The guide had warned them: a killer was on the loose. He abducted many, and while some returned, others came back only as lifeless shells. This month, his targets were primarily slaves, and since the City of Slaves was teeming with them, it was a hunting ground of ease and cruelty.
Ficky knew that a single moment of carelessness could cause everything to crumble. He had been vigilant, yet the unthinkable happened. Aya was snatched away, vanished into thin air. Ficky was left in a state of absolute shock.
Somewhere far from the city center, Aya drifted in a state of semi-consciousness. She blinked rapidly, murmuring nonsense as she slowly realized something was fundamentally wrong.
"Ah! Right! Sir! Eh?"
She was still half-dreaming. Shaking her head, she slapped her own cheeks to snap herself awake. As her vision cleared, she saw nothing but a vast expanse of lush green grass stretching toward the horizon. She felt the soft blades beneath her feet, though her step felt... heavier.
"Eh?"
The darkness of the night made it hard to see. She stood frozen, staring up at the starless sky. Then, she felt something brush against her leg. She turned her head, and her breath hitched.
"Oh my god! A tail?!"
Aya was horrified. There, attached to her, was a tail—swaying rhythmically. She stared at it, her gaze locked in a mix of fascination and disgust.
"I was told what I am... but why do I hate this so much? I just want to be seen as a human. Why is this happening?"
Her heart wanted to scream, but she knew it was futile. This was her reality—one she could no longer hide. The fox tail, the pointed ears, and the thickened, rigid soles of her feet were the signs of a partial transformation. She was a beast-kin.
"How do I hide this? It's so uncomfortable," Aya grumbled. She tugged at the tip of her tail, trying to pull it off, but it was firmly part of her. "Unless I cut it off, it's not going anywhere. And that would hurt... gah." She finally gave up, letting out a heavy sigh of disappointment in herself.
"You're right. It's not a good idea to cut off your own tail. Especially since you're a fox—and foxes are precious creatures."
The hunter appeared at the worst possible moment. The memories of her abduction flooded back into Aya's mind.
"That's right! You're the one who kidnapped me!"
Aya knew she was weak. She was useless in a fight. She had no choice but to run, trying to put distance between herself and the cruel hunter. But before she could get far, she was thrown backward as if hitting a wall—though there was nothing but empty air around her.
"What is this?"
"Young lady, you cannot run from me. But don't worry, my target isn't a kind-hearted fox like you. It's the man you were with," the hunter explained, closing the distance.
Aya recoiled, her back hitting the invisible barrier again.
"You're after Ficky? For what? Ficky is... I mean, he's a beast-kin from the human world, just like me. He's not a bad person, even if he is incredibly annoying sometimes."
Aya rejected the hunter's claims about Ficky being a "demon." As far as she knew, Ficky was just a bodyguard. He had never attacked humans; in fact, he was always the one saving them.
"You wouldn't understand, Miss. He is an expert at hiding his true self."
"You're overthinking it! Ficky isn't some evil demon!"
"I told you—you won't understand. He's a master of deception. But soon, many others will realize just how dangerous that man truly is."
It was useless to argue. The man before her wouldn't listen to anything that contradicted his own twisted beliefs. It infuriated her.
"You're the one who doesn't understand! Even if you're right, he would never do anything as evil as you hunters think!" Aya shouted, her voice rising as she scrambled up and began feeling along the invisible wall for an exit.
"He's here," the hunter remarked. "His sense of smell is impressive for a half-breed."
A streak of black sliced through the sky. In a split second, the invisible barrier shattered into a thousand shards. Ficky pulled Aya behind him, his gaze piercing as he stared down the hunter.
"You're quite close to the center of the City of Slaves. If I'm your target, you shouldn't have bothered with bait like this."
"If you hadn't taken the bait, you might still be alive. But look at you now... saving your own slave. She must be important to you."
The hunter chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. Behind his mask, he seemed to be mocking Ficky for falling into such a simple trap.
"Of course she's important. She still owes me gold," Ficky replied indifferently. He turned around, hoisted Aya onto his back, and bolted.
They stopped in the southern part of the city, far from the grassy plains.
"Sit here and stay quiet. Don't move until I tell you it's safe," Ficky ordered.
He didn't seem to notice Aya's changed appearance; his focus was entirely on the hunter. He was deadly serious, his eyes locked on the direction of the plains they had just fled.
"By the way... did that hunter say anything to you?" Ficky asked without turning back.
"No... he didn't say anything," Aya lied. She felt it was for the best.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Ficky's response was brief, but Aya could tell he knew. He suspected that the hunter had whispered something to her during their time alone.
"Whatever," Ficky said.
His back was broad, his black suit blending into the night sky. He stood there like a statue, a stark contrast to the colorful world of magic they had just left.
Aya crawled backward, hiding herself in a small alley. She curled into a ball, consumed by her own confusion.
Even if you really are a demon... who else can I trust besides you?
Ficky glanced back. Hearing Aya's faint murmur, he let out a short sigh. The sudden silence of the city and the biting cold felt oppressive. He turned his attention back to the perimeter.
"This is strange. I stopped here specifically to wait for him, but the hunter isn't coming. It's a pain fighting a guy like that with nothing but iron fists."
It was the first time Aya had heard Ficky grumble such a long, coherent thought.
"That hunter is wanted by many people. Maybe he's busy fighting someone else?" Aya suggested, stepping out from the alley. Without realizing it, her form had shifted back to human.
"Hmph. Maybe so."