The forest was quieter now.

The sun had risen higher in the sky, but even so, the light barely managed to completely penetrate the thick canopy formed by the ancient treetops. Long shadows covered the uneven ground, and the air seemed heavy with a strange heaviness, as if the forest itself were watching the intruders walking through it.

Shura advanced in the lead.

Her enormous white body glided between the trees with ease, her paws touching the ground with surprising lightness for something of such an imposing size. The rustling of the leaves beneath her steps was minimal, almost respectful.

Behind her came Strax.

He walked with his hands in his pockets, completely relaxed, observing his surroundings with a curious gaze, as if he were simply enjoying a casual stroll through the forest.

And right behind them was Albedo.

Or rather... an extremely angry Albedo.

The demon walked with firm steps, her arms crossed over her chest while her black wings moved slightly on her back. Her lips were pursed into a visible pout, and her golden eyes held a clearly displeased expression.

She wasn’t happy.

Not at all.

A few minutes earlier, still in the training area, the discussion about which matter was more important had gone on longer than necessary.

Shura had been insistent.

Albedo had been even more so.

But in the end, the decision was made.

Strax had looked at Shura, then at Albedo, sighed slightly, and said with a lazy smile that he would first go see what the tigress had found in the forest.

Albedo didn’t like it.

She still didn’t like it.

Now, walking behind them along the natural forest trail, she maintained that sullen expression as she watched the two ahead.

Shura seemed completely focused on the path.

Strax seemed to be having fun.

Albedo tightened his arms a little more around his body.

"Ridiculous," she murmured softly. Strax listened.

Without even turning his face, he spoke. "Are you still annoyed?"

Albedo replied immediately. "No."

Strax smiled slightly.

"You’re pouting."

"I’m not."

Shura continued walking ahead, completely ignoring the small dispute happening behind her.

Strax finally turned his face slightly to look at Albedo.

"You are."

She looked away with offended dignity.

"I just find it curious that a possible demonic problem has been placed as a secondary priority."

Strax shrugged. "You said it could wait."

Albedo narrowed her eyes. "I said it could wait a little."

Strax chuckled softly.

Shura finally spoke without looking back.

"We’re arriving."

This immediately brought everyone’s focus back to the reason they were there.

The tigress slowed her pace as she moved through a denser part of the forest, where the bushes were thicker and the trees grew closer together.

Strax observed the surrounding terrain with growing interest.

Some trees had deep marks on their bark.

Branches were broken.

Crushed leaves covered parts of the ground.

Shura pushed past two bushes with her body and entered a small clearing.

Strax and Albedo followed close behind.

As soon as she entered the open space, Strax immediately saw what Shura had found.

The ground was scarred.

Wide, deep furrows ran across the soil like fresh scars. Some stones had been displaced, and the center of the clearing seemed to have suffered enormous pressure.

As if something extremely heavy had landed there.

Shura walked to the center of the marks.

"It was here." Strax approached slowly.

He crouched down and ran his fingers through the churned earth.

The soil was still relatively fresh.

That had happened recently.

Very recently.

Albedo also entered the clearing.

But unlike the other two, her reaction was immediate.

She stopped mid-way.

Her golden eyes narrowed.

Then she took a deep breath.

Her gaze shifted.

"...Hm."

Strax lifted her face.

"Have you felt anything?"

Albedo walked slowly through the space, her steps more cautious now.

She extended one hand slightly in the air, as if touching something invisible.

"Yes."

Shura turned to face her.

"Do you know what it is?"

Albedo didn’t answer immediately.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, concentrating.

When she opened them again, there was certainty in her expression.

"Demonic energy."

Shura frowned.

"Demonic?"

Albedo nodded.

"The concentration is weak."

She walked to one of the marks on the ground and knelt down.

"But it’s definitely here."

Shura tilted her head, clearly confused.

"I didn’t feel anything."

Albedo looked up at her.

"You wouldn’t."

She lightly ran her fingers across the ground.

