"Great! It took us less time than I thought. Can you see the Inoshumas?" Yoichi asked. To his astonishment, the young tamer was happy with his companion's affirmative answer.

When Enatsu disconnected from his pet, the two friends continued to walk north. The vegetation that until a few miles before skirted the road, was now increasingly dense. ​​

Trees and climbing plants grew undisturbed at that point in the forest, reaching impressive heights. The afternoon sunlight, in that stretch, could not reach the ground.

"Be careful, Yoichi. Visibility is very limited in here, a wild demon could pop up any minute," Enatsu recommended. Moving the shrubs that stood in their way, the young merchant continued to advance with circumspection.

The cheerful and colorful Bronzeforest had suddenly changed its appearance. Even birdsong had been replaced by strange sounds from the branches of the trees.

The soil had become totally invisible, covered with broken vines and crushed shrubs. It was as if every corner and hidden ravine could house a lurking demon.

Despite the goosebumps that ran on the young tamer's arms, Yoichi knew that Kenji's animal instincts would sense any menacing presence. Flanking Enatsu, he kept walking north.

"The lake looked much closer seen from above and this vegetation seemed less thick. I'm pretty sure no one's set foot in this area of the forest for a very long time," Enatsu commented. Speaking, the merchant discharged the tension.

"Look. Beyond those plants over there. I can see something," Yoichi muttered. Communicating with each other as if they were inside a library, the two adventurers made their way through the last plants that separated them from the light spot.

Breaking yet another branch that obstructed their sight, a breath-taking vision blinded them: illuminated by the early afternoon red sun, a vast circular clearing suddenly opened in the center of the Bronzeforest.

Undisputed protagonist of that magical place, the lake. The light reflected on the surface of the water and the small insects that fluttered from flower to flower made that pristine place a real oasis.

Like the columns of an amphitheater, rows of trees ran along the perimeter of the area, enclosing it within an ellipse made of vegetation.

Yoichi and Enatsu walked forward, finally managing to move smoothly in that soft tall grass. After each step, small clouds of pollen and microscopic insects hovered in the air.

"There they are! The Inoshumas are over there, do you see them?" Enatsu rejoiced. He pointed his finger in the direction of the opposite shore of the lake.

As calculated, two packs of big horse demons were drinking undisturbed in the blue water of the lake. Although hundreds of meters separated him from those magnificent beasts, Yoichi was able to notice their details.

Their yellowish bodies were sculpted into a dry, well-defined musculature. The four legs, identical to those of horses, were connected to mighty thighs. Large red manes adorned the necks of those demons, bent over to the water surface.

Long tails, equipped with a flame-shaped red tuft on their tips, wagged carefreely.

The young tamer noticed that some of the pack's specimens were bigger than others. Among them, an animal hierarchy was based on the survival of the fittest: the larger and adult Inoshumas, took precedence over the younger ones, drinking first from the body of freshwater.

One demon, in particular, caught Yoichi's attention. It was an adult stallion, whose neck was visibly damaged, covered in scars.

"Fuck, I remembered them smaller" Enatsu whispered, frightened.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Yoichi inquired.

"Do you remember the story of docile demons who do not defend themselves and tend to run away? Well, forget it," the merchant reiterated. "Those two guys over there have the makings of pack masters," he explained. In a hand gesture, Enatsu pointed to the two biggest Inoshumas.

One of them was the one with scars.

"Okay, apparently, this will not be a child's play. The young and the females will probably cut and run, but the males… they don't seem to have any intention of leaving this place," Yoichi spoke, expressing his opinion.

"We have to sneak closer, walking through the clearing perimeter. When we're close enough, I'll go on the offensive with Kenji. You will follow me soon after," the young tamer commanded. After a simple look, he already came up to a plan.

"Why do I always agree to follow you on these suicide missions? Damn it, I'm shitting my pants," Enatsu stammered, touching his forehead. Receiving no response, the merchant noted that Yoichi had already begun to walk.

Trying to limit the noise of plants cracking under his footsteps, Yoichi kept looking at the two packs of demons, now even closer. In total, they numbered about twenty units.

If those horses were to attack me and Kenji simultaneously, our chances of survival would be drastically reduced. But if I don't tame a demon right away, I'll die anyway. He reflected, thinking back to the bloody writings on the ceiling of the inn.

After about ten minutes, Yoichi and Enatsu reached an advantageous hideout to observe the Inoshumas. Paying the utmost attention to each of their movements, they noticed that the little ones tended to stroll around.

While the less muscular cubs and specimens munched the grass and sniffed wild plants in search of food, the two pack masters remained near the edge of the lake.

The Inoshuma with scars on its neck carefully looked at its herd, rotating its neck left and right. Four huge boar fangs sprang out of the lower jaw of its mouth. The big black nose was identical to that of a massive wild boar.

"Psst... psst!" Enatsu whispered, drawing his friend's attention. "Why do you keep looking at the most menacing of them? I know that face... what do you have in mind, Yoichi?" he asked fearfully.

"That Inoshuma looks like a survivor. Look at the scratches on its neck... it must have fought many battles," Yoichi thought aloud. "If I really have to catch one of them, I'd better try to defeat the strongest."

Yoichi's convinced words generated a shiver down his friend's back. With that statement, the young tamer confirmed Enatsu's fears, terrified at the mere idea of approaching that yellow-haired demon, almost two meters high.