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


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


    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 hisnguage.


    The huge mouth of the carnivorous nt 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, prating inside the pre-existing fractures of the rock.


    Moving like worm-like beings, they branched out beneath the floor, stretching toward Yoichi and upying 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 nt 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''smand came and Kenji''s power was activated, awakening the draconic me. Heat instantly spread through the young tamer''s chest and his arms began to fill with scales.


    The roots of the carnivorous nt began to emerge from the holes in the rock again in rapid session. 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 me take over his body.


    Kenji''s swift movements continued to keep therge demon busy, who, despite its bulk upying 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, me pervaded its scales, spreading across his wrist and enveloping his palms.


    *roar* - A tongue of fire roared out, enveloping the root of the nt 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 me prated the nt 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 me 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 eleration and, despite his experience, he had in his hands an incredible power that would lead him to aplish magnificent feats.


    The holes in the rock lit up one after another, releasing mes 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 nt suffer and starting to write its end.


    Yoichi once again used his advantage, rushing forward and clenching a fist, preparing tounch 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 nket of organic material.


    The carnivorous nt 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 ming trail followed the parabolic trajectory of his body, hurtling toward the target like the projectile of a siege catapult.


    That was the Nightdes 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 avable, he was aware that locating the center of gravity of such arge 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 nt demon soaked with the heat of the draconic me, 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.