"But... this isn't fair, Ryutaro-Sensei!" Yoichi fumed, evidently displeased to hear the Dojo guardian's resigned words. "You came to our rescue. How is that an act punishable by law? Besides, you're the only one in addition to us who saw the Blackblood with your own eyes! No... you can't go to jail!"

"Hmm..." - Under the veil that covered Ryutaro's face, an invisible smile was hidden. "Don't worry about me, Yoichi. I'll explain everything you need to continue cultivating your spirit and inner strength on your own. Sooner or later, I'm sure Emperor Nishiyama will release me," the gatekeeper affirmed.

​​

"You could... you could take refuge in my farmhouse! I... I have a farm in the Bronzeforest, I'm sure no one will ever check that area and..."

"Yoichi-kun," Ryutaro sternly interrupted. "I have sworn my allegiance to the Nishiyama family. No matter what Emperor Shinzo has in store for me. I will respect his choice and serve my punishment as a man of honor. Fear is good for nothing, boy."

After his master's words, Yoichi mumbled something inaudible. Why should a warrior with such an important story on his behalf be imprisoned just for helping Goldhaven's tamers in danger? Wasn't it possible to find a replacement who would look after the Dojo during his absence?

The more time passed, the more Yoichi's contempt for Emperor Shinzo Nishiyama grew. The young tamer blindly believed the stories told to him by his faceless master and knew for a fact that it was only because of him that Emperor Tatsui was saved during the last siege of Kamakiri.

"You have to find out what the powers of that material you call Blackblood are, Yoichi," Ryutaro said out of nowhere. Those sudden words drew the hearing of Shioko, who was riding to the side of the carriage on Taya's back.

"It will be challenging to do this without a guide, Sensei," Yoichi replied resentfully.

"The bond between a tamer and his Oracle is as strong as the laws that govern the balance of the universe. The dependence on each other is inescapable and cannot be changed. If a human and a demon are born at the same time, their fates will be intertwined forever." Ryutaro began to make a decidedly trivial speech as if the two warriors were unaware of the purpose of a Demon Tamer.

"I carefully examined the wound on Enatsu's chest. The small cuts etched into his skin, the deepest parts, and the shallowest parts... everything matches the wound of his Moruba. The Blackblood must have altered their bond, making Enatsu's body vulnerable to his demon's wounds, despite it not being his Oracle," the gatekeeper explained.

"That's not possible, Ryutaro-Sama!" Shioko suddenly exclaimed, storming into the conversation. Yoichi's gaze diverged towards his archer comrade.

"I'm not as knowledgeable as you, high guardian of the Dojo, but... the laws that bind the lives of humans to demons are older than the world itself," the archer added.

"Yes, they are. But the same goes for Valgoth's power," Ryutaro coldly answered. His hands continued to grip the reins of the horses that pulled the carriage.

Those words generated a sudden silence. Shioko and Yoichi had not thought about the fact that the evil Emperor Gonshiro had had much more time than any other tamer to cultivate his powers and discover new uses for them.

"You two will go back to Takamori and tell him everything. If Yoichi is the only one capable of countering the dark power of these men who call themselves Void Summoners... well, that means his training will have to be faster than expected," Ryutaro commented.

That statement, although quite obvious, struck deep into the young tamer's soul. Before leaving for the Blackvault Mines, he was convinced that, after that mission, he would be able to calmly and steadily dedicate himself to his daily training. His goal was to alternate physical training with Takamori Sada and spiritual training with Ryutaro.

Yoichi could never have imagined meeting a Void Summoner, a Kamakiri sorcerer capable of summoning a demon and empowering it without limits, even sacrificing his own body. Ogai was just one of the many zombie servants Gonshiro had sent to Tentochu.

How many fame-seeking tamers would have fallen into their trap? How many other warriors would soon have turned into Void Summoners to help Gonshiro conquer the faction?

As was often the case lately, Yoichi's mind was filled with questions, but not answers. There were so many mysteries revolving around the Blackblood and its inner chemism.

It was necessary to do things in proper order. Once Enatsu was finally healed of his illness, Yoichi would have to focus only on himself, taking the domain of the dragon flame to the next level.

That sense of responsibility frightened him, but at the same time, it gave him a new charge to face what would come next.

"How will I perform your cultivation technique if I can't access the Dojo?" he asked, turning to Ryutaro.

"There's a green key in the innermost pocket of your bag," the gatekeeper said. Shioko's eyes narrowed at Yoichi, unable to believe what she had just heard. "It is the key to my private room, Yoichi-kun. I want no one but you to enter it until I am a free man again," the old guardian added, confirming Shioko's astonishment.

The supreme guardian of the Goldhaven Dojo relinquishing the key to his legendary room to such a young warrior? Shioko had seen more nonsense in those three days than in the last few years.

Yoichi slipped his hand into his larger backpack, digging deep into the various items. The empty Demon Teeth were next to the one that contained Ichiro, his mighty Inoshuma. Finally, the tip of his index finger brushed against a cold, metallic object.

Once extracted from the backpack, a large green key reflected the sun's light, now high in the sky: on the handle, some strange round symbols. They seemed to have no particular meaning; perhaps they were just meant to decorate the object.