*tin* - a metallic tinkle followed the impact of the light arrow. The magic glow of the object bounced away, illuminating the body of a massive demon for only a moment.

When the first arrow fired vanished into the darkness, without even being able to scratch the enemy, Shioko chose to activate Nobu's luminous power. ​​

While Kenji was clinging to Yoichi's shoulders and Enatsu's Moruba had disappeared underground, Nobu's tail began to shine, illuminating the interior of the dense forest.

Tracing the rush of its tamer, the butterfly demon remained in mid-air, followed at a quick pace by Yoichi and Enatsu. Sticky mud prevented them from sprinting, but, being unevenly distributed on the ground, they still managed to move in a rough run.

Charging towards an enemy that would be illuminated at any moment, Yoichi activated Kenji's first skill. One by one, the black scales appeared on his arms, enhancing his upper limbs.

*umpf*umpf* - The deep breath of the beast at the entrance to the cave became stronger and stronger, never moving from that position. Shioko grabbed a second light arrow from the quiver, shooting it in less than two seconds.

The skill with which the red-haired tamer moved and fired arrows with her bow was breathtaking. Although the arrows did not appear to damage the target, Shioko remained one of Tentochu's most skilled archers.

*tin* - For the second time, the arrow bounced off a iron surface, chipping it. Next to it, the white light illuminated a round black eye devoid of the pupil.

When the demon in front of the three adventurers entered the luminous ray coming from Nobu's tail, the attentive Enatsu immediately managed to distinguish its features.

Four legs supported a large and heavy swine body with hooves sunk in the black mud. The boar demon's dark fur was barely visible under its armour.

A kind of rusty iron armour covered its entire body, especially the most sensitive parts: a long iron plate ran along its spine, interrupting on its forehead and leaving room for two other metal wings falling on the sides of its nose.

The sides of that rabid boar, more than two meters high and wide, were also covered with stiff, heavy armor. Its pointed ears swung left and right, trying to isolate the sounds of the enemies from those of the insects that populated the forest.

That irremovable giant guarded the entrance to the mine, as if someone had given it the order not to let anyone through.

"That Yoroishi... it is giant too!" Enatsu shouted, slowing down his advance. With his feet wedged in a denser layer of mud, the young merchant let his friends approach first.

Meanwhile, beneath the surface, his mole demon was planning something guided by his mind.

"Yoroishi? What kind of demon is that?" Yoichi asked aloud as Shioko loaded another arrow on the bow.

"It's an earth-type demon! None of our demons should be particularly effective against that… thing... but what's worse is its bulk! Usually, the Yoroishi are very..." before Enatsu finished the sentence, the boar demon snarled strongly, lowering its head and charging towards Yoichi.

"... irascible! Aaargh!" the merchant concluded, deviating from the path and running to hide behind a tree.

"Oh fuck! Shioko, move away from there!" Yoichi shouted. The thick black mud on the ground prevented him from jumping and moving nimbly. Because of that unexpected penalty, dodging the attacks of the giant tank Yoroishi would have been very difficult.

The third light arrow struck the body of the wild demon, slinging between two iron scales and piercing its ribs. "Uaaarrgh!" the Yoroishi thundered, slowing down in pain and suddenly changing direction.

Four huge fangs, much longer and sharper than Ichiro's, came out of its lower jaw. After being wounded by Shioko's clean shot, the boar demon charged at her, looking away from Yoichi.

The young tamer was forced to cling to a tree trunk not to fall, and Kenji jumped on a low branch, using its claws not to slide down.

Due to the mud covering the middle part of the tree trunks, the path had suddenly become a narrow corridor, favouring the Yoroishi attacks. The wild boar demon, with its bulk, occupied more than half of that natural corridor.

Voluntarily luring the enemy to her, Shioko rotated on herself and jumped backwards, firing another arrow. With disconcerting precision, she hit the eye of the wild demon, blinding it.

"Uaaargh! Grooargh!" – emitting harrowing verses, like any wild boar, the Yoroichi continued to charge, albeit losing sight of the target. Having suffered a blow to the face, the trajectory of its run deviated slightly towards a nearby tree.

As Shioko fell to the ground, suffering no damage from the mud, the boar's hard forehead crushed powerfully onto a tree, breaking its trunk like a thin stick.

*crash* - small splinters of wood flew in every direction, as did the twigs that detached from the tree trunk, forcing Nobu to dodge them.

The butterfly demon flew in a circle without abandoning its tamer. After hitting the tree, the Yoroichi continued to run and roar, hitting the row of trees behind and knocking them down like dominos.

"Fuck, Shioko! Come here, grab my arm!" Yoichi gasped, clumsily reaching for her friend. Creeping his boots slowly into the mud, the young tamer managed to touch Shioko's hand: when her white hand grabbed one of the thick fingers of Yoichi's scaled hand, he pulled her out of the sticky substance that imprisoned her.

The black mud had wrapped all her legs and the lower part of her back. However, despite the disgust generated by that stench, the boar continued to run far from nobu's light, ready to strike again.

"Your arrow! It hit it in the eye, I saw it! That piece of shit didn't die, like the Hebigure!" Enatsu screamed, moving away from his shelter tree and heading across the natural corridor. "What the hell happens to demons in this area? They look immortal! the merchant added, unable to stop shaking with fear.