Like mice, Iruko and the others are closing in on the trap...

  The sun has risen and is beating down on our backs with its full force. We've agreed to leave our unnecessary belongings below and now we're climbing up the rock. The path is steep and narrow. One wrong step and we'll end up in endless sand. None of us dare to speak. I don't know if it's me, but my fingertips are beginning to itch as if something is hanging over us. Something dark. We're going right, I think.

  "The path is widening." I pinch myself.

  Fuyu and Natsu walk in front, their right hands held tightly to their weapons so they can draw them at any time. Aki and Haru are covering us from behind. They're experienced, and judging by the itch in my fingers, which is slowly starting to move to my back, I assume we're in the right place. Something tickles my back a little more, and I notice a minotaur with an axe charging at us from the right corner.

  "Fuyu look out!!!" I yell at the top of my lungs when I see the minotaur heading towards Fuyu.

  Fuyu, thanks to his vampiric ability, nimbly escaped. Natsu didn't hesitate for a minute and quickly lunged at the minotaur. With two light moves, he knocks the minotaur down, but another group is coming at us from the peaks. I gasp. I didn't expect so many of them here. We all instinctively press against each other to cover our backs. Natsu steps out of formation and lunges for the next bull, which is approaching at a relentless pace.

  "Go!" Natsu yells, swinging his dagger, which immediately unfurls into a spear.

  "But..."

  "Go, Iruka! Don't worry about me." He cut me off before I could protest in any way. His face completely changes. I've never seen such hardness and coldness in him. He reaches out to run. His back foot digs deep into the ground. Natsu takes a deep breath and uses his vampire speed to shorten the distance between him and his opponents. He stabs his opponents with ease and chilling precision.

  "I think it's going to get pretty hot in here now." Natsu said to himself.

  " Let's go while there's still time." He orders Fuyu and we ran on down the rocky path.

  In a few moments another obstacle awaited us in the form of another group of bulls. They were blocking our direct path to the entrance of the cave, from which a cold and deadly evil was pouring out. The enemy had a distinct advantage. There was only one way in and one way out. Adrenaline began to spark within me, and I seemed to grow tighter and tighter like a bowstring with each step. My muscles tensed by the second, but my brain kept screaming against it. Doubt and anxiety grip my legs and they seem to grow heavy. What am I doing here? When I could die. Oh, my God, I'm not ready for this yet. What if I die today and never get to be with my friends again. My thoughts spiral, but I'm snapped out of it by someone's voice.

  "I think I'll stick around, too." Haru said close to my ear, pushing in front of us to clear the way.

  By force of will, I ran with the others. What if I lose one of them?

  "Be careful." I whispered, but it was more like I was saying it to myself.

  I mustn't think about this. We're strong. They're the best hunters in the universe. I'm strong too. I have ancient dragon power. I can't use it enough, but I do! I talked to four of my dragons last night. I'm not alone! I have four dragons. Not one, not two, but four, and that's got to count for something. I took a deep breath and put all my anxiety behind me. There's just no time for it now. The cave entrance was five hundred meters ahead and I was about to smile, but more minotaurs came out of the shadows of the cave. A horde of them! We have to get rid of that damn Azazel. I don't even know when, but Kenji and Shika took them on and we kept running.

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  Inside the cave, we slowed down. I was breathing loudly, trying to get my breathing under control. Aki put his hand on my shoulder to help me in my task. I stopped and closed my eyes to take a deep breath. I open my hazel eyes and meet Aki's unrelenting gaze. I just give him a slow but significant nod and continue on my way. The corridor continued into the depths of the mountain. The path was choked with hooves, but uneven and unkempt. Torches lined the corridors, shining a dim, warm light on the path. The deeper we went in this dark cave, the more I felt the presence of evil. I don't like it at all. Every muscle in me tensed. Every cell was now in a state of maximum security. My eyes darted from side to side. Evil can strike from anywhere. Our enemy is everywhere and yet nowhere, and it's the most stressful situation I've ever experienced.

  "Watch out!" Aki stops me with his hand.

  There are no torches in front of us anymore. Only darkness and nothingness. I listen in and hear the quiet buzzing of flies. I take a few steps back and pick up the torch. I carefully shine it into space. There's nothing there. I take a few steps forward. I drop the torch with a startle and it goes out in a flash.

  "Iruka, what is it? Where are you? Are you okay?" Fuyu yells.

  "Yes I am." I reply in a shaky voice.

  "What's in there?" Aki asks me.

  I shake my head dismissively, but they can't see that. Despite the smell of the cave, I hadn't even considered that this could be hiding here.

  "Iruka..." Fuyu says softly.

  His voice rings in my head like the softest melody. Dropping my shoulders I begin to slowly form a line of fire in front of my feet. Gradually, the carnage begins to unfold...

  Ten dead, disappeared villagers were pinned to the wall. They made a sign saying 'Welcome!' Blood was still flowing from some of the poor boxes. They tortured and tortured them and then displayed their bodies like this. At the sight of this, they both became loudly horrified. There were no words to describe it. It's against the laws of life. Only a monster would really do that. It's all him! It's him, it's a monster. My blood really started to boil. I wanted to close my eyes before, but I can't. I have to see it. I have to look the truth in the eye. Anger flared up in me like a match. The blood burns under my skin and the anger inside me begs to come out. I want it out. I want that anger to kill whoever is responsible for this.

  Suddenly, there was a giant choking noise behind us.

  "Looks like there's another one coming. Anyway... I think I'll join in." Aki smiled faintly and took off towards them without another word. Like Natsu, he moved as gracefully as a dancer on stage.

  "Let's go!" Fuyu said icily. He grabbed my hand and turned right into a side hallway I hadn't noticed before.

  There was another long path ahead. This was literally a labyrinth through which only the clicking of our shoes could be heard. My heart was again enveloped in fear for the others. The anger disappeared in a flash and was replaced by concern for everyone. My emotions were like a seesaw that was so strong and fast I couldn't even control it. I try to calm myself down again with deep breaths as Fuyu and I run forward down the hallway. After a few minutes of running, I'm able to calm down and think for a moment. It's all too easy. It's strange. Azazel is nowhere in sight. How big is this place? Are we even going in the right direction? Were they all minotaurs or are there more? No one's chased us or surfaced in front of us since the split with Aki, and it's been a long time. I sighed out loud.

  "What the little o..." Fuyu was stuck in his question. I knew what he wanted to say, but I was more interested in what was going on.

  "What?" I ask a little quietly.

  "I can hear them. There's another one coming. Iruka, you have to go."

  "Me? But I'm not strong enough to handle it." I confessed and lowered my eyes sadly.

  Fuyu grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look at him.

  "Iruka, you're one of the strongest people I know. I'm not worried about you because I know you can do it. I trust you, just like I trust everyone else. I know this is all new to you. We're all strong, but there's more strength in you than you think. So go. I'll take care of this and then I'll catch up with you, okay? I'll be with you on the count of five." And he smiled.

  It's really rare to see him smile like that. His lips were so beautiful when he smiled. It gave me courage. Without a word, I started running. I couldn't say a word to him. Just smile and go. Actually, there's nothing to say. We're not saying goodbye. He'll be with me soon. He's strong, and so must I. I won't let them down. I have to end this. I won't let him hurt anyone else, especially my family.

  "I believe in you, little one." Fuyu said to himself and drew his sword.