In a forest surrounding a large city, Renkai Creatures roamed the area, searching for their main food: humans.
One of these demonic creatures was devouring the corpse of a man who had not fared so well. It was deeply uncomfortable to think that this same Renkai Creature had once been a person.
But suddenly, that same being was attacked by a... girl? That fact wasn't strange, but what was that girl?
Her body was covered in fur, like an animal's, her nakedness easily hidden by that black fur. She, too, was a demon, but strangely human and conscious.
She ran through the forest, eliminating and consuming all the other demonic creatures present. Then, holding the paw of one of the demons she had previously killed between her teeth, her orange eyes glowed as she saw a... library? Isolated? Well, that "girl" seemed to recognize that structure from afar.
She passed the library entrance, which had its doors open. At a counter, a man stood.
He had long dark hair, one eye covered by a sort of eyepatch, the other a silver color. One of his arms was a bionic prototype (he was writing something in a small notebook), while his chin rested on his other, non-mechanical hand.
His clothing was a black overcoat, his shirt a dark red, and his pants were also black. If we were to guess his age based on his appearance, he'd be around 20 to 25.
Sensing the girl's presence, he raised his head, seeing her with no emotion on her face. He stopped writing and asked in a neutral tone:
"Shaphira, did you manage to finish your hunt?"
The girl, recognized as Shaphira, sat on the ground, placing the demon's paw on the ground, as if giving it a gift.
"Yes, master. I've already trained and done my hunt!"
Her tail wagged, seemingly excited to be in the man's presence. It was strange; it wasn't enough that this Renkai Creature looked human, yet so... obedient and submissive.
But the man didn't seem to mind. He stood up, walking over to Shaphira, who, by her appearance, looked about 18 years old.
"Congratulations! You've already brought us meat and eaten, you deserve a bath."
He placed his hand on her head, caressing her. Despite his emotionless expression, there seemed to be great affection in the gesture, even if the man himself didn't understand it.
"Hmmmm... Can you give me a bath today?"
She rubbed her face against the man's mechanical hand. He didn't object to the idea, as if it were normal.
"No problem."
Shaphira was pleased, her tail wagging excitedly, and began following the man, who was leaving the library. He approached a nearby river, beginning to remove his clothes. Shaphira watched the man remove his clothes, without any shame or malice.
"Master, don't you need me to give you a bath too?"
"It's not necessary."
As he removed his clothes, he revealed a toned body, with several scars covering his frame.
He waded into the river, and Shaphira sat on his lap, curled up and lying with her face against his chest, looking completely comfortable.
"This feels so good..."
"..."
The man simply closed his eyes and began to stroke Shaphira's fur with an almost paternal care, like a father caring for his daughter.
The demon girl purred against the man's chest, her tail curling around his mechanical hand, as if wanting to maintain contact.
"I didn't know how much I needed this..."
She settled into the man's lap, stretching, her ears flicking slightly.
***
A few minutes after bathing, the man had emerged from the river, basking in the sunlight, already dressed. Shaphira had also emerged, standing beside the man, rocking to remove the moisture from her body hair.
"It's much better to bathe in the river than in the library, isn't it, Master?"
"I think it's better in the library... it's warmer."
"Right... you have a point,"
she replied, crossing her arms. The man didn't say anything else, just nodded, wanting to enjoy the momentary peace. The two remained silent for a few more minutes... until Shaphira looked up at him, sleepy.
"I trained so hard today, Master. May I sleep?"
"Have a good rest."
He placed his hands on the demon girl's head, stroking her furry ears. She closed her eyes, enjoying the caress.
"I'm going to return to my form and get some rest."
She pulled away from him, her body beginning to take shape, as if she were manipulating the Renkai Energy itself... A fox? Well... she still had her black fur and her eyes were still orange. She appeared to be larger, stronger, and more lethal than a normal fox.
She turned toward the library, her tail slapping against the man's face. He let out a silent sneeze and began to follow her. In the library, Shaphira carefully climbed the stairs, which led to the second floor, which then led to a room where the two usually slept.
The place was simple: a bed for two or more people, a few books, and a few things Shaphira didn't dare touch. She lay down on the bed and curled up into a ball, placing her tail over her eyes and finally being able to rest.
The man, now alone, took a book from the shelves and sat on the counter, beginning to read and make some notes about it.
The hours passed, night approached, and the rain began. At that moment, the man closed the book and the small notebook. He grabbed an umbrella and took one last look around the room, watching over Shaphira from a distance.
He opened the library door, feeling the wind and cold water droplets hit his face and hair. Then he closed the door, beginning to stroll through the forest in the rain, as if it were something that would give him peace... for now.
Suddenly, a portal opened right in front of him, causing him to stumble and fall into a dimension...