User blog:Roinelll/God Eater - Next Crusade - Volume 1 - Segment 05

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Instinct.

It developed after life forms managed to obtain the ability to store memories.

As more and more memories were stored by a life form, their descendants, which carried their ancestors Oracle Cells earned an irrefutable larger pool of knowledge and higher survival rate.

Just as the increased speed of evolution, similarly an increased level of awareness started to slowly awaken.

It was eventually bound to happen, that a life form will emerge that surpasses everything previously known.

Mankind had risen.

And our world began to fall.

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========== G. E. N. C. - 1 - 05

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By the time Barna had returned to the orphanage, most of the kids formed a circle and were engrossed in something that was going on in the middle of it. Inside he could see that Marie was mounted on top of En, busy hitting her wherever she was able while the other girl attempted to protect herself as well as to strike back any opportunity.

"YOU STUPID BRATS!!" He yelled, startling most of the orphans as they attempted to flee, also stopping the fight. "Gather around, every last one of you." The main perpetrators were staring at him, En managed to crawl from under the tomboy and stood up as well waiting what is going to happen now. Although some of the kids did return, most of them were still out of sight hoping to survive it with less punishment that way.

"So, what's the big deal now?" Joe snickered taking a quick glance over the two girls, both of them wore a couple of bruises more than yesterday and would have been willing to dish out more even still.

"Are you taking the side of Devil as well?" Marie glared at him, just as the other girl who simply sat down on the ground.

"I will be honest with all of you dumb brats. Just now, you've played the last straw... You can all go and die for all I care." Barna sighed, deciding to use the method that they have discussed previously with Martha and their superiors. Only because of their previous caretakers wishes, didn't the man initially use it.

"That's very original. We don't like you either." The boy snickered, crossing his arms and nodding in agreement.

"J-Joe?! Don't say that." Phil quickly distanced himself from the smug boy, panic spreading over him quickly.

"So what, Phil? What can he do to us?" Marie joined in defiantly, now two of the orphans glaring at the man, who started to laugh bitterly.

"This is the reason why all of you stupid kids are doomed." Barna ceased his laughter, taking slowly a breath and waiting a few seconds before exhaling. For a second he contemplated to step-in, smack each of the trio on their head and scold them. But... "Martha will not be coming back, because of that stupidly obnoxious behavior you have developed." He raised his index finger at the two bullies and looked at them with pity.

"So? We'll stuck with you then, big deal." Joe snorted and shrugged ignorantly.

"You little snot. Until you lose something, neither of you can understand what is the difference having it and then being enduring what is now missing." Barna's face contorted into rage, surprising even himself that he didn't punch the brat yet.

"Here comes the preaching, Oh boy." Seeing how dangerously on the edge his response brought Joe, he laughed again only to go and further agitate the man. "If you haven't noticed, we're orphans. We know exactly what it is like missing important members of our family."

"I respect Martha." Barna said completely ignoring the boy, his gaze piercing yet not looking at what was in front of him. "I respect her for all she had done, because she had proved time and time again that she keeps her will steadfast and never wavers." This was what he honestly felt and the fact annoyed him that through her actions were speaking more loudly than anything else these kids ever experienced outside their loss, neither of them truly understood the care she had brought to them. "I respected the decision to use a part of the founding to treat two stupid brats that injured themselves greatly." When he did learn she willingly opposed the decision of their superior, Barna petitioned Lucas to give the kids a chance. More over, En was also included and they couldn't simply leave the girl on it's own. Not until she proves them right or wrong, to step forward or not. "I respect the fact, that she sacrificed her position, knowingly even with the knowledge those two retarded brats will butt heads again and again." He stepped in front of Marie, who looked up at him with a defiant glare. Barna only clenched his fist holding back the urge to really hit them, he endured it so far and that means he cannot lose cool now. "I have no respect for any of you, neither will I have."

"So?" Joe barely could held back his chuckle, seeing as Barna simple turned around.

"Neither of you gets it apparently. Just like my respect." He answered with a cold voice, without even looking back at them. "What Martha sacrificed to give you, I will not take. However I will not be responsible for any of you starting this moment. The rations might last a week if you can manage to spend it wisely." Without saying anything else he walked away.

"What was that about?" Joe was surprised to hear such an answer.

"Who cares, he can talk big for all I care. I'm hungry, let's go eat." Marie walked pase where En was sitting, bumping into the girl and knocking her to the ground.

'Didn't they hear him clearly enough?' En ignored that and decided to stand up, she wanted to run after Barna as fast as she could. With wobbling steps the girl managed to start moving and upped the pace slowly as her balance was more or less regained. In the end he managed to catch up to him near the office where the man usually give his reports, En was grabbing the trouser of the man in her desperation.

