Volume 3 - CH ss - 1

One day, at one time, a “beast” was suddenly born to this world from a certain space.

It didn’t have any father or mother, and in the first place it didn’t even know whether it had gender or not. Even so it at least knew that it “existed” 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 “beast” had made the low ranked monsters in that forest to not dare attack the “beast” or even got near it.

The “beast” was aware that it was considered among 『the strong』 in this world. But, for a creature there should be a meaning to its existence.

The “beast” didn’t know of any beast that was the same species with it. It didn’t even feel the need to leave behind descendant because it was born powerful. It also didn’t 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 didn’t 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 “beast” entrusted itself to the only thing existing inside its body, its “battle instinct” 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 enemy’s attack, its claws and fangs became harder than even iron and could easily tear apart hard shell.

It was then the “beast” saw it for the first time. It encountered “the strong” other than itself.

Its height reached two meters. Its whole size was also a whole size bigger than the “beast”. 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 “beast” felt that it was an existence with a nature that was close to itself, but although that creature had high intellect, it didn’t have the intelligence of a higher form of life to complement it. It saw the “beast” as a threat and attacked without even trying to communicate.

It was a battle against “the strong” that was equal to itself.

The “beast” couldn’t do anything when its opponent flew to the sky. It seemed to be a disadvantage for the “beast”, but the whiskers that grew from its ears like feelers was able to generate similar power like the “lightning” that flashed in the cloudy sky. Knowing that, the “beast” used that power to disturb the enemy’s 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 enemy’s attack with their fur. That eagle lion most likely also had the same ability, but the fur of the “beast” was able to defend against that creature’s claws, while the “beast” was able to tear apart the eagle lion’s 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 “beast” was able to become powerful even among its equals. But, the “answer” that the beast was looking for still hadn’t 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 “beast”.

It knew about this creature’s existence. It belonged to a species that was the most prevalent in this world. That species didn’t have any strength to hurt the “beast”, 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 “beast”, they would either fear it or pointlessly opposed the not hostile “beast”. They were simply a frail creature, but this specimen before it introduced itself as 『human』 and attempted to hold a meaningful communication with the “beast” which was the first time for it.

The word 『human』 too was something that it learned from that particular specimen. During that process it also learned that it could communicate using the “lightning” that previously it only used to send other creature’s senses into disarray.

That “human” possessed high intelligence regardless of its appearance. The “beast” showed interest toward the existence of “human” for the first time. It conversed with that “human” who called himself as a 『scholar』 and like that both sides increased their knowledge, heightened their intelligence, and it also learned that it was a mythical beast called 『Coeurl』 that appeared from other world.

The “human” sometimes also showed unnatural fear or emotion as befitting a frail creature it was, but the “beast” didn’t look down of that as weakness due to the human’s race. Far from that, it even grew to harbor a type of respect to the species of “human” for possessing knowledge that even itself didn’t know about.

……But that was nothing more than one side of the species called “human”.

That “human” who was investigating about the “beast” 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 “beast”.

From the start the objective of the “human” was to capture the “beast” and sold it to other person.

The beast was enraged. Even if they weren’t 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 『wretched creature』 that harbored a thought this foolish. The beast felt scorn.

The “human” investigated the “beast” and made a preparation to be able to capture the “beast”. It certainly showed some result however, it was a pity but the short life of “human” was completely insufficient to know everything about the “beast”.

At least five more years……if the “human” spent that much time, he might be able to capture the “beast”, or perhaps realize that it was impossible to capture it.

But, the “human” was unable to reveal everything just from one year of investigation. He foolishly used common poison to drug the “beast”. The “beast” overcame the poison and he ended up getting killed.

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The beast was disappointed by the wretched and sly “the weak”. 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 “beast”.

But, the “beast” that was disappointed by the race called “human” had stopped having any higher expectation than that for them.

The “beast” 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 “beast” thought once more.

What kind of being was itself……? What was the meaning of its existence?

Was there any other existence in this world that was equal to it?

