Ever since 2021, where the last furry race of the mountain lion was captured and slaughtered, we have lived in a world of only humans, animals, and bugs.

Witches and wizards were killed. Mermaids were hunted to extinction for their scales. Dragon teeth were sold for a high price.

It's all because of the fact humans wanted to be at the top of the world.

I paused from where I was doodling a mermaid, looking up at the clatter of glass.

"E-E-Eek! I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry, p-p-p-please f-forgive m-me! I'll d-do an-an-"

"It's a glass, Mikan," I said, returning to my drawing. I knew it was her, because it was highly unlikely that my other companion would freak out like that.

Mikan Tsumiki had confidence issues. She had been bullied, abused, and set on fire under the suspicion of being a witch. Even now, several years after she was burnt, the burn marks had never faded from her forearms, feet, and collarbone.

She had come to me in fondness of the way I held myself, and my own confidence. But by bit, I hoped that she would go back to being the loving, caring child she used to be, not the insecure girl who was in my household right now.

"B-B-"

"Mikan, as Peko said, it's just a glass. she has plenty others," the other voice was more smooth as she coaxed Mikan.

Sonia was a runaway princess, sent to this town by her mother and father as their kingdom was attacked.

Setting my drawing book aside, I brushed off my leggings and stood, striding to the kitchen where the two stood.

"... And what exactly were you doing?"

On my right, Sonia turned and looked sheepish, a plate held in her hand as bubbles slid down the white surface. In her other hand, she held a sponge.

"Cleaning," she said. "I have never experienced it before by hand, and-"

"We have a dishwasher," I told my friend, inclining my head towards the dishwasher just to the right of my sink.

"I know! But I just wanted to do it."

Without another word, she turned back to the sink, scrubbing viciously as she bit her lip. A strand of her ginger hair (which had originally been a pale blonde, but she had to dye it to hide her identity) fell into her face, but she made no indication to move it as she started to hum.

Mikan was on the floor, shattered glass scattered around her. The tips of her two index fingers were slit, oozing several droplets of blood as she attempted to clean up the bits.

"Mikan, go tend yourself quickly," I commanded. With a yelp, my friend scrambled to her feet and disappeared into the bathroom. Several moments afterward, I could hear the sound of running water.

Kneeling, I swept up the glass, taking great care around the jagged edges. "Sonia, can you get me the broom?"

"Absolutely!"

I winced at the noises of messy rummaging that followed. It was expected- she didn't know the wall my household was organized.

However, she appeared in the doorway moments later, holding a broom and a dust-pan.

"Thank you," I said, taking it from her hands, and proceeded to wipe the broom across the floor into the dust-pan.

"A-A-Ah, P-P-Peko, I-I-I-I g-got a t-t-trash bag..."

"Thank you," I repeated the phrase again as Mikan stumbled over to me, and I hoped to all the gods in heaven that she wouldn't trip and land face-first into the shards of glass.

"Need any help?" Sonia asked from her spot in the doorway. I glanced at Mikan's bandaged fingers, shook my head no, and shook the rest of the glass into the trash bag.

"I'll just get this to the dumpster," I stated. "Might as well take the rest of the trash as well."

"I will get it!" The princess announced, disappearing in an instant.

Mikan stood from where she was kneeling, wiping off her skirt with trembling hands. "I-I-I-If needed, I-I-I c-can g-go," she offered.

"No, it's fine."

Soon, Sonia returned with a black bag in her hands, a radiant smile on her face as she tied it and held it out to me.

Thanking her again, I slung the one full of trash over my shoulder, only barely wrinkling my nose at the pungent smell, and made sure that the glass-filled one wouldn't open while I was walking. I also slid a pocket-knife into my waistband, just in case for any... unwanted encounters.

The dumpster through the forest. I lived in the beach house that was right next to the said forest, and beyond it, was the city.

I was aware that I lived a very anti-social life. Many people didn't approach me, for my stiff aura and red eyes almost always scared them off. Sonia lived in the beach house next to mine, as it would probably be the safest place for now, but Mikan lived in the city with my other... acquaintances.

The worn route was a path I took a lot. It wasn't paved, but a winding path of gravel, grass, and dirt that led deep into the forest.

Immediately, my shoulders relaxed as the air took on the forest-like smell, and the ground softened underneath my feet. Every few moments, birds chirped and I would catch glimpse of a squirrel or rabbit.

The thought of a fluffy animal brought a thin smile to my face, but I kept walking, focused on getting out as soon as possible so Sonia wouldn't 'accidentally' mess up my house because she had dropped a fork, and Mikan had kicked it who-knows-where.

After I had dropped down both bags, I started to head back. The sun had set over the horizon only moments before, and now the sky was streaked with hues of blue, orange, pink, yellow, and red.

Several wing flaps. An owl flew by overhead, and the rustle of grass behind me told me that it was probably an animal.

There was a crack, and I had bolted backwards, taking large leaps to avoid the thick branch that thudded against the ground with a solid noise.

A branch that thick shouldn't fall on its' own, I thought, glancing up at the tree it assumedly came from.

