Many years ago, on Aistan Island, there was a child named Kort.
He was a member of the Qilajie Clan, but unlike the others, he was born smaller and weaker than his peers.
When he was five, a landslide took his parents' lives and crushed his left arm.
The clan's doctor barely managed to save his life, but that arm was lost forever.
As an orphan who had lost his parents, combined with his disabled body, Kort's status in the clan plummeted.
Children refused to play with him, and adults looked at him with pity or disdain.
He became an "outcast" in the clan, a marginalized existence.
Only one Demonic Beast was willing to approach him.
It was a thin, scrawny Dragon with grey-brown scales and amber eyes.
Kort named it "Nas".
Unlike other Dragons, Nas was not fierce; it was gentle and intelligent, as if it could understand what Kort said.
The boy and the beast became each other's only companions.
Every day, Kort would take Nas deep into the forest, to the seaside, or to his parents' graves to talk.
Nas would always accompany him quietly, licking his face with its rough tongue and rubbing its body against his legs.
But this friendship was seen as "degeneration" by the people in the clan.
The Qilajie Clan had hunted Dragons for generations; they were just mindless beasts.
For a clansman to be friends with a Demonic Beast was simply a disgrace.
The children began to bully Kort even more severely.
They threw stones, pushed him, and insulted him as a "friend of monsters."
Kort never fought back, just held Nas and endured it in silence.
His only solace was the once-a-year arrival of the Hunter Association's transport ship.
On the ship was a young woman named Isabella.
She was not a Hunter but a clerical worker for the Association, responsible for recording material transfers.
Isabella was kind and gentle, never minding Kort's disability or reclusive nature.
Every time she came, she would bring Kort a bag of candy from the outside world, sit on the big rock by the sea, and tell him stories about life off the island.
"The outside world is huge, Kort. There are cars that run, buildings taller than mountains, and ships that can fly in the sky..."
"People won't hate you just because you're friends with a Demonic Beast. There are so, so many different kinds of people there, and everyone can do what they love."
"When you grow up, you can leave this island and see the outside world. When that time comes, big sister will take you to see the rainbow bridge, eat the most delicious ice cream, and see things you've never imagined."
Kort would always listen quietly, his eyes shining bright.
Although he only got to spend a short two days with Isabella each year, these were the happiest days of Kort's life.
He would carefully hide the bag of candy Isabella gave him, eating only one piece a day, letting it sweeten his life for an entire year.
Four years passed.
This year, like always, Kort waited on the shore early.
The transport ship slowly docked.
Kort stood on tiptoe, searching the crowd for that familiar figure.
One, two, three... the crew members disembarked, moved cargo, and talked with the clanspeople.
Isabella did not appear.
Kort's heart sank little by little.
He grabbed a passing crew member, his voice trembling.
"Where is big sister Isabella? Why didn't she come?"
The crew member glanced at him, coldly shook off his hand, and said nothing.
Another crew member hesitated to speak, finally just shaking his head and sighing.
Just then, a middle-aged man in a white uniform walked over.
He was the leader of this transport team, One-Star Hunter Karm.
"Are you Kort?"
Karm looked at the boy.
Kort nodded, his eyes full of hope.
"Where is big sister Isabella? Is she sick?"
Karm was silent for a few seconds, then said.
"Isabella is dead. Three months ago, a riot broke out in a city in the north of the Urubian Continent, and many civilians were left stranded on the streets."
"Isabella... she didn't listen to advice and resolutely went to that city to help the injured civilians, but the hospital was attacked by rioters... She... didn't make it out."
"...She's dead."
Kort stood frozen in place.
The world instantly lost all sound, all color.
He couldn't hear the words that followed, only seeing Karm's mouth moving, seeing the people around him busy, seeing the sky spinning.
He didn't know how he walked to that familiar big rock.
He curled up, buried his head in his knees, and wept silently.
Big sister Isabella... was gone.
The big sister who would give him candy, tell him stories, and say she would take him to see the world when he grew up... was gone.
At dusk, Kort was still sitting there, eyes staring blankly at the sea, at the transport ship docked on the shore.
Nas found him.
This loyal Demonic Beast had realized Kort hadn't appeared for too long, fearing Kort was in danger, forgetting the agreement they had not to appear at the port on the day of cargo exchange.
When Nas sensed its companion's sorrow, it rushed from deep within the forest regardless of anything else.
It crossed the beach, rushing towards Kort who was sitting on the rock, anxious whimpers emitting from its throat.
And at this very moment—
Karm saw Nas.
In his eyes, that was a fierce Demonic Beast pouncing towards an unsuspecting boy.
Out of Hunter instinct, he didn't hesitate at all; he raised his hand, and a highly compressed Nen Bullet whistled out!
"Danger!"
The Nen Bullet precisely hit Nas's flank.
Boom!
Blood exploded.
Nas let out a shrill, miserable scream, its massive body blown away, landing heavily one meter behind Kort.
A huge, bloody hole was blown into its flank, internal organs vaguely visible, dark red blood gushing out, quickly staining the beach red.
Kort was jolted awake by the scream.
He jerked his head back and saw Nas lying in a pool of blood.
Time seemed to freeze.
He staggered over and lifted Nas's heavy head.
The Demonic Beast's amber eyes looked at him, filled with pain and confusion, gradually losing their luster.
"Nas... Nas! No! Don't!"
Karm only then realized he might have made a mistake.
He walked over quickly, wanting to explain.
"I'm sorry, I thought it was going to attack you..."
Kort did not look at him.
He lifted Nas—using his only remaining right arm, laboriously and shakily lifting this Demonic Beast that was three times his weight, turned around, and walked step by step towards the clan lands.
In one day, he had suffered two despairs, and now he was utterly heartbroken.
Karm's apologetic voice came from behind, but he couldn't hear it anymore.
On the way back to the clan, the children in the clan saw him, saw the dying Nas in his arms.
"Look! The monster is holding a monster!"
"Serves it right! Who told it to be friends with a Demonic Beast!"
"It's better off dead! It dirtied our island!"
Stones were thrown, hitting his back and legs.
The insults were like poison thorns, piercing his heart one by one.