Norman x Reader || SAUDADE

24-S-urvival

Everyone was stancing themselves in an offensive position, nervously watching for any movements from the queen. I readied the gun I've been saving from the whole trip, watching cautiously and preparing myself to shoot or dodge any possible attack. We were dodging any advancements the queen did, while Zazie was slashing off her limbs one by one once they came near him. 

"Well? Emma, Ray, Norman, ________, it's been a while?" A familiar voice interrupted our evasive movements. 

Our attention immediately reverted to the arm Zazie slashed earlier, the face of Sister Krone appeared on it out of nowhere. I felt very disturbed by the scene that it sent shivers down my whole form. A moment later, voices were heard from the queen's main body, both familiar and unfamiliar faces started appearing, calling out to us, condemning the queen, hailing the queen, and speaking all sorts of things. 

"N-No way, could they be," I sensed Emma wobbled beside me at the sight, "Everyone she has eaten until now?" She continued with a softer voice. 

Everyone tensed up and I can feel the pressure of despair in the air. How are we supposed to deal with that? What is happening exactly? Suddenly, a crack appeared amongst the humongous pillars of faces that was once the main body of the queen. It was so huge and it somehow created a lacerated cave-like opening in between. Everyone was silent that I could hear loud footsteps coming from inside it. Every step sounded closer than the last, and my ears were ringing to the rhythm of the sound. From the crevice, emerged a slender being, adorning the dress the queen was wearing. However, what's shocking was the fact that the creature did not have any face on 'her' head, no eyes, no cores, nothing. I can hear low chuckling emitting from her, alerting everyone in the room. 

"Ah pure joy. Right when I woke up, all of them are right in front of me. The four highest graders from Grace Field's plant three." Her voice sounded so depreciating. 

"Just like he said, you're all alive. All the children from Lambda and Grace Field escapees will return to me. I forgive everything you've done up to now." She said. 

Out of nowhere, she moved very swiftly, that we weren't able to react at all. She got Zazie in the process, and inched closer to him. 

"All of you I shall devour." She laughed. 

"Zazie!" Norman yelled out worrying about his comrade's safety. Emma, Ray and I immediately readied our guns, aiming to save Zazie's life. 

However, Zazie wasn't one to go down without a fight, so he maneuvered at such an angle midair, and wielded out his dual swords. He managed to pierce them through the queen, slashing her in half. I gasped at the scene suddenly displayed before me, for I was not ready to see such a gruesome attack. But, the queen's split body reattached themselves and produced some sort of sticky substance in the process. It all happened swiftly that there was no time for us to properly decipher what was going on. It certainly happened a lot in today's battle. The fast regeneration allows the queen to single handedly land a blow towards Zazie's neck. It was at a vital point as well, that it immediately knocked him out in one swift motion. I immediately left my stance and came to Zazie's aid as soon as he landed not too far from us. His pulse and breathing were still there, but he's knocked down for good. This means, his vagus nerve isn't punctured, which is a good thing, his heart is still beating. The chop earlier must have stopped the flow of blood momentarily, that it did not supply his brain with adequate oxygen, which got him unconscious like this. 

"He's still breathing, it's not severe." I assured Norman who was crouching behind me, waiting for my analysis. "He'll make it!" I nodded at him.

"Ray, Emma!" I heard Norman shouted suddenly next to me. Emma and Ray were within the queen's range and no one was reacting accordingly due to the eminent pressure before us. 

Within that split second, loud whizzing and cracking voices were heard, and soon the queen's body was suddenly stabbed with a barrage of spears. This attack- Sonju. 

"Sorry it took sometime. There were some problems back in town." Sonju's voice boomed from above us. 

The transmitter actually worked, thank goodness. I can feel the tension dispersed from the air at the sight of the two. They leapt down easily from the height, landing right in front of us. While Mujika was asking Emma and Ray about injuries, Sonju was making a protective stance in front of us. Norman and I quickly made our way into the group. 

"Thanks for coming, you saved us." I told my gratefulness at the two. 

Mujika told us that the town was going to be just fine at the solution they've given. 

"Don and Gilda?" I remembered my two siblings back in town. 

"We told them an escape route, they'll be out in no time." Sonju gave me a sideway glance and a smile. I breathed out a sigh of relief. 

"Thank you, both of you." Emma and I said in synchronization. 

I noticed that Mujika proceeded to give Norman a very sweet smile, in which he tensed up in response. I almost chuckled at the scene, he definitely owed them a lot. 

The queen regenerated herself after a little while, and all of us readied our weapons in case she planned to attack any moment. Sonju was facing her head on, in front of us sparing no opening for the queen. 

"________, Ray, Emma, it's no use, you can't achieve peace with negotiation anymore." Sonju told me. 

"Well-well Sonju, I see you've sided with the humans. But, no matter, I can capture the escapees and kill the evil-blooded at once. It's my lucky day." She laughed while playing with her fingers. 

"Yeah, we came to finish it here too." Sonju prepared his spear, "I'm going to kill you here today, your majesty!" He exclaimed. 

"Kill me? You?" She started laughing maniacally. 

"A true fool you are, younger brother." She stated at last. 

Younger brother? Sonju is a prince? This piece of information made me question a lot of things in my head. 

"Though you're born a prince, you got caught up in ancient faith and betrayed us by running away with the evil-blooded!" Her voice sardonically taunted Sonju. 

"No, rather, it is you who betrayed our faith, you distorted everything because of that stupid promise, all for greed. Even to the point of monopolizing and eradicating the power of the evil blooded. You make me sick!" Sonju yelled against his clenched jaw. 

"No matter, for I have no more interest in you." She then started attacking Sonju, in which he skillfully dodged without a sweat. 

Mujika quickly told us to take Zazie and flee from the scene. 

"What's up with the queen? Why is she like that?" Ray asked Mujika whilst looking for a way to help Sonju. 

There's no way we could interfere in between those two, they were both on a whole different calibre. Mujika then started telling us about the rare genetic trait that is passed down from one generation to the other among the royal family. Queen Legravalima has two cores inside her body that enables her to regenerate her body once the first core gets destroyed. 

"Th-Then what about Sonju?" I asked Mujika after listening to her stories. 

"He should not have that trait, only the queen has that trait among the late king's children." Mujika answered my question. 

Then, then, it's very dangerous for Sonju to go against the queen like that.