"As I thought. Get off your horse, there's no time to lose," the girl replied. Pulling the reins of Enatsu's horse, she tied them to Taya's.

With a particularly strong knot, Shioko made sure the two horses were connected and had the space to move freely. "What are you doing? Why have you t..." ​​

"In this way, we will be sure to find them exactly where we need them to be. Taya will escort your horse out of this place. They will wait for us right after the woods, in a safe place", Shioko explained, interrupting the stammering words of her guildmate.

"But how are we going to call them back?" Enatsu asked again. After her words, she hit Taya's back with a slap. "Go!" she yelled, ordering her horse to run away.

"Hiii" rising on her hind legs, Taya snapped in the opposite direction to that of the three adventurers: the rope between it and Enatsu's horse suddenly stretched, forcing the second steed to follow the rush.

"Oh, fuck!" Enatsu exclaimed, falling backward. As Soon as Sora got up in the air, the merchant fell with his back onto the soft ground below. After a few seconds, both horses disappeared among the dense vegetation.

"Ouch! My butt hurts! Fuck, you could have waited another second!" Enatsu murmured, touching his lower back and getting up awkwardly.

Shioko did not answer, walking towards the mine. When her gaze crossed Yoichi's, the two tamers exchanged a smile. Ever since Yoichi had saved her from the jaws of the Hebigure, she has looked at him differently, as if she had finally recognized his tamer's abilities.

Unlike Enatsu, who had flooded his friend with questions, she had never asked Yoichi how did he manage to fire flames from his arms. In all likelihood, it did not surprise her particularly.

"See you later, Ichiro. Thank you for getting me here," he greeted, petting the horse's muzzle and treating it with immense respect. "Azron!" he exclaimed, locking it back in its Demon Tooth.

One step at a time, the three adventurers began to walk on the dense sludge, entering the darkest area of that bleak forest. Emitting a liquid noise and disgusting smell, the black mud covered their boots, touching their ankles.

"Urgh! It smells like rotten meat!" Enatsu quaked, who kept talking to fill the silence. The remains of the small animals trapped in that substance and the undergrowth that could not breathe under that dense mass gave the mud a sickening smell.

Proceeding with circumspection, Yoichi opened the line. With one arm always pointed forward, he moved the low branches of the trees and those of the bushes that hindered the path.

On contact with his hands, they crumbled as if they were devoid of texture. The dark mud under their feet kept boiling loudly.

"We have almost reached the foot of the mountain and are following the path. According to the map, we should have almost arrived at the entrance and..."

"Shh..." Shioko whispered, interrupting Yoichi's speech. The red-haired tamer stopped suddenly, moving a hand to her bow.

Noticing that his colleague had heard something suspicious, Yoichi pulled the dagger out of his belt, wielding it with the blade facing down.

"Hey, why did you stop? If you're kidding or something, I..."

"Shh! Be quiet, fuck!" Shioko repeated, unable to focus on that indistinct noise. The merchant shut his mouth, while his legs continued to tremble like leaves in the wind.

*umpf*umpf*frush* - the intense sound of a deep and constant breath echoed through the woods. Dry leaves seemed to vibrate under its action.

When they reached maximum silence, Yoichi and Shioko simultaneously looked in the same direction, right in front of them. At the end of the path, an obscure presence was waiting for them.

That pulsating breath came from less than a hundred meters away, right at the entrance to the mine. The mountain changed into a cliff with sharp and cutting edges. The rock face seemed to draw a malignant face, whose eyes, represented by two large elliptical caves, sprang over the trees.

"I think it's time to summon our Oracles, Yoichi" Shioko suggested in a low voice, bringing her partner back with his feet on the ground. The fear of facing a Hebigure-like monster turned into a thrill running down his back.

Yoichi nodded, storing the dagger and clenching his fists, ready to pronounce Kenji's real name. "Enatsu, try to be useful and not get in the way. On this sticky mud, it will not be easy to save your ass" the red-haired tamer added, knowing she brought up a sore spot.

"Sora's power is useless in such a dark place. Maybe you'd better recall it, brother," Yoichi spoke, saying the same thing, but kindly.

Enatsu stopped trembling, annoyed to be treated as a burden. Clenching his fists, he realized that what was about to begin was his true first guild-warrior mission. If he achieved it, he would prove to himself and his father that he could become a real tamer, like his late grandfather.

Communicating only with their eyes, the three Nightblades warriors uttered the true names of the demons they intended to field.

After the red air current that summoned Kenji, a luminous trail shaped Nobu's wings. Lastly, Sora entered Enatsu's chest and in its place, his Moruba, the mole demon, appeared in the black mud.

*umpf*umpf*groaargh* - the beast's breath in front of them intensified, becoming increasingly heavier and deeper. Whatever was waiting for them, had just perceived the presence of other demons.

"Move on, without hesitation!" Shioko commanded, pointing her arm forward and ordering the charge. After that gesture, her hand slid into the quiver and pulled out a light arrow, loading it on the bow.

Before her comrades launched themselves into a blind attack, the experienced tamer shot the arrow forward. As it passed, the magical object illuminated the area, entirely shrouded in mud.

The black substance covered each tree and plant, rising from the ground and extending above the trunks. Suddenly, the arrow hit something.