The “beast” was lonely. Only the “moon” 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 “beast” just like what the “moon” was doing for the world appeared?

The “beast” howled toward the moon.

It howled in longing. It howled in lamentation…….

The “beast” cried to the “moon”.

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One day, another sly “human” male appeared before the “beast”.

That “man” feared not the “beast”. And yet he didn’t attempt to communicate with the “beast” or even fought, instead he started meddling with the “beast” sporadically to provoke it.

Even from the eyes of the “beast”, that man looked strong. Even if they fought head on, it wouldn’t lose against him due to its inherent racial advantage, but it felt that this “man” was even more cunning than all the “humans” it had encountered before.

The “beast” wasn’t underestimating the race called “human”. It also didn’t 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 “man” managed to obtain that much strength with its frail “human” 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 “beast” became interested.

It wasn’t 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 “beast” couldn’t 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 “beast”.

The “beast” was disappointed by the foolishness of “human” and lost interest. That disappointment was the flip side of the hope it once held. Even though the “beast” had lost interest toward “human”, somewhere in its heart it believed that even “human” held honor as a living creature. That was why it didn’t look down on human regardless of its disappointment.

That was exactly why it couldn’t forgive them.

What was with their ugliness? What was with their foolishness?

The “beast” 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 couldn’t tolerate even their existence.

The “beast” gave chase to the “man”. It lost its mind in rage in order to erase that ugly existence.

But, the “man” was still among the strong regardless of how low it had fallen. He skillfully dodged the pursuit of the “beast” and wouldn’t allow himself to be captured. As the “beast” chased after the “man” like that, it suddenly encountered a lot of “humans” crossing a path of wooden planks.

The “beast” couldn’t differentiate “human”. 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 “humans” it encountered was weak. Even the “beast” that couldn’t differentiate “human” understood that they weren’t that “man”.

But those frail “humans” foolishly attacked the “beast”.

They were most likely startled and panicked from the presence of the powerful “beast”. 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 wasn’t their beloved child, or even their comrade, but only some rocks and metals.

The “beast” knew how “human” sought pretty rocks and metals. Crow and dragon also had that kind of disposition so it didn’t 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 “beast”.

The “beast” finally felt anger to the race of “human” 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 “man” too. But at that time the disappointment that the “beast” felt toward “human” was so great that its calm completely vanished and its mind was swallowed by rage.

Like that the “beast” was driven by its fury and continued chasing after the “man”. When the “beast” was about to regain its composure, the “man” would appear in front of it and provoked it again. Such thing kept repeating before one day……the “beast” encountered a certain “human” “woman”.

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That “woman” boldly stood against the “beast” on her own.

She was still considered immature based on the size of her body and even her fighting strength didn’t even reach half of the “beast”. 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 “woman” 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 “life”.

With that strong heart, she stood against the powerful “beast” without fear.

Despite her weak strength, the “woman” was “strong”. 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 “beast” displayed the beauty of “life” dancing in the threshold of life and death.

The “woman” made the full use of her intelligence and mustered her courage in order to survive, and then her “fang” finally reached the “beast”. The two of them were dropped together deep into the bottom of underground.

The “beast” 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 didn’t think that “woman” would allow it.

But that “woman” didn’t try to kill the “beast” who couldn’t move.

Even so she definitely would come to kill the “beast” right away if it showed the slightest hostility.

The “woman” didn’t kill the “beast” right away because she had no reason to kill. The “woman” had something “important” that she prioritized more than that.

The “beast” sensed “death” from very close for the first time since it existed.

Being weaker or stronger didn’t matter. The difference of species was meaningless. It was convinced that if this “woman” wanted to kill, she would definitely kill the “beast”.

The “woman” 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 “beast” with an existence that was “equal” to itself.

The way she sought something without caring of the method she used might be similar with that sly “man”. But, that “woman” possessed “honor” for others and herself.

That was why the “beast” wanted to know about the “woman”. That too was an emotion that the “beast” felt for the first time in its life.

It also didn’t hesitate to honestly ask for help because they were “equal”. It also allowed other to ride on its back for the first time.