"I told you didn't I? I will not take care of you, that meant everyone of you children. Neither time or money is at your disposal, nor are you even worth the risk to look after. Look what you got Martha into." He easily pealed her fingers off, but the girl once again gripped into it.

"While I do resent you specially, because you were one of the problem factors that forced Martha to take such an innecessary step. I will give you a single chance." With a sigh, the man turned to her and knelt down. With one of his hands he grabbed the chin of the girl and forced it open. "Open your mouth. Ask the question that is bothering you."

"..." En was startled by this action, attempting to pull away without avail. "I..." Her mind started to draw a blank, while she wanted to voice the words that were nowhere to be found.

"Figures, now enjoy your... 'rewards'." Barna let go of her and stepped into the office, a few minutes later he left after making the very quick report. En was still standing outside, waiting for the mans reappearance. Without even caring the man just brushed past her, with quick steps he headed towards the gate of the settlement.

"My..." After a few minutes passed, the shocked girl finally spoke although now no one could hear her. "Fault..."

It took a day until what transpired really sunk into the others, for every last one of them to realize... They had really been left alone. Courtesy of Joe and Marie, they turned on the only one they held responsible for, En. Even the other so far reluctant kids joined in harassing her and so she decided to get out of their sight.

Neither Joe nor Marie left things alone with only this, with their lead the orphans formed a small gang in which their purpose were many fold. Primarily they searched for any and all work as children they could take on in return for either rations or the Fenrir issued currency, which similarly meant an access for more ration.

While their main goal was satisfied each one of the children agreed on their secondary as well, making En's life as hard as possible whenever any of them stumbled into the girl. The following days were made literal hell for En, as she either was attempting to flee from the other children or failing to survive on her own as an outcast on many levels.

On the sixth day since their abandonment, they noticed that En was sneaking back after every midnight to take some of the already vaining rations to herself. The children's retribution would have been more than the girl would have been able to handle, and with only great luck did she manage to shake off the ones in pursuit.

'How... Fitting.' En sighed after she made sure to be truly alone. 'I am not fit to survive in the end, huh?' She mused, as she slumped near the wall she used to stay ever since she had been first expelled from the orphanage. 'It is as Barna said... No one will stand for me if I don't do it myself.' She laughed bitterly to herself.

"No one wants a cripple like me in the first place." En mused, enduring the pangs of hunger that had been torturing her for the last two days. 'I have no worth alone... Not to mention my eyes... ' The girl pulled her legs as tight to her body as she could, before hugging them and attempting to gain some sleep at least.

En awoke to blaring sirens, cries of pain and panic. In her surrounding the settlement was shaking as something very large ran past her, only to crash into a nearby building. There were a few distant gunshots as well as the statiscal screeching noise of the damaged loudspeaker system coming from nearby.

'This... is it?' En sighed as she stood up, her body weak and she was close to collapsing. She recalled the words of Barna, that with only willpower she will never get anywhere. Apparently the settlements protective wall had been broken through by Aragami while she slept and they went on a rampage inside.

"Hurry up already! We have to get to the shelter like everyone else!" A familiar voice shouted off encouraging words as from a nearby street a small band of children erupted, only to stop momentarily as their leader noticed En.

'What a sick joke.' The girl slumped down finally giving up. In her current condition, running from the orphans would be impossible and  she clearly lacked the strenght to resist them already.

"Devil! What the hell are you waiting for, come on now!" Joe shouted as Marie ran at the girl and yanked her upright to her feet.

"B-- Bu..." The surprised girl stammered before being slapped by the tomboy.

"What a sour timing to get your voice back. You're coming with us, oh and relax there is very much MORE where that came from." Marie pulled the shocked girl after her as they made their way through the settlement.

There were times when they had to stop and stay in utter silence, as Aragami nearby them were busy devouring anyone they noticed and wasn't able to flee from them. At one event they had to backtrack as a buildings walls collapsed and cut their way off as an Aragami slammed into the wall on the other side of it as they fought back the few resisting militants of the settlement. With a lot of effort only could both Joe and Marie keep the near panicking orphans silent, even then they were also very near that edge to suffer from a panic attack themselves.

"I..." En after many attempts of trying to speak up finally found the chance as they decided for a very short rest.

"Shut up, you idiot." Joe hissed at her with a very low voice as the boy hit her on the top of the head, nearby them almost immediately an Aragami roared. The boy looked up with a cringe to see one of the monsters running towards them. "Go to hell..." With all the force he could master, he hit En sparking surprise from the girl and everyone else as he stepped forward. "I'll meet you there Devil... I hope you'll make my stay comfortable."

