[A Few Weeks Later]
"Haaa... at long last!"
The two finally left the desert region, constantly training and moving every single day. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached civilization.
However, it wasn't anything like what Neron expected.
"What is this place...?" Confusion was evident on his face as he looked at the bustling civilization that littered the valley from a cliff that he occupied alongside Lilith.
The woman merely smiled and casually revealed something he never knew.
"This is a Magic Beast Society." Her smile broadened. "There are lots of them scattered around, unlike the centralized system that humans operate in."
"F-for real? Magic Beasts have a society?"
"Yup! We're here because I need to stock up on some ingredients that are already running low, and I can only get them here."
"Ingredients...?"
"Mainly spices." She retorted dismissively. "Nothing that important."
"...."
Neron remained silent as he took one final glance at the city from above.
"Welp! Let's go."
***********
The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the bustling streets of the Magic Beast society. The town was unlike anything Neron had ever seen—a blend of the fantastical and the functional.
Buildings made of stone and wood were interwoven with glowing vines and enchanted crystals that pulsed faintly with energy. The air buzzed with a mix of laughter, shouts, and the occasional growl or snarl.
It was lively, chaotic, and altogether overwhelming.
Before he could take a closer look, someone bumped into him, hard enough to make him stumble.
"Watch where you're going!" A sharp, feminine voice snapped.
Neron turned to see the source of the voice—a girl around his age with crimson eyes that burned with irritation. She had small, curved horns protruding from her head and a tail that flicked behind her, betraying her agitation. Her appearance was striking, otherworldly, and, judging by the attention they were suddenly receiving, important.
"I—uh, sorry," Neron stammered, raising his hands in a placating gesture.
"Sorry?" she repeated, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
The crowd around them began to murmur, creatures of all kinds stopping to watch the unfolding scene. Neron felt the weight of their stares and the growing tension in the air.
"I didn't mean to—"
"Silence!" the girl snapped, cutting him off. Her tail lashed behind her like an angry whip. "You dare to touch me and think a simple 'sorry' is enough?"
"It was an accident," he tried to explain, his tone firm despite the growing unease in his chest.
"An accident?" She stepped closer, her crimson eyes narrowing. "How typical of a human to think they can do as they please without consequence."
Neron clenched his jaw, his own irritation beginning to rise. "Look, I already apologized. What more do you want?"
The girl's expression darkened, and the crowd around them seemed to hold its collective breath. Then, without warning, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
The force of the blow was startling, not just because of its strength but because of the sheer audacity of it. Neron staggered slightly, his cheek stinging as he stared at her in disbelief.
"Kneel," she commanded, her voice cold and imperious. "Kneel and apologize properly."
The crowd erupted in whispers, some amused, others shocked. Neron's hands curled into fists at his sides as he met her gaze, anger flaring in his chest.
But as he stared at her, he noticed something beneath her fiery demeanor—a flicker of something deeper, though he couldn't quite place it.
Still, he couldn't ignore the sting of his pride. His lips pressed into a thin line as he weighed his options, the girl's command hanging heavy in the air.
Then, he finally responded.
"No."