It was said that each “human” had their own name. Until now the “beast” didn’t have any interest in symbol to differentiate others, but the “beast” wished to know the name of the “woman”, and recognizing its own sense of self, it sought a “name” from the only person it recognized in order to differentiate itself.

That person’s name was 『Aria』──she was the only existence that 『Nero』 recognized in this world.

It wouldn’t cry to the moon anymore.

Because a “moon” had finally appeared beside it.

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『……Gaa……』

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But, the “moonAria” 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 wasn’t now.

It would look after Aria until then. But, Nero thought that staying at her side like a “guardian” 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 didn’t know. But, as time passed Aria was heading toward an area with a lot of “humans”.

It didn’t hold any interest toward “human” other than Aria but, it would become troublesome if the weaklings found it. Seeing that Aria was a “human”, it should avoid coming into contact and be hostile toward “humans” more than necessary.

It was necessary for Nero to wait for her somewhere. Then, where should it wait?

The frail and sly “human” had the habit of forming group to protect themselves from other threats. “Human” also used their intellect as weapon but, Nero understood that their greatest strength was their number.

The largest nest of “human” 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 “humans” 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 “human” to come to.

Even that place had been touched by “human” hand but, only immature “humans” were there and it had an excessively vast ground but, the number of “human” there was surprisingly little.

Was this the learning place for “human”──the 『academy』 that it once heard from that sly scholar?

There were quite the number of “human” there but, “human” didn’t 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.

『…………』

But, Nero found a “previous occupant” there.

Even though “human” 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 “human” belonging that could be brought but couldn’t be transported and abandoned midway. They were left behind half rotten.

Among those there must be also “human” 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 didn’t find any “human” corpse but, there was that animal left behind together with the belonging. That animal was dwelling in that place now.

『『『Naa』』』

That animal was called a “cat”. Furthermore there wasn’t just one cat. The cats seemed to have multiply in that place. Several “cats” mature and immature were existing there.

Based on the information it had, Coeurl was apparently very similar with a “panther” that was a carnivore that was categorized as feline animal. This “cat” was also classified as feline but they were just so small.

Coeurl wasn’t a feline despite its close resemblance with a large feline species. In the first place it wasn’t even an animal. It was a type of creature that originally didn’t exist in this world.

Despite the resemblance in their form, Nero didn’t consider these “cats” as its relative, but it seemed the “cats” didn’t think the same. The immature “cats” rubbed their body on the leg of Nero who suddenly appeared there. Even the mature “cats” that should be protecting their children didn’t show any wariness or fear toward Nero. They looked at Nero like seniors watching a newcomer and meowed before walking to somewhere.

『Naa』

『…………』

A cat stopped walking and looked back and meowed at Nero as though to urge it 『What are you doing just standing there?』.

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 “weight” around toward small existences that didn’t harbor any hostility toward it somehow felt just a bit right and also wrong.

In short Nero was confused. It didn’t know what was going on, even so it got interested by the action of the “cats” and Nero followed behind the previous occupants of this place.

And then the place they arrived at seemed to be the dwelling of the “cats”. Apparently the “cats” were using the belonging that the “humans” left behind as bed.

The “cats” led Nero forward before each of them entered into their own “box” that they used as place to sleep. Then they started relaxing inside.

Even from Nero’s perspective, the “boxes” looked small, but most likely the “cats” had the trait of liking cramped place. They weren’t inconvenienced at all by the small size, they even looked like they were intentionally choosing the “box” that was somewhat cramped for them.

『Naa』

『…………!?』

There the “cat” that guided Nero poked at Nero’s front leg and guided it to that “box”.

There might be something inside that……it 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 “wooden box” 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 wasn’t any extra space remaining with it inside the box. Indeed……it actually felt good because of that.

It wasn’t 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 “human”, then one day she should also come to this 『academy』 place. With that thinking, Nero decided to wait for Aria’s coming in this place. It didn’t decide that because it lost against its instinct or anything.

『Gaa』

『『『Naa!』』』