"Although not entirely clear on the specifics, this situation seems rather precarious, doesn't it?" Aya picked up the life-sized wooden puppet on the ground and shook it, looking at Shuya. The puppet was devoid of any strange decorations, only displaying the natural wood grain of the material it was made of, appearing even somewhat rough. However, the contrast created by this simple, skinny, and even ugly human figure lying prostrate on the pure, transparent crystal floor inexplicably gave off an eerie sensation.

The surroundings remained as silent as before, with no sudden flashing red lights or blaring alarms after the puppet's head was shattered. Yet, despite the silence, the atmosphere now exuded a distinctly unsettling vibe compared to before.

"Let's go." Shuya kicked the puppet away without hesitation, then turned and headed back towards the entrance they came from.

Both reason and instinct told her that it was not safe to linger here. Although it seemed secure thus far, with no terrifying traps or bullets suddenly spraying from all directions, the anxious aura in the surroundings hinted at a different kind of danger.

"How many people are at the exit?"

"That's right! Iwabana seems to have brought over the whole guard team, over a hundred people armed with guns... huh? How did you know?" An agitated Ryoin asked.

"We came up empty inside, and by the look of your panic, it's not hard to guess, right?" Aya remarked casually, then glanced at Shuya. "What's the plan next?"

It wouldn't be difficult for Aya to escape alone, given her protective scales. She believed she could easily break through even against a weapon as formidable as the one Ayako described as a firearm. However, bringing Shuya and Ryoin along, Aya doubted that she, currently lacking Chi and magic, could ensure their safe escape — at least, not without sustaining significant injuries.

The only somewhat positive aspect at the moment was that Iwabana and the guards outside the cave might be hesitant to confront Shuya, quite formidable in close combat, in the narrow and dimly lit environment inside the cliff cave. Hence, they hadn't rushed in yet.

In any case, Aya had no intention of coming up with a plan herself at this critical moment. Ayako had already stated that Shuya would be in charge here, so Aya would just obediently play the role of a hired hand.

"I'm not too familiar with the cliff cave. Ryoin, if we venture deeper into the underground caves, are there other exits?" Shuya inquired.

"There might be? But I haven't been to deeper parts either, and the terrain there is even more complex than here." Ryoin shook his head. Although he had explored the cliff cave with the town children before, it was merely child's play. Given their parents' warnings, they hadn't even reached the depth where this crystal cave was located.

"Well, let's forget about that then." Shuya tapped his own knife. "Over a hundred people, huh... Let's give it a try."

"Wait... hold on! Are you planning to charge straight ahead?" Ryoin was dumbfounded by Shuya's stance.

Shuya glanced at Ryoin, looking somewhat puzzled. "If we can't find another escape route deeper in, won't we have only this path left sooner or later?"

"But... that's too hasty! At least, wait a bit longer to observe! There might be a turning point..." Ryoin felt that even with his little over a decade of life experience, he could tell that making a head-on clash with over a hundred well-prepared people armed with weapons while relying solely on a knife and waiting for them outside was a decision made with scrambled brains. And yet Shuya was earnestly considering such an approach?

Truly, he had always thought Shuya's thinking was somewhat abnormal! How could such a person be allowed to be with Miss Ayako!

And... Miss Ayako, how could you ask someone as scatterbrained as him to be in charge of our side of the operation!

"Don't dawdle, since we've made a decision, let's get started." Aya rubbed her hands together, adjusting the airflow scales to the optimal state while pushing Tairaeda towards the exit by placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Why are you doing this, Miss Aya?!"

To his surprise, even the reliable Aya, who had single-handedly rescued Miss Ayako, agreed with Sakuya's plan. Tairaeda began to doubt if it was his own mind that was playing tricks on him.

"Say 'Miss Aya' one more time, huh?" Aya snorted twice, withdrawing her fist and rubbing Tairaeda's head, which she had almost made cry with a punch. "Young man, think with your brain. What benefit is there to delay and waste time with them when there is no other way out – they can resupply at any time, and we can't even rest properly in the cave."

"Moreover, don't underestimate us."

Aya patted her chest confidently, giving a thumbs-up.

