Slady was operating on Roger and Rin Yuang's brains, intending to erase himself from their memories. But suddenly, like a voice in his mind, it echoed.
"Is what you're doing right?"
Looking back... a ghostly spirit was approaching him. Her eyes, even closed, seemed to see him, and her black and white hair flew as she did so.
"I don't really like interfering in their actions, but I'm curious."
She placed her hands on Slady's shoulders, as if massaging him.
"Legally, it's not right. But I'll do it for their own good... and to avoid trouble."
He murmured, without irritation, as if familiar with that presence.
"I understand, so I won't bother you."
She simply leaned against him. The white fabric covering her nakedness "touched" her overcoat, and her delicate fingers casually combed her long, black hair.
After finishing the operation, Slady placed the brains in a glass jar for preservation.
"Better put them where they belong."
On the way, the female voice echoed in her mind:
"Are they your friends?"
"Acquaintances, I suppose. But they seem trustworthy."
She replied apathetically:
"You don't want my help?"
"No need."
"Okay... just call me if you need it. It's our AGREEMENT, after all."
Thus, the voice fell silent.
***
In a secluded cabin in the woods, the bodies of both investigators lay, their skulls open... and empty.
Despite her indifferent expression, Slady had a delicate touch as she prepared for the last operation of the night.
"This is going to be boring..."
***
The next day, Rin Yuang woke up in her D.I.C.L. dorm, feeling a dizziness she hadn't expected so soon.
"Hmmmmmm..."
Stretching, the woman felt a "missing" in her mind, as if she'd forgotten something important.
"Did I forget some work?..."
When her gaze fell on the calendar, indicating the weekend, she murmured in complaint:
"I hope this doesn't interrupt my rest."
***
In the library, with a bite on his cheek, Slady was awakened by Shaphira.
"Dad..."
He almost reacted in an attack, but he recognized the girl's scent and gentleness as she woke him, even with bites.
"What is it, Shaphira?"
He murmured wearily
"I want to be strong like you!"
"Physically, I'm weak. I can't..."
He tried to go back to sleep.
"But..."
He sighed, knowing he had no argument to fight back... or did he?
"Then I want to be strong to protect you, Dad."
That surprised him, though he didn't show it. To him, it was a father who should protect his children, not the other way around.
"No need..."
"Please..."
She made... a puppy-dog face. That dismantled any resistance in the man, as if denying that girl something was a mortal sin.
"...Right..."
***
Sitting under a tree, in a region between hills, Slady watched Shaphira practice controlling the Energy in her body.
She was inexperienced, but determined. She tried to "shoot," but nothing emerged from her hand. She tried to concentrate, but only grew frustrated.
"Shaphira."
She stood up.
"Hello?"
She stared at him, tired but still determined. Seeing her motivation, Slady positioned herself behind the demon girl, grabbing her arms and crossing them in an "X" position on her chest.
"Forget everything, feel your heartbeat, and let the energy flow..."
As she obeyed, she felt as if the world disappeared, the voice guiding her fell silent, and when she opened her eyes, she ran toward a tree and struck with her tail...
Cutting it in half
"I... I did it!"
Seeing the progress, Shaphira hugged Slady, who wrapped his arms around her waist, staring at the tree with some concern in mind.
"It's better to cut it down at the root."
After a long training session, Shaphira, asleep on Slady's lap, purred softly as he stroked her hair, ears, tail...
Even with the saliva dripping down his leg, he didn't feel uncomfortable. It wasn't disgusting, it just... happened.
"What a cute little girl..."
The ghostly figure commented, sitting nearby.
"Even without understanding her heart, you're an admirable father, Slady. And apparently, your indifference makes people be themselves around you."
"Indifference... shouldn't that be a negative thing?"
He asked, his expression softening, still neutral, but far from cold.
"Not every time, Slady."
"I see..."
"You know, Slady, sometimes I envy those who can touch you. For, knowing you inside and out, I could comfort you from your own mind."
With that, she disappeared.
"Comfort... is something I don't feel. But..."
As she murmured, her gaze fell to the figure lying in her lap, then to the horizon, the sunset turning the sky orange.
"I should enjoy this moment, just a little longer..."
But in truth, he wished that peace would last forever.
---
Later, the stars covered the sky, and Slady sat in his workshop, working in silence.
"...Don't you need help, Slady?"
The ghostly figure sat on the workbench, staring at him with closed eyes.
"You don't have to offer yourself at every opportunity, Truth."
The figure, Truth, stretched.
"It's not my fault, Slady. I, the Destroyer of Truth, must always help you. It's like our DEAL: You give me knowledge, I give you back knowledge. We're a team."
"I think this is more a matter of survival than a deal, Truth. Considering you need knowledge to live, I need you to be alive for me to live... the answer is pretty clear, isn't it?"
"...Okay, you win. But I'll just be your companion."
"I don't have much of a choice in the matter..."
"You really don't!"
He replied with a falsely cruel tone.
***
Walking through the forest at night, Slady reached into his overcoat pocket to feel the sphere beneath his fingers. Watching his action, Truth asked:
"What are you going to do with this little ball?"
"An Inferius has opened nearby, and I need a place to test this little ball."
"Sometimes I fear your plans."
***
As he entered the portal, Slady was greeted by smoke covering his nose, making him cough.
"Apparently, someone got in before you,"
Truth commented, choosing to disappear...
As he escaped the area, his gaze fell on a fight taking place:
Faller against a... Destroyer?
The man held his sword, which emanated electrical energy, advancing like lightning.
Wielding a trident and riding a shark beneath his feet... and with a devilish grin, the Destroyer advanced with the ocean current, extinguishing the flames of the Infernal Inferius.
The exchange of blows was swift, but dangerous for those around him. Faller, dodging the attacks of the sea creatures that emerged from the ground, countered the trident strikes with his sword and kicked the shark as it leaped toward him.
The tide rose, extinguishing the lava around the arena. Faller climbed onto a rock, watching as giant octopus tentacles emerged, lowering them toward him.
Concentrating, Faller applied his electrical magic to his sword, slashing. The electricity slammed into the water, reaching the Destroyer, who let out a roar of pain.
But even so, the tentacle struck him...
Like a fan watching his favorite fighter lose, Slady looked... disgusted? No, but wronged. He began to climb the rock barrier that protected him from the water.
"I won't let him die like this."
But, like a wind knocking him down, the tip of the tentacle was severed, causing the Destroyer to roar again. Covered in blood, Faller began to run through the tentacle, ripping the tissue with his sword, which dragged brutally against his skin.
With a great leap, Faller launched himself toward the Destroyer, slicing it in half and ripping out its fluid heart with his hand, crushing it.
The impact sent the sea surging in a tsunami everywhere... one of them beginning to crash down on Slady.
"I better get out of here!"
He muttered louder than usual, running toward the portal. But he ended up crashing head-on into Faller's muscular chest, who cut the tsunami in half with his sword, only a little water hitting his handsome face, freeing him from the blood.
"This place is too dangerous for someone as delicate as you, Slady."
Her smile, so... charming and friendly, seemed to shine in the darkness that the Inferius now found itself in...
It was like the sun in the darkest night.