"Demonic remnants are... subtle."

Shura looked at the marks again.

"So something demonic was here?"

Albedo nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Strax, who was still crouched down examining the ground, spoke calmly.

"She’s right."

The two looked at him.

Strax stood up slowly, wiping some dirt from his hands.

"There’s definitely demonic energy here."

Albedo crossed her arms again.

"Of course there is."

She seemed a little pleased now.

"I told you so."

But Strax wasn’t looking at the marks.

His eyes were fixed on the deeper part of the forest.

Shura noticed.

"What is it?"

Strax tilted his head slightly.

"Interesting."

Albedo frowned.

"What?"

Strax began to walk slowly towards the edge of the clearing.

"You two are only looking at the point of impact."

He pointed briefly to the ground.

"But this is only the beginning."

Albedo raised an eyebrow.

"Beginning?"

Strax continued walking a few steps, his eyes scanning the terrain beyond the trees.

"Yes."

Shura followed his gaze.

"Did you find anything?"

Strax raised a hand and pointed ahead.

"There."

The two looked in the indicated direction.

But they saw nothing.

Only trees.

Shadows.

Leaves.

Albedo frowned.

"I don’t see anything."

Shura also shook her head slightly.

"Neither do I."

Strax smiled slightly.

"Of course not."

He took a few more steps into the forest, crossing the line of trees.

Shura and Albedo followed him.

Strax stopped again a few meters ahead.

He looked at the ground.

Then at the trees.

Then at the forest horizon.

"That wasn’t just a creature passing by."

Albedo crossed his arms again.

"Then what was it?"

Strax pointed ahead.

"A trail."

Shura looked intently at the ground.

"I only see footprints breaking the terrain."

Strax shook his head.

"I’m not talking about physical marks."

He lightly touched the air with his fingers.

"I’m talking about this."

Albedo finally understood.

Her eyes widened slightly.

She extended her own demonic perception deeper into the area.

And then she realized.

Very faint.

Almost nonexistent.

But it was there.

A thread.

A remnant of demonic energy that stretched into the forest like an invisible trail.

Albedo looked ahead again, surprised.

"...There’s a trail."

Strax nodded.

"Exactly."

Shura looked between the two.

"Can you see it?"

Albedo replied.

"I can feel it now."

She narrowed her eyes as she followed the direction of the trail.

"But it’s very faint."

Strax put his hands back in his pockets.

"Faint for you."

He started walking towards the invisible trail.

"But for me..."

His smile returned.

"...it’s huge."

Albedo followed close behind, now completely focused.

Shura also started walking, although she still couldn’t quite make out what they were following.

The silence of the forest enveloped the group again.

But now there was something different in the air.

Something had passed by.

Something demonic.

And it was going deeper and deeper into the forest.

Strax continued walking calmly, following the invisible trail.

"Let’s see what came out of hell this time."

The invisible trail continued leading the group deeper and deeper into the forest.

The vegetation began to change slowly as they advanced. The trees grew older, with thick, twisted trunks that seemed to silently observe those who passed by. Roots emerged from the ground like petrified serpents, forcing the three to stray from the natural path several times.

Shura walked with heightened caution now.

Even without being able to sense the demonic energy that Albedo detected, her predatory instincts were alert. The tigress’s sense of smell picked up subtle signs in the environment: disturbed earth, broken branches, small tracks of escape left by animals that had abandoned that area.

Something had passed through there.

Something big.

Behind her, Albedo kept a watchful eye as he walked beside Strax. With each step, she slightly expanded her demonic perception, trying to follow the almost imperceptible thread of energy he had identified.

Even so, it was difficult.

The trail seemed too faint.

"It’s strange," she murmured as she passed a tree with a partially scratched trunk.

Strax looked at her.

"What?"

Albedo frowned slightly as she observed the ground.

"The demonic energy is here... but it’s not concentrated."

She looked ahead again.

"It’s as if something is leaking energy without realizing it."

