The five groups set out towards the Tukman Woods, despite the Nuil's earlier vows.
The first team consisted of Morio, Jyuzou and Jeffy. Atomu and Chyuuichi agreed that there was no point in leaving one of the four behind, so they waited for a random participant to join them. Their third teammate eventually became a girl bearing a mask, black hair, and a strangely ambiguous appearance.
Chyuuichi first assumed that she might've been a paladian, though Atomu quickly brushed it off, uttering that she was probably some morian. The mirillian asked the question, but she simply nodded, closing her eyes and eventually ended up following them in a rather awkward silence.
Well, silence was one word, since Chyuuichi couldn't keep quiet for too long, but the general atmosphere, despite all of this, stretching across all the participants was rather heavy.
The third, fourth and fifth groups were full of people whom one knew, rather quiet, spare for Ambrosia. They tried striking up a conversation with the two others for a change, and when that didn't work out, they turned to the girl from Atomu and Chyuuichi's team.
At one point, the two stopped, and the girl scribbled something in the snow, pointing back to her face. Ambrosia, and by that rule, the others, quickly learned her name - Zuimu, although she still refused to speak for the time being.
Everyone else kept a steady pace, and the mirilian even sang some to ease the travels, but after an hour or so, they realised they wouldn't advance in the test without covering a larger area. With one final decision, the five teams split in different directions, breaking up near a large tree in the middle of the woods.
Morio trod a curvy path, while the others walked around him. The crowns of the trees, much like in the forest leading to Wendigo, created a gapped ceiling, which protected the ground from heavy snow. Its layer was rather shallow but stiff, and the temperature inside was lower than in most places. In Gorro, many people would sneak into the Tukman Woods and enjoy its cold shadows, as opposed to the hot sun.
Jyuzou followed the two, seldom looking for seeds, flowers, or even the big junis. Morio didn't talk much, save for a smile on his face, which seemed to tell more, despite some of the doubts he had.
"Darn, these woods are massive!" Jeffy admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I heard stories from the Nuil about how it's big and beautiful, but I never knew that one day I'd step into the shuckled place!"
"Just because they're Tukman's land doesn't mean that no one went inside before us," Jyuzou stated.
"Isn't this place guarded?" Jeffy asked.
"People go in and out when Eryk comes! Bancho even told us that one time he slept under the trees' spacious underground for three days," Morio stated. "So, if we get tired, we can find a nice place to settle."
Jyuzou suddenly stopped, looking up. His eyes widened.
"Ooh, seeds! Mama never allowed me to sleep outside! Did you ever do that, Morio?" Jeffy pointed.
"By the fire at night, sometimes I'd even go out into the woods in the heat of Gorro and sleep under the naked sky!" Morio reminisced. "But, I don't know if you could do that in Magna."
"I wanna try, then!"
"I'll have to take you to Mistwick one day, then!" Morio continued.
"Really? That'd be so fun!" Jeffy lit up.
"Promise!" Morio closed one eye.
"Crackers, I always wanted to see all of Shimori!"
Morio chuckled, hopping around.
"So, is it cool?" Jeffy beamed, stopping for a second.
"Of course, we'll gladly have you!"
"J-Juni!" Jyuzou fell to the ground, pointing at the navy blue fruit near the juniper's crown. "THERE IT IS!" he laughed, maniacally, and the two turned. "Need to get it, need to get it!" he threw the two books on the ground and ran up to the tree. "MORIO, JEFFY! HELP ME WITH THIS!"
Morio sighed very loudly and turned on his heel.
"Ah, shuckle seeds, but how?" Jeffy asked, running up to him.
"Lie down on the ground, and I'll shake this tree until the big juni falls. Catch it, but don't smash it with those hands of yours!"
"Shin," Morio muttered, moving further away, yet still hearing Jyuzou's shaky voice. "We have a demon to kill, glassy-eyed!"
"Ah, it's not gonna be any easy!" Jeffy blinked, lying on his back, reaching his arms out towards the fruit above.
"Shake, shake! SHAKE SHAKE!" Jyuzou repeated, moving the tree around as if his life depended on it.
"You don't need to yell!" Jeffy raised his voice.
Morio sighed.
"Fall, the great big juni!" Jyuzou announced, and at that moment, the twig snapped, causing the fruit to plummet.
"Ah, gah!" The food landed in Jeffy's hands. "Oh, it's slippery!"
The fruit slowly slipped from his hands, changing shape and splattering on his face.
