monster, and it never mentioned how long it was."

Garou understood her and nodded, "Got it, so we just got keep our eyes peeled." He then glanced back down at her, "By the way, where'd you learn how to walk like that?"

Emma looked down at her feet that were on their tippy-toes. "Oh, this is something I saw Killua do - the boy with white hair." She added in case the man did not remember the names of those he refused to address with, out of irritation or spite he held for those boys.

She continued, "I've noticed how quietly he walks, and it was because he was walking like this. It's actually different than how I would try to sneak around, and harder too. I think I'm getting used to it now though. I can move quietly like this for five minutes, although it starts to hurt after three."

No wonder Garou thought it was weird how suddenly faint her steps were. Now that he thought about it, he did first notice the same thing with that kid in white but he never thought to look down at the feet to see why, he was busy keeping an eye on all of them.

"There's actually a trick to it I've found out," Emma further elaborated, "You first have to relax the joints in your toes, and if you don't pay it too much attention to it, it'll start to feel like you're walking like you usually do."

Finding it interesting, Garou watches her toe-walking for a moment, studying and examining the angle and position of the feet that snuck through the forest they treaded through, and then matched her footing with stunning ease.

"Yeah! Like that! That's actually really good! You got it faster than I did." It was even almost the same as how Killua walked, Emma was highly impressed.

He hummed lightly, a look of intrigued accomplishment from the dark hunter that directed down to his feet, quickly adopting this discreet manner of walking beside the smaller feet of the little girl.

They walked this way for another while until Emma's toes tired with the straining pressure, returning the balls of her feet to the ground in normal foot-travel, Garou kept this walk for a few longer, however, even as they went downhill and across rough, uneven grounds. It was almost as if he was showing off, or perhaps it was a small challenge he made for himself, one that he had easily overcome within a minute. He was already about to reach and surpass Emma's own record when her Monster Tracker once more alerted of another closing creature.

"Another monster?"

Emma answered Garou with a serious look, familiar with the sound and pattern that follows after it. Before she would look to determine the location of the creature, a sensation of disturbed trees and bushes at their right put them to an utter halt.

In that direction, Emma readied her rifle and aimed, eyes focused with a coldness against the approaching threat. Garou's hands were inches from his side, his fingers bared in relaxed composure, dangerous claws awaiting to fight in furious unleash.

The bushes jerked as a body traveled through them, and the monster came out. A four-legged beast with tan-peach fur over its head and at the front of its puffed chest, a black nose, and an orange, black-striped body.

It was the size of a puppy.

A tiger-puppy of some sort.

[Monster Identified. Monster Type: Pokémon. Name of Species: Growlithe].

Emma and Garou stared, unexpected at the size and adorableness of the approached monster, furthermore, that the monster didn't seem to mind them any of its attention. They watched cautiously as the small furry creature had its nose against the ground, sniffing around in search of something, and then looked up at them. Emma and Garou were immediately on-guard, having previously learned not to underestimate something that was cute.

The tiger-puppy turned its head back to where it first emerged and barked. "It's calling someone?" Emma looked down at her tracker, no other monster was in range.

Yet something comes after the Growlithe in rush movements. Tensed, they ready themselves for whatever else , and saw the figure comes out.

"Huh-? Ah!" The figure was a boy, his green-tipped spiky hair instantly familiar, recognition struck Garou and Emma.

"Emma! Old guy!" It was the young hunter with the fishing rod - the hunter they have been separated from for a few hours.

Emma was agape, "Gon!"

"Who are you calling old, you little brat?" Garou growled with begrudging eyes as Emma ran up to the boy in absolute happiness. Utter delight at finding one another in this vast region.

"Wow! We've actually found you!" Gon exclaimed highly before looking back to the trees, "Killua! I've found Emma and the old guy!"

"Who the hell are you calling old-?" "-I'm so glad to see you're okay!" Emma overlapped Garou's comment with immense joy, looking down at her feet to the awaiting Growlithe that looked up to Gon and Emma in seated expectance. "Who's... this?"