"What are you planning to do?" Marie whispered as she eyed the boy as he took up a few pebbles and started to throw the monsters white boned skull. The Aragami turned it's eyes towards the boy who started to run as far away as possible from it.

"What else? Causing trouble!!" Joe answered question he figured the tomboy asked, as ran ahead followed by the armless Aragami, it's two legs stomping past the cowering children.

"I guess you're happy about this now, are you Devil?" Marie slapped En as the predator chased after the boy.

"I..." En clenched her fists, realizing she messed up once again.

"we're going! Move it!" Marie shouted an order and the kids stared at her, then she just pulled the shocked En after herself and with that the small group resumed it's search for the shelter. It took a tension filled 10 minutes until they reached their destination, the shelter towering right in front of them.

With a sigh of relief from most of the orphans they began to file inwards. En winced, as she realized that if they get in there, the others will definiately gang up on her. While it meant that they will be protected from the monsters outside, she will be left more than enough vulnerable against the children.

'I... don't deserve to live.' Her knees buckled, and the girl collapsed as the remaining ounce of her strenght left her body. As the tomboy turned to tug her back onto her feet from the corner of her eye she saw a bright blue dome expand upon the shelter. In her curiosity Marie stared upon the phenomen, however it didn't last very long. The dome then started to crackle with energy and accompanied by a deafening boom the pent up energy was released. The thundering explosion collapsed the shelter, also showering the surrounding area with more than enough debris. Marie stared at the destruction in disbelief.

'It seems, we're not going to make it.' En laughed briefly, making the tomboy turn at her. "I... only bring misfortune, huh?" The girl mused as a large aragami crashed into the roof of the shelter, plunging through it to reach the victims on the inside.

"Y... Cut that out!" Marie slapped the girl who in return started to cry. "Seriously?! You're going to cry now?! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What... is there for me to live for in this world?" En raised her arm and pointed towards the building where the large aragami was busy devouring the residents of the settlement. Some of them managed to escape from the damaged shelter and ran past them. "In the end, we end up as victims for these monsters. Won't we?"

"You've picked the wrong timing to have a breakdown..."

"Just leave me be here." En yanked her hand free from Marie's grasp, then curled up. The tomboy's eyes twitched in frustration seeing this and almost kicked into the laying girl when she noticed something.

"You IDIOT!" Marie yelled as she reached down to pull her up, but as En resisted she couldn't remove her from harms way. "You really are an idiot, En."

"Just leave m--... ?" Her surprise was two part, first was hearing her name from the tomboys mouth. The second was something warm splashing all over her.

-What the hell happened there?!- Lucas shouted into the communicator and Barna flinched hearing the outrage of his superior.

"I... left the children alone as the original plan was and only returned now." The man admitted and he could hear as the one on the other side smashed something in his unadualtered anger.

-That was to happen only verbally! You should have kept an eye on #5!!-

"En is one of the few survivors." Barna tried to calm the other man, hoping that this news will bring success.

-Lucky for you. Is #5 damaged?-

"No, she appears to be fine physically. However mentally she... is broken, she did witness the attack first hand as well as losing the other children." He had read the report very carefully beforehand, so he knew exactly what transpired and how.

-Bring her to me, I'll take over.- Lucas scribbled down something before sighing heavily. -I should have known not to leave it in the hands of anyone else than myself.-

"But... sir. By all respect in her current condition En isn't ready."

-It's because her current condition I have to supervise #5 personally. You've read the reports as well Barna.- The sound of grabbing a sheet of papers were heard as Lucas flipped through some notes. -Those who treated #5 noticed the irregularity, she needs to be transferred here right now.-

"There is another matter sir." Barna understood why was the haste needed, but he had to explain this also. "According to a witness, an Aragami resembling a Sariel struck down En... then, some weird screech echoed all over the settlement, making all of the Aragami flee."

-Something resembling a Sariel? A fallen? Striking down? Didn't you just say she is unharmed? What about that noise? Why wasn't there anything in the reports about these?!- Lucas shouted as the questions started to pile up.

"Fallen Sariel's are purplish, but otherwise are exact same as a regular. This... irregular Sariel only resembled one both in color or body structure. According to the one who found En, she had taken a serious blow to her head, but when later she was examined there wasn't any trace of that... As for the noise... there was no explanation for it and they decided that it wasn't that important." Barna scratched his head and waited the most probably outburst that will come after this.

-NOT IMPORTANT?! The Aragami only fled after hearing it!!- Something heavy fell over as Lucas trashed around in his office. -Of course it's not important!! It can only make the Aragami run away. Why would it be important?!-

"Sir... I'll... go and get En. We'll be there soon." Barna quickly interrupted the connection, as the superior was still busy destroying his equipment in the office in his rage.

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End of Chapter 2016,01,17

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