The glassy-eyed stepped down, opening his mouth and making strange noises. "Ah."
Jeffy stuck his tongue out, licking some of its juice. "Definitely as darn tasty as they say!"
Jyuzou ground his teeth, slowly moving towards the morian as if he were ready to punch him, but Jeffy successfully avoided that thought with a roll, and another smile on his face. The other morian seemed to calm down, fixing his glasses and turning towards Morio, marching in the distance.
The white-haired passed a group of taller trees and squeezed between their trunks. When he stepped out, his eyes focused on a certain shape drawn in out in a thin, dark red, piercing through the snow. He stepped back, eyes widened, and gulped.
"Did something happen?" Jyuzou quickly asked, following suit, before taking the same stance as the other morian. "Wh-"
"What's going on?" Jeffy asked, sucking his finger clean of the juices.
Before them stood a reversed star, with many lines connecting in the middle. One wouldn't have to doubt its meaning. Demons were here beforehand.
"Oh, jeez."
***
To say that there is a balance across powers, surnames, and a thousand other things that govern Errarion would be quite the reach. It's in any country that the higher-ups have more control over public information, or things that, in general, should be kept secret for various reasons.
Public outcries, general panic, and expectations from the leaders were just a few answers, but one could do with a ranking set between specific people. Much like with balance, not every surname was as grand as the others, though a good indication could've been the Errarion Entrophy, listing nobility in order of their deeds and expectations.
Zenons and Tukmans were part of this list, and simply because they've always been, from the very first records set in stone after the first war. The stories of specific members were either lengthy or very calm, but all in all, there was always a sort of funny rule when it came to each.
Tukmans, originally, were just paladians, though a hundred years or so after the Second War and the continued rise of Shimori, their bloodlines mixed with morians. Eryk, therefore, was a morian-paladian, and he thought it was a good enough reason to be considered important. They had achievements, as said, but someone had to find at least one quality that mattered a little more.
Zenons, however, were sort of a thorn in the side of someone like Eryk. Again, it's a wide history, starting from a few paladians that lived in Malikan towards adopting proper surnames somewhere around the widespread, though after the Second War, it became a strict lineage of erans continuing what was left behind.
That was when most rumours started. Zenons were always involved in major shifts and conflicts. They were one of the first to lift Guardian Demons, and it seemed that a lot of what they had going for them marched right alongside demons.
There was, however, one major flaw the Tukmans could grab onto. Yes, they were involved, but they were never major victors. Their list of deeds was wide and long, but if you were to consult a few history books in the libraries, you wouldn't even find anything interesting to begin with, besides them just being present.
It was turned into a joke amongst Tukmans, and then came Jakob, trying to disprove that mentality. His involvement with the tributal Roots Clan at the same time of the Ainasu invasion was one of the many reasons why he was assigned to lead Demonear tests under Bancho's guide, and coincidentally, his less-achieving brother was one of the first who passed.
Though Kashmir reckoned it was that big thorn. He did many things, but nothing quite on the scale of becoming known. His stories would be remembered now, but they would fade with time if not written, as all things did. It wasn't necessarily about carrying legacies or proving someone's point.
Wrestling against fate would be quite futile, and after all, the Zenons all passed in mysterious ways. Tukmans were never achievers. They were rulers, desperately holding onto what they had already managed to introduce, and perhaps, that could've been the better notion.
When the participants set out to the forest, Eryk requested to be carried back to his palace, ordering Kashmir to join. The tributals made way for Lamon and Eryk and gave the Demonear fearful looks. Sometimes, their eyes would meet, and the tributals would spot Kashmir's focus, combined with knowing what was to come.
When they stepped inside the gates, yells echoed. In fact, they could be heard in the other castle chambers. The guards walked closer to the castle's walls, hanging around either by the red overhang or near the entrance, glancing past the iron gates, trying to peek through the few windows splattered on the brick walls.
When things got quiet, even if for a few seconds, it would be followed by a scream louder than before. Rowan sighed, fixing their glasses.
"Who told you you could do this?!" Eryk asked, struggling around in his big chair, while Kashmir sat on a wooden stool, with his hands on his lap.
"Do you want me to repeat the same words for your amusement?" he inclined. "I have your signature on the paper. I can go back to the inn and get it if that's what you want."
"It's not about the agreement. You should've reminded me of it when we had the chance!" Eryk yelled out. "I thought you'd send them to the Lockum Mountains, that'd be a better place!"
