The team let out a collective sigh of relief after defeating the demon's followers far more smoothly than they had expected when they first planned this confrontation. The battle had ended decisively, with far fewer losses than would have been possible without the training they had received. Much of the credit belonged to their leader, Shinji Hinako, whose use of the new techniques she had learned from Master Ryukoga during the time he spent training them had completely changed the flow of the fight. Had she not intervened at precisely the right moment, the battle would have dragged on into a grueling war of attrition that might have ended with real casualties among their ranks before victory was secured.
The team gathered around Hinako immediately after the first battle ended, breathing deeply as they regained their focus and prepared themselves for the second and far more difficult stage: entering the cave, confronting the demon himself, and completing the sealing ritual they had come here to perform.
"Stay alert."
Everyone immediately raised their guard to the highest level possible. Their stances shifted instinctively into full combat readiness, and their eyes carefully scanned the enormous cave entrance before them. They all knew that everything they had faced so far had been nothing more than the outer defense, and that whatever awaited them inside would be entirely different in both nature and danger.
Then another enormous group of stone puppets began emerging from the darkness deep within the cave. They advanced steadily toward the entrance in numbers far greater than those they had fought outside. One after another they continued appearing until they completely filled the entrance, blocking the path ahead.
The team came to a halt and instinctively formed a protective circle around Hinako while quickly considering a way to overcome such overwhelming numbers without exhausting themselves before reaching their true objective.
Then Thorn appeared beside them in a blur of speed.
"I already told you. Don't concern yourselves with the puppets. I'll handle them."
He drew his black bow and released a dense blue arrow toward the mass of puppets blocking the entrance.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A chain of tremendous explosions echoed throughout the entire area, shaking the surrounding walls. The single arrow erupted into a succession of devastating blasts that tore through the stone puppets, reducing them to countless shattered fragments that flew in every direction. Dust and broken stone filled the entrance for several seconds before gradually beginning to settle.
The team remained standing where they were, staring at the scene before them with a mixture of amazement and admiration. Even after spending months watching Thorn fight and training under him, witnessing his overwhelming power in actual combat still left them speechless every single time.
"What are you waiting for? Move."
His calm voice snapped everyone back to their senses.
"Yes, Master."
Hinako answered, unable to hide the excitement and happiness on her face, before dashing forward with her team toward the cave entrance, now completely cleared of puppets, every member maintaining perfect combat readiness.
Blue arrows continued to streak past them from behind in a steady rhythm. Any stone puppet that attempted to reform from the scattered rubble or emerge from either side of the passage was instantly destroyed before it could fully take shape or come anywhere near them.
They continued advancing through the cave's inner passage, which seemed far longer than it truly was under the weight of the tension surrounding them. The blue arrows never ceased flying behind and beside them. As they moved deeper, the tunnel gradually widened until it suddenly opened into a vast chamber with an impossibly high ceiling.
The team came to a stop and looked ahead.
At the center of the enormous chamber stood a small structure resembling some kind of ancient temple.
Seated calmly before it was a man, as though he had been waiting for their arrival for a very long time.
The moment they stepped into the chamber, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Welcome to my cave , humans."
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