In addition to the vegetation and the natural lay of the land, the temperature was also gradually changing. The closer he got to the swampy area, the more Yoichi began to feel a strong heat on his shoulders, as if the temperature had raised more than ten degrees.

Noting that the direction he was heading was the right one, the young tamer continued riding north, with the imposing range of the Southborne Mountains to his left and the Bronzeforest to his right.

Despite the low light and abundant vegetation, the moonlight was able to filter through that section of the trail, illuminating the road and the surrounding areas, except for the innermost ones. The trees, although very tall, were characterized by thin and elongated leaves: paradoxically, in that place, the plants were much denser and imposing in the lower area than in the treetops.

Soon Ichiro's breath and the sound of its hooves were the only sounds echoing in the air, followed by those emitted by Yoichi, still full of nervousness waiting to face the unknown.

Yoichi's Inoshuma was a strong and obedient demon, but at this moment, due to the heavy load it carried on its shoulders, it was not ready to fight. In case of a sudden attack, Yoichi would have to quickly switch demons and summon Kenji, trying not to get hit.

His hand rested on the handle of the katana, grazing the laces of the hilt and trying to gain confidence.

The night continued its course and the swamp that separated Yoichi from his target began to occupy every area of his field of vision: small ponds and streams of thick, viscous water, mud puddles, and decaying plants were home to the small amphibians that populated that inhospitable place.

The croaking of frogs and the buzzing of dragonflies and wasps annoyed Ichiro, whose ears twitched every second, trying to get rid of those annoying noises. What demons inhabited that place? Yoichi asked himself, trying to find an answer.

Remembering what he had learned from one of his books, he knew that each demon preferred to live in an environment where it could draw energy from its element. According to that reasoning, the swamp should have been home to demons of water, grass, and perhaps even the 'poison' type.

Just as he had begun to calm down, thinking about when he would be able to meditate in peace and reflecting on the test he would face in Therion's company the next day, Yoichi heard a sound of leaves coming from the side of the road.

He had chosen not to use any torch or light source because he knew, thanks to Shioko, that it would only be useful in attracting the ravenous demons hidden in the darkness.

"Ichiro, wait!" Yoichi whispered, bringing his mouth close to his steed's ear. The horse demon nailed its hooves into the mud, blocking its advance and remaining silent.

A bush not far from them began to move suspiciously as if something was spying on them from within.

"Croak! Croak!" - a croaking, insistent cry came from that spot and was then amplified in the plants behind the young tamer. "Craak!" - from behind him, another identical cry reached his ears, forcing him to turn his head away from the first bush.

"Fuck! There's more than one!" he gasped in a low voice, slowly resting both hands on Ichiro's mane. The horse blew air from its nostrils, showing its nervousness and waiting for orders from its tamer.

*croak*croak*croak*

The croaking multiplied once more, and within seconds it came from five different directions. Front, back, right, left, even from above. Whatever made that sound had surrounded the lone adventurer.

"All right... I can't back down!" Yoichi whispered, preparing to get off his horse. As soon as he would recall Ichiro, the light given off by the process would likely attract the hidden demons, who would leap at him.

"Azron!" Yoichi exclaimed, lifting one leg and dismounting from the horse, using the hold of the saddle to jump to the ground. The Inoshuma's body disintegrated in a stream of yellow air, and as Shioko promised, the saddle and the two bags also suffered the same fate, entering inside the Demon Tooth.

The yellowish thorn emitted a faint glow and landed at the feet of the young tamer, who, in record time, grabbed it and stuffed it into his pouch. "Crooaaak!" - Suddenly, as he had predicted, one of the hidden demons jumped out of its bush, moving in midair like a catapult projectile.

The big frog-demon's green eyes stared at Yoichi, and from its fully gaping amphibian mouth, two huge sticky tongues were ready to be shot out. Simultaneously, on the other side of the road, a smaller specimen began to run in the direction of the young tamer, making a bizarre noise and hopping on its webbed feet.

"Ildriss!" Yoichi yelled, calling out Kenji's name to make sure he summoned it in time. A blaze was shot from his chest, and within it sprouted the feline limbs of the little dragon demon.

Sensing its tamer's haste, Kenji sped up its summoning process and as its black horns emerged from the tongue of fire, it slashed at the larger of the two frog-demons, attacking it without warning.

"Screeak!" the roar of flame and Kenji's reptilian cry combined as the small dragon bit into the head of his foe, clutching its wet, mushy flesh between its sharp jaws.

"Craa...rgh!"

*SPLAT* - in a small, greenish explosion, the frog demon's insides splashed into the air and the dragon demon's jaws closed hard, clutching the remains of its skull.

The bite was so strong that the enemy's eyes popped out of their sockets and its stubby body in mid-air lost control, unable to dodge the attack.

"Crooak!" - the second demon detached its webbed feet from the ground and jumped towards Yoichi, trying to catch him off guard. Its throat swelled and, in the next instant, two long, sticky pink tongues were shot like two bullets in his direction.

"Oh my goodness!" Yoichi gulped, moving his torso sideways and dodging the blow. Reacting instinctively, the young tamer drew his dagger from behind his back and, twisting the blade downward, swung his arm.

*zac*zac* - Yoichi's precise blow severed both of the frog demon's tongues, which frayed into many thin, sticky strands, spurting a greenish substance.