"Lockum Mountains are too far away, and too dangerous a landscape for the inexperienced-"
"YOU'RE SAYING THAT LIKE YOU CARE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY PEOPLE! You're sending them to a sure death, asshole!"
"Only the ones willing to sacrifice so much are participating. It should've always been that way." Kashmir glanced up. "Fortune favours the brave."
Lamon turned to Eryk for a second. It went without saying that the Nuil spouted all those words as if he cared. Then again, Lamon wished that Kashmir hadn't taken this 'drastic' measure in the first place. It'd be one argument less.
"You come in here and act like the world belongs to you. Damn you, Zenons!" he stood on one leg for a moment, pointing to Kashmir's face. "Is that supposed to be another one of your flimsy attempts at change? Do you want to be known as a murderer?"
Lamon quickly ran up to Eryk, letting him hold onto his shoulder.
"You're nothing but a simple eran, who thinks everyone will preach your rule just because you're supposed to be important!"
"Ironic," muttered Kashmir.
"You can't even bring any of the Wise to such a detrimental event! All the other times, they'd come even without being told to. Where's Bancho, Axel? See? You're nothing!" Eryk hissed. "Again!"
Kashmir breathed out. "What's the point of making a fuss now? Is it about the Entrophy, again? I can make assumptions about any of the Tukmans as well. Jakob said well enough."
"Screw Jakob." Eryk shook his head. "Man's in the grave probably for some good reason. Are you that gritty about his death that you need to come in and spout your wrath on all the other underachievers?" he chuckled. "Always the same with you Zenons! My father even told me the same. How about just going to Harabara and-"
Out of the blue, Kashmir rose, swinging a thick club at Eryk's face. Lamon's eyes widened, and Eryk let go, falling to the ground.
"Sir Zenon!" Lamon yelled out.
"You're not going to argue with me using words such as these," he muttered, putting the club up to Eryk's chin.
"Are you threatening me?!" Eryk raised his voice, grinding his teeth.
"Talk like that only to people who are weaker than you," Kashmir replied. "Dig yourself out a better grave than this, Eryk." he put the club on his shoulder, turning to the exit. "Word's over."
When the thick gates of his chamber slammed shut, an echo was carried across the room. Lamon turned to those thoughts as Eryk climbed up onto his bed, folding his arms.
"I can send the guards after him, Nuil." Lamon insisted, crouching on one knee.
"No need. You can't be called Nuil if you can't handle a little skirmish in the chambers," he uttered, sliding his big hand across his equally large face. "Just watch it, Lamon. He'll go like all the other Demonears. Straight to hell, that's what the world said!"
Turns out, a little spur over a forest can turn into very heated words.
***
Atomu's group, for the longest time, had a rather uneventful stroll through the forest. From time to time, Chyuuichi tried to strike up a conversation with Zuimu, but the only thing he got in response was nods. He bragged about the gambling halls, then complained about the gambling halls. He went on about the journey from Wendigo to Magna and described the whale attack, but the girl didn't offer anything in response that wasn't widened eyes and another nod.
When the sun started setting, the three stopped circling the area and, much like most teams, took a break, sitting down near three trees. Atomu breathed out loudly, and Chyuuichi yawned, dropping his bag of food on the ground. He flopped onto the snow, scratching his black eye.
"Does it hurt?" The paladian asked, putting his legs together.
"It stings," The mirillian replied.
"Then it does hurt."
"It's a different feeling, Atam! It stings because it's sour, just like me! Where did all my money go? They must've stolen it!"
"So you're finally getting all those memories back, huh?"
"Kinda." Chyuuichi chuckled. "I'll find an answer!" he waved his fist, and the paladian turned to the side, glancing around.
Zuimu observed the two as a slight wind picked up, matching the silence present. Atomu met her glance, before she stared right at the mirillian.
"I-It doesn't look like any demon is showing up," Atomu stated. "Six hours must've passed," he said, looking up. "Still, nothing."
"I don't think anyone has seen anything." Chyuuichi proposed. "I thought we'd hear screams or some commotion, but no," he shook his head. "Nothing but an empty forest."
"Not empty." Atomu took out a piece of bread, snacking on it. "I've seen some kind of ruins. No clue what they are, but they certainly mean something." he swallowed the chunk. "...and why would it be a lie?"
Chyuuichi folded his arms. "The guy was so mean that I felt like everything pointed towards demotivating us! I even thought of stepping back like all those other guys, but y'all were standing so I just had to roll my eyes, and now I'm here."