Claw marks were near one edge of the branch, which was the side that looked like it connected to the tree.

This seems too broad for a cat to claw through.

It was then when I was finally aware of the burning between my shoulder blades, as if there were eyes drilling into my back.

Taking a slow step backwards, and twisting, I stared straight into the gap between the trees.

A pair of golden brown eyes, almost a mix between a light hazel and tan, peered back at me. They were narrowed to slits, hovering at about a meter and a half above the ground.

"I demand you to reveal yourself right now," I commanded, my hand drifting to my waist. The cold blade pressed against my skin, as if to remind me that it was still there, waiting to be pulled from its' hiding spot.

The eyes blinked, then disappeared in a flash.

The blade whipped from its' spot as a blonde blur hurled out of the darkness. Claws hissed as they strained against my arms, one curled tight around the pocketknife and the other struggling to dig into my arms.

The same eyes that had pierced me in the trees stared straight into mine, scrunched up and squinting.

The weight on my blade was lifted. An arc of pain flashed across the skin of my leg.

My teeth sunk into my lower lip as I held back a hiss of pain. The animal had gone back to their original position, attempting to push me back.

In an instant, the memories of my young age flashed back to me as I learned, practiced, and improved at kendo.

The blade is just an extension of your body. It is an extension of you limb, honed to the point of tearing open skin if used properly.

I gave away to their weight, and shifted my own to my back foot. They moved with me, but it was more unexpected for them.

Drawing back, I slammed my foot into the back of where the kneecap would be.

Like a human body, they crumbled to the floor. I poised the knife above their head.

"All right, what the hell are you going to do now?"

At the words, I flipped the knife, as if to slide it into my sleeve.

The being in front of me was somehow human...but not.

It was surely the one I saw in the trees. Their- his- eyes were the same color, but most of the feral look had faded.

A tan tail rose up from behind him, twitching every few moments. Nails the color of wet firewood, jagged and about as long as those fake nails girls were these days.

The same shade as his tail, ears were set on either side of his head, with a rim of white.

His hands were a shape between human hands and cat paws, rounded and had messily-groomed fur on the back of it, trailing up his forearms.

He was dressed in a simple, ragged white shirt, with a pair of white pants.

"You're.... a furry..."

His features formed into a scowl- at least what I thought was a scowl, whiskers quivering.

Yet, the furry still didn't say anything, settling into a crouch, most of his weight on his front paws. The form was of one getting ready to pounce as he watched me with careful, sharp eyes.

As I switched the knife back into attack mode, the furry studied me. I had heard him speak once- he had a voice that reminded me of Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender, albeit a little more high-pitched.

"I thought they went extinct..."

"Clearly not, dumbass," he spat.

I was seventeen when they had 'hunted' the last furry and killed her, driving a stake through her heart. Now, four years later, I was standing in front of one.

"... you're not the only one," I guessed. "Probably a family... three? No, there's four of you altogether, I suspect..."

Most furries did live in groups of three or four. Guessing by his speed and the little scar marks on his skin and fur, he got into fights a lot, which was made possible by a sibling.

The little tan blur dug his fingernails into my wrist, which I had swiftly brought up the instant he had moved his foot.

Several droplets of blood dribbled over my skin, marking the pale spot with a red streak before it slid down and fell.

"How- the fuck- did you- know that?"

His voice came from just below my ear, hissed.

"Intuition," I replied, without a tremble of quiver coursing through my body. Yes, I could die. Yes, he could probably maul me and eat me for dinner. Yes, I could be careless, slip, and accidentally stab myself in the gut.

The last thought made me pause, glancing at the sleek blade that I held in front of me, hilt towards the furry, the blade pointed in the direction of my torso. I really could accidentally stab myself.

He was still straining against me, pushing with all his might in attempt to get the upper hand.

Vicious, I noted. Impatient to get a fight over with, quick and done.

My movement was too fast for him to register- either that, or my foot had been out of his eyesight, it was one of those two. I had drawn back, much like I did the first time, hooked my foot around his furry ankle, and jerked my knee upwards.

As expected, the tan-furred creature lurched with me, limbs sprawling before he landed on the ground with a short 'mrow!'.

"Your balance is off. Quick to fight, and rush into a battle," I listed the flaws off tactlessly. "Your stance is weak, and your hands are poised to claw your opponents arms, not their face, and you're leaving your chest wide open."

As if to prove a point, I stepped on his upper forearm, and he stopped immediately, glaring up at me with a hateful look.

Leaning over, I poked him in the chest with the knife. "Fatal injures, furry. Fatal injuries."

"Finish me off, then," he snarled.

I shook my head, then stepped off his arm. "I'm not heartless."

"You sure look like it," the furry grumbled, sitting up and rubbing at the spot that I had stood on.

"Pardon me?" I asked, cocking my head."

"You sure look heartless," he replied, with a knowing smirk.

"If you're trying to get a rise out of me, it's not going to work," I stated, and his golden-brown eyes stared at me, as if attempting to pierce my soul.

He only grunted in reply, showing no more signs of lunging again. Sitting hunched over, the furry almost looked like a hairy human child with bad posture.

