The uncomfortable silence...
Suddenly, Victoria grabbed a glass of wine and drank it all... instantly getting drunk.
"HAHAHA! How cute, man!"
Her hands pressed against Slady's cheek, as if she were talking to a child. Shaphira and Elisa laughed mockingly, while Raizer and Faller just looked at each other.
"Victoria's a good mood-lightener, isn't she?"
"You don't even know what I go through with her when she's drunk. She's even slapped my ass and called me... Mr. Soft Ass."
"...That's tough."
1:30 a.m....
Faller and Victoria are asleep on the floor. Shaphira and Elisa, tired, were sleeping on Slady's lap, while Slady sat in an armchair, looking at Raizer, who was sitting next to him, still sipping his wine.
"Can I be honest with you, Slady?"
"Yes."
"Even though these kids are a real mess, I feel happy about tonight. It reminds me of the old days."
Raizer's hand goes to Slady's head, ruffling it, as if dealing with a younger brother. He didn't mind, allowing the affectionate gesture.
"Even though I don't like going out at night, Shaphira liked it. I should go out with her more often."
"Elisa would like it too. They're good friends, and I'm grateful for that. She doesn't have many friends."
"Why? Elisa is a good girl."
"In the past, Slady, people avoid getting close to someone whose parents were the strongest Demon Hunters of their time."
"I see..."
Slady's observant gaze fell to his friend's chest, where a mark surrounded the area where his heart was.
"Your curse is getting worse and worse."
Without hesitation, the mechanical hand touched the mark.
"So fragile..."
Even with the discomfort of the intimate touch, Raizer recognized the innocent curiosity in his friend's gray gaze.
"Yes, it's very likely I'll die soon. This curse... has destroyed my heart."
Despite that... cold expression on his part, Slady felt a tightness in his chest at the sad truth.
"I know you don't like seeing me like this, Slady. But it's part of life; everyone will die. Including you."
"No... I don't..."
Interrupted, Slady feels Raizer's strong arms wrap around him, like a hug of gratitude.
"Even if I die soon, I know I've had a happy life; I'll die without regret. Because I had the best wife, the best daughter... and the best friend a man could ask for."
After parting ways, Raizer looked at the scene with a sigh...
"Anyway, let's take care of these people."
***
After waking Faller and Victoria and helping them out, Raizer puts Elisa in his room, and Slady holds Shaphira with her mechanical arm. Preparing to leave...
"Slady."
"Yes?"
"That couple in love are good people, I know you can trust them, Slady. Don't be mean to them."
"Okay..."
With that, he left.
***
In the library, as she tucked Shaphira into bed, Slady murmured...
"I feel something strange..."
Truth's voice echoed in her mind:
"I feel the same. I should go outside... it seems to be there."
As she stepped outside, the sight of smoke in the starry sky was remarkable. The location, according to her mental calculations, would be...
At La Taverna
"Shit!"
Slady and Truth said at the same time.
"Go back there, Slady! Something must have happened to your friend!"
"I have a terrible feeling..."
Upon returning to Libretanhya, Slady entered the tavern, and then, for the first time in many years, tears naturally welled up in Slady's eyes.
'Raizer...'
His friend's body was becoming charred, his eyes and mouth bleeding, indicating a cruel and violent heart attack...
...But his tears evaporated, and his thoughts screamed louder.
'Elisa must be in danger.'
Climbing as fast as he could, Slady dodged the flames and jumped as a staircase crumbled. Entering the room, he found a... cocoon? A cocoon of blood?
But the voice crying out for salvation made him move:
"Father..."
Without hesitation, Slady shattered the cocoon of blood with a blow of his bionic arm. The structure dissolved into liquid, revealing Elisa, who rose to run to him.
'Raintalya...'
It was the only thing Slady could think before he heard her:
"Uncle Slady, help me!"
His body moved on its own, entering the flames to gather her in his arms. Robotic claws erupted from his back, grabbing a window, and throwing them both away...
But not before his eyes caught sight of a camera in the tavern room and Raizer's sword, where one of its claws moved on its own to take her with it.
In midair, Slady felt his body burn, but upon seeing Elisa, who clutched her father's sword as a protective amulet and himself, the pain subsided, replaced by a sense of well-being at seeing her safe.
They both fell into a nearby stream, their claws twisting in shock, electrocuting their flesh evenly. Elisa's grip around his body and her murmur kept him steady despite the constant pain.
"Please, Slady, stay with me..."
Even as his eyes bled with pain, he replied,
"I will never leave you."
