The horns of cars and busking music echo across the streets as the gentle autumn blows its wind. Humans and beastmen, aliens and demons all could be seen wandering about the busy streets, minding their own business. It's another normal day in the concrete jungle of The Central City.

In a park, where trees decorated with purple and red leaves stand, Ren Kitsuko sits at a picnic table— just an average Kitsune with messy snow-white hair and blue eyes. He wears a not-yet-washed denim jacket along with a pair of jeans that is covered with his own shedding fur. Though itch crawls through every inch of his legs, he lets out a simple sigh as he smiles at the particularly foggy morning with a cup of coffee in hand.

His two friends, a lizard and a vampire, sit opposite to each other at the round picnic table. They sit by the trees that are raining down their red leaves, as the delicious smell of grilled hotdogs keeps their noses twitching in pleasure, while a busking hip hop music performed by a centaur just outside of the park's fence entertains their ears. Some of their ears, at least.

"So, Ren, how's your first day here? This place's nice, right?" With his brash and deep rough voice, Niz Iz'max, the draconic says as his blood red eyes with black scleras stares at Ren's blue ones. While his claws scratch the back of his blonde locks, his other hand lights up a cigarette, though some of its ashes fall onto his purple scales that replace his human skin, leaving only the peach-colored flesh on his (most would say) gangster looking human face.

"Eh, it's fine. I mean, my apartment is cramped and one of my neighbors really is something. But It's fine nonetheless," Ren replies as he takes a slurp of his coffee, "What about you? How's the defense agency going, dear senior?" He adds as he wipes his lips.

Niz rolls his eyes, weaving his cigarette as he hums, "Honestly not too good. For some reason, the overseers assigned me to bodyguard this one hell of a chief... When she, in reality, can survive literally everything..."

At the draconic's complaints, Ren's other friend, the pale and beautiful, blonde vampire, Charlie Morganiel only huffs. Her sunset pink eyes closing themselves at a stray beam of sunlight, "Is that... Bad? Isn't that like... A promotion or something?" She says, opening her eyes again as she raises an eyebrow at Niz.

"Well, If you consider having to work for a bitch as good, then yeah. It's a fucking promotion."

Charlie momentarily stares in silence, "Good for you."

"Lord... I deserve a raise..."

After Ren gives both of them a nervous chuckle, the three of them fall into that dreaded phase where a group of friends runs out of topics to talk about. With the vampire scrolling through her phone, the draconic lights up another cigarette while the fox slurps his coffee.

Though, that phase only lives shortly with Niz's sudden banging on the table, "Oh!"

Charlie slightly jolts back before forming an annoyed smile, "Yes? What. Is. It?"

Niz clears out his throat, blowing away some smoke, "Wanna go hang tonight? You know... As a hurrah for Ren joining the Knights," Niz says with a giddy smile, revealing his sharp teeth and long forked tongue.

"I suppose that's a good idea. Though trusting you as the party planner is really... questionable," The vampire rolls her eyes.

"Tch, Shut up goddamn hag."

"Thanks, you too."

Letting out a rough breath, Niz clears his throat once more.

"Hah, that's what you get for smoking," Charlie sneers.

"Tch."

Ren stays silent, both corners of his lips rising up as he continues to observe the couple.

"Anyways, we can go do karaoke or go to the hunting center. Hell, anything you want. Just think of this as your birthday." Niz continues.

"And drinks," Charlie quietly adds.

"And drinks," Both nod at each other.

Like a champ, Ren takes all their input before chuckling slightly at them, "That sounds really fun, actually. Minus the hunting center part. And honestly... I kinda miss you guys... Especially your silly little fights. So yeah, we can do that."

A horn of a truck suddenly blasts throughout the street. As the three continue to chat, discussing their plans for the night, Ren's phone suddenly rings.

"Sorry guys, don't mind me," He says as he stands up, walking away to sit on the water fountain in the center of the park.

His eyes squint when he first sees his phone's screen. As he bites his lower lip, he answers the phone.

Immediately, the voice of a scrawny, middle-aged woman yells, "Ren! How's your first day? Things turning out fine? Have you eaten? Oh, have you set up your place yet? You didn't get robbed, did you!?"

He narrows his eyes, sighing to the words that he already expects, "No, mom... I didn't get robbed."

"You sure? I heard there's a lot of pickpockets there..."

"Yes... Mom. I'm sure."

