One day, at one time, a âbeastâ was suddenly born to this world from a certain space.
It didnât have any father or mother, and in the first place it didnât even know whether it had gender or not. Even so it at least knew that it âexistedâ in this world even without being taught.
It was born with powerful body that overwhelmed other living creatures. It had high intellect that could understand something without being taught just from looking at it. Although it had an immature form from being just born, the aura that the young âbeastâ had made the low ranked monsters in that forest to not dare attack the âbeastâ or even got near it.
The âbeastâ was aware that it was considered among ăthe strongă in this world. But, for a creature there should be a meaning to its existence.
The âbeastâ didnât know of any beast that was the same species with it. It didnât even feel the need to leave behind descendant because it was born powerful. It also didnât need to eat a lot. In the first place it would be alright as long as it absorbed a certain substance that could be found in food. It actually didnât even need the meat.
Then what did its fangs existed to tear apart?
Then what did its claws existed to fight?
Even so there was an instinct that sought battle inside its body. Was it born to this world just for the sake of fighting? Was it existing simply to hurt other?
Was it the only individual that was thinking like this? Or perhaps all the other individual was questioning about the meaning of their existence like this and lived with conflicted feeling?
What was it born for? Seeking the answer of that question, the âbeastâ entrusted itself to the only thing existing inside its body, its âbattle instinctâ and threw itself into an endless battle.
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Its body immediately turned mature right after it began fighting. Its body turned bigger as though it was adapting to battle. Its fur became able to deflect enemyâs attack, its claws and fangs became harder than even iron and could easily tear apart hard shell.
It was then the âbeastâ saw it for the first time. It encountered âthe strongâ other than itself.
Its height reached two meters. Its whole size was also a whole size bigger than the âbeastâ. Its upper body was that of a giant falcon while the lower body was the body of lion. That creature even looked beautiful.
It was a creature with a shape that was impossible to occur normally. The âbeastâ felt that it was an existence with a nature that was close to itself, but although that creature had high intellect, it didnât have the intelligence of a higher form of life to complement it. It saw the âbeastâ as a threat and attacked without even trying to communicate.
It was a battle against âthe strongâ that was equal to itself.
The âbeastâ couldnât do anything when its opponent flew to the sky. It seemed to be a disadvantage for the âbeastâ, but the whiskers that grew from its ears like feelers was able to generate similar power like the âlightningâ that flashed in the cloudy sky. Knowing that, the âbeastâ used that power to disturb the enemyâs sense of balance and made it fell on the ground. It defeated the enemy after fighting for a whole day and night.
High ranked beast could block enemyâs attack with their fur. That eagle lion most likely also had the same ability, but the fur of the âbeastâ was able to defend against that creatureâs claws, while the âbeastâ was able to tear apart the eagle lionâs skin. That was the cause of its victory.
From there the beast finally learned that it was able to train the ability it possessed and that would decide the superiority or inferiority between it and opponents of equal level.
By repeatedly fighting like that, the âbeastâ was able to become powerful even among its equals. But, the âanswerâ that the beast was looking for still hadnât come to it. Only the time was passing idly for it.
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After that the planet finished it revolutions several times and many seasons had passed before a single creature appeared in front of the âbeastâ.
It knew about this creatureâs existence. It belonged to a species that was the most prevalent in this world. That species didnât have any strength to hurt the âbeastâ, its value as food was also not much, it boasted the prosperity of its species only based on their great number, an uninteresting existence. That was how the beast thought of that race.
When members of that species encountered the âbeastâ, they would either fear it or pointlessly opposed the not hostile âbeastâ. They were simply a frail creature, but this specimen before it introduced itself as ăhumană and attempted to hold a meaningful communication with the âbeastâ which was the first time for it.
The word ăhumană too was something that it learned from that particular specimen. During that process it also learned that it could communicate using the âlightningâ that previously it only used to send other creatureâs senses into disarray.
That âhumanâ possessed high intelligence regardless of its appearance. The âbeastâ showed interest toward the existence of âhumanâ for the first time. It conversed with that âhumanâ who called himself as a ăscholară and like that both sides increased their knowledge, heightened their intelligence, and it also learned that it was a mythical beast called ăCoeurlă that appeared from other world.
The âhumanâ sometimes also showed unnatural fear or emotion as befitting a frail creature it was, but the âbeastâ didnât look down of that as weakness due to the humanâs race. Far from that, it even grew to harbor a type of respect to the species of âhumanâ for possessing knowledge that even itself didnât know about.
âŠâŠBut that was nothing more than one side of the species called âhumanâ.
That âhumanâ who was investigating about the âbeastâ suddenly poisoned it. Then it called for unknown humans wearing iron shells to its den and of all things to do they attempted to capture the âbeastâ.
