“Screek! Screeeek!” Kenji barked worriedly, drawing the attention of its tamer.

“Somebody help me! Get your hands off me!” ​​

What until a few moments before were just confused screams were now much sharper. Yoichi and Enatsu’s gazes fell in the direction of the alley before Kenji. It was a narrow, dark road, probably a dead end.

Enatsu’s hand forcefully grabbed Yoichi’s wrist, preventing him from walking. “Yoichi, you can’t see anything in there. It could be a trap! What if there’s more than one criminal? How do you propose on doing that?” the merchant inquired, trembling with fear.

Without answering those unnecessary questions, Yoichi pulled his arm forward, wresting it from Enatsu’s hand. During those confusing moments, an uncontrollable fire burned in the young tamer’s eyes.

Enatsu stood still, frozen by that piercing gaze. By the next moment, his friend had already entered the alley.

The thick darkness that enveloped that road about two meters wide, greatly limited Yoichi’s field of view. He and Kenji proceeded with circumspection, trying not to make any sound.

The screams had been replaced by the chilling sound of drops of water continuing to fall into a puddle.

*bloop*bloop* – That redundant, regular sound seemed to come from the farthest point of the alley.

Yoichi was terrified. Until just before he was enjoying the fresh air and clear night sky of Goldhaven, then those screams. They had broken the magic, triggering something in him.

What am I doing? I can’t see anything here, and without that voice, I don’t know where I need to go. No, I can’t leave! That woman was in danger, and I must figure out what’s going on! Yoichi reasoned, clenching his fists and continuing to walk slowly, tiptoeing.

The perpetual noise of the drop of water continued to break the silence, but just as the young tamer was about to lose hope, his ears and those of his Nekage picked up something else.

*anf*anf* “Yes, come here… let me see what’s down here…”

A male voice never heard before was panting, whispering incomprehensible words. Yoichi stopped suddenly. He turned his gaze backwards, realizing that Enatsu had decided not to follow him.

Okay, there’s someone over there. I have to stop shaking, and I have to focus! The woman stopped screaming and that man… no, it can’t be! He thought when a shiver ran through his back.

As if that consideration had cleared his clouded mind, Yoichi closed his eyes and focused intensely on his Nekage. With his arms outstretched forward, he tried for the second time to activate its power.

Within seconds, hundreds of black scales covered both of the young tamer’s upper limbs, wrapping his hands and making them big and strong.

If what I think is true, I can’t waste any more time! I’m going to play on the surprise factor. I have to hit first! He thought a moment before launching the attack.

Yoichi’s feet snapped on the wet tiles of the floor, and his body snapped forward: to vent the accumulated fear, Yoichi relied on his instincts, doing what any person would do in that situation.

“Aaargh! Leave her alone!” he yelled loudly, loading a direct punch and throwing it forward blindly.

The armoured knuckles of his right hand hit someone, and the energy released hurled him at the wall in front of him.

*boom*crash* – the noise of the thud followed by that of the split bricks of the wall created a sudden banging. Kenji and Yoichi stood still at the scene, unable to see anything.

“Ouch… that hurt… and you? Who the fuck are you?!” the male voice suddenly fumed, turning to Yoichi.

“What were you doing to this woman?” he asked, sure the woman was there, passed out somewhere.

That question received no answer. The sound of the mysterious man’s feet among the fragments of the bricks scattered on the ground echoed through the narrow walls of the alley.

“Kenji! Behind me!” Yoichi added suddenly, ordering Kenji to switch its position. As soon as the little Nekage took cover, the tamer crossed his arms in front of him, and a powerful blow hit his forearms, causing him to fly backwards.

“Aaargh… fuck!” he murmured, crawling with his back to the ground for several yards. His large armoured hands stopped that involuntary movement, creating friction on the floor and helping him get back on his feet.

“I’m sorry, kid. You were wrong to come here. You will never get out of this alley again!” the unknown voice affirmed with conviction.

Making a whip-like noise, something immobilized Yoichi’s ankle, pulling him forward and making him lose his balance. The young tamer fell with his back to the ground, and his body was slowly dragged forward.

Even his strong hands were unable to withstand that traction, and one centimetre at a time, the enemy came closer and closer.

“Screek! Screek!” Kenji growled, escaping the control of its master and leaping forward, in the direction of that evil voice.

“No, Kenji! Stop,” Yoichi screamed, extending his arm towards the darkness.

The little Nekage violently scratched the enemy’s face, forcing him to retreat and give up his grip on Yoichi.

“What the hell you doing?! Die!” the enemy shouted. When Yoichi got up, a sudden pain shook his neck, preventing him from breathing.

“Ghhaaagh… Kenji…” he muttered, kneeling on the ground and realizing that the man in front of him was clutching his Nekage’s neck with both hands, using the pain shared between Oracle and tamer to knock him out.

Just as hope in Yoichi’s eyes began to fade and his voice could no longer come out of his mouth, the young tamer caught a glimpse of his hands on the floor.

A dim light illuminated the area, becoming closer and more intense. A noise of quick strides awakened his instincts, giving him the courage to look forward.

“Yoichi! I’m coming!” Enatsu desperately screamed, running at his top speed with a torch tight in his hand.

The merchant’s lopsided trajectory, caused by the slippery floor of that alley, slowed his advance. When Yoichi’s eyes framed the mysterious man clutching Kenji’s neck, an angry expression appeared on his face.