A breath of relief courses through the other side of the call, "Oh honey, I'm so proud of you. Now independent and all grown up! I Wish your father was here to see you..."

"You know that he's not dead, right?"

"Well, every time I think of him, I wish he is," His mom pauses before she suddenly sneezes, "...Ah, and Ren, I have something to tell you."

"Wait, are you okay? Are you sick?" He says as he takes another slurp of his coffee.

"If you moved just to look for someone to date, then I'll go there myself and get your ass home."

Ren immediately spits out his coffee, "HOLD UP! WHERE DID YOU GET THAT FROM!?"

"Oh, it just came to me like that. Trust me, I've been there. I know you're at the age where you need someone to be your partner. It's alright honey, I'm sure you'll find someone. But you don't have to take such drastic measures to do just that. Sometimes things will come unexpectedly, you know?"

Standing up, he rubs his temple as he furrows his brow, "No, mom! I thought I told you already! My Knight application got accepted!"

"Well, in that case... If you're just looking for a high-paying job, why don't you just work together with your brother here? I heard a lot of young people nowadays make lots of money doing 'online trades' or 'eBay'. And I heard they make more than real jobs too."

"Ah, well, I don't know... Maybe it's just because I simply don't want to do that. Look, mom, can we just get straight to the point? What are you trying to say?"

A few seconds in, only the trickle of the fountain makes itself known.

"Hello?"

After the silence, she sighs, "Ren, You know how it is, right?"

At her sudden quiet tone, Ren folds his ears back.

"Our kind is feared and hated by those weaker than us. I know you've already experienced that. And I know you already understand that."

With his mouth slightly open, Ren looks down, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he sits.

Just ignore him, okay dear?

Don't play with him. You don't mess with his kind.

The fox is here! Everyone! Run!

He clenches his fist as he grits his teeth. As his ears spring up, he raises his head and gulps, "Look, I get it, mom... I know how hard it'll be. I know how this world works. But then... So what? That won't stop me, right? Besides, everyone here has been nothing but nice to me... This place is not like home, you know?"

She only chuckles at his gentle take, "Heh... You've always been a stubborn one, aren't you? But I guess that's what makes you... well, you."

A wave of silence passes, up until his mother sighs.

"Ren, I know you're trying to look for... her," She says with a serious tone, hitting her son with heavy waves of heartbeat, though she soon soothes them with another one of her gentle tones, "But all I can say is that, just... do your best. Do whatever it takes to achieve your goals."

"Huh..." His lips form a smile, "Thanks, Mom."

"But Ren... You know, she could be, well... Dead. Wouldn't that make you reconsider your decisions?"

Her words cause him to pause as soft splashes of water trickle the back of his denim jacket. With his phone still on his ear, he takes a short walk around the park, then towards a concrete pathway where pigmy pegasuses the size of pigeons munch on seeds left by the park's visitors.

He walks right through the bunch, though he stops when he feels a sudden bump to his ankle. He glances down to see one of the cookie and cream colored pigmy pegasus rubbing its head onto him, staring at him with sparkling eyes.

"I know it's naive to say this, but... I know she's still out there. I don't know how, but... I just feel it..." He says, smiling as he kneels to pet the pegasus.

"I see... Don't underestimate your instinct, Ren. Sometimes it's the only part of ourselves that guides us best. They haven't been touched by the desires of our sentience after all..."

With a humble flick of his ears, he responds, "I know, I know... Thanks, mom, for the advice. Or is there more?"

"Well, that's all from your dear old mother."

Another wave of silence strikes the call and with him only hearing his dim breath, he stands up, slipping one hand into his pocket, "Well... Imma end the call now, mom."

"And remember Ren. Take care of yourself, okay? Also, if you do find her, you definitely have to marry her."

He smiles, chuckling jokingly at her words,. "Okay, okay. Don't worry, mom, but lower your expectations, kay?"

And there the call goes. It ends with him walking back to the park's lunch spot where his friends sit, waiting, squinting their eyes as he approaches.

"Hey, was that your mom? Again?" Charlie asks with a pair of bored, half-lidded eyes, staring at the spilled coffee her fox friend caused.

"Yep. But don't worry about it... She was just telling me about some important stuff..."

"Oh, did someone die?"

The two raise an eyebrow at Niz's question. In response, the latter just stares back in confusion.

The flocks of pigmy pegasus flying by muted the trio's upcoming argument. As a giant behemoth walks along the park's path, ant people enter and walk through the crevices in the concrete in peace, without fear of getting stepped on.