From the start the objective of the âhumanâ was to capture the âbeastâ and sold it to other person.
The beast was enraged. Even if they werenât equal in status, it was an existence that it could consider as an equal in intelligence for the first time, but then it learned that it was actually a ăwretched creatureă that harbored a thought this foolish. The beast felt scorn.
The âhumanâ investigated the âbeastâ and made a preparation to be able to capture the âbeastâ. It certainly showed some result however, it was a pity but the short life of âhumanâ was completely insufficient to know everything about the âbeastâ.
At least five more yearsâŠâŠif the âhumanâ spent that much time, he might be able to capture the âbeastâ, or perhaps realize that it was impossible to capture it.
But, the âhumanâ was unable to reveal everything just from one year of investigation. He foolishly used common poison to drug the âbeastâ. The âbeastâ overcame the poison and he ended up getting killed.
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The beast was disappointed by the wretched and sly âthe weakâ. It lost interest to them just like before.
That was a creature that it had no need to understand. They heightened their intellect not for living but only for their greed. It thought of them simply as a creature that only excelled in crafty plan that they disguised as intelligence.
Because they were weak, it shall forgive them in exchange of their life. He would allow their existence if they lived without getting involved with the âbeastâ.
But, the âbeastâ that was disappointed by the race called âhumanâ had stopped having any higher expectation than that for them.
The âbeastâ became alone once more.
There was no existence that was of the same race like it, all beings that were of equal status to him were enemy, and someone who it thought as intelligence turned out to be entirely foolish.
The âbeastâ thought once more.
What kind of being was itselfâŠâŠ? What was the meaning of its existence?
Was there any other existence in this world that was equal to it?
The âbeastâ was lonely. Only the âmoonâ that was floating in the dark night was staring at it.
The moon was always accompanying this world.
Would an equal existence that would accompany the âbeastâ just like what the âmoonâ was doing for the world appeared?
The âbeastâ howled toward the moon.
It howled in longing. It howled in lamentationâŠâŠ.
The âbeastâ cried to the âmoonâ.
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One day, another sly âhumanâ male appeared before the âbeastâ.
That âmanâ feared not the âbeastâ. And yet he didnât attempt to communicate with the âbeastâ or even fought, instead he started meddling with the âbeastâ sporadically to provoke it.
Even from the eyes of the âbeastâ, that man looked strong. Even if they fought head on, it wouldnât lose against him due to its inherent racial advantage, but it felt that this âmanâ was even more cunning than all the âhumansâ it had encountered before.
The âbeastâ wasnât underestimating the race called âhumanâ. It also didnât look down on their intellect. It simply felt really disappointed due to the high expectation it had for them before and lost interest in the end.
But, that âmanâ managed to obtain that much strength with its frail âhumanâ body. Just how much blood and sweat he had shed in his training to reach such height? And why was he doing something like this with that strength? The âbeastâ became interested.
It wasnât an interest in good meaning. Even though he had that much strength, why was he able to act in a way that dirtied the honor of other people and himself like this? The âbeastâ couldnât comprehend it.
Despite being ranked among the strong, he had abandoned his honor and focused on only seeking result regardless of how it was done. Such action looked unsightly just like that foolish scholar who tried to trick the âbeastâ.
The âbeastâ was disappointed by the foolishness of âhumanâ and lost interest. That disappointment was the flip side of the hope it once held. Even though the âbeastâ had lost interest toward âhumanâ, somewhere in its heart it believed that even âhumanâ held honor as a living creature. That was why it didnât look down on human regardless of its disappointment.
That was exactly why it couldnât forgive them.
What was with their ugliness? What was with their foolishness?
The âbeastâ was enraged once more. It was shown an even deeper ugliness from an existence that it was harboring hope toward in the past. Now it couldnât tolerate even their existence.
The âbeastâ gave chase to the âmanâ. It lost its mind in rage in order to erase that ugly existence.
But, the âmanâ was still among the strong regardless of how low it had fallen. He skillfully dodged the pursuit of the âbeastâ and wouldnât allow himself to be captured. As the âbeastâ chased after the âmanâ like that, it suddenly encountered a lot of âhumansâ crossing a path of wooden planks.
The âbeastâ couldnât differentiate âhumanâ. It could only use the slight difference in smell to know whether a human was male or female, adult or kid.
The strength that he sensed from those âhumansâ it encountered was weak. Even the âbeastâ that couldnât differentiate âhumanâ understood that they werenât that âmanâ.
But those frail âhumansâ foolishly attacked the âbeastâ.
They were most likely startled and panicked from the presence of the powerful âbeastâ. Even small creature sometimes would bare their fangs even against the strong in order to protect their child. But, what were these beings protecting? It wasnât their beloved child, or even their comrade, but only some rocks and metals.