***
The next day, Rin Yuang was in the area where the accident occurred, making notes in her notebook. Roger was amidst the wreckage, trying to find something that would help him understand what had happened.
Suddenly...
"What happened here?"
Slady's voice beside her startled her. Her gaze fell to the badge on his chest, catching her breath.
"Ah, Slady!... This place just caught fire this morning. Everything indicates that it led to the death of Raizer, the last member of the Complexity Hunters."
"That's terrible..."
"I know, the Demon Hunter Association wants to give Raizer a proper funeral..."
Suddenly, she seemed more thoughtful, then approached him, as if to offer her opinion.
"But I think this is wrong. It seems they only want to value Raizer after his death. That's unfair."
Slady listened without judgment, nodding.
"I understand your indignation. Losing someone so important is... depressing."
The investigator nodded, moving a little closer and... hugging him?
"...And thank you for helping me that night, really."
"It was no big deal."
He placed his hand on her head, stroking her hair. After a brief moment of intimacy, the investigator pulled away with a sigh and a nod.
"Anyway, I'll get on with my work. I'd like a report, if possible."
Returning to work, Slady held up her investigator's badge with a frown.
"This is what happens when you pretend to be a worker."
While searching the place, Roger approached from behind with his arms crossed.
"I only saw you that day I took my sister to school. I never noticed you at work. Are you *really* an investigator?"
"An independent investigator..."
Although his suspicions grew slightly, he noted the work was worthy of a professional.
"Any answers?"
"Well, this place has several cuts in the structure, some deeper, as if there had been a fight there..."
Noticing a small bloodstain on the floor, Slady discreetly removed his eyepatch, observing the liquid with his black and red prototype eye.
Slady feels a brief headache due to the various things he saw at the molecular level.
"Shit..."
He mutters to himself, but tries to identify the blood with his prototype's intelligence.
***
Accessing Information...
Then Raizer's image appears, showing who the blood belonged to.
***
"..."
Then Slady hid the prototype with her eyepatch, turning to walk away. But suddenly, she felt Roger's touch on her shoulder.
"So?..."
"Nothing more, everything indicates there was a fight that ended in flames, causing Raizer, who was already old, to be unable to resist the smoke..."
"It's a sad end for a hero of a nation..."
Roger murmured. Slady stopped in her tracks, nodding.
"Indeed... but no one will forget who Raizer was. Even though he's no longer with us, his soul and spirit will be eternalized in the hearts of all who knew him."
After walking away, Rin Yuang, curious, approached, still holding the notebook.
"You seem to have known him. Ever since I've known you, you've always been very apathetic, but now you seem... shaken."
"I suppose so, he was a good friend... the best I could ask for."
"I can't even imagine how Elisa must feel..."
Slady seemed almost surprised, responding with a question.
"Why do you assume Raizer's daughter is alive?"
"From what I've seen, there's nothing to indicate she was injured. I think she ran away, that's why they reported her missing."
"That makes sense... I hope you find her."
With that, Slady left. Meanwhile, Rin Yuang and Roger continued investigating, still not having resolved a single question...
Where is Raizer's body, and where is Elisa?
***
Shaphira was lying in bed with Elisa, who was snuggled against her chest, sleeping.
Suddenly, Slady entered the room. Shaphira turned her head to face him, her expression sad.
"She hasn't woken up yet."
"She's exhausted, Shaphira. She needs to rest."
He sits on the bed, placing his hands on Shaphira's ears, caressing them.
"She needs my help and yours more than anything. Can I count on you, Shaphira?"
"Yes, of course you can. I'll be the best friend Elisa could ever have."
"I know you will..."
As a reward, Slady leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Shaphira's forehead. She was very surprised, but mostly grateful.
"Thank you, Dad. I love you."
"Me... too..."
After leaving the room, Slady walked downstairs, doubtful about her emotional behavior.
"Strange... did I do it out of desire or?..."
"Instinct."
Truth appears beside him, still shaken by what happened, but trying to maintain her good humor.
"You're starting to learn more about emotions, Slady."
She places her hand on Slady's hair in a bun, stroking it approvingly.
"You may not have wanted to kiss your daughter, but out of paternal instinct, you did it to see her happy."
"That must have been it..."
With a sigh, Slady thanked her:
"Thank you for making me understand."
"Don't thank me, we're a duo."
She disappears, making Slady reconnect with the reality he found himself in. With a shake of his head, he left the library, arriving at a beautiful garden nearby...
"Anyway... a moment with my friends."