Gon reached down and patted the cub-pup who savored his touch with closed-eyes, "We've met this little guy a while ago, he's been helping us get through the valley."

Garou's glare shot up for the rustling of the trees, where Killua's form dropped to the grass. "Whoa. You really did found them," the assassin boy said in amazement.

"I know right?" Gon exclaimed before looking back at Emma and Garou. "We weren't sure at all if we were ever going to find you guys. This place has so many flowers with strong smells, I couldn't find your scent at all."

He picked up and held the tiger-puppy in his arms, "Then we found this little guy here in the valley, and he was able to pick out your scent!"

"But how?" Emma asked. "You would have to have something from me to..." Realization dawns on her, "Wait. Did you use-?"

The Growlithe excitedly climbed over Gon's shoulder, the side of his body a soft cushion against Gon's cheek as the pokemon reached Gon's backpack.

From its return to Gon's arm, it held the Support Card: Instant Travel in its little fanged mouth.

When they have left the Kijin clan's village, Emma decided to entrust Gon and Killua with two of the three cards they were given. She gave the Instant Transport Card to Gon, the Trap Card Tangled Webs to Killua, and herself holding the Mystery Box Card. It was a sign of agreement between them, that they would accomplish their task to achieve five stars and pass the Preliminary, as well did these boys deserve something for agreeing to selflessly relent those extra stars that were once Garou's, rather than keep it for themselves. Since Emma was the first to hold it, her scent was laced upon it.

"H-hey! Give that back!" Killua wordily berated the Growlithe. The Growlithe avoided Killua's reach for the card as it hopped out of Gon's hold and ran around the feet of Emma who looked down at it unsurely, before it jumped into her arms. Holding up the card close to her face.

"What's that?"

Killua stiffened as Garou leaned over Emma's form, eyes examining the Support Card. Don't tell him don't tell-

"Oh, it's a Support Card."

She told him! Killua wanted to drag out his own hair in frustration.

Garou blinked, "Support Card?"

"You don't know, mister?" She asked as she retrieved the card from the Growlithe's mouth, and unresisting the immediate desire to pet the Pokémon's back. "They're magic cards that can give us an advantage throughout this event. Like the Monster Tracker I have."

Huh. This is the first Garou has heard of it. Probably because he was busy hunting Heroes and monsters most of his time. He pointed at the card, "Can I see it?"

"Sure. Here you go."

Emma unhesitantly handed the Support Card to Garou - their one and only card that can instantaneously teleport them out of this dangerous place of dangerous monsters. Killua's jaw dropped as Gon was speechlessley bemused.

LEARN TO HAVE SOME CAUTION! Killua screamed inside his head, his incredulous glare at the girl who was oblivious at his stare.

Killua remembered the infamous player-killer of Greed Island, Bomber and his two other helps - one which Killua himself fought with. When he first heard of the Bomber, Killua deduced the man to be a remorseless killer who would do whatever it took to win that game of Greed Island, and was convinced of that man's cruel nature when he later heard his voice through the message that demanded he, Gon, and the group they were with, to relinquish their cards. This person did whatever he could to take other people's cards to get ahead of the game, and if this person was the same, they shouldn't even risk testing it!

"Instant Teleport?" Garou read the name of the card he held up close to his face.

"Uhuh. Once we've all got our five stars, we're planning to use that card to get out of Beast Valley right away," Emma unhesitantly revealed the mechanisms of the card.

"Huh. That's pretty neat," and with that, Garou returned the card to Emma. Killua was stunned.

He... just gave it back?

The man didn't even hesitate. It would have made sense if he at least showed a bit of temptation and intrigue to the card, but neither was demonstrated, none that could be seen anyhow.

Gon looked at Killua, "Maybe he really isn't as bad as we thought he was." The young hunter was starting to see what Emma had saw in the man.