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

"What?" I blinked at him several times. "Of course not, why would I?"

"..." Brow furrowed, he studied me. "Aren't all humans against supernatural creatures because... they want to be at the top or some shit like that?"

"That's what we call stereotypical. Not everyone is like that."

"... Stereo...typical?" He echoed.

Nodding, I turned my back to him and started walking away.

"I bid your farewell. I'm going to pretend like I never met you," I said, only tilting my face so that he saw my profile.

Silence. Only staring at me, his lip curled in what I assumed was distaste.

It was hard to tear my gaze from the supernatural creature- he was a wonder, and truly beautiful (and fluffy- probably- but that's not the point).

There was no signs of movement as I walked away, my head held high as if there was merely a pathway behind me, nothing else.

A hand fell upon on my shoulder, and I whipped around on instinct, the pocket-knife flashing and hissing through the air.

Then froze.

Blood- on the knife, from his eye, splattered over both his fur and my clothing.

The furry had gone for my shoulder, it seemed. His hand was mid-air, outstretched for my shoulder.

His eye.

A wicked, vertical, bloody line drew upwards, cutting across his eye. In shock, his pupils had shrunk.

Time sped up again as he went down on one knee, a hand pressed against the injury, staring at me.

"W... Wh... What... the f...fu..."

The flow was strong, that was for sure. The blood had collected in the creases of his shirt, completely and throughly staining the entire front.

Untying my red ribbon on the front of my shirt, I knelt, twisting the material into a ball.

A hiss followed, clearly restraining a shriek of pain. Through slitted eyes, he glared, raising a dirt-caked hand as if to protect himself with his nails.

"I'm going to help you."

"Y-Y-You'll... probably... kgh... ma-make it... worse..."

"I'm at least slightly trained in first aid," I said cooly, pushing his wrist aside. "Let me see."

As composed as I was on the outside, my heart rattled against my ribcage. It quivered like a sopping-wet, young bird in the rain.

Was I about to be at fault for the death of what might be the last furry in existence?

As I pressed the cloth to his bleeding eye, I was slightly sickened at how quickly it dampened with blood.

Automatically, his fingers curled around my wrist in a pain-response, nails digging deep into my skin.

"... Mikan would know how to fully treat this," I murmured, debating if to get him back to my house. Granted, if anyone related to the government found out, he'd be killed in front of the public, and I'd be killed- but in the best case scenario, imprisoned.

I made my choice.

"Come on," I mumbled half-hearted, pushing against his shoulder. "Lay down."

The furry pushed against my hand, shaking his head weakly.

"You're going to pass out soon. Let me help you."

In response, he pushed against my leg with one foot.

The blood seeping through the cloth started to stain my hand, which I took as a sign that it was still bleeding. Now a steady stream had trailed down his collarbone and onto the ground.

I didn't know how much blood furries had in their body, but human bodies only had ten to twelve pints.

At one point, his eyes rolled back and eased shut. Cold rooted itself in my veins, and, hooking my arms under his legs, picking up the furry, turned towards the direction of my house.

As I slid from the safety of the forest, my feet sinking deep into the sand as I emerged out onto the beach, I spared a glance at Sonia's beach house next to mine.

The lights were switched off, as expected, except for one- the one positioned just above her door. The light shed on the back of a black trench-coat.

As I neared closer, careful not to jostle the bleeding furry in my arms, I spotted a purple scarf, trailing in the wind. Any sudden movement might cause excess blood, and that would not be good.

The instant I saw the bandaged hand resting on the rail, I called the man's name. "Gundam!"

He reacted to the name, turning his head slowly. A sharp nose, a pale face, a scar cutting through his left brow and eye all combined together for the appearance of Gundam Tanaka.

He was a rather famous animal-breeder, but the only way I got to know him is through Sonia.

"Stoic One?" He asked through the darkness, now turning his entire body to face me. "Is there something you have that will benefit my presence?"

"The question is why are you waiting in front of Sonia's beach house?" I inquired, to which Gundam didn't reply, instead leaning on the railing as if to get a better look at me. "But, no, I have something more... life-changing."

It felt wrong to refer to the furry in my arms as 'life-changing', but it really was. He really was an animal-lover, and, as steely as his image was, wept when he was dragged into the square and watched the furry impaled.

Considering I was still in darkness, there was little doubt that the only thing Gundam saw was a huddled thing in my arms. But as he stepped down the staircase to Sonia's beach house, and I instead came into the light, I saw the shock flash across his features.

"You're an animal-breeder," I said to him. "I... found him with an eye-injury in the forest. Do you, perhaps, know how to treat this?"

He was silent for a moment, then reached out, brushing his long fingers against the fur of the male, as if to assure himself that he was real. It was several moments before Gundam snapped out of his gaze, shaking his head side to side.

"Yes. Do you think we may use your house for the ceremony to seal this wound? And do you happen to have the medicine granted to us by the blood of the dark gods?"

"I do have medicine, yes, and we can use my house, but Sonia and Mikan are in there."

He paused, stopping mid-stride. "We can trust the former, but the latter..."

"Mikan wouldn't give this away."

"Very well. Let us tend to this being."