◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
In the living room on the first floor of Flio's house was an enormous table big enough
for all the residents of the building to sit at together. Further back, in a carpeted area
by the window, stood a large hutch. This hutch was home to Flio's pet Sybe and his
family.
It was early in the morning, before the sun had risen, and Sybe's family were sound
asleep in their hutch just like always. Sybe was in his psychobear form, lying flat on his
back and snoring away. Shebe, his unicorn rabbit wife, and their children Sube, Sebe,
and Sobe were all asleep on top of his belly, with Rylna sze nestled up in the middle.
She was lying face down in Sybe's fur, sleeping very comfortably. Rylna sze had her own
bedroom on the second floor, but she loved Sybe and his family very dearly and ended
up falling asleep like this more often than not.
"Mrrrh…" Rylna sze adjusted ever so slightly in her sleep, and settled in once again.
Just then, a magic beast's head came poking into the entrance of the hutch—Leonorna.
Mwa ha ha… he thought. Little Rylnàsze looks so peaceful when she's sleeping! The lion
licked his lips as he tiptoed into the hutch itself.
Leonorna was by all accounts worshiped as a Divine Beast in some faraway world, but
due to his excessive fondness for women of all species he had been exiled to the
subterranean world of Dogorogma. All in all, he was a magic beast with a very shady
past.
Today's the day, I just know it! Leonorna thought, a stupid smile on his face as he crept
step-by-step up to where Rylna sze was sleeping. Today's the day I sleep cuddled up to
my darling Rylnàsze, as thanks to her for taking me in!
Suddenly, however, Leonorna felt something pulling at his tail from behind. "Whaha?!"
he exclaimed, his eyes opening wide in surprise as his whole body was hoisted
forcefully out of the hutch and into the air. There, before his eyes, he could see the
menacing visage of Tybe pressing close to his face. "M-My…" he said. "If it isn't Tybe!"
Oh no! Tybe might be young, but he's still a Bear of Misfortune! Even for a Divine Beast
like myself, he might be a little too hot to handle…
Tybe glared angrily at Leonorna as the lion dangled by his tail. It was clear he
understood perfectly well what Leonorna had been trying to do.
"O-Oh, well, you see…" Leonorna said, floundering for some kind of adequate excuse.
"Th-There's a perfectly innocent explanation for all of this, I assure you…"
At that point, Leonorna sensed a telepathic voice coming from below. "So," Grimby said
with a sigh, placing his colorful wings on his hips. "Once again you've come to disturb
Rylnàsze's precious beauty sleep. I suppose you haven't learned your lesson then, you
incorrigible bastard…" All around him were the other magic beasts who served as
Rylna sze's playmates.
Geh! Leonorna thought, his face rapidly losing color as he understood the situation he
was in. The Divine Beast Grimby spotted me! A-And he's brought quite a number of
formidable magic beasts…
"We'll wake Rylnàsze if we do this here," Grimby said. "So let's continue our discussion
elsewhere." With one wave of his wings, the magic beasts surrounding Leonorna
vanished. A moment later, there came a sound from somewhere far off. It sounded
something like Leonorna's screams.
Rylna sze, however, kept on sleeping as peacefully as ever.