"Eaay for you to say. He still attacked us," Killua reminded, and if anything, this just shows how unpredictable this man was.

The Growlithe hopped out of Emma's hold and returned to Gon's side with a pant. "It's honestly incredible that you befriended a monster, Gon," Emma told the boy in green.

"I have a way with animals," Gon said. "Kite even once told me that the best Hunters are the ones who can communicate with and be close to animals. I guess it's no different with monsters like this one."

He knelt beside the creature and began to coddle him with both petting hands, the Growlithe purred in delight as it rolled over to its side and exposing its belly. A laugh escaped Gon as he offered the creature with affection.

"It'd be pretty easy that we could get another from him," Gon added, his eyes turned sullen somewhat. "But I'd feel bad if I do that He's helped us this far, I wouldn't want to hurt him. Plus, Killua tried to cut his hair and he didn't like that."

Understandably so, as anyone would feel at edge at the sight of such sharp deadly weapon at the fingertip of strangers. Killua huffed as he inserted his hands into his pockets. Emma understood Gon's feelings. It would bring her guilt if a kind and friendly animal displayed itself to her in trusting affection, she too wouldn't think or want to hunt it even if she was near starvation.

"It's fine anyway," Gon assured, "We've already have our fourth star, we just need to look out for one more monster."

"Eh?! You guys got your fourth star?" Emma looked at the boys eagerly.

Killua affirmed with a short bob of his head, "Yup. It really sucked though. We fought through about three monsters and barely got away with our lives before we could try to get another piece from those other monsters. This place is seriously no joke."

"Did you guys managed to get any stars?" Gon asked Emma and Garou during their time of separation.

Emma answered enthusiastically, "We did! It was only one star, but we're this much closer to reaching our goal!"

"That's good," Killua commended. "Well, we better get going. Can't stand here in one place for too long."

The young assassin started one direction, "Come on, there's a place we've found that we're thinking of making camp for tonight."

"It's really awesome! You have to come and see it!" Gon promised with much excitement, picking up the Growlithe in his arms. "It's where we met this little monster and all his other friends."

Emma complied with a nod, "Sure! We've been walking for a long time now." She turned for the man behind her and waited for his input. Garou thought momentarily to himself. He really ought to go with luck and start hunting monsters, but these beasts living among here are seriously tricky. That Big Toad for example, what other creatures might he expect that are also immune to damage?

At that likely scenario, he really could use that Monster Tracker's ability to determine a monster's weakness when he really needs it. "...Alright. Let's go."

Emma smiled up at him, and together, they followed after the leading boys and their yipping tiger-puppy.

/.\

It was like a private small meadow, yellowstone walls guarding this place, with the entrance through underneath the roots of the massive trees. Colorful exotic flowers in this green grasses area as small creatures fusses around in playtime and company, some swimming at a nearby pond deep enough for creatures to dive into. The Monster Tracker made repeated identification to every new monster Emma had come across, and under the same name that identified the type of their overall species.

Pokémon

A delighted laugh from Emma when the brown fox known as an Eevee snuggled its head against her cheek while a little orange chick almost as tall as her knees called a Torchick cradled itself by her side, chirping its own name happily. Gon sat next her, playing with the befriended Growlithe, a Bulbasaur that was a blue-sky four-legged thing with a leave plant on its back at his other side, and a Teddiursa, an orange fur bear with a single curled stroke of white at its forehead.

A small yellow mouse, one that looked similar to the mouse that Emma and Garou saw company the cap-wearing boy, but this creature was much smaller, with paler yellow and a tiny body, a Pichu, who takes playful comfort by Killua's hip as he sat with a Sphynx, a four-legged cat like creature with blue and black fur and a yellow star spike at the end of its tail, oh and also a tendency to shock, as did the Pichu, and so did the white squirrel with blue stripes, it seems all the electric-type pokemon have a fondness towards the young assassin, one that Killua both found bothersome, yet not unwelcome.