Strax replied calmly.

"Or as if something is injured."

Shura heard this and turned her head slightly.

"Injured?"

Strax nodded.

"Possibly."

Albedo crossed her arms again, thoughtfully.

"But if it’s a common demonic creature, that amount of residual energy should be greater."

She looked at the path ahead again.

"This seems... uneven."

Strax just shrugged.

"Then let’s find out."

They continued forward.

As they walked, the physical trail in the environment became more evident.

Some bushes were completely crushed.

Parts of the ground seemed to have been ripped up.

Trunks of young trees were broken in half.

Shura slowed down.

His golden eyes analyzed every detail around him.

"Something ran through here."

Strax tilted his head slightly.

"Or fought."

A few more steps.

Then the forest finally opened up.

A clearing appeared before them.

But unlike the previous one, this one wasn’t natural.

It had been created.

By force.

As soon as they reached the edge of the open space, Shura stopped immediately.

His muscles tensed.

Albedo also stopped.

Strax observed the scene before them in silence.

The clearing was devastated.

Several trees had been completely felled. Some were broken in half, others ripped from the ground with exposed roots pointing to the sky. The ground was full of shallow craters and deep furrows that cut across the terrain like marks of something violently dragged.

Stones were scattered everywhere.

Some pieces of tree trunks had been broken off as if they were twigs.

It was evident.

A fight had taken place there.

And it hadn’t been a small one.

Shura slowly advanced a few steps into the clearing, her eyes analyzing each mark.

"This isn’t hunting."

Strax walked behind her, observing the surroundings with quiet attention.

"No."

Albedo also entered the destroyed space.

As soon as her feet touched the center of the clearing, she immediately felt something different.

Her expression changed.

"The demonic energy is stronger here."

Strax nodded.

"That makes sense."

He walked to one of the craters in the ground and crouched down to observe more closely.

Shura began sniffing the air.

The smell of earth, broken wood, and something else was present there.

Something metallic.

Something strange.

She walked a few meters to the left and then stopped.

"Strax."

He looked up.

Shura was looking at the ground.

Strax approached her.

When he reached the tigress’s side, he also saw.

A footprint.

Large.

Very large.

The mark sank deep into the ground, as if something extremely heavy had stepped there forcefully. The shape wasn’t completely clear, but the form resembled a monstrous paw.

Something with claws.

Something powerful.

Shura carefully examined the mark.

"This isn’t from any forest animal."

Strax ran a hand over her chin.

"I agree."

Albedo approached as well.

She looked at the footprint and narrowed her eyes.

"Definitely not normal."

Strax stood up and began walking through the clearing again.

As he moved, his eyes observed every detail on the destroyed ground.

Then he found something else.

He stopped.

"Interesting."

Shura turned her face to him.

"What is it?"

Strax pointed to the ground a few meters ahead.

"This."

Shura approached.

Albedo followed right behind.

And then they saw.

More footprints.

But different ones.

They were smaller.

Much smaller.

They looked like paw prints.

Several of them.

Marks on the ground indicated something resembling dogs running at high speed across the battlefield.

Shura analyzed the marks.

"Dogs?"

Albedo knelt down to observe more closely.

Her golden eyes gleamed slightly as she analyzed the remnant of demonic energy there.

"No."

She ran her fingers over the mark.

"Demonic dogs."

Strax nodded calmly.

"That explains some things."

Shura raised her head.

"Were they hunting?"

Albedo stood up slowly.

"Probably."

She looked around the devastated clearing.

"The large marks must be from the creature we’re following."

Strax observed the larger footprints again.

Then she looked at the smaller ones.

"So it was being chased."

Shura frowned. "By several."

Albedo nodded.

"Yes."

She looked again at the marks scattered across the terrain.

"But something doesn’t make sense."

Strax looked at her.

"What?"

Albedo pointed around.

"If several demon dogs attacked this creature..."

She gestured to the destruction around them.

"...Why didn’t we hear anything about all this destruction?"