The âbeastâ knew how âhumanâ sought pretty rocks and metals. Crow and dragon also had that kind of disposition so it didnât think of that as something strange. But, was something like that really worth their life? The way they risked their life for their greed just like that scholar and his men looked very foolish to the âbeastâ.
The âbeastâ finally felt anger to the race of âhumanâ and slaughtered all the humans that attacked it.
When it calmly thought about it later, it realized that it must be a scheme of that âmanâ too. But at that time the disappointment that the âbeastâ felt toward âhumanâ was so great that its calm completely vanished and its mind was swallowed by rage.
Like that the âbeastâ was driven by its fury and continued chasing after the âmanâ. When the âbeastâ was about to regain its composure, the âmanâ would appear in front of it and provoked it again. Such thing kept repeating before one dayâŠâŠthe âbeastâ encountered a certain âhumanâ âwomanâ.
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That âwomanâ boldly stood against the âbeastâ on her own.
She was still considered immature based on the size of her body and even her fighting strength didnât even reach half of the âbeastâ. Even so that individual faced it alone. What could her reason be to do something like that?
Was it to protect her comrade? No, that was an answer that came from only looking at the surface of the truth.
The âwomanâ trusted her comrades. She trusted her own trained strength. Even if there was a wide gap in strength between them, even if an instant of hesitation could rob her of her life, she believed in her comrades even then and risked her life in the slightest hope in order to grasp for âlifeâ.
With that strong heart, she stood against the powerful âbeastâ without fear.
Despite her weak strength, the âwomanâ was 'strongâ. She was genuinely strong, unlike itself and that eagle lion who glorified power with only the strength that they were born with, regardless of how powerful they were or how beautiful their furs were.
Even though she was weak, the way she nimbly whirled inside the withered forest that broke apart just from the touch of the âbeastâ displayed the beauty of âlifeâ dancing in the threshold of life and death.
The âwomanâ made the full use of her intelligence and mustered her courage in order to survive, and then her âfangâ finally reached the âbeastâ. The two of them were dropped together deep into the bottom of underground.
The âbeastâ fell on the ground and a fragment of fossilized tree pierced its body. It was unable to escape from its predicament on its own. It might be able if it had time, but it didnât think that âwomanâ would allow it.
But that âwomanâ didnât try to kill the âbeastâ who couldnât move.
Even so she definitely would come to kill the âbeastâ right away if it showed the slightest hostility.
The âwomanâ didnât kill the âbeastâ right away because she had no reason to kill. The âwomanâ had something âimportantâ that she prioritized more than that.
The âbeastâ sensed âdeathâ from very close for the first time since it existed.
Being weaker or stronger didnât matter. The difference of species was meaningless. It was convinced that if this âwomanâ wanted to kill, she would definitely kill the âbeastâ.
The âwomanâ rested her body like a wounded beast while staring fixedly at it with a merciless gaze.
An existence that could kill it. That was a unique encounter in this world for the âbeastâ with an existence that was âequalâ to itself.
The way she sought something without caring of the method she used might be similar with that sly âmanâ. But, that âwomanâ possessed âhonorâ for others and herself.
That was why the âbeastâ wanted to know about the âwomanâ. That too was an emotion that the âbeastâ felt for the first time in its life.
It also didnât hesitate to honestly ask for help because they were âequalâ. It also allowed other to ride on its back for the first time.
It was said that each âhumanâ had their own name. Until now the âbeastâ didnât have any interest in symbol to differentiate others, but the âbeastâ wished to know the name of the âwomanâ, and recognizing its own sense of self, it sought a ânameâ from the only person it recognized in order to differentiate itself.
That personâs name was ăAriaăââshe was the only existence that ăNeroă recognized in this world.
It wouldnât cry to the moon anymore.
Because a âmoonâ had finally appeared beside it.
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ăâŠâŠGaaâŠâŠă
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But, the âmoonAriaâ that Nero recognized seemed to be a human who was living in great hurry.
Aria was strong. But, she was still weak. She was an existence that Nero recognized. One day she would surely become as strong or stronger than itself. But, that wasnât now.
It would look after Aria until then. But, Nero thought that staying at her side like a âguardianâ would be an act that dirtied the pride of someone strong like her.
Aria seemed to find something that she had to do. Nero moved through the forest while secretly following behind her. When there was a moderately strong monster called ogre passing nearby, it secretly crushed it thinking that it might get in her way.
Where was Aria going? Nero didnât know. But, as time passed Aria was heading toward an area with a lot of âhumansâ.
It didnât hold any interest toward âhumanâ other than Aria but, it would become troublesome if the weaklings found it. Seeing that Aria was a âhumanâ, it should avoid coming into contact and be hostile toward âhumansâ more than necessary.
