User blog:Roinelll/God Eater - Next Crusade - Volume 1 - Segment 03

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Survival.

That is all that matters.

This is the sole reason why, when it's carrier would perish, the Oracle Cells seek survival.

The only way to accomplish it is to forcefully re-initiate the experiences gained by it's host.

Seeking information on any possible chances they might have encountered that could prolong their state of existence.

After all...

Their sole purpose is to learn.

En woke up in an unfamiliar place, at least by touch and her other senses that is what she felt. She was outside definiately, however she had no recollection where her actual location was. Albeit she was fairly certain how she had gotten there.

'Them...' She thought as she stood up. Noticing that in her surrounding nothing moved, it was probably again at a desolate place that they had dumped her. 'Out of sight, therefore out of mind?...' En leaned forward, searching the ground for some pebbles that she felt while stirring to get up. After gathering a handful and straigthening again, she started to throw them forward the direction she faced. 'Pathetic...' The first one didn't enact a result so she turned to her right a little and repeated. She had done it until almost a half circle was completed when it struck something in the distance. With a smirk En decided to head into that direction carefully pocketing the remaining pebbles. 'They couldn't learn anything...' Her homecoming just started, after all she was 'lost' more than enough times in their settlement to know where she was currently. Her memory never failed, neither will the enacting of her will.

"MARIE!!!" Martha shouted, in the morning after she failed to find En. She wasn't in her room, neither at her usual place in front of the door the girl used to occupy frequently. The realization hit her as the two major troublemakers might have done something inconcievable. "Marie! Come here in this very moment!"

"Mmm..." The girl in question yawned as she rubbed her eyes while exiting her room, she was still sleepy and had been just awoken by the loud call. "Yes?" Marie turned to their caretaker stifling a yawn.

"Where is En?!"

"How should I know where that Devil ended up?" Marie blinked sleepily and shrugged. "Maybe she went home?" The girl saw that she was awfully close to being slapped, but continued anyways. "Hell seems to be missing that castaway Devil anyways."

"JOE!!" Martha called the second name as some of the kids started to file towards them, she was really close to punishing Marie so a distraction was required as well as an answer from someone who probably knew it.

"I'm going back to sleep." Marie's head bobbed down as she was still tired and attempted to return to her room, only to get hold back by her shoulder from their caretaker which annoyed her.

"You're going nowhere until En is found!" Martha pulled the girl after her and made Marie sit in a chair near a table. The girl immediately leaned forward, using her arms as a pillow to catch some rest.

"What's up?" Joe walked to them grinning.

"Where is En?!" Seeing the behaviour of the kid, 'Moma' narrowed her eyes and pointed to a free seat at the chair.

"Dunno." He shrugged the question off both literally and verbally, but took the designated seat of his. "Maybe it was too cold here and gone home?"

"PHIL!!" Another loud shout came and almost in that instant the scared boy appeared, similarly to the other two he was also to sit with them.

"I..." Phil stuttered, looking really scared then after a few seconds added taking the last place. "Don't know."

"En couldn't leave alone! Where is she?" Martha's glare swept over the three of them. Marie was still trying to catch some sleep, Joe smirked and Phil was rather nervous.

"Maybe someone took that Devil?" The fiery girls answer was halfway muffled due to her being leaning on her arms, but still audible. At the suggestion Phil looked even more terrified as he glanced over the surrounding. "I mean, what if the Big Bad Devil's papa brought it's daughter home?" At that remark of Marie, Joe couldn't help but snicker.

"Nobody leaves until I call for a replacement!" Martha sighed and left the three of them alone for a short while, The other kids also joined in the lobby and saw the scene. Some of them clearly confused, while others looked scared.

"Did you...?" Marie turned her head halfway towards Joe, then yawned before she could finish her sentence. It was certain that she wasn't responsible for such an action, neither was the scardycat Phil. Which meant that the only one who might have done it from the duo was Joe... Unless...

"Of course, what did you expect?" The boy just smirked triumphantly and nodded in affirmation dissolving the chance of a third party. "Devil gone home as we suggested?" Joe snickered again and sighed. "Wish that would happen, the other kids are really freaked out by now..." The snicker went away and concern reflected on his face.

"You're going to get into trouble." Phil muttered fidgeting uncomfortably, he was really nervous although most of the time he was associated with the two, this time it was different. Both times when Marie got into a fight with En, he was wishing it wouldn't have happened at all.

