Using the makeshift masks that some of their family had made, they ran from hiding spot to another hiding spot to not direct attention to themselves.
"The festival has already started." Emma worryingly glances at the town.
"Norman must be at the heart of the ceremonial grounds... Inside the castle." Ray speaks.
"... We have to hurry." Emma grips her fists. The four nod as an signal to head to the castle.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" A scream comes from a young demon girl, making everyone flinch and step back, only to be pushed back after a big and awfully bright explosion.
Crates filled with all sorts of fruit and goods were broken, ruined, tattered and scattered.
Smoke emitted from the burning pieces of wood.
Bricks and walls turned to ruins and rubble. Stalls and structures, broken and fallen.
Some demons were crushed under the fallen debris. The ones who weren't dead were heavily injured and others were mourning for their fallen friends and family.
This was a part of Norman's plans. Although the explosion didn't have a large range, there wasn't only one of them.
"It's begun... We took to long and Norman's attacks have started...!!" Ray clicks his tongue.
Dazai was counting the explosions he could hear as his eyes dart around at the directions of where the explosions were.
One... Two... Three, four... Five, six, seven, eight... Nine, ten...
It was pointless to count-
There were just too many.
"Emma? Dazai? Chuuya? Ray?!"
Hearing their names, the four turn around.
"Don! Gilda!"
The two approaches the four with open arms, hugging them tight.
With Don and Gilda was Hayato and a girl who was introduced as Aishe aswell as two familiar friendly demons, Mukja and Sonju.
(Apologies for the constant change of names for Mujka/Musica. I'll change it when I edit the story)
Emma, quickly explaining the situation to the group of 6, gets given a communicator from Sonju.
After parting ways, Emma, Ray, Dazai and Chuuya get back on track with their original plan they made 10 minutes ago.
Entering the tower, all entrances were closed except a small vent.
After giving Dazai a boost, Chuuya floats himself along with Emma and Ray up.
Crawling around the sharp corners, they find an exit with a grate just blocking them.
Giving it a stern kick, Dazai jumps down and readies his hand to catch Chuuya when he falls.
Chuuya jumps down and grabs one on Dazai's sturdy hands and softly lands. Dazai smiles at the small sign of deep trust and they both wait for the other two to get down.
"There!" Ray point a large pair of double doors."
Pushing the doors showed the chaos which was with in.
Bleeding, dead bodies laid still. Cleanly cut ligaments, scattered. Walls, decorated with a crimson, dripping liquid.
"Norman!" Emma cries out.
"I'm sorry... It's to late now... Emma."
"All of them..." Ray glances around the room.
"...Have been killed." Norman smiles sadly. "They killed each other, all of them."
"Norman! I forged the promise so now everyone can escape to the human world! You don't have to fight anymore!" Emma gives a hopeful smile whistle walking towards her friend.
Ray, Dazai and Chuuya followed along behind.
Ray was more focused on the conversation and processing everything while Chuuya was avoiding anything that would dirty his shoes. A habit from having expensive shoes.
Dazai, being a menace to the society, was on purposely stepping on the dead body parts, making a satisfying crunch in each step. It's surprising, yet not that Dazai wasn't slipping on the blood that covered the dead bodies.
Chuuya turns around and sees his partner jumping on a bunch of dead bodies as if they were a jumping castle and sighs. How childish.
"It's already too late. Impossible now. The monarchy has collapsed. We've put a lethal fissure in this demon society, one they can't recover from. The thing left to do is destroy it. Don't get in the way."
Emma looks down, taking in every word and every possible response she should say.
"No way! I've decided not to sacrifice yourself again! I won't let you go alone!"
"What are you talking about? Didn't I tell you I'm not going anywhere?"
"I can't trust you! You're a liar! You can't fool me! I'm not an idiot! We can see through all your tricks! It must be so painful! The Norman infront of me looks like a trembling child!"
Norman's head seems to dart through his memories. A trembling child?
Dazai stopped jumping for a moment and watched Norman's face in amusement.
"Don't come any closer." Norman puts his hand out. He's going to need a better shield to block a determined person like Emma.
"No way! I would let you go this time!!" Emma grabs his hand. " Your stronger a d kinder than anyone else but you're just as cowardly and arrogant! Your not alone anymore! I want to walk alongside you!"
"Your family and your siblings are your friends. Don't be so reserved. We don't want a future where you end up suffering. No matter what that results in. And you? What do you want?" Ray speaks firmly.
"It's no good... You're already to late... I'm at a place where I can't just go back... You can't walk along me." Norman retreats backwards.
"We know. About the poison... What you planned to do with Mujka and Sonju... The experiment in the basement..."
"Let's all figure this out together! Let's live on, Norman!"
Norman embraces them in a warm hug. Tears streaming out his face.
"But really... It's pointless..." His voice turns shakey. "We don't have much longer to live... We can't live on... H-help me..."
Chuuya pats Norman on his back and Dazai gives a comforting smile.
Dazai could imagine the pain and burden that was on Norman's shoulders.
"Boss... What are you taking about?"
"You... Should be fine..."
"You're a perfect sample from grace field... The lone exception..."
Norman looks down. "It was true that I was by myself... But I underwent the same experiments are you all... My spasms have already progressed to level 4..."
"No way!"
"How could you lie to us!"
"I'm sorry.. I just wanted to be a leader that you could trust and not worry about... I'm so sorry."
"Now, what do you want to do now Norman." Emma changes the subject.
"I have no regret killing the queen and the nobles... But if possible I would like to stop the extinction. Remove the poisons... And not lose anyone from Lambda..."
