The shadow of a four-legged creature became sharper and sharper before the eyes of the two travelers hiding behind the rocks. When the creature jumped over the river and reached the bank where Takuma and Yoichi were standing a moment before, the moonlight revealed its appearance.
A hound demon was frantically sniffing the ground in search of something or someone. Large black spikes protruded from its back and shoulders, partially covered in hair and black scales.
That dog demon's long ears were pointed up and turned backwards, as if, in that position, it was trying to focus only on its sense of smell. The nostrils of its big canine nose were wide and just a few millimeters far from the riverbank.
It reached the exact spot where Yoichi had hesitated before hiding, noting that the grass was stomped unnaturally in some specific places. On the turf of the valley, in fact, their horses' hooves had left marks that were still fresh.
*anf*anf* - The stranger demon's labored breathing spread through the air, and the grass in front of its nostrils shifted frantically. "Arf! Arf! Hauu!"
Howling fiercely, the hound demon signaled that it had found some suspicious tracks, standing still in the same spot and waiting for something to happen. The muscles in its paws were as mighty as a mastiff's, and its red eyes seemed eager for blood.
What kind of demon is that? What is it doing? Yoichi asked himself. The young tamer studied the details of that monster, trying to guess its level of strength. Why had Takuma begged him to hide? Was he convinced that they couldn't defeat it even if they were together?
Yoichi's thoughts were interrupted by more sudden sounds. Beyond the other bank of the Waveless River, the valley sloped slightly downward, fitting the terrain like the gentle slope of a hill. From that very direction, more figures emerged under the moonlight.
A group of more than ten men armed to the hilt were attracted by the hound's howl and headed for its position. Some of them rode ordinary horses, while others rode strange, menacing-looking demons.
Two Inoshumas caught Yoichi's attention, and he narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the faces of their knights. Behind the two Inoshumas, smaller than Ichiro and covered in rough armor full of rusty spikes, a burly man rode a much larger beast.
The footsteps of his mount made the ground shake, and unlike those of his teammates, it did not leap over the river. *boom*splash*splash* - Powerful pachyderm-like legs plunged into the water, destroying some of the coral and reaching the bank closest to the two adventurers' hideout.
"Oh, fuck!" Takuma gulped. His hands shook like leaves as they held up the shrubs in the bush that allowed them to watch those shadowy figures undetected. Grimbrook's tamer touched Yochi's shoulder and caught his gaze.
With his index finger in front of his lips, Takuma ordered his companion to be absolutely silent. His eyes were terrified, and sweat was dripping from his forehead.
Yoichi started looking at those very menacing-looking warriors again, paying particular attention to the details of their armor. The two men riding the Inoshumas wore light armor made of black leather and full of metal studs.
Behind the shoulders of one of them sprouted a long bow alongside a quiver. Two crossed katanas framed the head of the other knight. Both weapons looked very ruined, and even the bottom edges of their scabbards were rusted and battered.
That condition of dirt and rust characterized the equipment of everyone present, bar none. In total, they numbered nine men and three women. Some of them followed their companions as if they were part of a delegation migrating north.
*boom* - Yet another foot of the giant demon impacted against the ground, halting its advance. A long rhino horn stood on its scrunched, bloodstained snout, moving close to the ground thanks to its long, thick neck pointed downward.
A long tail resembling that of a strange land dinosaur waved left and right, forcing the horses and other members of the delegation to move out of the way to avoid being hit.
Atop its back, taller than the Inoshumas' head, the burly man held the reins of the amber-eyed beast. When the man tugged at them, the rhino demon breathed out of its nostrils, obeying its tamer's orders.
From the sides of its mighty shoulders, small human skulls were hanging from its armor, made of many small metal bands. It seemed to result from the assembly of many smaller armors, probably belonging to human beings.
"Taisuke, Eisuke!" the baritone voice of the man riding the rhino demon called. "Go check out what Inoku found. It might have sniffed out some tracks."
Yoichi listened carefully to the man's voice, which seemed to be muffled by a metallic surface. However, he was so high up that the light of the moon behind his shoulders reflected back to the young tamer only his outlines, drawing them into the sky.
Above his head, two short, thin curved horns looked like those of a samurai kabuto. Other than that detail, Yoichi could see nothing else.
After that order, the two men aboard the Inoshuma dismounted from their horses, coming dangerously close to Ichiro's footprints. "Arf! Arf!" the hound demon barked again. It was larger and heavier than the man beside it. Wagging its long furry tail, he had its gaze pointed to the grass.
"What have you found, Inoku?" the man wearing the light armor and bow asked. A thief's bandage partially covered his face and his eyes were barely visible under his hood.
He lowered himself to the spot indicated by the dog and touched the ground with his hand. Immediately, he brought his fingers close to his eyes, rubbing fragments of the ground between his fingertips as if picking up its energy.
"They look like the footprints of an Inoshuma to me. It's bulky and seems to be a rather young and strong specimen. Nothing worth our time, sir," the knight replied, standing up and addressing the man with the horned kabuto.
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