"Mhh mm," Zuimu muttered, muffled. "Mhh."
Chyuuichi squinted. "Take that mask off, will ya?"
Atomu shook his head before clearing his throat.
"Back to those ruins, that could be our only chance." Chyuuichi jumped up. "I bet there is a demon waiting to be slaughtered over there! Let's get it done and head back to Magna already! The capinos are waiting."
Atomu put his hand on his forehead, opening his mouth slightly. He slowly turned his gaze away from Chyuuichi, who hid behind the trees on lookout, back to Zuimu.
She tapped the ground with her finger, and Atomu inched closer, breathing out.
Atomu read the written words in a whisper. He gulped before turning back to her eyes. "W-What do you know?"
Zuimu closed one eye.
"Where are they, Atam?" Chyuuichi put his hand above his eyes and focused. The paladian trembled before the two turned towards the mirillian with a gulp.
"There it is, I see it! Looks a bit ugly, though." Chyuuichi rubbed his hands together, breathing out the cold air. "Nothing for the poor to complain about! Guys, ya coming?"
He turned, with a wide grin.
"Guys?"
Out of the blue, something hit Chyuuichi's head, knocking him out near the tree.
***
The sunlight faded behind the mountains, and soon enough, the moon rose from beneath the skyline, with a wind revealing the lights above.
Morio gazed up. "We're closer to Mount Aria than I thought," he turned to the two, sitting near a campfire. "The view's a bit different than in Mistwick, huh, Jyuzou?"
"I don't think I've ever paid enough a-attention." Jyuzou shook his head.
"Really?" Morio sat down on a snowy log. "Whatever. You have all the time in the world to look at it now!" he crossed his arms, with a smirk.
"I'm surprised the two of you are brushing all of that off," Jyuzou muttered, fixing his glasses. "The star, I mean."
"I think there's nothing we can do about it," Jeffy raised a finger. "A demon settled in here before us. Maybe they wander around below the trees' roots? Who knows? Maybe they're even darn peaceful when given the chance?"
"Let's not go that far!"
"What else were we supposed to do?" Morio asked. "Run back to Magna in a scream? Sitting ducks until it shows up is the better choice."
"I-I agree with Morio here." Jeffy nodded.
Jyuzou seemed frustrated. "Why did I even decide to do this in the first place?"
"I was just about to ask!" Morio clapped his hands. "What motivated you?"
Jyuzou gulped. "More plants to see in the rest of this world."
Morio sighed, rolling his eyes. "There's GOTTA be more than that!"
"Animals, too."
Morio's glance narrowed as the other boy turned, putting his hand beneath his chin.
"Okay." Jyuzou huffed, looking back at the fire. "I was worried for you."
"I think I made myself clear that I'm strong enough!"
"Y-You never know, Morio! It's demons, after all."
Jeffy nodded. "I thought you were going to join us either way."
"Huh?" Jyuzou fixed his glasses.
"You had that darn look in your eyes!"
"That's what Mr Bancho said once!" Morio bumped his shoulder.
"See?" the blonde boy continued, grinning.
"Ekhem," he cleared his throat. "Plants are a priority, if we even make it out alive. Make sure you don't screw that part up." he gritted his teeth.
"Fine, Jyuzou. I'll still be the best of the bunch!" Morio uttered. "...and I'll prove it to you by killing that demon!"
"Then, sitting ducks is not the best s-strategy!"
"If something were coming, we'd know."
"Yep! Glad I set all those traps around!" Jeffy uttered, quickly covering his mouth. "Oops, shouldn't have said it that out loud."
"They can't understand us." Morio smiled.
"Most of them can't," Jyuzou added.
"They won't notice a thing, though. Tight little lines that will wrap around their heads when they try to reach for ours-"
"That's if we won't leave the camp." Jyuzou raised a finger.
"...and when they get entangled in all those ropes-" Morio spoke through his teeth. "-then we'll get them! They won't stand a chance!"
Jyuzou breathed in and out, trying to calm down. "If something goes wrong, it's on you."
"Ugh." Morio groaned. "Why are you always so negative?"
"This isn't a Rodeway's book, Morio," Jyuzou said, sticking both hands out. "I already told you. Demons are extremely dangerous! Treating these wounds with all those little lies isn't a way to let them heal!" he raised his bandaged finger.
"When did I ever lie to you?" Morio raised his voice.
"Uh." Jeffy put his hands together.
"That story of you seeing a witch was nothing but a dream," Jyuzou said. "So stop saying that she had some important message! Focus on what's here and in front of you!"
