The city's scent struck Ray like a wave—metal, smoke, sweat, and countless traces of human sin. He walked with his head low, a black shadow moving between neon reflections and concrete walls. His wolf-like body shimmered in places, wrapped in a cloak of magic that masked his form to the unaware. To humans, he looked like a stray dog—big, mangy, and easy to ignore.
But beneath that illusion, his golden eyes burned.
The portal had nearly killed him. He'd escaped the Slayers by a margin thinner than a strand of hair. Now, his body ached. His fur was matted with soot and dried ichor. The Wrath fragment inside him pulsed wildly—dangerous, unstable.
He needed True Sin—and fast.
Not to evolve yet.
Just to heal.
And for that, he needed a broken human.
---
City of Flesh and Greed
He had wandered from the outskirts into the city's underbelly, where the streets twisted in narrow alleyways and blinking signs buzzed overhead.
The humans called it "Yokozawa." A port city, dense with urban decay and hidden corners. The people here lived close and spoke with nervous smiles, unaware of the predators that sometimes slipped between worlds.
Ray prowled along a side street near an old warehouse, stepping over a used syringe, a broken bottle, and a torn-up flier advertising "healing stones" and "emotional therapy." He passed bars that stank of cheap whiskey and sweat, and a karaoke club where laughter felt too forced to be real.
Sin was everywhere.
But it was diluted. Masked. Muted.
He needed something more raw. Something near the surface.
And then he smelled it.
Lust.
Thick, acidic. Coming from just ahead.
Ray picked up his pace, silent as death, slipping into the alley behind a rundown convenience store. The scent grew sharper. Stronger.
And that's when he saw her.
---
Cornered
She looked about seventeen. A school uniform, blazer half-unbuttoned, with long, ink-black hair tied loosely behind her head. Her bag had fallen to the ground.
Fukunaga Koharu, her school ID said—half-visible from the strap on her bag.
She was trapped.
Two boys—older, perhaps college-aged—stood between her and the alley's exit. One leaned too close, his eyes narrow with desire. The other blocked the path back, arms crossed and smiling like a wolf sizing up a cornered rabbit.
"You dropped your wallet," the taller one said, holding out something in his hand. "Thought we could return it… after a little talk."
"W-we already talked," Koharu said, voice trembling. "I said no—"
The shorter boy laughed. "C'mon, we're just being friendly. Don't be like that."
They reeked of Lust—the dangerous, poisonous kind that wasn't romantic or affectionate. This was entitlement. A desire to possess. To overpower.
Ray's lip curled.
He didn't understand human society.
But this?
This was prey behavior.
And predators hunting prey.
Except they didn't realize something far worse than them was watching.
---
Predator Among Prey
The taller boy leaned forward and reached for Koharu's shoulder.
She backed away—until her spine hit the brick wall behind her. Her eyes darted. Trapped.
And then she screamed.
But it wasn't fear that made her scream.
It was the sound behind the boys.
A low growl. Ancient. Bestial.
They turned.
And saw Ray.
He had dropped his illusion.
No longer a stray dog—he stood in his true form: black and red fur glowing faintly with Wrath energy, eyes golden and intelligent, jaws wide enough to crush bone. His form was slightly leaner from the portal's toll, but no less terrifying.
The two boys froze.
"W-what the hell is that?!" the shorter one shrieked.
"Is it a dog?! A wolf?!"
Ray stepped forward slowly, shoulders low, tail still.
He looked not like an animal.
But a judge.
And his judgment was clear.
---
The Fight (If You Can Call It That)
The taller boy pulled a switchblade, desperation overtaking stupidity.
Ray lunged.
His movement was a blur. One step became five. His paw slammed into the taller boy's chest with the force of a car crash. The boy flew back five meters, hit the ground, and didn't rise.
The second boy ran—screaming.
Ray let him.
He didn't care about cowards.
He cared about Sin. And this one had offered enough to stabilize him.
Ray turned toward the still boy, who wheezed in pain, his ribs cracked. Ray stepped on his chest and opened his jaws, inhaling deeply.
The man gasped, eyes widening as Ray drew out the Lust from his soul—not entirely, just enough. A sliver. Enough to feed his starving core and mend the tearing inside.
Warmth spread through Ray's limbs.
His heartbeat steadied.
His broken bones fused.
Wrath quieted—for now.
He stepped off the boy, who passed out from shock.
Then Ray turned…
And locked eyes with Koharu.
---