Opening her eyes, Slady found herself in front of a shrine. The place was a white, infinite plane, her footsteps echoing in the great structure, her vision reaching the figure she sought, Truth, who sat alone on a throne.
"What are you doing here, Slady?"
Her head lifted, her closed eyes fixed on the face of the man in front of her.
"I came here to ask if you're okay."
She sat beside the figure, who simply rested her face on her chest, sighing deeply.
"I... I'm better, thank you."
Her hands gripped the fabric of his red short-sleeved shirt, pressing it against the man's abdomen.
"I don't like to be emotional, Slady. But being by your side for so long has made me this way. As a Destroyer, I should bring ruin, your ruin, but as Truth, I only want to save you from the cruel fate that surrounds you."
Slady listened silently, his hands reaching for the figure's waist, pressing lightly, like a hug, somewhat inexperienced, but a hug nonetheless.
"No matter how evil the future that awaits me is, I want to make the most of it with those I care about. If the revenge or justice I seek comes my way, I will not hesitate to do it."
"...And I will be by your side to glimpse that future with you, Slady,"
Truth added.
***
Suddenly, his moment of peace was interrupted by a... snout? Yes, a snout sniffing him.
Opening his normal (gray) eye, the figure of the large demonic fox was seen on his lap. In the background, the image of the couple making lunch was glimpsed: the man making lunch (rice and meat), the woman making dessert (brownie). Every now and then, Faller would hand Shaphira chunks of meat, and she would leave his lap and stay close by to ensure more and more.
Apparently, Faller and Shaphira had become good friends.
That was very comforting.
***
Slady's mind was still a bit "off" after the previous events, but he managed to follow that hectic morning...
"What do you think of this idea, Dad?"
Slady shook his head to better understand Shaphira's question, answering slowly as he brought a piece of brownie to his lips... almost moaning at the taste.
"Take her to their house for dinner? Why not?..."
Faller and Victoria smiled happily at each other.
"Great then..."
Faller was interrupted:
"La Taberna is better. Shaphira is more familiar with Raizer and his daughter, Elisa."
"Oh, sure! Dinner with the people we know will be great. Accepted."
Victoria agreed.
***
That night, Slady was sitting on his bed, Shaphira standing in front of him, showing him some dresses.
"Which one would you prefer me to wear, Dad? I want to look really pretty for Elisa."
His gaze fell on the outfits, responding neutrally.
"I think you look pretty in all of them. Wear the one you think is prettiest."
After a peck on his lips, Shaphira put on the outfit she considered most elegant and spun around 360 degrees.
"Do I look pretty?"
Slady's mechanical fingers rested on her chin in analysis.
"Yes, very... but I have something that will make you even prettier."
As she gestured closer, Shaphira bent down and felt something being pinned to her hair, near her ears. Standing up and looking at herself in the mirror...
"I love it!"
Her hand caressed the flower petal in her hair, marveling at the small but significant change in her appearance.
***
In Libretanhya, at night, the two of them walked. Shaphira's hand tightly gripped the one that belonged to her father figure.
"Why didn't you ever take me here, Dad?"
"Humans are bad with Renkai Creatures; they might make her uncomfortable."
Shaphira felt slightly saddened by this reality, but tried to make one last suggestion:
"I know... but can we go out sometimes, at night?"
The suggestion made him wonder what was more important: his night job or Shaphira's happiness? The answer was somewhat obvious...
"No problem, but once in a while, okay?"
"Okay!"
She hugged the mechanical arm.
***
Arriving at La Taberna, Slady finds the place "empty," with only Faller, who was already drinking beer with Victoria, where the couple was competing over who could drink the most.
"I'll always beat you, dear!"
Victoria said, taking another sip.
"If I win, I'll have a reward tonight!"
Faller replied with a falsely mischievous smile.
Slady covered Shaphira's furry ears, but she didn't object. Raizer looked at him, drying some glasses and giving him a friendly smile.
"Look, if it isn't Slady with his princess!"
Faller and Victoria looked at Shaphira, enchanted.
"How beautiful!"
Victoria approached, giving the girl a gentle squeeze on the cheek, finding her very cute and delicate. She felt uncomfortable with the touch on her face, turning away and hiding her face in her father figure's chest.
"..."
Noticing Shaphira's discomfort, Slady placed a comforting hand on her head. And even though she was drunk, Victoria realized her mistake and apologized.
"Sorry, sweetheart. Auntie's really drunk..."
She staggered back into her partner's arms, who held her with a soft, celebratory laugh.
"Hehehe, I win!..."
After greeting them, Slady sat down in front of Raizer, with Shaphira beside her, composed and calm.
"Your girl looks beautiful, doesn't she, Slady?"
He nodded. In a choked whisper, Victoria added:
"That girl looks like a princess!"
With that funny tone in Victoria's voice, even Shaphira couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Suddenly...
"Uncle Slady and Sister Shaphira?!"
Elisa appeared from the second floor, running up to the two and hugging them. Shaphira hugged them back excitedly, their weight falling on Slady.
The rest of the group laughed at the scene.
"You're going to kill Slady like that, Elisa!"
He said in a tone of non-serious warning.
"Sorry, Uncle Slady!"
The two young women took their places.
"How about you two play with him?"
Raizer suggested the suggestion teasingly, with the two girls smirking at Slady.