"SHE WAS REAL!" Morio stood up. "I SAW HER! I HEARD HER SONG! SHE TOLD ME SOMETHING-"
"That you can't even remember!" Jyuzou raised his voice. "It wasn't important if you forgot so easily, so it can't be real. W-Witches don't exist, but demons are very real. They'll kill us because some sick man decided such."
Morio stood back. "It was real, I swear."
"I don't want to keep telling you this, but..." he sighed. "...grow up already. A trap won't hold a demon back, nor will good spirits, if it really sets out to kill you. Do you not remember what Mr Bruno said?"
"Jeepers, creepers." Jeffy put his hands on his knees.
Morio moved, looking down. A frown appeared on his face, quickly changing into a clenched jaw.
"I'm glad, Jyuzou."
"Huh?"
"When we all pass this test, I'll be strong enough to beat you up for constantly denying every single ounce of joy I have," Morio uttered.
"All I'm saying is you need to separate reality and fiction, since..." Jyuzou forgot a word, clenching his fist.
"You're not any mature either! Why do you want to be someone everyone knows you're not?! Even that thing with Chyuuichi back near the lake, it was you who constantly tried putting him down for one Shin-damned mistake!" he signalled with his hands. "Like you're any better, idiot!"
Jyuzou reached his hand out, and Morio took another step back.
"Forget anything I've said about you being there for me. You can already tell Jeffy to screw off at this point, since the only thing you manage to do, constantly, is push people away!" Morio yelled out, putting his hand on one of the lines and climbing out of the small area.
Jyuzou clenched his fist before suddenly screaming out and kicking an empty metal pot. It bounced off the tree and landed next to Jeffy's feet.
"Oh, jeez," Jeffy muttered, moving around.
The glassy-eyed quickly looked back at him, before gulping and breathing out loudly. A meaningless argument was the last thing they needed.
Morio made his way down a snowy hill and onto an empty valley, where a few small animals ran around, searching for seeds. He looked up and, without much thought, grabbed onto a big branch, moving up a rather large bark. Eventually, the branches grew scarce and weak before disappearing entirely.
The Tukman Woods had a few trees, which were different from the ones in Shimori. Amidst the junipers or ciders, these were called tuks and were twice the size of the others. Their wood was thick and dry, and you could easily climb to its half, but not to the top. Morio stopped on one of the boughs and sat on its side, putting his knees up.
He blinked twice but kept glancing, thinking about something, while nothing seemed to settle in his mind. In the distance, he spotted the many ruins of what once were individual huts in Magna. When Eryk decided that the Tukman Woods were to belong to him, he ordered that the people inside move into Homieo.
The huts closer to town were completely demolished; however, the further you went, the more of the red brick formations appeared, sprinkled around the edges, closer to the White Mountains.
Much like in a part of Wendigo, they were big and round, but very logical. Their shape resembled the few huts that stood in Kyrkogarde, but in this instance, they were made out of a different stone.
It was because demons that came here tended to ruin the walls or rebuild something else from the bricks lying around. The sight of a house like that could've indicated a demon was close by. Bancho told Morio such, but even when reminiscing over those stories, only resentment found itself chipping away at those chunks of excitement.
"Stupid Jyuzou."
In the end, Bancho wouldn't be there anyway. To congratulate him for passing, if that even were to happen. Maybe Jyuzou was right, and he was the foolish child, but he was so far from ever trying to admit that the other morian was right.
Eventually, he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
***
Jeffy carefully ate his food, eyeing Jyuzou and gulping through each bite.
The other morian took off his glasses and rubbed them against his coat. He turned to the blonde who sat next to him, and Jeffy looked away, tapping his fingers against the bark they sat on.
"I-I know you don't know me well. Um." Jyuzou scratched his head.
"No, no. Tell me, I'm curious!" Jeffy bit into his food.
"Do you think I'm a bad person?"
"Um!" Jeffy raised his voice. "Shuckle nuts, I don't think I should be the darn judge of that!"
"Like, from what Morio said, which was..." he coughed. "True."
"I mean, Mama and Papa argue like this all the time, I don't know why! It doesn't make them bad people, even if one tells the other they're horrible!"
Jyuzou opened his mouth a bit, in shock. "D-Do you know why they argue?"
"I feel like it's about pretty much darn anything! I even heard my name once, but then I saw them hugging at the end of the day. Well, they're good, I'd say cool, even." Jeffy stated, playing around with a stick. "So it doesn't make me think any less of you or Morio," he smiled. "But, why do you two argue?"