People of diverse races and species live in this world, each and all with dreams and hopes of their own. And Ren, too, has hopes and dreams, and he intends to fulfill them here, in The Central City, where sentient beings from all across the universe gather to do the same despite their differences.

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"The Lot of The Slumbering Gods, better known as The Central City, acts as a connected border between the four nations surrounding it. This futuristic, yet ancient city is rich in diverse intergalactic cultures among the citizens. So expect things out of the ordinary when you do visit."

There the fox stands, reading a magazine in a line to ring his packs and cans of instant ramen and coke in a convenience store just a few blocks away from his apartment building.

After a night of karaoke and drinks, Ren took the chance to make a quick stop here. It doesn't often come to him to buy unhealthy foods like this. Even as an adult, his mother would always shove greens into his mouth, both literally and figuratively.

As the beeping of the cashier's scanner plays in the background, he flips the page of the magazine onto its next header;

"Nts World: Social questions nobody has the guts to answer."

"Mysterious ruins newly discovered at Kanagawa, Sylvae blocked by a corporate entity; A step leading towards another doomsday?"

"What if a human were to be in a relationship with a two years old harpy?"

"Should succubuses be illegal?"

"Is a human and a beasthuman couple considered bestia-"

Ren closes the magazine before putting it back on the rack where it belongs.

"Oi! If you want to read that you have to pay first!" With a deep, electro-synced voice, the cashier, a humanoid alien with a face resembling that of earth's mite, says as he leans away from his current customer.

Ren widens his eyes as he turns to the alien cashier, "Oh... Um... I-I uh..."

"Nope, don't stutter your way out of this. I will get fired if this happens again," The alien slams the cashier's table, causing the woman he's currently ringing to flinch, "220 Rouss. You better pay up."

Perking his ears, Ren immediately pulls out his wallet as the woman in front of him observes with raised eyebrows.

He opens it only to see a few strips of money; 240 Rouss. Not enough to buy both his groceries and the magazine.

His feet begin trembling, though his tail quickly covers them away, "Erm... But I was not gonna buy that magazine! I was just... Checking it out..?"

The alien takes a deep breath, palming his bald head in frustration, "You know, for a Kitsune, you're pretty bad at tricking people," He pauses for a moment before slamming the table again, "220 Rouss. Period."

"Please, I only have 240. I can't pay for it right now... I'll come back after I get home! My apartment is not that far from here!"

"220. Take it or leave it," The alien repeats as the human turns away with her groceries, giving a glance of pity to the fox as she walks out of the store.

Ren drags his tail back into the instant noodle aisle. Clicking his lips, he kneels and puts his basket on the floor. As he focuses on picking what noodle to keep and what noodle to abandon, a deep human-like voice, speaking in a British accent, suddenly comes from his right.

"So... A Kitsune, huh? It seems like others are not very fond of your kind."

Ren turns his head to his right, just to see an alien with a humanoid torso attached to the body of a spider. Its head is a bundle of wriggling tentacles that looks as if his mom's fluffy hair tie comes alive, only more slimy and wriggly, also disturbing. As two of its black tentacles cross themselves across its chest, it leans onto the rack, carrying a basket filled with the same brand of noodles as Ren's.

Sighing to himself, Ren touches the cold floor before humming out, "Yeah... But, trust me, this city is way milder compared to my hometown," He says with a bitter tone, leaving two cans of soda in his basket.

As he looks at his pathetic basket with empty eyes, Ren stands, his hand pulling out the money.

"Goodbye... Mindomie... I'll miss you," He snorts with his cash as if his mother had just passed away before he turns around, ready to pass on to better things.

"Ah, you were buying Mindomie too? These noodles are ridiculously expensive on my home planet. Just one package could sell for 120.000 Rouss. So why did you put them back? It would be a waste to not enjoy them when they're so incredibly cheap. They're one of the main reasons why I migrated here, actually."

Hearing that, Ren gulps.

Holy... That is some number right there...

"Well, even when it's 'cheap'... I still don't have enough money... Heheh," he laughs, forcing a smile.

The ceiling fans creak as another silence emanates before the alien cracks a haunting wave of cackles, "Heh, you earthlings are... Very... Interesting..."

Ren's ears perk up as he raises his eyebrows, "Eh, what makes you think so?"

He's not laughing cuz he thinks I'm poor, is he?

