The Psychopathic Beast Emperor

As Bahamut and Exildra left the eatery, they didn’t notice the shadow that slipped from Bahamut. It moved swiftly and unseen and entered Lily’s shadow.

...

Lily sat under a tree with a dejected smile on her face. Her eyes were swollen and puffy from all the crying, and her lips had even turned pale. Her fox ears appeared droopy while her tail wagged slowly as she sobbed silently under the tree.

Lily didn’t move.

She didn’t have the strength to.

Her body felt heavy, like something had settled deep inside her chest and refused to let her breathe properly. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, her head buried between them as her shoulders trembled faintly.

"What did I do wrong...?" she whispered.

Her voice was hoarse.

Broken.

"I didn’t lie. I didn’t cheat. I just..." Her fingers tightened around her sleeves. "I liked him."

A tear dropped onto the dirt beneath her.

Then another.

"Is that so bad...?"

The breeze passed gently through the tree, rustling the leaves above her. It was peaceful.

"Was I too pushy?" she muttered, her voice small now. "Too fast? Too much?"

Her ears drooped further.

"I just... wanted a chance..."

Silence answered her. For a while, she stayed like that... thinking, questioning, and hurting. She sobbed silently when, suddenly, her shadow moved.

At first, it was subtle, like a ripple of water as if the wind had touched it. It went almost unnoticed by her, but then she suddenly froze. Her ears twitched as she tensed instantly. The shadow beneath her stretched, elongating unnaturally across the ground, crawling like a living thing.

"What?!"

She pushed herself up quickly, stumbling back a step as her heart began to race. The shadow thickened and darkened, and something, or rather someone stepped out of it.

It was a woman with pale skin and short black hair. Two curved cow horns protruded from her head, with matching ears flicking slightly as if adjusting to the air, while a thin tail swayed lazily behind her. Shadow clung to her body, wrapping around her form and shifting constantly, covering her where it was needed like a living veil. She blinked cutely as she looked around with wide eyes.

"Woooaah!" Her voice was soft, curious, and almost childish. Lily didn’t hesistate. Her expression snapped into focus as she raised her hand, her claws extending slightly.

"Don’t move!" she snapped, her voice sharp and deadly despite her earlier state. "What are you?"

The woman froze, like a child caught doing something wrong. Her eyes widened as she pointed at herself.

"Eh? Me?"

"Yes, you!" Lily answered in a cold tone that promised death.

"Oh..." the woman tilted her head and smiled beautifully... a bright, almost innocent smile.

"I’m Alana!"

Lily didn’t lower her guard.

"What are you?"

"Alana!" she repeated proudly, as if that explained everything.

"That’s not what I meant."

"Oh."

Alana paused, thinking. Her brows furrowed slightly as she started biting her nails, thinking very, very hard.

"Master’s partner?" she finally said, unsure. Then she perked up again.

"But also Nyx!"

Lily stared at her with a deadpan expression.

"That makes no sense."

"I know!" Alana nodded enthusiastically.

Lily’s eye twitched slightly.

"Why did you come out of my shadow?"

Alana blinked.

Then pointed behind her.

"I came from master’s shadow."

"What?"

She nodded again.

"Mm-hmm! I was hiding there. It was comfy."

"Whose shadow?"

Alana pointed in the direction Bahamut and Exildra had left.

"Master!"

Lily’s expression changed slightly.

"Bahamut’s?"

"Yeah!" Alana beamed. "That’s master’s name, right? Bahamut!"

"Why were you in his shadow?"

Alana tilted her head again.

"I don’t know."

Silence.

"You don’t know?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"You just... exist there?"

"Yep!"

"And now you’re here?"

"Yep!"

Lily slowly lowered her hand, not because she trusted her, but because the situation was ridiculous.

"Are you insane?" Lily muttered. Alana gasped as her eyes suddenly turned watery.

"I’m not insane!"

"You just said you don’t know why you exist."

"That’s normal!"

"No, it’s not!"

Alana puffed her cheeks slightly.

"You’re mean."

Lily blinked, then frowned.

"You came out of my shadow."

"Your shadow is nice," Alana said happily. "Very warm. Very... sad."

Lily stiffened.

"What?"

Alana walked closer, her tail swaying behind her. Her dark eyes, which had become a bit normal, bored deeply into Lily’s as she walked.

"You’re hurting. Master hurt you," she said with a sad tone.

Lily’s expression hardened instantly.

"I’m fine."

"No, you’re not."

"I said I’m fine."

Alana stopped right in front of her, then, without warning, she crouched slightly and peeked under Lily’s face, trying to look at her eyes.

"You were crying a lot."

Lily jerked back.

"Stay back!"

"Okay!" Alana immediately stepped back, raising her hands obediently.

Silence fell again; this time, it was awkward. Alana swayed slightly from side to side, then pointed at Lily.

"Do you like him?"

Lily froze.

"What?"

"Master," Alana said. "Do you like master?"

Lily’s lips parted slightly, but she pressed them together.

"That’s none of your business."

"Oh..."

Alana nodded slowly, then smiled again.

"I think you do."

"Shut up."

Alana tilted her head.

"Why are you sad then?"

Lily clenched her fists.

"Because I lost."

Alana blinked.

"Lost what?"

"Him."

Alana thought about it.

"Then take him back."

Lily snapped.

"It’s not that simple!"

Alana flinched slightly.

"Oh."

"But I can try!" she added quickly, brightening up again.

Lily stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

"You don’t even know what you’re talking about."

"I don’t!" Alana nodded happily.

"Then why are you talking?"

"Because you’re sad!"

