"Here. Catch" Nao threw the kid right at Samuel and it gave Maria enough time to get away from the elder brother. Samuel looked unamused with his younger brother in his arms and there was an air of awkwardness in his smile when he faced Samuel.

"Eh, surprise?" Daniel asked with an almost questioning tone. He was trying to appear innocent when he was not and Maria could see Samuel's temper rise. She understood why the elder was getting angry at the kid since it was dangerous for a kid to be here alone.

So Maria averted her eyes from the scolding scene going in front of her. It reminded her too much of herself when she decided to do something she should not have been as the oracle. It brought forth bitter-sweet memories. (And maybe of her past life as well when the doctors scolded her for being impatient)historical

Nao seemed to be enjoying the reunion though and Maria could see the amused looks of the elder demon colored with a reminiscent look. Even Suna looked amused which was a big plus in Maria's books.

"We need to go back to drop Daniel. We cannot allow him to roam the canyon" the elder brother protested, finally breaking the easy atmosphere that had descended over the group.

While the trio could understand why Samuel wanted to go back, this was not a luxury they could afford right now. They had to keep pressing ahead if they wanted to reach the bottom today and wasting time was not on anyone's agenda at the moment.

"No. We must keep going ahead. Bring the kid with you if you want to keep him safe but we are not going back" Nao declared with finality. No one else protested against the new addition except Samuel.

"Not" the elder brother was dead and set on not bringing his younger brother with him but Nao was not one to back down as well. The glaring match was getting heated faster and faster.

Maria wanted to enjoy the moment but she could not. There was an air of uneasiness around the group that prompted them to keep on moving ahead. Maria's sixth sense tugged at her to leave the place before something bad could happen.

"Nao, Suna, we need to get moving. I don't think it's wise to stay here any longer" Maria called out which snapped the other two into attention immediately. They had noticed the changes in their surroundings as well.

The only ones who were unaware of the danger they were in. It made their complaints much more irritating to hear when they did not contribute actively.

"Give him here. Suna, pick up this weakling and get ready to move" Nao manhandled Daniel right out of his brother's arms while throwing the complaining elder toward Suna who caught him without much fuzz.

The elder looked surprised to see the fragile-looking female carry him as if he weighed nothing. Maria, being the only one who had her hands free, decided to look around for the source of the noise she had heard. The rest of the crew jumped out of sight and hid in the trees.

Maria barely made out a shadow on the ground before she forced herself to hide as well. There were familiar figures on the ground, ones she had seen the night before. However, they looked much more lethargic and wasted than when she had seen them in the dark.

"Maria. Status" Noa's voice came over the speaker and Maria toned down the volume. They had talked about what to do in such situations beforehand so it was not hard for them to coordinate who does what in such a scenario.

"Zombies from last night. They look washed out but still push themselves. It's entirely possible that we were spotted last night" not that it would be surprising. They had not taken any precautions against being found out after all.

The zombies were not a threat but they would slow the group down if they stopped to take their time with them. It was a choice between a rock and a hard place for their group.

"I'm not going to approach them but I'll keep them under surveillance for the time being. You both should circle the forest and meet me at the end. It is not wise for us to retreat" her words cut off any protest Samuel had against them moving forward.

If they had been spotted the day before and the zombies had followed behind them till here, then it meant that their master wanted something from them. And somehow, Maria had a feeling it would not be wise to get caught so easily.

"We'll wait for you once we arrive. You have us marked under surveillance as well, right?" Nao asked but she already knew the answer. Maria had everyone in their group marked to keep tabs.

Maria confirmed the decision and then went to lead the zombies off of her trail. She made minimum noise to keep the zombie's attention on her while her group got to escape from the other side.

Maria's eyes met Nao and Suna's and she gave them a salute. Nao just sighed as she jumped with the kid in her arms while Suna winked with an amused smile at her. There was a silent understanding between them.

Maria leads the zombies toward the outer forest edge before she found more and more of them joining behind her. The group of 2-3 zombies had expanded into a group of almost 40 zombies who ranged from 20-50 years old.

Once they were out of the danger zone, Maria slowed her speed down and jumped up. Her moment had been fast enough to not alert the zombies where she had disappeared and it caused a small wave of confusion between them.

It would not be long before they forget what they had been chasing after since zombies had slow brain functionality. As a result, they could not retain a lot of information for a long period of time.

Maria waited for the bodies below her to pass before coming down. It would be safer once the clearing was empty and then Maria could start heading toward her group.

Or at least that had been the plan before Maria found herself deflecting the blade being aimed her way. The power behind the blow made Maria's arms strain with pain but she successfully managed to fend the attack off.

"Ah, what do we have here? Another one for the master's collection? And this one's a fighter as well" well, things just went from good to bad in a span of a minute.