*TKTKTK* - The carnivorous plant inside the cave, after several seconds in the vicinity of Yoichi's torchlight, felt the heat of the draconic flame.

Its woody limbs slammed hard against the walls, knocking water and debris from the ceiling and straining the young tamer's balance.

Yoichi slipped Takamori's dagger back behind his belt and, without wasting any more time, jammed the torch into a recess in the wall, preparing to activate Kenji's power.

"I'm sorry, my friend. But I need your cave, and I doubt you want to share it with me" the young warrior said, who, as always, spoke to the wild demons as if they could understand his language.

The huge mouth of the carnivorous plant closed and, while the twigs on its back continued to emit that bizarre sound, it put both arms on the ground: the roots that connected the ends of those pseudo-arms to the rest of the body stretched instantly, penetrating inside the pre-existing fractures of the rock.

Moving like worm-like beings, they branched out beneath the floor, stretching toward Yoichi and occupying every area of the cave. Suddenly, without warning, sharp spikes of wood were shot upward, crossing each other and trying to pierce their targets.

"Watch out, Kenji!" Yoichi yelled, snapping sideways to dodge the attack. One of the branches of the carnivorous plant touched his arm, causing a shallow cut and forcing him to back away. "Ouch!" he growled involuntarily, squeezing his wound and looking at his Oracle.

Kenji's agility allowed it to dodge every root: the little dragon demon sprinted left and right, hopping nimbly on its strong feline paws and growling, waiting for its tamer's next order.

Yoichi's command came and Kenji's power was activated, awakening the draconic flame. Heat instantly spread through the young tamer's chest and his arms began to fill with scales.

The roots of the carnivorous plant began to emerge from the holes in the rock again in rapid succession. The wild demon's goal was to impale its targets. Soon after, it would feed on their bodies, melting their muscles and bones with the greenish bile that came from the farthest reaches of that putrid cluster of shrubs.

A broken branch with a sharp tip ready to pierce grazed Yoichi's arm once again, but this time it was covered by the scales. The blow ricocheted, deviating slightly in its trajectory and impacting against the wall.

*boom* - The tips of the lumpy root got stuck in the wall. Apparently, the demon was unable to individually control the fibers of its limbs and could only retract or push them simultaneously.

Taking advantage of this, the young tamer firmly grasped the stuck branch, gritting his teeth and letting the draconic power of Therion's primordial flame take over his body.

Kenji's swift movements continued to keep the large demon busy, who, despite its bulk occupying nearly the entire cave, was unable to grab the little dragon.

The root clutched in Yoichi's enhanced hand broke away from the wall, but at the same instant, flame pervaded its scales, spreading across his wrist and enveloping his palms.

*roar* - A tongue of fire roared out, enveloping the root of the plant demon and lighting up the interior of the cave. The enemy demon was now visible in great detail and its eyeless face showed an expression of pain with the mouth's corners pointing down.

The draconic flame penetrated the plant fibers of the trunk, traveling its entire length in a few seconds: it pierced the rocky floor of the cave, burning dozens of roots in a few seconds and causing massive damage over time to the enemy.

Since he had discovered the true power of his Oracle, Yoichi had understood that there was no demon capable of resisting that flame and that, in a few seconds, even the most dangerous wild demon could be defeated.

Thanks to Scorching Breath, his career as a tamer had undergone an unexpected acceleration and, despite his experience, he had in his hands an incredible power that would lead him to accomplish magnificent feats.

The holes in the rock lit up one after another, releasing flames that came closer and closer to the demon's central body. *whoom*whoom* - many small columns of fire raised the temperature of the cave, making the carnivorous plant suffer and starting to write its end.

Yoichi once again used his advantage, rushing forward and clenching a fist, preparing to launch his final attack. The mass of seaweed and shrubs that made that enemy so huge served as armor to a smaller, internal body buried in that blanket of organic material.

The carnivorous plant tried once more to counterattack, moving its body sideways and retreating the roots of its arms. The damaged parts retraced the narrow underground tunnels of the cave, ready to retry an attack, but in the meantime, the young tamer had already reached an ideal position.

Screaming to release his stored energy, Yoichi leaped toward his enemy, letting the draconic fire envelop both of his arms. A flaming trail followed the parabolic trajectory of his body, hurtling toward the target like the projectile of a siege catapult.

That was the Nightblades guild warrior's true strength: Yoichi didn't care what enemy he faced. He always fought at his best, never underestimating even the smallest of demons and unleashing his full potential right away.

Although he still had a Demon Tooth available, he was aware that locating the center of gravity of such a large beast would be a difficult task. Besides, the journey to Oakenfair was still a long one and the likelihood of encountering other new and interesting demons was very high.

A true Demon Tamer would not have wasted such an opportunity by trying to capture the first demon within his reach. After capturing the Hikigotsu, Yoichi no longer had to prove his abilities to himself.

The air around the slimy carapace of the plant demon soaked with the heat of the draconic flame, which roared in a fierce explosion. The knuckles of Yoichi's right fist sank into that soft substrate, unleashing the fury of its primal power.