Jyuzou stood up, walking around the fire. "I-I don't know. It's always pretty much about anything, too."
"Mama usually does it so she can get answers. So you want to get something out of the shuckled thing too, don't you?"
"I don't know." The morian closed his eyes. "Maybe I am just a bad, selfish person, and Morio's right. Or..."
"Hm?"
Jyuzou clenched his fist. "I... I don't think anything will change if we stay here. I think we ought to search for Morio, then."
"Okay, after my toast's done firing up!" Jeffy added, and Jyuzou's eyes shrank as he stared into something that revealed itself from the shadows, in the distance. "I love my bread hot and nice, ya know? Jyuzou?"
***
Morio ground his teeth, waking to a sinking pain in his head. He pressed his forehead, blinking through a blur.
The empty moon sat against the colourful lights, which he could barely see from beneath the crowns. When he glanced down, it was darker than usual. He couldn't make out the distant light of the fire, nor the footsteps he had taken.
He leapt, branch by branch and landed into the snow, standing up and brushing off the excess sleet.
He put his hand on his vest, trying to make out the emblem that hid beneath, but his fingers slid against his silky clothes. He opened his mouth before spotting a gleam in the snow, further away. He waddled over and crouched.
Morio stared at the reversed triangle, as if expecting answers from an inanimate object. Maybe if he'd focus, he'd also imagine a witch flying overhead and pulling him out of this murk, or anything to solve this conundrum.
Eventually, though, he put the necklace back where it belonged. He sighed loudly, before stepping forward.
"It was somewhere around here." A faint statement sounded in the distance, and Morio turned his head towards the noise. It didn't resemble any of the participants' or his friends' voices.
Fearfully, he looked out from behind the tree and spotted a massive figure, with its demonic tail swinging with each step it took. Another silhouette followed suit, covered in a dark hood that barely stood out amongst the shadows.
He quickly hid behind the tree and covered his mouth, trying his best not to make any noise.
"Leopold, I'm right, aren't I?" Isak signalled. "Someone was murmuring something here."
Morio closed his eyes, crouching behind the tuks' bark.
"How many were there?" Isak asked, and the other figure didn't respond in words. "Fifteen. Well-spotted," he chuckled. "Lisbeth told us to scout this forest for the others, but turns out, the fun is to arrive earlier."
Leopold nodded as the demons trod closer to Morio's tree.
"That's weird, though. From what I heard, no man steps into the forest at night, searching for nothing. They're the future Demonears, Leopold. What other answer would any stupid morian search for here?" he stopped. "That's even more exciting. To slash through that illusion of determination and eliminate the defences beforehand. One morian is just like an afterthought to me!"
Leopold shook his head, eyes drifting towards the tree. He turned to Isak, pointing forward.
The two stopped for a second, as Isak's voice grew distant with the next step he took. "We have to find them."
After a minute or so, Morio dared to peek out from the tree, finally breathing in. Nothing met him on the other side, and with a sigh of relief, he took a step forward.
He'd have to warn them. Whatever was for the future Demonears to kill was way smarter than anyone could've anticipated. He gasped before reaching his hand out.
Suddenly, something grabbed his neck, tightening its grasp around his frail skin and pinning him to a different tree.
"What's this? Did you think I didn't see you there, trembling for your?!" Isak asked, as his sharp teeth formed a sadistic smile. "Future Demonear, as I assume." he clenched his fist. "Seeing it breathing in front of you, are you scared?"
Morio's entire body froze, and he couldn't catch his breath. He opened one eye and deeply looked into Isak's pupils, which were red and shaking.
"Are you?!" he bellowed, pushing him further into the tree. He gasped for air, trying to swing with his hands, before one palm slowly reached into a sheath, pressing against Victis' handle. His foot touched the snow beneath, feeling a shallow end. "Who's stronger, morian?"
Morio stared back.
Isak's mouth opened wide, revealing a second set of sharp teeth, growing around a long tongue.
Morio screamed, right as he slashed through a part of Isak's arm. He fell into a snowdrift and disappeared beneath all the snow.
"Gah!" Isak groaned, in pain. "You little bastard!" Isak yelled, stomping around angrily, and Morio slid through the snow.
His hands found themselves around his neck, as he couldn't find a way to get rid of the sudden ache of earlier. Still, with the demon's voice echoing, he had to do something.