A bead of sweat slides down the side of Ren's face. The alien's tentacles wriggle into the basket it carries, picking up the noodles, then putting them back on their rack as it continues with its words, "First, you all once raised blades at each other with pure hatred for each other's differences. And, yet, somehow... It all came to a pause. One can only wonder how," The alien puts one tip of its tentacle under its 'chin', "And, yet, one group or another... Seems to have bad apples growing around them. Much like yours," The alien glances at Ren, "Why is that?"

Its philosophical words cause Ren to blink twice before he looks down with pursed lips, "I guess it has something to do with our ancestors... There's this one tale my mother used to tell... About our goddess almost destroying the whole planet. Maybe that's why."

"Huh..." The alien touches the tip of its wriggling limbs with each other, "Fascinating."

Ren silently nods as he smiles before he goes back to his noodle business. Though inches before he could leave the fast food alley, he feels a sudden slimy moisture pulling his shoulder. As his ears perk up, he glances back to see one of the alien's tentacles latching onto his shoulder while another one hovers in front of his face, holding a silvery and iridescent slip of 300 Rouss.

"You seem to be in a questionable predicament... So..."

"No, I can't... You don't need to..." Ren smiles awkwardly, pushing the money and backing off gently, though the alien continues to just shove it back in an instant.

"No, no, I insist."

Lowering his ears, he sighs as he accepts the money. And the alien... smiles? There really is nothing to express when you have a wriggling bundle of tentacles as a head.

"Um... Thank you... Uh..."

"Ỽվʝվէ'ҽҽ."

Ren freezes in utter blankness.

"Vajye, my name."

Thank god.

"My name's Ren... And sorry for the money."

"It's fine... I have a lot to spare anyways... And surely, one has to do the bare minimum to help others, right?"

"I... Guess so."

And off the alien goes, skittering away out of the store without a glance.

Wait, it's not buying anything? Eh, it probably has something urgent to do.

Well, now's the time for him to actually pay for his stuff. Before that, he checks his wallet once again. Now, with the bonus of 300 Rouss, his funds totalled 540 Rouss which is lucky, luckily enough considering this whole situation.

With a relieved heart, Ren steps towards the cashier's table, leaning his arms onto its metallic surface as soon as he arrives.

"Let's just hope you're not playing tricks on me. You said you only have 240 Rouss, right? Well, that ain't gonna be enough for these sickening packs of MSG," the alien cashier says as his tiny mite eyes stare sharply at Ren's.

"N-No... Heh, don't worry about it," Ren points his thumb back towards the exit, "An octopus alien guy was nice enough to lend me some of his money."

The alien squints his eyes, "That university professor? That guy's a regular here, and he's loaded as hell. So I guess I'll believe you."

Letting out a slimy scoff, the alien grabs the noodles out of the basket. As he scans through the noodles' barcode, a sudden tune of wedding music rings from his back pocket. With panic, he scurries his arms to pull out and answer his ringing phone.

"H-Hey... Babe... What's up?"

At his nervous tone, Ren's ears raise themselves up as the alien leans his phone onto his shoulder while swiftly scanning the noodle packages.

"Y-Yeah. I'm still at work, babe..."

Ren watches as the alien trembles with the phone in his hand.

"No, I haven't signed the prenup yet..."

With that, his grip to his phone tightens.

"Huh!? What do you mean 'you haven't' either!?"

The longer pause causes Ren to raise an eyebrow, though he quickly raises both the moment his cashier slams the table.

"H-Hello!? Hello!?" With his mandibles chittering, the alien checks his phone, "Shit... Freakin' earth's antique phones, dude... These batteries die sooooo quickly..."

After quite the personal phone call he had shamelessly answered in front of a customer, he finishes his scanning process, then quickly prints out the receipt for Ren who had already left his money lying on the cashier's table. Now, he only stares at the alien with a pair of wide eyes that are slightly glowing blue.

The alien takes the money before inserting it in the register, "What are ya' looking at? You got no change. So leave."

Ren slightly jumps back at the alien's dismissal. Though, he quickly shrugs it off, "That seemed to be an important call... So, um..." He slowly clenches his fist, "Want me to charge your phone?" He says as a slight jam of electricity courses through his wrist.

At that, the mite cackles, "Look here, fox. I know I gave you some pressure earlier, but no need to hold grudges, okay? That's just how business works. Deal with it."

"What? No! I meant that In a literal way!"

"Pfft... Sure, mate... Sure..." The mite alien crosses his arms, "Are you even registered to use magic? Y'know the city is quite strict these days right?"

