Chapter Text
He was reserved, closed off, and one might get the impression that he didn’t possess something like emotions at all. When his blade cut through yet another body, there was nothing in his eyes but emptiness. With his own hands, he built a barrier around himself that no one could break.
Although… why would anyone even dare try?
The world already knew stories of overly confident people — those who believed they would be the first to shatter the steel wall of the most dangerous man and use him for their own gain. They tried to approach a being who seemed indestructible and untouchable.
It always ended the same way.
With blood on the assassin’s sacred blade and a forgotten body left somewhere in the mountain thickets… or what was left of it.
People said his weapon had its own soul. They had already gotten used to the fact that even in the calmest moments of the day, a message would appear in their chat:
[ User XXX has been killed by Ewron using Ashswagg. ]
Why his sword bore that name — no one knew.
For a long time, however, a rumor had been circulating that the assassin named it after someone who had been his most difficult opponent — someone too powerful to be easily defeated.
They were spoken of as both allies and enemies at the same time. At night they fought against each other, and by day they stood side by side. Their relationship was something no one could clearly define.
Together, they were unbeatable. They could, with cold efficiency, decimate squads of the best-trained northern soldiers in just a few minutes.
Yet fate had other plans for them.
On the third day of the third month, when the clock struck three in the morning, Ash’s heart stopped beating.
Ewron was left alone.
People said it was he who delivered the final blow, that his own blade had been driven straight into the heart of the motionless body of his former rival.
But how much truth was in that? No one knew.
This story had been passed down from generation to generation, and no one ever dared to change even a single word of it. Everyone silently agreed that any attempt to defame Ewron or mock Ash could end in… their own death.
Because even a legend could hear more than it should.
And yet, one must not forget that everyone had their weakness.
Even an assassin who openly claimed he could take the life of anyone on the island.
Because even the most ruthless person hid something… that could be used against them.
Despite his name being wrapped in infamy and the mysterious aura that struck fear into everyone around him, deep down he hid something that allowed him, even for a brief moment, to feel… human.
He admitted to himself that he valued that small secret very much.
And that secret was… a dog.
Oh heavens — if anyone found out that he kept a four-legged Shiba Inu hidden in a small hut, far away from any danger… if someone discovered that sweet animal, his weak point — his entire fearsome reputation built around the name Ewron could shatter into pieces. The image of the invincible assassin he had built over the years would become unrecognizable. The narrative would turn upside down.
The world would burn… and he along with it. (Of course, only after making absolutely sure the pet was completely safe.)
He always made sure no one was lingering near his hideout. He did not allow any traces to lead back to his home. Before crossing the threshold, his clothes had to be free of even a single drop of someone else’s blood.
He cared for the dog’s sensitive nose — the scent of death that inevitably followed his “work” was not good for the animal’s well-being.
He pressed a hidden button in what looked like an ordinary rock. A quiet click echoed in his mind, and the heavy stone in front of him slid aside, revealing stairs leading deep into the mountain.
As he stepped inside, he cast a brief glance behind him, making sure the mechanism sealed off access to light and tightly blocked the entrance. He sighed heavily, walking into his modest cave, which he called home.
When he reached the main room, he finally relaxed. He pulled off the hood that had hidden his identity all day. He lit the lamps, and warm light spilled across the interior. His eyes immediately started searching for a familiar, fluffy silhouette.
“Nexe? I’m back.”
Silence answered him. He wasn’t surprised. His dog wasn’t the type to rush happily at the sight of its owner.
“Where are you, you little troublemaker…” he muttered more quietly.
The echo of his voice bounced off the cave walls, only reinforcing his suspicion that his four-legged companion was completely unconcerned with his return from yet another day of life-and-death battles.
Classic.
Suddenly, he heard a faint rustling coming from behind the green armchair. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, and his steps naturally carried him toward the furniture.
“Nexe, I know you’re there. Why are you hiding?” he snorted, standing in front of the unfortunate object that was effectively blocking his view of the dog.
He walked around the armchair and peeked behind it. The sight he saw was far too familiar.
Nexe was lying half-on-his-side in his favorite, shamelessly comfortable position. His hind legs were holding up his body, his tail was tense and curled in a characteristic way, and his front paws rested calmly on the ground.
