Several hours passed in that Inferius, the scene littered with the bodies of Renkai Creatures. Slady stood at the forefront of the core.
The core resembled a sphere made of flesh and blood, covered in snow and connected through "veins" to the dimension, pulsating like a heart.
From the core, the Renkai Creatures emerged, tearing through the inner tissue and bursting forth; it was grotesque.
Slady used his pistol to shoot the demons, hitting them in the head and killing them instantly because their brains were always exposed.
He sighed, firing a shot at the core, causing the Inferius to tremble. The demons present felt intense pain and began to rush towards Slady to kill him.
"..."
He dodged their attacks, killing them with his two pistols or with his mechanical arm. Then he took a step back, starting to fire at the core, causing the sphere of flesh to gush blood and begin to pulse faster and faster... until its glow faded and it stopped pulsing.
Then, with no more Renkai Creatures to emerge in the dimension after the end of that core, Slady turned to leave that dimension.
"I'm sure I lost my night's sleep..."
He walked through that cold dimension, seemingly dying of sleepiness, despite his expression always appearing so neutral.
There was no one in that frozen solitude, only the cold wind on his face, making his hair fly in the wind. But his gaze landed on some Renkata he had in his path, a rare and powerful ore that Slady could use for his own benefit (which would be illegal) or report to the Demon Hunter Association or deliver personally to the association...
Slady picked up some fragments of the ore, putting them in his pocket and continuing to walk through the Inférius, wanting to return to his library.
Minutes and minutes passed, and Slady emerged from the portal. Then, he looked at the sky, seeing the sun rising and a few puddles of rain. He felt a little disheartened for not enjoying the rain and the night, but he managed to collect some Renkata for himself.
Along the way, Slady saw the umbrella he had dropped when he tripped after falling into the Inférius portal.
Arriving at the library, Slady opened the door, smelling the satisfying scent of the wood that made up the library. He placed the umbrella beside the door, his two pistols were put in a drawer of the library counter, and the acquired Renkata were placed in a box with a lock.
He went upstairs, seeing Shaphira still sleeping in their bed in her animal form, which made Slady feel more relieved.
Entering the nearby bathroom, Slady sat on the toilet, looking at his mechanical arm, seemingly thoughtful for a while, until he shook his head to clear his thoughts.
He stood up from the toilet, beginning to remove his clothes, starting with his overcoat and trousers, which were covered in snow. He removed his eyepatch, forcing him to close his eye, and his dark red shirt, which reeked of demon blood.
Slady entered the shower stall and began to shower.
"..."
He felt the hot water run over his body, causing a very pleasant sensation. The blood of the Renkai Creatures flowed through his body, going down the drain. His body was covered in wounds that seemed to hurt terribly, but Slady... didn't show it.
Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door.
"Master, you woke up so early?"
It was Shaphira, who had woken up to the sound of the shower. Slady just sighed and replied wearily,
"Yes, I had trouble sleeping, but nothing serious. Go back to sleep."
"No, I'll wait for you to help you!"
Slady let out a low groan, knowing he couldn't change Shaphira's mind... After his bath, Slady dried himself with a towel and left the bathroom, where Shaphira was waiting to greet him.
"You... look hurt, are you sure you didn't injure yourself?"
"No, just... can you give me the clothes?"
"Yes..."
Shaphira hesitated, but she wouldn't disobey. She got clothes for the man and handed them to him. Slady took the clothes, put them on, went into the bathroom, and then came out.
"Pajamas are nice."
"I never see you wear them, master. It seems you never get any rest."
Shaphira firmly held Slady's mechanical hand, showing that she didn't want any stubbornness on his part, and began to lead him to the bedroom. Upon reaching the room, the demon girl helped the man sit on the bed.
"I don't want you to wear yourself out on purpose, Slady. You'd better sleep, otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
"I haven't hugged you at night for a long time!"
At that moment, Slady cursed Shaphira in his thoughts. He lay down on the bed and the demon girl lay down beside him, her tail warmly wrapping around him. That... was immensely pleasant. He recognized that since having that figure by his side, his life had become more... hectic, but much better.
"If you rest, I'll make you a nice lunch, master."
Shaphira said, playing with Slady's long hair. The man remained silent for a few seconds before answering her.
"If you do a good job in the kitchen, I'll give you whatever you want."
"Deal!"
Then Shaphira fell asleep, eager to make a good meal and earn a reward. Slady also fell asleep, allowing himself to relax after a lost night.