Zer

As they stood at the entrance of the cave, Lira was terrified by the sight, while Kai had a calm and confident expression.

Suddenly, a deep, gravelly voice echoed in Kai's mind.

{Ah, it's you, boy. And it seems you've brought a friend with you.}

'Hehe!' Kai chuckled softly to himself.

Seeing Kai's amusement, Lira became even more terrified and tried to break free from his grip.

"Okay, so now you want me to be some beast's food? You really are the worst!" Lira snapped, thinking Kai wanted to kill her.

"Hey, it's not li—" He was about to reassure her but stopped mid-sentence as a sly grin spread across his face.

He turned his head toward her, their gazes locking briefly before Lira flinched and looked away.

"Trust me, just do as I say, and I won't kill you," he said, clearly taking advantage of her fear now.

"You are mad at me, right? And you said you're not my friend anymore." He then pointed at the cave. 

"But if I gave you to him..." He paused, smirking as his eyes locked onto Lira's once more, "...then he would become my friend."

"Y-You're not serious about this, are you?" Lira stammered, her eyes welling up with tears as she took Kai's bullshit seriously.

"Well, that depends. You said you're not my friend anymore, so..." he replied, glancing toward the cave.

"W-What are you saying? Of course, we're friends!" Lira said, trembling as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

"Oh, is that so? And what if you just denied it after tha—" 

{You're a crazy, cold-hearted bastard.} Before he could finish, he got interrupted.

'Shut up. You don't know anything, so keep quiet,' he snapped inwardly, his gaze fixed on the cave.

{And what do you think will happen after this?}

'I'll manage. Just don't interfere.'

Meanwhile, Lira's terror grew, and she burst into tears.

"Sniff! Please don't kill me," she sobbed, tears streaming down her bright green eyes.

Seeing her crying, Kai's gaze softened instantly.

"Hey, hey, I haven't done anything yet," he said, his tone calmer than before. "If you just forgive me for yesterday, then we can go home."

Lira hesitated for a moment before looking up at him with teary eyes.

"Will you forgive me?" Kai asked, meeting her gaze.

In response, she gave a small nod. As Lira stopped crying and wiped her tears, 

"Pffffft!"

"Hahahaha!" Kai suddenly burst out laughing.

Hearing him laugh like that, Lira got confused and stared at him as he rolled on the ground, cackling like a maniac.

Before she could say a word, Kai stood up and grabbed her shoulders.

"You really thought I was going to feed you to the beasts? Pffft!"

"What do you mean by that?" Lira shouted, her confusion quickly turning to anger as Kai erupted into another round of laughter.

"Look," Kai managed between his chuckles, "did you see any beasts when we came here? And why the hell would I bring you to a man-eating beast when it could also kill and eat me? Hahahaha!"

Lira's cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"You tricked me?" she shouted, clenching her fists and raising one to hit him.

But Kai ran into the cave, his laughter echoing as he ran.

"Get back here, you idiot!" Lira yelled, chasing after him. Knowing that Kai wouldn't go inside if there was really a threat there.

But as Lira stepped into the cave, she froze as she was greeted by a beast laying on the ground, with Kai standing beside it.

The beast was about eight feet tall, with greyish-blue fur patterned with streaks of white. Its body was adorned with two sharp horns and draconic scales, and its physical features closely resembled those of a wolf.

Lira's breath hitched, her eyes widened with terror as she took in the beast.

"Lira," Kai called out, his tone calm and reassuring.

Before she could move, Kai patted the beast's leg and looked back at her.

"This is my beast, Zer."

"What? Your beast?" she stammered, her confusion temporarily overriding her fear.

"You mean... you're a beast tamer?"

"Haha! I am," Kai chuckled, puffing out his chest proudly.

{Hey you little fuck, who the hell told you I'm your beast?} Zer growled in irritation, which made Lira flinch, but Kai just laughed, continuing to pat Zer's leg.

Seeing his relaxed demeanor gave Lira a bit of confidence that the beast wouldn't harm her.

Hesitantly, she stepped forward and stopped in front of Zer.

Noticing that Lira was frightened, Zer released an aura that wasn't intimidating but warm and comforting, silently reassuring her that he meant no harm.

"C-Can I touch you, Mr. Zer?" she asked nervously, her voice trembling as she tried to muster her courage.

{Of course, little one. You're more than welcome.} Zer bent slightly.

Lira smiled timidly and gently patted Zer's nose.

{Unlike that shithead, I don't have a problem with you.}

"What are you babbling about?" Kai shouted, pointing at Zer.

"Huh? But I didn't say anything," Lira replied, tilting her head in confusion.

{Asshole, I already told you—you're the only one who can hear me.}

Zer's tone was dripping with annoyance. {So do me a favor and keep your mouth shut.}

Kai awkwardly chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Haha! It's nothing."

Lira didn't press the issue further, her focus returning to Zer. She continued patting him, a genuine smile now spreading across her face.

"I was scared at first, but Mr. Zer, you're really cute~" Lira said with a bright smile.

Kai's lips twitched, resisting the urge to shout, that Zer was anything but cute.

{Haha!} Zer chuckled, amused by her comment.

"Kai, how did you tame this big beast?" Lira asked curiously, her eyes sparkling with interest.

Hearing her, Zer quickly turned its head towards Kai.

{Oi, boy, I swear, if I hear the word ' you tamed me' again, I'm snapping your neck.} Zer's voice carried a warning as he released heavy pressure, that Kai can handle, his cold gaze piercing through Kai.

A chill ran down Kai's spine as he met Zer's cold gaze. He quickly averted his eyes, forcing a nervous chuckle. "Hehe!"

"Ahem, Lira, you see... uh... actually, I didn't tame him," he admitted, scratching his chin awkwardly. "We're just... some kind of friends... maybe."

"What? But you said that you're a beast tamer and he's your tamed beast." Lira pressed, her voice filled with disappointment.

"Sorry, I only said that because I've always wanted to become one," Kai admitted, sitting down and leaning against Zer's warm fur. He looked up, his eyes sparkling with a mix of amazement and respect.

"One day, I was running away from some guys in town and ended up lost in the forest. I started crying," he confessed, his voice soft.

When he noticed Lira smirking at the mention of crying, his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"Ahem, I mean, I was just a little kid back then," he coughed, trying to save face before continuing.

"Then, hearing me cry, a bunch of beasts came out of nowhere. They started surrounding me, and I could see they were about to attack and kill me." His voice trembled slightly as he recalled the memory.

"I was so scared—I couldn't move, couldn't do anything. I just kept crying," he admitted, his gaze fell down.

"Then suddenly..."