Between them was a piece of meat.
His meat.
Ewron’s dinner for today.
The dog had shamelessly stolen the food… and even boldly sealed the act with big, black, buttery eyes.
Ewron knew one thing — if he bent down and tried to reclaim his property, he would be greeted by sharp teeth sinking into his skin. He knew the pet far too well.
He didn’t even try. He would probably lose a finger… or two.
“Dude… that was supposed to be MY dinner” he groaned tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Great. Now I have to eat potatoes again. THANKS.”
In response, Nexe merely wagged his tail, opened his mouth, and began panting as if he were exceptionally proud of how things had turned out.
“Yeah, you’re right. Go ahead, laugh at my suffering “ Ewron muttered. "I’m trying, you know? Every single day I try to survive, and you just make it harder.” He let out a heavy sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know what? Yeah, eat it. I don’t care. My potatoes are better anyway.”
Ewron had long since come to terms with the fact that, around Nexe, he couldn’t be a soulless killing machine. Deep down, he knew he was someone entirely different —someone who needed attention, closeness… and someone by his side. Nexe had simply become the spark that reignited emotions long extinguished, slowly melting the cold, distant mask he had built over the years.
At first glance, one might think the dog hated him.
Every time Ewron tried to show even a bit of affection — something as simple as scratching behind his ear — Nexe would immediately switch into “combat mode”, knocking him to the ground. Afterward, he would proudly sit on his chest and look down at him.
Ewron swore that look carried a single message: Nice try. Better luck next time.
And yet… there were moments that made the young man say without hesitation: Yeah, Nexe tolerates me.
The dog always slept by his side. The bed was definitely too small for the two of them, and yet Nexe stubbornly found a place for himself. Most often, he served as a pillow… not always, but more often than not.
On the worst nights, Ewron would pull him close and treat him like a plush toy, searching for even a trace of peace in his presence. It helped him fall asleep faster. More calmly.
Nexe looked as if he were proud of it. The sight of a peacefully sleeping human gave him a sense of security.
Even if sometimes he could barely breathe under the overly tight grip, and the sound of snoring reaching his sensitive ears pushed him to the very edge of canine endurance.
Ewron sank into the green armchair and finally relaxed, feeling a pleasant calm spreading through his body. A whole day of wandering from village to village hadn’t been the most enjoyable.
He had been searching for the fool who had dared to steal his teleportation stone. Sure — he eventually found him, curled up in the bushes near the river. His sword did its job without hesitation. But who would have thought that a game of hide-and-seek like that would wear him out so much?
Now he dreamed of only one thing — grab Nexe, go to bed, and fall into a deep sleep. (Even if the dog protested again!)
But the moment he looked at his four-legged companion, he immediately understood that wasn’t going to happen.
“Nexe… no. I’m not going anywhere” he groaned, exhausted.
The dog was sitting patiently by the entrance to the base. His tail, which had been wagging with energy just moments ago, went still when he heard the tone of his owner’s voice.
Sometimes Ewron had the impression that Nexe really understood every word he said. And that… unsettled him.
The animal slowly stood up, not taking his eyes off him. He walked closer and shamelessly lifted one of his hind legs, making it perfectly clear that he needed to go outside. Now.
“OKAY, okay! FINE! I’m getting up!” Ewron jumped to his feet and stepped back to a safe distance. “Just... don’t pee here.”
He definitely had no intention of ending up tragically soaked because of his own laziness.
“Let’s go.”
He headed toward the exit of their small shelter.
Nexe barked happily in response and immediately started circling around his legs, nearly making him trip.
***
During their walks, Ewron always gave his dog complete freedom. Nexe led the way — usually a few meters ahead of him, like a little explorer. He loved discovering new areas and marking them in his own way, which often turned short strolls into long, multi-kilometer treks that could be genuinely exhausting.
And that day, it seemed he was especially determined to wear his owner out.
An innocent outing quickly turned into a two-hour expedition through unfamiliar terrain. Ewron had long since lost sight of the dog. Any reasonable person would have started looking for him—but not Ewron. He had a strange yet strong conviction that there was an unspoken rule between them — no matter what happened, they would always find each other again.
Eventually, he decided to take a break. After a full day of chasing a thief, and now his own dog, he’d had enough. He sat down under a nearby tree, leaning against its trunk.
