Having never brought his hand close to Ryutaro's, Yoichi had never noticed how large his hands were. On the hilt of the katana, in addition to his closed hand, young Ryuraro's fingerprints continued for several inches.

With astonishing naturalness, the blond-haired warrior brought the tip of the long blade closer to the mouth of the dark red scabbard. On it, slightly faded designs depicted giant winged beasts flying over stylized mountains.

The overall color of the weapon was strikingly reminiscent of Kenji's draconic flames as if Ryutaro's fate and Yoichi's had been connected from the beginning.

Yoichi tucked the sword into his belt, on the left side, making sure it didn't get in the way of his walk.

He finally walked out the door, turning the key in the lock again and pulling the knob towards himself. When the door closed, the young tamer rested his forehead on its wooden surface, bidding a final farewell to that sacred place.

Hurrying through the floors of the Dojo, Yoichi was careful not to disturb the few people in the building who were still meditating, immersed in their egos.

The golden tigers at the entrance welcomed the warrior with their long, clawed paws, and the fresh air outside filled his lungs. Along with it, a pleasant scent similar to that of lavender flowers and wild herbs intoxicated his sense of smell.

In front of him, Shioko's red hair floated in the air and the wind carried their familiar scent with it. The girl's big eyes were focused only on her guildmate, whose arms were busy supporting the weight of his bulky luggage.

"So Takamori-Sensei wasn't kidding," Shioko smiled, continuing to look at Yoichi and masking her sadness. Behind her, various items were resting on the stairs.

"No, I guess he wasn't," Yoichi replied, placing the books and the amphora on the ground and approaching Shioko. An awkward silence enveloped the two friends for a few seconds, and neither of them knew what to say.

"How is Enatsu?" Yoichi asked, trying to break the ice. Shioko's character didn't seem as grumpy and harsh as in the early days. On the contrary, the long red-haired archer looked particularly affectionate towards him.

"Enatsu is much better. He still sleeps all day, but Yoshiko is taking good care of him and says he'll be fully recovered in a few days," she replied. "You taught Kato a good lesson. I'm sure he won't be acting like an asshole for a while."

"Yes, I'm sure of that too. I have to face the consequences now though, Shioko. I will leave Goldhaven and go my own way. I had no idea that my stay here would be so short, but unfortunately, I have no other choice," Yoichi spoke, getting straight to the point of the matter.

Shioko's expression became saddened and her gaze fell to the floor. "Where will you go?" she asked in a voice filled with sadness.

Yoichi waited a few seconds before responding, having no definite answer to that question. "A small village at the foot of the mountains, that will be my first destination. It's called Oakenfair," he reported.

Shioko let out a long sigh and took courage, looking up at her companion. It was as if the archer wanted to say something to Yoichi but was holding her tongue, merely sighing.

"I... um... I brought you some things that you'll need. Here, take this," the red-haired girl said, lowering herself and grabbing one of the items resting on the stairs.

For a brief moment, Yoichi couldn't help but look at Shioko's body. The curves of her legs and back were perfect and the tight clothes did justice to her sensuality, masked by her aggressive nature towards strangers.

"Takamori-Sensei told me that you don't have a saddle for your horse and asked me to give you this," she affirmed, as a wisp of hair dangled in front of her face.

In her hands, a large leather saddle was fitted with two capacious side bags. Thanks to it, the weight on the horse's body would be evenly distributed and allow Ichiro to carry many things with minimal effort.

Yoichi thanked her and grabbed the gift. When his hand touched the opening lace of one of the two bags, a piece of clothing fell to the floor, slipping out from inside it.

"What about this? What is this?" he asked, lifting it from the floor and opening it before his eyes. The garment contained in the bag was a long cloak that ended in a wide hood, similar to Enatsu's.

"Um, you know... if you escape from here, the Emperor will probably put a bounty on your head, and... caution is never too much, Yoichi," she explained, letting him know that the cloak to disguise his appearance was her idea.

"I'll miss you, Shioko."

Yoichi's unexpected words made the archer blush. She was in an obvious state of embarrassment and failed to meet her gaze with that of her guildmate.

"You, um... I... I mean... I'm going to miss you too," she replied, speaking the words at super speed as if hoping Yoichi wouldn't hear them.

He took a step towards her, dropping the saddle next to his luggage and sighing. Shioko remained motionless, her arms along her sides and her gaze still pointed downward.

"I brought you here for a reason," the young tamer stated, speaking with heavy hearts. "I have an important favor to ask of you, and you are the only person I trust. It is something extremely important and no one but me and Enatsu know about it," he added.

"Of course. Tell me how I can help you and I'll do what I can" Shioko replied sheepishly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

In a few minutes, Yoichi told his companion about Princess Sui, explaining to her that in addition to his notorious sons, Emperor Shinzo was the father of a beautiful girl who bore that name.

Inside, Yoichi was aware of Shioko's feelings for him and tried hard to make her understand that there had never been any emotional connection between him and the Princess.