"Nah, it's okay." Joe shrugged again and laughed it off.

"How did..." Another large yawn cut Marie's question in half, though it was more than enough for Joe to answer.

"A group of kids helped me to carry the sleeping Devil around. We dropped her at the outskirt." The boy donned a smirk as he nodded with his head towards a few scared kids grouping together and discussing something with hushed whispers. "We couldn't get farther, as they were really exhausted as well." Joe scowled then continued. "There is nothing, but trouble with that Devil."

"You managed to conceive the others to help you?" Marie lazily turned towards them and yawned, although she was impressed at that. "I mean the ones who are so freaked out and whispering right?" As she turned towards that group, they quickly dispersed although Marie could feel they stole glances at her.

"OH, I just mentioned that you're retribution would be much more..." Joe opted a half smile leaving the answer open for imagination.

"How come Devil didn't wake up? I know she is still in bad shape after yesterdays beating." Marie wondered about that for a while. "I mean, sure she was tired... but that doesn't mean she wouldn't attempt to break free." She frowned. "I can't imagine her simple allowing to be carried away, as she fought back on the point of almost breaking down."

"Would have, but I swiped a bottle from 'Moma' that she uses for getting a sound sleep." Joe snickered again. "The blind bat ate the pills without questioning."

"Crafty." Marie chuckled and put her head down to sleep finally.

"Children! Please do not leave the orphanage until I return, Barna will see to that. Marie, Joe, Phil! We're going to have a serious talk when I return with En." Just as Martha was explaining, a tall man walked in the entrance. He worse a rather vivid green colored shirt and trouser while having the sweeter accompanying it tied to his waist by it's sleeves. The man nodded to the caretaker as she left and decided to pull a free chair in front of the door and sat on it with his arms crossed. The grey eyes were focused on the trio confined to the table.

"We're in trouble... 'Moma' knows." Phil couldn't endure the glare that they've been exposed to and turned away quickly. "No way 'Moma' would call Barna otherwise."

"At most suspects, she can't prove it." Joe waved a 'hi' at the man who nodded in response only.

At the sound of the door opening, Barna quickly stood up and turned around, only to see En walking in nonchalantly. And completely alone.

"Where is Martha?" His raspy, deep voice asked and the girl walked past him.

"Oh, goodie." Joe jeered. "It seems not even the Devil wants you back." He laughed at that. "Though, it's interesting not even your family wants you." En walked right in front of the trio, closely followed by Barna who was a bit surprised of the ignorant nature of the girl. He waited for something to happen between the children, but nothing came to pass. "Devil got your tongue?" Joe taunted as he glared at the girl, who stood there for a few moments then decided to take her usual place right across the entrance. Then Barna quickly exited the orphanage and went to find Martha.

"Mmm.. What gives?" Marie stirred awake and sleepily looked at Joe.

"Everyone's 'favourite' has returned." The boy snickered.

"Oh... Wake me when it's over." Marie then yawned and decide to go back to sleep.

A few hours later, in which time the children without any supervision decided to go outside to play had been found by both Barna and Martha.

"Is En inside?" She glared at Joe who was busy ignoring Phil's whimpering.

"Dunno." He shrugged and the glare of their 'Moma' intensified. "Last time we saw that Devil, she sat on her usual place." With that the two adults left the kids and entered the orphanage. Surely enough En was sitting right where she used to, only to look up to them as they crossed the door.

"Is everything alright?" Martha asked as she walked to the girl, however she knew the answer wouldn't come. Also, just the day before she had been beaten twice and it's marks were much too clearly visible on her. "Did those two do it?" No response came, no matter if she waited for about a few minutes, at point Barna stepped in as well.

"En, I require you to nod if you can understand me." To Barna's prompt a firm nod followed. "Good. Joe and Marie are bullying you?" Another nod came in response. "Why?"

"En... doesn't talk..." Martha interjected, making the man raise his eyebrows as he was pulled farther away. "However so far she only responded in a way or another to me." She whispered quickly for only to him to hear. "Counting that yesterday... even if it was for self defense... She did react finally." The caretaker crossed her arms and sighed. "I don't like it at all, it's great that En is finally showing signs of responding, but this is just too cruel."

"Boss' orders..." Barna answered in a similarly hushed voice. "However, a breakthrough was achieved and that is the matter." He noted and then kneeled down before En. "Is only Marie and Joe bullying you?" The girl looked at him, though her eyes were lifeless she slowly nodded.