Sometimes he had the impression that it wasn’t him walking Nexe — it was Nexe walking him. And strangely enough, he didn’t mind at all.
Thanks to these outings, he discovered new hideouts and places his four-legged companion stumbled upon by accident. Many times, they had saved his life.
He remembered one such situation perfectly.
He had been running from a crowd of armed people — machetes, axes, anything that could cause pain. Shouts, the smell of blood, and salty tears mixed together, echoing in his head.
If he had had his teleportation stone with him back then, he wouldn’t have had to flee from a bunch of fools who believed the federation would reward them for capturing him.
That was when he spotted a cave Nexe had discovered a few days earlier. Perfect.
It only took a few moments to disappear from the pursuers’ sight. He leaned against the cold wall, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. He let out a breath of relief as the shouting began to fade, until it was replaced by the calm sound of water echoing through the cave.
He slowly slid down to the ground. A quiet, tired laugh escaped his lips.
“I can’t believe it… that mutt saved my ass again with his piss." His gaze drifted involuntarily toward the stone Nexe had marked a few days earlier.
He smiled faintly at the memory, idly twirling a daisy between his fingers — the only one unlucky enough to grow exactly where he had decided to sit.
More and more often, he found himself wondering who he was actually becoming.
The smell of death followed him at every step, and the path he had chosen offered no way back. He knew this life would bring him more trouble than benefit, and yet he kept moving forward. He was aware that sooner or later, he would make a mistake that would cost him everything.
Did he want normality?
If he could still remember what a peaceful life looked like, maybe he would do anything to become… human again.
For the first time in a long while, he felt lost.
Ewron was pulled out of his thoughts by Nexe’s loud barking.
“Oh no… what did you find this time?” he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
The dog usually barked only when something upset him or clearly didn’t sit right with him. Recently, he had even gone into a frenzy at the sight of Ewron’s new backpack — the one shaped like a spider. To this day, he didn’t understand what exactly had annoyed him about it, but in the end, he swapped it for one with a fox on it.
Problem solved.
And now… this barking definitely didn’t signal anything good.
He got up from his spot and headed toward the muffled sound Nexe was making. All that was left was to brace himself for whatever the dog had found this time.
It didn’t take long to locate him. A few meters ahead, the dog stood in a tense, alert stance. His silhouette was stiff, body straightened. He looked like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
Ewron expected anything. Even some lost Dutch frog playing bagpipes and going “Halo, halo, tu Londyn.”
But when he saw what had upset his companion… he let out a snort of laughter.
A simple pond was definitely not on his list of suspicions.
“Okay, Nexe… are you trying to tell me you’re afraid of a bath?” he laughed, watching the dog. “I thought you were more of a clean freak.”
Nexe’s focused gaze didn’t even flicker as Ewron stepped closer. He kept staring at the water’s surface, growling quietly, as if trying to communicate something.
“It’s just water. What do you even see there?” he muttered, crouching beside him.
He leaned in and dipped his hand into the pond, pulling it out a moment later. It looked… like ordinary water.
Nexe glanced at his fingers and moved a little closer, as if he wanted to examine them more carefully. Ewron smiled to himself and held his hand closer to the dog’s snout. The dog twitched his nose, taking in the scent, then looked back at the water again. His tail began to tremble uneasily.
“I have no idea what you’re sensing there. Did someone pee in it or what…?” Ewron grumbled, sitting down on the ground. His gaze shifted between the dog and the surface of the water.
Nexe took a few cautious steps toward the pond, clearly intrigued. Curiosity began to outweigh his caution. In the meantime, Ewron reached out and placed a hand on his head, trying to calm him.
He didn’t anticipate one thing.
The dog suddenly moved, pulling away from the touch. His front paw landed on an unstable stone, which shifted under his weight. Nexe tried to regain his balance, swaying from side to side.
Useless.
With a loud splash, he fell into the water.
“NEXE!” Ewron shouted, though there was still a trace of amusement in his voice.
The surface of the pond rippled, and after a few seconds, it became perfectly still again—as if nothing had happened.
Something was wrong.
“Nexe…?” he said more quietly, tension creeping into his voice.
The dog didn’t resurface right away. And he should have. He loved water. He could swim. But diving… that was a completely different story.
