While locking my gaze on the monsters, I unleashed a deafening roar. In response, the monsters began to slowly retreat and then turned their backs, distancing themselves completely. I wasn't sure if my plan would work, but I was relieved that everything went well; after all, my strategy was quite simple.

If these creatures still had any instinct, it was likely that they wouldn't risk confronting something significantly larger and more powerful than them. I'm unaware of the criteria these creatures use to assess the strength or weakness of their prey, but it became evident to me that size was one of those criteria.

Seeing that the area around us was completely free of danger, I directed my gaze towards Ana and Leona. Leona was surprised, mouth agape, while Ana maintained her usual disinterested expression. With the assurance that everything was calm, I allowed a black mist to envelop me, reverting to my human form.

"You really are full of surprises"

Leona said as I approached her and Ana. Upon hearing her words, all I could do was let out a laugh, finding her reaction amusing.

"Well, I guess that counts as one of my charms"

As I mentioned this, Leona chuckled. After that, we remained in place, eagerly awaiting news from Shade. The night was approaching, and I sincerely prayed that she would find the girls soon. While these thoughts occupied my mind, a vortex appeared beside me, revealing Shade's presence.

"My king, I found Fujiwara and Aoi"

After hearing Shade's words, I noticed Ana and Leona looking at me. Waving to them, I began to make my way to the location where Shade spotted Fujiwara and Aoi. Along the way, whenever we came across any fruit, we picked it. Even though we had brought food, I honestly didn't know how long we would stay here.

After walking for some time, we reached the entrance of a cave situated on a small elevation, with the forest below. Although we weren't very high up, we were relatively close to the stream.

"They are inside the cave, my king. I asked them to wait for you here"

Hearing Shade's words, I thanked her. Before she disappeared again, I called out to her. By the way, I just remembered that I promised to spend some time alone with her.

"Shade, how about we fulfill your request when we get out of this dungeon? If you want, we can stroll through Anima before we head to the next realm"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Hearing my words, Shade seemed momentarily surprised. Shortly after, a smile appeared on her normally stoic face, leaving me somewhat taken aback. Her smile was simply charming, and the fact that she rarely showed it gave a sense of rarity to this experience.

"Then, I'll be looking forward to it, my king"

After my brief chat with Shade, she disappeared again to look for Saemi, the last one remaining. As soon as she vanished, Ana, Leona, and I entered the cave. Surprisingly, the place wasn't as dark as I had imagined. Some crystals on the ceiling emitted a yellow glow, illuminating the surroundings.

Among the lights, I could make out the outline of two people sitting and chatting. Their voices echoed through the cave with a cheerful tone. Of course, it wasn't hard to recognize who they were.

"Ah, Makoto, you finally showed up"

The first to notice me was Fujiwara, who promptly stood up and greeted me with a smile and a wave of her hand.

"Sorry for the delay. I brought Leona and Ana with me, so the last one missing is Saemi"

After that, we sat down and began sharing what we knew so far about this place. Fujiwara and Aoi apparently fell relatively close to each other. As for the creatures they encountered, Leona confirmed that they were typical Anima monsters, most of them rare and relatively strong.

As we talked, I decided to take a breath of fresh air and bid farewell to the girls, heading towards the cave entrance. It wasn't completely dark yet, but nightfall was approaching. Although I didn't like the idea of Saemi wandering in this dark forest, there was something positive about it. After all, during the night, Shade's powers were significantly amplified, undoubtedly aiding in the search.

While the cold wind caressed my face, I decided to spend some time creating a small dark sphere with Shade's powers. As I played with it, a vortex opened beside me, revealing Shade with an urgent expression on her face.

"My king, I managed to locate Saemi, but some monsters also found her and are attacking. She's defending herself with a wind shield, while my creatures are assisting her. However, I don't believe they can hold out for much longer. Even though my creatures are immortal, I don't think Saemi's shield has the same resistance"

Listening to Shade's words, a brief concern arose in me, but I quickly calmed down. Panicking wouldn't help at all. Shade promptly offered to teleport me to Saemi. Next to Shade, we were enveloped by a black dome, and when it dissipated, we were on top of a small hill.

Saemi was surrounded by a small cocoon of wind, fending off several creatures resembling raccoons. They launched relentless attacks, trying to break Saemi's shield. Meanwhile, she struggled to resist the monsters' assaults, while small shadows in various shapes and sizes fought against the creatures.

From where I stood, Shade's monsters could easily repel the attacks, but the quantity was overwhelming for them to handle. As the monsters piled up in the shadows, they were quickly consumed, only to reappear in the blink of an eye, like magic.

"Shade, let's join the battle. Use all your resources to help us in the fight"

Upon hearing my words, Shade nodded.

"At your command, my king"

Then, with Shade remaining atop the small hill, I leaped down, preparing to face the monsters surrounding Saemi. Anger boiled within me as I saw them attacking my girl, and they were about to face a slow and painful death.