While Yoichi and Takamori were having a heated discussion about what to do, the branches of the peach trees above their heads moved slightly under the blowing wind.

A small demon bird was perched among the fragrant pink flowers. It had two small green eyes and a toothed black beak. A pair of legs with four clawed fingers, three pointing forward and one prehensile backward, held it steady on the branch.

Its appearance was identical to that of a robin and its size was also the same. Chirping, it turned its neck to one side and the other, alternately aiming its eyes at the two warriors sitting in the middle of the trees, as if it wanted to hear their words.

*chirp*chirp* - the robin demon's chirp was inaudible from Yoichi and Takamori. The sound of their words and the background noises coming from beyond the arena walls made that little bird practically undetectable.

Suddenly, as if its task there had been accomplished, the little robin took flight and left the peach tree branch.

Flapping its dove-gray wings, it rose into the air and fluttered happily over the arena walls. From up there, the view of Goldhaven was breathtaking: Tentochu's capital city was teeming with people in every corner, and thousands of buildings of different shapes and colors filled its streets.

However, the robin demon wasn't looking for food or females to share the mating season with. Unlike its wild fellow birds, it seemed to have a specific goal.

Its thin wings continued to cut through the air, and its light, hollow bones made its body so lightweight that it could move at high speed.

One building after another, spinning around and performing reckless acrobatics worthy of an experienced bird, it dodged the roofs of the tallest buildings, flying over the Dragonfall Square and heading towards the western districts of the city.

The white bricks of the Demon Cathedral district glinted in the sunlight and all the walls that divided the city neighborhood were perfectly visible. As they approached the eastern area, the reflection of the sun on the sea bounced off the bird's green eyes, sparkling like two emeralds.

After a long flight, the tallest building in Goldhaven appeared before its eyes. The Imperial Palace glittered like a bar of gold and the last stretch of the Royal Road extended like a tongue of fire from its jaws.

The little demon swooped down, flying at full speed between the imperial drapes that lined the road, getting closer and closer to the Palace.

The imposing Akai Kiba guarded the only entrance, crossing their huge halberds in front of the gates. Many people were neatly lined up, waiting their turn to speak with Emperor Nishiyama or whoever was acting in his stead.

Shinzo Nishiyama used to collect the complaints and thoughts of his citizens. In that way, in their eyes, he was able to maintain the alibi of the wise and good Emperor. In reality, those were virtues that had died along with his father Tatsui.

The robin drastically deviated its trajectory, bypassing the crowd and flying in a hurry towards the area behind the palace. Dozens of oni warriors guarded the place from above, standing still on the balconies beneath the building's thick roof.

The Akai Kiba who were up there were clutching huge crossbows in their hands. Their only task was to keep an eye on each side of the building and use their sniping skills if necessary.

Although no attack from the enemy faction was planned and the daylight illuminated everything, the Imperial Palace seemed to be in a constant state of alert, as if the Emperor feared a sudden attack from who knows who.

"Tweet! Tweet!" - the flying demon rose in altitude and then swooped down again, aiming for the ground. Its small body spun on itself, gaining further aerodynamics.

Nimbly, the robin entered inside a sort of manhole made by metal grates crossed one on each other. That strange opening in the ground was hidden among some spontaneous bushes that were part of the Palace gardens.

*swish* - knowing perfectly the way, the little bird juggled inside that vertical tunnel, going down several meters deep.

The grates that sprouted on the surface, in fact, served as air ducts that brought oxygen to the deeper areas of the Imperial district, allowing whoever was in the Palace's dungeons to breathe pseudo-clean air.

Various shrubs and grime littered the inside of the large pipe. The obstacles slowed down the descent of the robin demon, who was forced to change the direction of its flight several times.

At last, more than ten meters down, the pipe came out in a very wide open space with little light. Torches dimly illuminated the red brick walls, which were filthy and soaked in a smelly, muddy layer.

Trying not to make the slightest sound, the bird slinked forward, crossing several corridors in a few seconds. Its small and light wings allowed it to be so silent that not even an attentive ear could perceive its movements.

It flew over a thickset man in armor, who was sleeping heavily on an old wooden chair behind a door made of wide vertical bars.

Without overthinking, the robin went through the bars and passed the checkpoint without being noticed by the prison guard. The long corridor beyond was lined with many small cells on either side.

Hundreds of prisoners resided in the cells, deprived of sunlight and fresh air from outside. The small rooms were only a few square meters wide, just enough space for a straw bed and a hole in the corner of the floor to carry out one's physiological needs.

All those considered to be enemies of the crown lived there, sharing that common space for many years. Murderers, thieves, and outlaws who had committed petty crimes. It didn't matter what crime they had committed: the inhabitants of the dungeons of the Imperial Palace were all those who had broken the laws imposed by the Emperor on the city's territory.

The robin demon passed yet another cell and flapped its wings in the opposite direction, skidding to a halt in mid-air. It had finally reached its destination.