Ren keeps his face blank at the alien's disbelief. But well, if he really doesn't want it... Then Ren will not force it. It is as simple as that.

The mite looks at him with eyes even tainted with bitterness. Granted, he just had his phone call, an important one at that, cut. But his many pairs of stiffened eyes and that furrowed brow brings back memories deep from Ren's brain.

You're unwanted.

You're a disgrace.

You're never belonged here.

With a sigh, he brushes away those memories, then he purses his lips. He is about to take his groceries, but a yell perks his ears, causing him to stop.

"Freeze!" The rough voice of a man spreads, prompting Ren to glance to its source.

A man in an all black outfit is standing by the door, sporting a black, hockey mask. With his back slightly hunched forward and with his arms held out, the man aims his pistol, ready to shoot at any moment.

"You! Give me all the money you got!" First, he aims at the alien, prompting the latter to raise his hands, "and you! Put your hands behind your head and lie yourself low to the ground!" Though directed towards him, Ren keeps himself still, observing the man's movement with his sharp eyes.

"H-Hey, what are you doing!?" The mite warns, Ren does nothing but ignore him as he continues to stare at the man.

"Y-You fucko... H-Heh... You're gonna get me killed..!" The last part of his words comes out playfully nervous.

Yet, Ren lets out a snicker as he shakes his head. With a sly smile, he looks at the alien, his pupils turning sharp as the blue around them brighten and intensify.

"Just so you know..." He turns to the robber, who's now gripping his pistol tight, saying to both of them with confidence as bolts of lightning begin to sparkle around him, "I'm qualified to use magic."

"Tch!" Stiffening his eyes, the man pulls the trigger.

A bang echoes from his gun as a single bullet flies towards Ren.

But inches before the bullet hits, it becomes slow, the thin veil of air being pushed by its force visible to his eyes. Everything around him turns to slow motion— the alien on his way to let out a scream, the robber still stuck to the gun's recoil. Thus, with the bullet approaching him at snail's speed, Ren steps aside, dodging it unscathed.

"Gah!" The bullet's impact to the wall causes the alien cashier to yelp.

With a smirk, Ren approaches the man with normal steps. He quickly pans his gun at the Fox, though the latter stays calm in his approach.

"You..." His finger prepares to pull the trigger, "little..." Behind his mask, his eyes squint in rage.

Thus, he pulls the trigger.

The gun bangs, alongside flashes of blue lightning dashing towards him.

"Wha-"

Now suddenly behind him, Ren keeps his smirk as he swiftly grabs the man's wrists, sliding the gun out of his hands. Keeping his confident smile, Ren tightens his grip. Then, he lifts the man up before throwing him onto the floor.

"Ah!" The robber groaned on impact.

With the man pinned below him, a jolt of electricity buzzes around the Fox's index finger. The man continues to squeal and struggle before Ren quickly presses his finger onto the center of the robber's neck, sending him into a jolt-filled seizure.

The moment he lifts his finger back, the robber drops limp and still, eyes rolled back as his mouth opens wide.

Ren widens his eyes, his ears curling back as he looks at his still buzzing finger, "Shit... D-Did I..."

Gulping, Ren takes his hand and places a finger onto his wrist.

And fortunately, he feels a steady pulse.

Sighing in relief, Ren approaches the cashier, reaching for his groceries, "He should be unconscious for a good six hours. By then, you can bring him to a Knight station, right?"

The alien stays speechless, gawking at Ren.

Huffing, Ren grabs into his pocket, taking out a small badge, "Still a new recruit. I haven't even been administered into any agency yet. Well, do wish me luck, cuz that's happening tomorrow morning."

The alien's eyes agape.

"Hello..? Are you okay..?"

He still stays silent, still perplexed.

"W-Well... I'll just call the Knights on my way home then..."

Without any more words, Ren takes his groceries and exits out of the automatic door. As it is about to close behind him, it suddenly bangs loudly onto something, causing him to jerk slightly.

When Ren looks behind, he sees the mite holding the door against himself, "my god, these doors... Still fucking busted as ever..." He says before he forces himself out.

Ren looks back with his brow raised.

"So... Uh... I figured I left my charger at home. So... Kinda running out of options here," he taps his fingers onto each other.

"Well," Ren's lips curve into a sly smile— a smile so fitting for a Kitsune, "I won't destroy your phone. So don't worry, okay?"

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