Looking up, he found himself in a series of long and uneven corridors, made out of the empty dirt and the roots of the trees. He stood up and, without a second thought, started running forward, gritting his teeth.
Isak slammed through the tree and propelled himself forward before landing into one of the traps set up by Jeffy, entangling himself in thin, black lines.
His shouts were what gave way to Morio halting his breath. He stood still, before turning at the underground crossroads, before Isak clenched his fist and ripped everything off.
He smirked, staring up and growling.
"I don't need any tricks to find fresh Morian blood!"
He glanced to the side, hearing light movement below the snow. Leopold nodded from the side, pointing over to a nearby tree. Morio made it down a brown hallway, spreading into five different routes. Above him, Isak's stomps could be heard, even clearer.
Each grew near and then back again, away from the morian. He gathered his breath before quickly zooming across to one of the many tunnels.
"I can hear you!" Isak screamed, and Morio picked up speed in a panic. His voice echoed around, and someone else sprinted back and forth. He bumped into many of the rocks hanging out of the walls, or fell onto small snow patches that dripped from the tiny gaps in the ceiling above.
At points, he crouched, and the lights from above gleamed, forging a path. He went up and down, left and right, before suddenly tumbling, hitting his leg against a root in the ground.
He whacked his head on a patch of dirt, squealing in pain. He quickly covered his mouth, but, to his surprise, no noises were heard.
It was oddly quiet. He lay down on his back and stared up, trying to catch anything in the silence that grew like the purple flowers or leaves of Herbes, that were so soon to come.
Nothing, and then something.
The same feeling Morio felt earlier, a sharp, sinking headache, combined with a blurry vision that covered what little he could already make out around him.
His mind was foggy, and the clothes he'd wrapped himself up with, were stained with his blood. He barely managed to sit up, a shaking mess.
A few words bounced around in his mind, faint. His hand involuntarily landed on the emblem again, and with a tight squeeze, he breathed out.
"If you tread carefully, you can rescue hope."
Morio stood up, gazing forward. Despite the pain in his knee and all over his body, for that matter, he vowed to stand up once more, as he'd always done beforehand.
He wasn't sure what he'd meet at the end of the hallway if there even was one. He didn't know how any of this would end. Would he be able to kill the demon? Would he be able to warn the others before it was too late?
Morio kept treading forward until the wall on the side split in half, revealing a hooded figure with a skull mask staring right at Morio. This time, it dashed, not letting the dust from the impact settle.
Morio yelled out, and Leopold immediately served a punch to his face, knocking him out.
***
Leopold dragged Jyuzou's chained, unconscious body to the ground. His face was bruised, and there were visible signs of struggle on his arms, which the demon seemed to notice. He pressed his palm into his mask and soon stood up.
With one fast move, he cut through the traps blocking his way. He crouched near the body and picked it up on his back.
A glove fell off Jyuzou's hand and landed in the snow. Leopold looked down, then back at his prey, and slowly lifted the cloth, shaking off the sleet. He put it back on Jyuzou's palm and kicked down the fire from before.
He followed a path he had stepped on before, hearing Isak's vigorous yells in the distance. He sped up a bit, feeling a strange presence looming in the air. It felt as if something crawled on his back, carefully observing every move.
Leopold glanced up, finding his eyes piercing the hundreds of demons, climbing around branches. Earlier, a mindless one slashed through a paladian's stomach, taking out its insides and basking in his blood. Afterwards, more gathered, whispering something under their noses and turning towards the noises of Isak or Leopold.
Eleven of the fifteen participants remained on the field, and it seemed like two more were to be eliminated.
Morio and Jyuzou were tied to the ropes (taken from Jeffy's traps) and hung by their hands on the big, old roots of one of the trees, leading towards the open snow field.
They sat on the brown ground and started a fire, chatting.
"Way smarter than I could ever be." Isak chuckled, holding a small branch in his hand. "Paving a way for my urges among all this chaos... You know how to make the best of both worlds, Leopold!"
Morio slowly opened his eyes, breathing in. He gazed up, seeing his entrapment, and tried gathering as many thoughts in mere seconds. The first thing that came to mind was pulling himself down, before Leopold pointed over to the boy.
"What's this, morian?" Isak asked, suddenly standing in front of him and prompting a thin gasp.
Morio shook, kicking his feet back and forth, and Isak laughed.
"Struggle, keep struggling! I want to hear you plead for mercy. Your miserable life depends on it!" Isak pointed with his sharp nail.