"Great idea, Dad..."
"It's a really great idea..."
No matter how much Slady screamed, he would be dragged like a prisoner by two evil creatures to the room.
***
After the little comedy scene, Raizer sat down with a sigh. Faller and Victoria look at him, confused by the gesture.
"Do you need something, Mr. Raizer?"
Faller asked.
"No, I was just observing the little chaos. It's good to see you so... relaxed."
"The Slady?"
Victoria asked.
"Yes..."
She nodded, pouring more beer for the couple.
"He always seems to feel a huge weight on his shoulders. It's good to see my daughter and Shaphira manage a small smile."
"You seem to have known him for a while, don't you?"
Faller asked, taking another sip.
"Yes, quite a while... you seem curious about him, do you have any questions?"
"Well, you've known him for a while, we'd like to learn more about him from you,"
Victoria said.
"Hmmmm..."
Raizer crossed his arms, opting for sincerity.
"...He's someone who's confusing to understand."
"What do you mean, 'confused'?"
"He's a man who seems very cold and withdrawn at first glance, but in reality, he's very innocent... But he's also someone who shouldn't be provoked."
Raizer's somber tone made them both more doubtful, and he asked again:
"Is he dangerous?"
Victoria asked again.
"No, Slady is someone very trustworthy, but he seems to be intolerant of a group of people I don't know... And like us, even if unqualified, he's comparable to a DESTRUCTION HUNTER."
The surprise was quite noticeable on the pair's expressions, but also, the glimmer of answers to certain questions could be seen in their eyes.
"That's why he managed to stop my attack..."
Faller muttered to himself.
"Attack?"
"Yes, I had attacked his daughter when we first met... I thought she was dangerous."
"You're lucky you didn't die. Slady may be the only human I know who can't awaken *The Mana Releaser*, but he's a true monster when it comes to being clever."
"Wait... he doesn't have a Mana Releaser?!"
Faller stands up, placing his hand on the counter, a look of shock taking over his face.
"That's impossible! Anyone can awaken a Mana Releaser, even if the process is time-consuming and risky."
"I'm not lying, Slady doesn't have a Mana Releaser. But don't underestimate him, he's no joke."
Sitting back down in his chair, Faller still had one last doubt:
"It's quite obvious that Shaphira isn't his biological daughter. And as you say, he seems different after having her. In other words... What was this man like before adopting her?"
"What an interesting question, Faller. But if you want to simplify: we could say he "softened" after adopting Shaphira. Because by the time I knew him, he was a veritable *killing machine*..."
***
A few years before the Second Renkai Awakening...
Raizer and Raintalya were on a mission to the Inferius Complex, where they had been warned that a Snow Destroyer had been awakened. But when they wandered around, the Destroyer wasn't there until they heard crying in a cave covered in snow and ice.
Upon entering, the pair saw Slady for the first time (his appearance wasn't all that different from his current one). He was performing an experiment on the Snow Destroyer herself.
...And it was she who was crying.
(When humans come into contact with Renkai Energy in their bodies, they undergo the "Test of Sin." Their bodies experience many effects, such as fatigue, pain, etc. Whereas, if the human gives in to "sin," they will transform into a demon.)
(But if the human resists all of this, they will become a Destroyer. But they undergo the second test: "The Test of Consciousness." Where they try to maintain their consciousness and not be dominated by Renkai Energy, which is the divide between reason and instinct.)
(But even with all this, if the human passes both tests, the Destroyer will be able to enjoy consciousness and use the full potential of their power. This was the case with the Snow Destroyer.)
The woman was completely naked in front of Slady, lying paralyzed on a flat rock. He ran his hand over her face expressionlessly.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I just... want to understand you."
"What is this?!"
Raizer and Raintalya questioned simultaneously, shocked by the scene. As they took a step forward, they stepped on a line almost invisible to the naked eye, and several wires wrapped around their bodies, slightly injuring them and tearing some of their clothes.
As they fell to the ground, small syringes flew toward their necks, containing a sleeping pill, which instantly put them both to sleep. Slady glanced at them briefly, then her attention returned to the Destroyer...
***
A while later, Raizer and Raintalya woke up in a room, vulnerable, their bodies tied to a chair. Slady stood in front of them with her arms and legs crossed.
"At last..."
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Raizer asked, trying to escape, but her arms and legs were tightly bound.
"Why are we almost naked?"
Raintalya questioned, feeling very exposed.
"It's not really important, just to help me get the honesty out of you, but I also don't want to see anyone's nudity."
***
"Despite a terrible reception, that's how I met a good friend."
"Fuck..."
Faller muttered.
"But what happened to the Snow Destroyer?"
Victoria asked, resting her chin on the back of her hand.
"Although Slady took good care of her, she ended up dying in his arms. Perhaps he had failed in something that caused her death."
A heavy atmosphere grew melancholic in the tavern; Faller and Victoria looked thoughtful.
"He must feel guilty, right?"
The woman asked.
"Yes, he must feel that way. He always isolates himself when it happens..."
Suddenly, the door opened, revealing Shaphira and Elisa, who were bringing Slady to the first floor, where the young women had made some changes to his appearance, tying his hair into a beautiful bun.
"Look at the change we've made."
Elisa and Shaphira introduced Slady, who awkwardly struck a pose (probably forced by the two of them) and muttered to himself.
"I hate this..."