It was necessary for Nero to wait for her somewhere. Then, where should it wait?
The frail and sly âhumanâ had the habit of forming group to protect themselves from other threats. âHumanâ also used their intellect as weapon but, Nero understood that their greatest strength was their number.
The largest nest of âhumanâ around her was surrounded by a wall that even Nero needed to look up to see the top. Outside the wall there was forest, plain, rocky mountain, and so on but, it could see âhumansâ everywhere. There was no place where it looked like Nero would be able to hide at.
Nero searched for a good place of hiding. Then he found it at the southern part of the forest. The place had a lot of undulations and it was like a natural fortress that hindered monster and even âhumanâ to come to.
Even that place had been touched by âhumanâ hand but, only immature âhumansâ were there and it had an excessively vast ground but, the number of âhumanâ there was surprisingly little.
Was this the learning place for âhumanâââthe ăacademyă that it once heard from that sly scholar?
There were quite the number of âhumanâ there but, âhumanâ didnât enter the forest that surrounded the place like a fortress and there was also no external enemy. Nero thought that it was a good spot for hiding.
ăâŠâŠâŠâŠă
But, Nero found a âprevious occupantâ there.
Even though âhumanâ rarely entered this place, when this place was being opened up, there were also people who directly went through the forest. In that place, there was âhumanâ belonging that could be brought but couldnât be transported and abandoned midway. They were left behind half rotten.
Among those there must be also âhumanâ who tried to move along with family. Nero had heard how the frail human sometimes kept animal to be used as their livestock. Perhaps there was monster attack or there was accident, it didnât find any âhumanâ corpse but, there was that animal left behind together with the belonging. That animal was dwelling in that place now.
ăăăNaaăăă
That animal was called a âcatâ. Furthermore there wasnât just one cat. The cats seemed to have multiply in that place. Several âcatsâ mature and immature were existing there.
Based on the information it had, Coeurl was apparently very similar with a âpantherâ that was a carnivore that was categorized as feline animal. This âcatâ was also classified as feline but they were just so small.
Coeurl wasnât a feline despite its close resemblance with a large feline species. In the first place it wasnât even an animal. It was a type of creature that originally didnât exist in this world.
Despite the resemblance in their form, Nero didnât consider these âcatsâ as its relative, but it seemed the âcatsâ didnât think the same. The immature âcatsâ rubbed their body on the leg of Nero who suddenly appeared there. Even the mature âcatsâ that should be protecting their children didnât show any wariness or fear toward Nero. They looked at Nero like seniors watching a newcomer and meowed before walking to somewhere.
ăNaaă
ăâŠâŠâŠâŠă
A cat stopped walking and looked back and meowed at Nero as though to urge it ăWhat are you doing just standing there?ă.
What was happening here? Should it follow after them?
Nero was bewildered by this first time experience. But, it was true that Nero was the newcomer here. Throwing âweightâ around toward small existences that didnât harbor any hostility toward it somehow felt just a bit right and also wrong.
In short Nero was confused. It didnât know what was going on, even so it got interested by the action of the âcatsâ and Nero followed behind the previous occupants of this place.
And then the place they arrived at seemed to be the dwelling of the âcatsâ. Apparently the âcatsâ were using the belonging that the âhumansâ left behind as bed.
The âcatsâ led Nero forward before each of them entered into their own âboxâ that they used as place to sleep. Then they started relaxing inside.
Even from Neroâs perspective, the âboxesâ looked small, but most likely the âcatsâ had the trait of liking cramped place. They werenât inconvenienced at all by the small size, they even looked like they were intentionally choosing the âboxâ that was somewhat cramped for them.
ăNaaă
ăâŠâŠâŠâŠ!?ă
There the âcatâ that guided Nero poked at Neroâs front leg and guided it to that âboxâ.
There might be something inside thatâŠâŠit already decayed from wind and rain or perhaps some wild animal had wracked it until not even its original shape remained but, perhaps there was some kind of magical protection, because one âwooden boxâ among them still retained its original shape.
Its size was around two meters at all sides. Nero stared fixedly at it as though it was entranced. It took out all the leaves that were piled up inside and threw them to the surrounding, then it felt like an instinct drove it for the first time and it entered into the cramped box and made itself comfortable.
It was so cramped there wasnât any extra space remaining with it inside the box. IndeedâŠâŠit actually felt good because of that.
It wasnât like it needed to be fixated with this place. But, there was also no reason for it to not be here.
If Aria was also an immature âhumanâ, then one day she should also come to this ăacademyă place. With that thinking, Nero decided to wait for Ariaâs coming in this place. It didnât decide that because it lost against its instinct or anything.