“Nexe.” he repeated, louder this time, leaning over the surface.
A few long seconds of silence only confirmed his suspicion that something was off.
“Fuck…” he groaned.
Without thinking any further, he threw off his coat and boots. He took a deep breath and immediately jumped into the water, trying to find the dog.
The water was murky, greenish. He couldn’t see absolutely anything. He didn’t even bother hoping he’d spot something with his eyes. He dove deeper, waving his arms blindly, trying to come across anything that even remotely resembled Nexe’s body.
It didn’t take long before he felt something solid beneath his fingers.
That was definitely not a stick—let alone a dog.
To be sure, he ran his hands along the shape. The form was… familiar. A hand. An arm. No… yes? Definitely something bigger. A human?
A human in the water?!
He cursed in his mind. There was no time to think about it.
He grabbed the body and pulled it closer, making sure it wouldn’t slip away as he surfaced. The air in his lungs was running out fast, and a dull pressure began pounding in his head. He pushed off the bottom and headed upward.
Swimming was difficult. The weight he was holding made it much harder. He barely managed to break the surface.
He gasped for air, feeling his lungs finally fill again. At that moment, he truly appreciated the fact that his body was used to extreme conditions.
Though… the thought that the most dangerous assassin on the island could die trying to save a dog from a small pond was absurdly amusing.
He swam to the shore and collapsed onto the ground, feeling the cool air against his wet skin. He breathed heavily, coughing every now and then until his breathing finally steadied.
Only then did he remember that he was still holding something… or someone in his arms. He looked down.
Oh.
What a sudden twist of events.
In his arms lay a young man. Blonde hair clung to his face, and long, light eyelashes made him look almost unnaturally peaceful. Ewron narrowed his eyes, examining him more closely.
And then he saw it.
Between the wet strands of hair… dog ears were sticking out. They looked real. He frowned. Slowly, he raised his hand, wanting to touch the strange phenomenon, to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.
Suddenly, he froze.
He blinked a few times.
And only then did something far more important hit him.
Was he… even breathing?
“FUCK, WAIT. UH, UM." Panicking, he laid the body down on the ground and leaned over him. He placed a hand under his nose, trying to feel any breath.
Nothing.
“SHIT! How am I supposed to do?! Oh my god.”
He wasn’t used to saving people. Usually, he was the one taking their lives. But now adrenaline had taken over.
He clasped his hands together and placed them on the man’s chest, starting compressions. He counted each movement in his head.
Thirty.
He leaned down. With one hand, he tilted the man’s head back, trying to open the airway. He moved closer, hoping for any sign.
Suddenly, the body beneath him jerked.
The unknown young man coughed loudly, gasping for air. He choked, and a moment later… spat water straight into Ewron’s face.
“OW, NOT THE EYE!” he shouted, jumping back. He started wiping his face with his sleeve, blinking rapidly, trying to get rid of the stinging.
When he finally regained clear vision, he looked ahead. His gaze immediately met the stranger’s.
The man looked at him with clear confusion, frowning. He coughed quietly every now and then, trying to get rid of the remaining water in his lungs. His very real-looking dog ears drooped slightly, betraying his uncertainty.
Ewron just stared at him, mouth slightly open. He wanted to say something. Ask. Understand what had just happened.
“…oh.”
That was the only thing that left his lips.
“Fuck…” he heard the stranger’s hoarse voice. He sounded just as lost as Ewron. “What the hell...”
“Who are you?” Ewron asked automatically, noticing that the figure could speak.
He immediately stood up, adopting a casual stance. His face went blank again, as if he were putting the mask of the ruthless assassin back on.
The stranger frowned, sensing the movement. The cold wind brushed against his bare skin. Instinctively, he wrapped his fluffy tail around his waist, trying at least a little to cover his nakedness.
Ewron raised an eyebrow, only now noticing that… unusual detail.
The boy with dog ears sat up, crossing his legs and wrapping his arms around his chest. He looked away, glancing around the area. After a moment, as if something clicked, he looked down at his own body and began examining it from every angle. His eyes widened, and his ears perked up.
“I knew there was something off about that water.” He looked at Ewron.
The assassin looked calm, but it was only an illusion. In reality, he was tense like a drawn bowstring, ready to react to any suspicious movement.