Lily went silent, as her anger... stalled, just a little. Alana rocked on her heels and smiled again.

"Don’t cry too much," she said. "It makes your shadow taste bitter."

"What?"

"Yeah!" she nodded. "Right now, it’s very bitter."

Lily didn’t know whether to be confused or concerned.

"What are you?" Lily asked again, quieter this time.

Alana beamed.

"I told you!"

"Alana."

"Yep!"

"That’s not an answer."

"It is to me!"

For the first time since everything happened, Lily didn’t feel like crying. She just... stared at the strange, childish, shadow-wrapped cow lady in front of her, and wondered...

What the hell just walked into her life?

But Alana didn’t care what she was thinking...

"I also like master!" she suddenly exclaimed, making Lily look at her with her deadpan expression.

"I can share him with you if you want?"

But Alana didn’t seem bothered by Lily’s stare. Not even a little. She clapped her hands lightly, as if she’d just solved a very important problem.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Alana tilted her head, genuinely confused.

"Surprised about what?"

"Never mind."

Alana took a step closer again, her tail swaying lazily behind her.

"It’s easy, you know."

"What is?"

"Getting him."

Lily let out a dry, tired laugh.

"You’re joking."

"I’m not!" Alana shook her head quickly. "You just go to him, say you like him, and stay there!"

"I did that."

"Oh."

Alana blinked.

"Then why are you here crying?"

That hit harder than expected. Lily looked away.

"Because it didn’t work."

Alana frowned slightly.

"Did you say it wrong?"

Lily’s eye twitched.

"There’s a wrong way to say ’I like you’?"

"Maybe you sounded scary."

"I was scary."

"Oh."

Alana crouched in front of her again, resting her chin on her hands like a curious child.

"Tell me."

Lily didn’t respond immediately. Her ears twitched, and her tail swayed weakly behind her.

"Why?"

"Because I want to know!" Alana said brightly.

"Why?"

"So I can help!"

"You can’t."

"I can try!"

Lily stared at her, long and hard, trying to figure out if this was some kind of joke or a trap, or... something worse. But all she saw was a strange lady with horns and shadow, looking at her like this was the most normal conversation in the world.

"You’re annoying," Lily muttered.

"Thank you!" Alana smiled.

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"I know!"

Lily exhaled slowly as her shoulders dropped; her guard finally fell.

"I met him a few days ago," she started quietly.

Alana leaned in immediately.

"Ooooh..."

"I told him I liked him."

"Good start!"

"He grabbed me by the neck."

Alana froze.

"Oh."

Lily continued anyway.

"I pushed him when he was... already dealing with something serious."

Her gaze lowered.

"His girlfriend was hurt."

Alana nodded slowly.

"Mm..."

"And I didn’t care."

Silence.

"I just... wanted him."

Her fingers tightened slightly against her arm.

"I thought if I showed him how serious I was, he would notice me."

Alana blinked.

"Did he?"

"He almost killed me."

"Oh."

"But he didn’t," Lily added quickly.

Her voice softened.

"He didn’t kill me."

Her lips trembled faintly.

"That means something... right?"

Alana tilted her head.

"You think so?"

"I know so," Lily said, more firmly now. "If he really hated me, I’d be dead."

Alana thought about it, then nodded.

"Okay."

Lily looked away again.

"So I tried again today."

"I saw!" Alana said cheerfully.

"Of course you did."

"I was there!" she added proudly.

"In his shadow?"

"Yep!"

"That’s creepy."

"I know!"

Lily sighed.

"I thought... maybe if I tried again, calmly... he’d at least listen."

Her expression twisted slightly.

"But he didn’t."

Her voice dropped.

"He didn’t even look at me."

Alana didn’t interrupt this time... She just listened, quietly.

"I begged," Lily continued. "I asked. I pushed..."

Her hands trembled slightly.

"And then I lost it."

She clenched her jaw.

"I insulted her."

Alana blinked.

"The golden-haired one?"

"Yes."

"She seemed nice."

"She is nice!" Lily snapped, then froze. Her ears drooped again.

"That’s the problem."

"I hate that she’s nice," Lily whispered.

"I hate that she’s strong."

Her voice cracked.

"I hate that she’s the one he chose."

Tears welled up again.

"And I hate that I still want him anyway..."

Alana watched her for a few seconds, then she smiled, bright.

"Then just keep going."

Lily froze.

"What?"

"If you want him, keep going," Alana said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You said it yourself, you didn’t die."

"That’s not how this works."

"Why not?"

"Because he said no!"

"Then make him say yes."

Lily stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

"You’re insane."

Alana grinned.

"Maybe!"

She stood up and stretched slightly, shadows shifting around her body.

"But you’re not wrong, you know."

"About what?"

"You didn’t lose."

Lily frowned.

"I did."

Alana shook her head.

"Nope."

She pointed at her chest.

"You’re still here."

Then pointed in the direction Bahamut left.

"He’s still there."

Her smile widened.

"So the game is still going!"

Lily’s expression didn’t change immediately.

But something... flickered... just a little.

"You really think it’s that simple?" she asked quietly.

Alana nodded without hesitation.

"Yep!"

Lily looked down. Then after a long pause, she let out a small, shaky breath.

"You’re crazy."

Alana beamed.

"I know!"

For the first time since she broke down, Lily’s tail lifted slightly.

"Fine," she muttered.

"I won’t give up."

Alana clapped excitedly.

"Yay!"

Lily shot her a look.

"Don’t celebrate yet."

"Why?"

"Because this is going to be a problem."

Alana tilted her head.

"For who?"

Lily slowly stood up, her eyes still puffy and still red, but they were no longer empty.

"For everyone."