"It's pointless! Y-You won't let me go!" Morio raised his voice.
"You think you're so smart, aren't you?" Isak asked.
"If I'm g-gonna die, then I'm not gonna die a coward!" Morio spoke through his teeth, and Jyuzou slowly opened one eye, looking around. "I won't let you have this satisfaction! For M-"
Isak's eyes shrank, as he pressed his palm against Morio's chest.
The morian froze.
"Your heart's beating like crazy! Despite that, you still manage to hold your damn horses! Ain't that a great trait, right? It'd be a shame to let it go to waste and wash down a pointless river. Demonears, huh? They stick out like a sore thumb among the brainless mutt most humans are."
Morio's eyes widened. "Who d-do you call m-mutt?"
"Vermin, if you'd like! It'd be too much of a shame to just let you die out here. Too easy, eh?" he turned to Leopold, who nodded.
"I'd rather die than become filth like y-you!" Jyuzou yelled out, and Morio glanced at him.
"Filth? What can a pitiful, little morian like you do, huh?" Isak laughed, stepping over.
Jyuzou furrowed his brows before spitting in Isak's face.
"Heh." Isak chuckled. "Proof amongst proof," he stepped back. "Whaddya think, Leo?"
Leopold nodded, and Isak's grin grew wider. He wiped the spit off his face and chuckled.
"Yeah, right. Too much of a waste to pull them in now. Shi Hon values the brave ones the most, or so Lisbeth said. Ya think that would work?"
"Shi... Shi Hon?" Morio gasped.
"What, heard that name before?" Isak shook his head. "No wonder."
Jyuzou ground his teeth before feeling a slight push on the ropes. He glanced up, seeing a silhouette climbing around the branches. It reached into its pocket, taking something out. He opened his mouth in shock before blinking, trying to signal something to the distracted Morio.
"No," Morio muttered, gulping. "You're just lying to get us scared!"
"I'm a very honest person!" he smiled. "I never hide my intentions like you people. Too much to think about."
Morio shook his head. "We would all be dead if he were here. He'd..." Morio stopped.
"He's a demon," Bancho answered. "...and an extremely powerful one at that. If Shin ever stepped out from the heavens, I think he might be a match for his power."
Maybe, if Bancho were here, he'd find a way to save them. Yet, it seemed like there was no hope.
"Demons are simple." Isak almost scoffed. "We don't need to blind ourselves with illusions of safety; we accept things for what they are, and if they're not good enough, we don't wait until someone does something for us. A dull sword won't turn into a sharp one if you convince yourself that it will," he grinned. "Instead of thinking twice, act upon the smallest of urges," he smirked. "Not like that would help you in any way, especially now. Leopold, get the other morian. We'll report to Lisbeth by morning."
Morio's eyes shrank when Isak approached him, grabbing the rope. Leopold stood next to Jyuzou, making eye contact.
"No, no! No! LET US GO!" Morio kicked around.
"There it is, haha! You're not that much shit, are you, kid?!" Isak raised his voice.
"Tss!" Morio went quiet, but a similar noise sounded from above. "I'd rather die!"
"Nothing's set in stone! We'll see what the big man thinks, eh, Leo?!"
Leopold didn't answer with a nod. It was all silence, and the other demon turned, sighing.
He spotted the other figure glancing up, as he did so as well.
"Huh?!"
"Oh, jeez!" Jeffy said, before slicing the ropes and pushing his body into a heavy rock attached to a different string.
The rock hit the ground, causing a massive cloud of dust and dirt to appear. The two hopped to the ground, free from their restraints, and Isak jumped out of the way, coughing out.
Jeffy grabbed onto Jyuzou, and Morio ran out into the snow.
"Ghah!" Isak screamed. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, MORIANS!"
Morio took the only visible path and headed to one of the brick ruins, red below, grey at the top. He climbed up a staircase to the higher floors, looking around the hollow area, held up by four long pillars, and climbed through an opening in the ceiling, barely squeezing through. He trod one final ladder and moved onto a pedestal above.
He found another path from the top of the circular structure, leading further into the woods, made out of tree branches and larger rocks. To his surprise, something leapt in from the side the moment he dared to step on.
Isak jumped, breathing heavily. Morio fell with a fearful yell, teetering on the edge, before covering his face.
"No more running, morian," Isak informed, grinning, while Morio found enough courage to take Victis out of its sheath, once more.
The bricks below were heavy, yet seemed to shake with each step he took. The demon chuckled, squinting.