Life is great here... Not. LOL.

Chapter 13: Working together

[Cascade's POV]

"How many tributes left?" Niko asks while we were running away from a group of fellow people trying to kill us.

"Meh... I think 17 after Ethan and Akiko."

"Well, I guess it could be worse." I sighed and shook my head.

"Ah. I see a bird?" Niko points at a tree about five meters away.

"Food for you guys, I guess," Raven mutters.

"Um, I prefer feeding the demons first, since they prefer fresh meat to smoked..." I wince as Ko tries to come out when Niko mentions the bird. You cannibal!

"My demon is still scouting for food. What supplies do you have currently?" Raven takes aim at the bird and throws the knife, killing the bird. It flops to the ground, then Raven picks it up, taking out the knife and passing it to me.

"Hm. Let's see. We have dried brain that must be eaten by today, lungs, meat, candy from the base, and um... fish?" I quickly check my bag. I took out some wood and a match.

"What kind of meat?"

"Human and a bit of pork. How far we have come in civilisation..."

"I need human meat. Please pass it to me."

I pass some to her and the bird to Niko, who quickly skins it and gives some to me while he smokes the rest. I rub my head and turn to Raven.

"I'm going to summon Ko, but you must never tell anyone what happens here." I reach out my gloved hand and a flash of bright light shoots out from my palm. I quickly close his beak as he will be going to squawk his brains out.

"All right. Please be careful. I'm going to look for more foo- Humans. See you."

"We'll meet you in about an hour. Just kill them." I bade her goodbye and release my polarion. I glare at him while he eats the poor bird.

"Even birds turn into cannibals." Niko quietly says. I look at him and sigh. "I know."

Raven's POV

"And there. Should be enough until the next week."

Picking up the body, I haul it over my shoulder. A nauseous feeling rises up in my stomach. Not again-

Cascade appears out of nowhere and supports me.

Throwing up the rat, I gasp. "Forgot... about that..."

"Hi. We're here, " She snickers and walks me back to camp. "Niko is done with packing. We'll leave once we reach. You feel okay?"

"Yeah. Just cannot drink water and eat human foods. Thanks."

"Nah. It's fine. Anyway, we're almost there. Shirogami Niko!!!" She yells.

Niko comes running over with our bags and we set off for a nearby base.

"Niko, you seem very submissive," I comment. "Do you like Cascade?"

Niko chokes and turns a shade of red. Cascade laughs. "Well, it's a well-known secret, but I think of him in a platonic kind of way."

"Sorry for the sudden question, then."

Niko's face falls back into its emotionless form. Cascade smiles at him with a sad face and continues running forward. "Well, he's confessed to me when we were five, and still did when we were nine, but I've rejected him both times lol. Anyway, he is content since he is the one that is closest to a lover to me." Cascade says and rubs Niko's head.

"Okay."

We continue walking in silence.

---

We reach a place where it looks like a forest.

Cascade sniffs the air.

"Three bases. Total of eight people. Right, left and Center. Niko, take the one on the left. It has the most food. Raven, Center or Right? Center has more general supplies, but Right has two more people. Center might be more on the defensive side though..."

"You have a sensitive nose?"

Cascade flinches. "I'll tell you later."

How amusing.

"Center." I walk towards their base.

Cascade and Niko take their respective routes.

———

Not long after that, I could hear the screams of people and the scent of blood floated through the air.

I'm done here. I drop the last body on the pile of humans and start looking through the bags for food and supplies.

———

[Cascade's POV]

I sigh. I'm gonna have to tell Raven about Dad then...

Taking the dagger, I skin the humans and packed the meat in the christened 'Raw bag'.

After I finish, Niko appeared and took the bag from me. "You're done too?" He nods.

We head over to where Raven is.

---

[Raven's POV]

Hearing footsteps from the trees, I whip around, holding my knife in front of me. "Come out with your hands in the air."

Annie steps out, a smirk on her face and blood on her shirt.

"I finally did it. I killed him."

Killed who? Another dude? Someone from her district?

"That person's ally. That girl who wounded me."

Niko, I'm so sorry...

"Oh. Very interesting." Taking a step away, I lunge at her with my knife. I hardly notice my kagune activating, stretching behind me. "You killed him?"

She grabs my arm, nearly throwing me off balance. "I did. And you know something? It was so satisfying."

Satisfying? Hah.

"Amusing." Moving the knife-wielding hand to her head, I almost succeeded in cutting her. she stumbles, and I notice the many cuts that Cascade made on her.

———

Cascade's POV

"Niko-" my eyes widen. Blood pours out of his stomach like a river. Annie steps out with a maniacal grin on her face.

"Eh... that was awesome..." she cackles.

I grit my teeth and grab Niko away. I would really like to smash her, but Niko needs my attention now. Sorry, Raven, I'm gonna be a little late.

Just when I was about to summon Ko, Annie leaps away. I turn my head to Niko and start healing him with Ko's ability. Hang in there!

———

*Back to Raven*

"How absolutely nice." My Rinkaku smashes into Annie for the fifth time.

Annie screams in pain and coughs up blood. At the same time, an anguished wail rises.

Cascade must've tried to heal Niko....

Annie giggles and lunges at me. I grit my teeth and punch her face.

Heavy breathing ensued. My eyes widen. What the- that bloodlust...! Cascade steps into view, her face slicken with tears and sweat.

"Hey... Annie, do you know...?"