“…Que?” Ewron blinked a few times, as if trying to process his words. He glanced at the water, then back at him.
“It’s me… Nexe.” His voice was hoarse, and he spoke slowly, as if he had only just learned how.
Ewron frowned.
“I don’t believe it.” He wanted to deny it, but he had no real basis to. He was the one who had named the dog ‘Nexe.’ He had never heard of anyone else in the area with that name. “Prove it.”
“Oh hell nah, do you want me to bark or what?” the boy rolled his eyes. His ears twitched, and his tail moved on its own.
“Nexe was a well-behaved dog. He always barked on command.”
That was an obvious lie.
Ewron wanted to test him. If the stranger obeyed, it would mean one thing—a lie. The mutt had never listened to him. Quite the opposite, he always did things his own way.
“Are you completely fucking insane?” the other snorted. “I don’t recall ever barking for you on command. I’d have to be an idiot.”
A faint smile appeared on Ewron’s face, though his mind was still in chaos.
This was absurd.
He had pulled a man out of the water who looked like his dog… and behaved exactly the way he imagined Nexe would talk.
He was still suspicious. But when he looked at the boy’s naked, defenseless body, he sighed quietly and reached for the coat he had taken off earlier.
He tossed it in his direction.
“Put it on. Unless you prefer walking around naked.”
Clear embarrassment appeared on the boy’s face. He picked up the material and examined it from all sides, as if it were something dangerous. Only after a moment did he start putting it on. Clumsily, but with a certain sense of familiarity.
After all, he had watched Ewron do it many times.
When he stood up, he wavered slightly. For a moment, he tried to keep his balance, getting used to the new posture. He had always moved on four legs. Now he had to learn how to walk on two.
And yet… it came to him surprisingly naturally, as if his body already knew what to do.
As if it had always been meant for it.
Ewron stepped closer, watching him carefully.
Actually… he was staring, without any shame.
He hadn’t expected his dog to turn into a human. Especially not one who could stand and move almost immediately.
He had once heard various speculations that if an animal became human, it wouldn’t survive even two days. It simply wouldn’t know how to function.
But no one had ever considered another possibility.
And yet, right in front of him, he was looking at something entirely different.
Because the damn animal had turned into a human. And it looked like he was handling it pretty well.
When Nexe finally fastened the last button of the coat — which took him far longer than it should have — he looked at Ewron and let out a heavy sigh.
Silence fell between them. Brief, but noticeable.
“Ewron… you’re a fucking idiot.”
“…What? Why?”
“You're a FUCKING idiot, idiot, and idiot again!" Nexe grabbed his hair and started pacing in circles, clearly stressed. "Why the hell did you shove me into that damn water?!”
“I didn’t shove you in! You fell in yourself!”
“BECAUSE YOU SCARED ME!" he snapped. "I was trying to avoid your dirty hand and because of that… God! Did you even smell how that water reeked?! It was obvious something was wrong!”
“I DIDN’T SMELL ANYTHING!" Ewron shot back. "I don’t have a dog’s sense of smell, for fuck’s sake!” He cut himself off, taking a deep breath.
He looked at Nexe, who had already sat down on the ground, ears drooping and an unmistakably defeated expression on his face. For a moment, Ewron almost felt sorry for him.
“But… look at it from another side” he added, a bit quieter. “You’re human. I think.”
“That doesn’t comfort me at all.”
Ewron shifted his gaze from him to the water, as if trying to find any kind of answer in it.
“Maybe… you should go in there again?”
“That won’t work” Nexe muttered. “That smell disappeared the moment I fell in.”
“Fuck.”
“Exactly, fuck!” he raised his voice. “Look at me! I’m human!”
“You still have a tail and ears” Ewron pointed out, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Not everything’s lost.” This time, silence answered him.
Without a word, Nexe stood up and slowly walked over to him. He stopped right in front of him. He looked him straight in the eyes with an unreadable expression, then raised his hand. Ewron, misinterpreting the gesture, raised his own as well, convinced it was something like a high-five.
A second later…
He got a solid smack right across the head.
“NEXE, YOU BASTARD!”
He staggered, grabbing the spot where he’d been hit. And Nexe simply turned away, satisfied.
And that’s how the dog became human.