"Sometimes Phil attempts to make her come and play, other than that the children are mostly afraid." Martha sighed.

"Yesterday you fought back." Barna continued and another nod came in response. "What changed?" En didn't answer and the man sighed recalling her particular anti-social behaviour.

"Let's give her some time to rest, En was through a lot yesterday." Martha added, but Barna didn't take any heed of that.

"When Marie first beat you up you didn't resist, right?" The man reached out checking the signs of yesterday fight on the girl, making her head turn left then right. As well as making her mouth open to see the broken teeth. The hair was obviously in a bad shape, but nothing time couldn't fix as well as the bruises scattered over the girls small body. "However, after you returned you started a fight on your own." After confirming a nod from the girl the observation prompted another nod and he couldn't help but smile. "You gotten to the resolution of revenge while you returned alone?"

"Barna, let's--." Martha interrupted as En nodded for that as a response.

"Even though you've been beaten up by her you still stood your ground. Admirable." He smiled and ruffled the hair of the girl, before posing another situation. "If she were to attack you again, would you retaliate?"

"Barna!!" Martha shouted at him at the idea, she didn't want to have the kids fight again.

"Silence!" The man shouted and the children's caretaker flinched, but stayed quiet. "Would you defend when struck?" As he turned back to the girl, he caught from the corner of his eye a nod. "Good. You have a strong will, keep to it." With a final ruffling of En's hair Barna stood up, turning to the caretaker. "Martha, you're coming with me."

'They know for sure.' En stood up after the adults left and walked to the door. 'Yet they ignore it. Much like I ignore them.' She opened it and stood there, the other children stopped seeing her appearing there. 'But even ignorance has a limit.' The other kids started to murmue and stare at her.

"Look who it is!" Joe sneered and the atmosphere around them went cold as En started to walk towards him.

'If this idiot is around, that means that tomboy is near as well.' En focused on her ears as she neared the spot where she heard the voice of the boy.

"So... ?" Surprisingly his voice came from farther away than expected and En stopped in her tracks turning into that direction.

'I...' The girl at first attempted to walk over again, then just stood still and silent. 'There is no way I measured the distance wrong.'

"Lame." Once again the voice of Joe came from a different direction than anticipated and the other children started to murmue.

'He moves around without a noise.' En then decided to sit down, trying to focus on the noise of the steps the boy should have been making to find him, but the ever growing chatter of the other children who started to gather around them made that increasingly harder.

"Look who decided to play ball with us!" Joe laughed and threw a ball at the girl who was hit on her stomach, the children half cheered and half shocked to wait for the consequences.

'Again... Their target is non other than me.' She didn't care as the ball rolled away, and someone rushed for it to grab before En could. Not like the girl wanted to anyways as that would have just sparked more of them. 'The lame is you.' En thought as again, yet from a different direction the ball impacted on her, this time at her back of the head. Once again someone scurried to take the ball rather fast and she turned back to the direction of the orphanage.

"Can't have you leave now." Joe laughed as he once again threw the ball, that hit the leg of En who collapsed at the sudden loss of her balance. Phil quickly collected the ball and returned with it to Joe. "This is the first time we can play together!" The boys laughter forced some chuckles out of the surrounding kids. "I'll make sure that you'll be 'feeling' every moment of it." As En tried to stand up, he quickly threw the ball at her hand and watched as the girl collapsed once again. "This is going to be an unforgettable experience, all of us playing together. Isn't that right, Devil?"

"What... Do you mean by I am relieved of my position?" Martha was shocked at the superiors relayed command.

-Exactly as that sounds Martha. You are incapable of performing your duty with impartiality. Barna will take over, effective immediately. You're going to be instructed of your next job shortly, in the meantime I have something to discuss with Barna.- Lucas scribbled something down and waited patiently.

"S- Sir?" She was still unable to overcome her surprise.

"If you're service will be required for observation, you'll be notified. You are being dismissed." Barna said and waited until the still shocked woman left.

-En right now is at a peculiar stage. Prod her into the right direction if you must.- Lucas instructed before breaking the line.

'I don't think she needs any of that, those fools are provoking something that they shouldn't.' Barna mused in his thoughts as he left the room. "Devil." The man smirked, saying that word aloud. 'How... unknowingly fitting.'

--- End of Chapter 2016,01,06

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