Garou stood aside and observed the children enjoy themselves with the non, non-hostile monsters that took to an immediate liking with the kids. Practically dealing with literal Cubs, pups, kittens, and other baby-size critters. A stark contrast to the dangerous creatures he and Emma had come across and barely managed to either escape from or defeat. He simply watched their smiles and cuddling with the friendly critters, acting as the spirited kids their age suggests.

A pointy clutch at his ankle. Garou looked down and spotted a gray, wolf-like pup with a black face, biting around his ankle with baby fangs. A Poochyena.

He picked up his leg, the Poochyena still clutched with unrelenting biting, though it was evidentally startled at being picked up, failing to have his intended prey to pick on to be intimidated or even affected by his usually pinching bite. Garou reached out and plucked the wolf-pup pokemon from his ankle, face to face with the critter, it dared to object its position, and tries to reach and bite his face. It amused him.

"Ah! Stop! That tickles!" Emma's cheeks were brightly orange as she was assaulted by the endless kisses granted by a Lillipup. She had always wondered what it would have been like to have a puppy, her family had always wondered so and even dreamed that their eventual adoptive parents would have one so that they may play with and forever love. Oh how she wishes her family could be with her to enjoy this. She laughed loudly.

"You know, we can still try..." Killua said idly. Gon frowned disapprovingly.

"We can't. They'll get scared, even if you do just want to cut their fur or hair."

The Pichu managed to sneak under Killuas white shirt, crawled upward and pop out from the exit hole by his neck, its soft pale yellow fur vibrant and faintly prickly, like how a person hair can stand up after rubbing leather around a ball of sulfur.

"Mm..." Killua said, rubbing the Pichu's pink cheek with his finger, and relented. "Ah well, I guess we'll just have to look for other monsters to hunt then."

"Absolutely!" Emma loudly proclaimed with the Lillipup in her arms and a red fox called a Vulpix on her head. "We can't harm any of them! They're just babies! And they're really friendly!"

"You sure are having the time of your life..." Killua noted as Emma then turned her head to the man who secluded himself but not too far from them.

"Isn't that right, mister?" She asked the now seated older competitor.

He had his back towards them as both his hands and attention was to the Poochyena, holding up the little wolf-pup by its paws and having the critter stand on its feet as if to do a little dance, much to the wolf-dog's miffed feelings for it. He slightly turned his head for her, then back at the Poochyena.

"...Garou."

Emma blinked, her verdant eyes brighten as they stretched open. Did he just...

"My name's Garou," he told her again, and release one of the Poochyena's paw to turn and point at her, "So you can stop with that "mister" or "old guy" calling. You got that? I ain't that old. I'm only eighteen."

It was like her heart danced in a celebratory accomplishment. He had actually given them his name. It made Emma happy, and it made her want to smile until her face hurt.

But his next given fact had careened her train of thought, and her joyfulness to learn his name was switched with another tremendous emotion. "YOU'RE EIGHTEEN?!"

"Hold on! You're a teenager?!" Killua gawked widely.

"Seriously?!" Gon yelled in pure disbelief.

Garou's eye twitched as he visibly withheld himself from smacking them, his hands still gingerly clutching the Poochyena's paws.

"Ah! I'm sorry! That was rude," Emma apologized. "I just... never thought you'd be that young."

She figured he'd be in his twenties with that muscled physique of his, even the nameless man didn't have that kind of build from what she had only saw, but a teenager? Just seven years above her!

"He's just like Leorio," Gon quietly said to Killua, who nodded in agreement. Garou paid them no more attention, and resumed his play of the Poochyena who barked at him.

Emma relaxes, watching the mans back for a little longer. She smiled. She looked back at the Lilipup in her hands and hugged it tightly, the puppy rubbing its fur to her face in returned embrace.

I finally know his name. She thought happily, Now I hope he gets to call me by my own name.

---

Competitors Introduced:

Hiyakkimaru and Dororo (Dororo)

Tanjiro Kamado (Demon Slayer)

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu (Pokémon)