Dazai clicks his tongue. If only Yosano was here instead of him. Now that would be a different story.
Of course he wouldn't want Chuuya to be with Yosano for those years. He would rather have Chuuya in the world he was in at all times.
"Got it! Leave it to us!" Ray says with confidence and comforting tone.
"It's okay! We'll figure it out together." Emma then embraces Norman is a tight hug.
"Stop messing around. I'm- ALL OF US ARE FINE WITH OUR LIVES ENDING HERE. DIDN'T YOU SAY WE CAN'T BACK DOWN? I WILL NEVER STOP.EVEB IF YOU TRY TO STOP ME-" Vincent yells out his inner frustrations.
"It's okay. If you want to stop the extinction, boss, then let's stop it. Although I really do hate demons and can't forgive them. You are more important to me than revenge. I'll follow where you go boss." Cislo says with a smile.
"Yeah..." Barbra weakly agrees.
"Awahhh..." Zazie cheer.
All the responses make Vincent bite his lip.
"So first, the matter of Lambada spasms." Emma's word shock the Lambda escapees. "We heard it from Don and Gilda. But, Adam doesn't get spasms! Even when going through the same experiments, he hasn't had symptoms for the past 2 years!"
"In other words, Adam is the breakthrough for savings everyone." Dazai quickly says to speed up the conversation.
He and Chuuya had this unshakable feeling something bad was going to happen soon.
"But there's an obstacle... The royal army is searching for the hideout." Ray adds. "You should go to the hideout. We'll come after we deal with the chaos here."
"Ha... How will you do that? The people would most likely be poisoned already." Vincent tries to reason.
"It's okay! Don, Gilda, Musica and Sonju are reducing the damage as much as possible. Now, let's split up!"
"Got it!"
"Can you get up Barbara?"
"Cislo, go ahead and get the horses."
"Roger."
"Just bare a bit longer Barbara..."
"I'll be okay."
"Vincent, can you secure our escape route?"
"... Roger."
Suddenly...
Something was over shadowing them all...
A talk figure, too tall to be one of a human's and getting taller by the second.
On guard, they all face the creature hovering near them.
The queen and she was regenerating quickly too.
"BOSS!" Cislo cried out. Norman was the closest to the growing figure and was within its mouth's reach.
Protecting the boss, Cilso's leg was bitten, making the room be filled with screams and cries.
"Stay with us!"
Norman, Emma and Chuuya were trying to stop the blood leaking to fast while the others watched the demon evolve once again.
In one outburst, the queen soon made many arms, too many to count, and started grabbing the dead bodies and devouring any she touchs, regaining her power once again.
The body continued to grow as everyone moves away from the creature's armspan.
Chuuya, using his ability to float Cislo and being careful not to move him too much, swiftly dodges an upcoming arm.
"The core was destroyed... I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Well then, it either the queen can survive without her core or... she has more than one..."
Norman frowns, thinking for a moment.
"Vincent, take Cislo and lead the others back to head quarters."
Vincent stops to think. "And you?"
"I'll say with Zazie here and deal with this somehow and then follow you back."
"Well in that case..."
"It's dangerous here! Go! I'm counting on you...!"
"Roger!"
"It's coming!"
"Emma, Norman, Ray, Dazai, Chuuya... It's been a while..."
"Huh?" Emma turns her head.
Sister Krone's face, eyes wide, stared at them all.
Soon other faces started poping up on the arms, which now looked more like branches.
Even some faces that Chuuya could recognise were calling out his name.
He staggered backwards, remembering that he had been a part of the people who let them go there without even trying to stop them from leaving.
The 'trunk' of the 'tree', or the base of the creature, opened up, revealing a faceless demon.
"What is this... It doesn't even have a face..."
"The queen was redirected?"
"How wonderful." The demon spoke. "You're all here... Standing in front of me. The 5 best premium products from grace field, plant 3. This is fantastic. Your all alive. You attacked my capital and attacked my retainers, not to mention, defy me... You cattle children from Lambda and Gracefield... Will all be returned to me. I'm going to eat every single one of you." Mouths appeared all over the demon's body, as she grabs Zazie towards her.
Luckily, Zazie reacted fast enough and sliced her in half.
But her regeneration was just too good. In a split second, she was whole again and in one swift movement, she knocked Zazie out.
"Zazie!!!!" Norman ran towards the body of the boy.
Emma, Ray and Dazai hold their guns while Chuuya fiddled with the bullets in his pockets.
Dazai knew he only had a limited amount of bullets left. He hasn't refilled in a long time you see.
If he was going to shoot, it had to be a worthwhile shot.
Ray and Emma were intimidated, and had no idea where to shoot. They both had seen the quick regeneration and Chuuya was having a similar problem.
Would it be easier for Chuuya to just squeeze the demon' whole body? Or would he use his ability but there was too many people... Or, the safest option was to wait and shoot.
Chuuya looks at Dazai and understands the signals on what they should do.
The queen walked closer and closer to Emma and Ray and the two didn't move. Their bodies were cemented under them under the fear they had.
Then...
Four spears, along with Dazai and Chuuya's shots.
The spears pierced all over the body while Dazai and Chuuya's were just aimed at the knees.
Aiming at the knees gives two benefits. One, it would make the opponent fall. And two, there is a cartilages there which is one of the slowest healing parts in the body.
"Sonju! Musica!"
"Sorry for the wait."
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An: Hey! I won't update for a week cause I accidentally cracked my laptop so, um, enjoy this chapter ig...?