Wow, Aya looks so cool! She had been wanting to say such a reliable big brother line for a long time! - At this moment, Aya's inner thoughts were probably like this, and she couldn't help but feel sorry that while she was outside with Tiran, the mighty Gold Dragon could only play the role of a younger brother.

...

Just as Tairaeda said, over a hundred guards had completely surrounded the entrance to the sea cliff cave between the beach and scattered rocks. They used rocks 20 to 30 meters from the entrance of the cave as cover, setting up rifles to ensure accuracy and prevent enemies from charging out of the cave too fast for them to react.

After all, the last time Sakuya came alone to rescue someone, many guards were already having a lot of trouble with his ghostly body movements and hard-to-follow speed.

"Those guys still haven't come out." Tairaeda, wearing hunting gear and holding his ornate pistol, stood on a rock mostly buried in the sand, looking into the deep dark cave, feeling impatient as he stated this fact.

"Don't rush, my child."

The high priest, who stood calmly with his hands behind his back, said in a gentle tone, "For prey already surrounded, you need to have enough patience."

"I know!"

Tairaeda did not turn to look back at the high priest, impatiently replying, "And who are you calling 'my child'! My father's name is Tairaeda Kawa, who bled Tairaeda blood and devoted his life to this town! Not like you, an old man who can't even say your name! Don't forget that we're just in a partnership, don't always act like everyone is dumber than you."

The high priest did not show any discontent with Tairaeda's fierce words. The elderly man’s face still bore a gentle smile, but he remained silent.

Tairaeda’s sudden outburst was justified, even though he said such things to the high priest, deep down he knew that his thoughts were still discernible by this old man.

Although Tairaeda could be considered clever, he was just a teenager in his early teens, and the desire to completely eliminate the enemy who had become the most troublesome being cornered was still present in him.

"Young Master Tairaeda, it seems like they don't intend to show themselves... Shall we go in?" A guard ran over to ask.

"Go in? If you want to die, you can try." Tairaeda sneered, "Wait here, we can outlast them. Isn't it better if we wait for them to starve and become unable to move?"

His tone had been impatient just before, but in a blink of an eye, he became rational again, with a clear mind and the impulsiveness of youth both manifesting in Tairaeda.

The guard who had encountered a grey patrol near the rock stream returned to his position dejectedly, and his nearby companion patted his shoulder mockingly, saying, "How's that? I told you not to go, but you just wanted to show your enthusiasm in a different way, huh?"

"It's just three people inside, even if that Soya is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, can he really compete with guns?" The guard gestured with the item in his hand.

But his companion looked at him as if he were a monster, saying, "You... you do know about the Dark Pursuers, right?"

"Yeah, I do," the guard nodded, "but... hey, that Soya couldn't be... I thought Dark Pursuers were just legends."

"Just knowing is enough, do I need to explain to you? Those guys can't be treated as ordinary people. You have a gun, you think the High Priest's guards didn't have any during the last attack? They're monsters who cut through dark forms as easily as eating and drinking."

Rolling his eyes, the companion chuckled, "It is said that in the era before Seikazuki's appearance, each Dark Pursuer held the same status as a lower noble, so calling them 'Sir' isn't an exaggeration for guards like us."

"Attention! There's someone in the cave!"

The guard at the forefront shouted, instantly alerting everyone, even Rock Stream, who was being protected at the center, raised their guard simultaneously.

At the same time, a figure rushed out from the dark cave entrance.

"Fire!"

"Let's go!"

Two shouts rang out almost simultaneously, and a series of gunshots sent numerous bullets towards the charging figure, while the fallen Aya on the ground immediately raised her fist without any hesitation and unleashed the move that never failed while under seal.

Fist technique like an air cannon, the intense wind pressure caused by the Dragon’s Breath blew towards the bullets coming from all directions like an angry dragon, scattering their trajectories in disarray, none of them hitting the target.

While dispersing the bullet trajectories, the dry sand grains on the beach where Aya stood were also lifted, creating a small dust storm in the vicinity, drastically reducing visibility and plunging all shooters into confusion, with those in a poor mental state firing in succession, leading to even more chaos.

"Don't panic, everyone! This trick won't last long! Hold your ground!"

Experienced guards attempted to shout loudly to keep their surrounding companions calm, but the series of screams and the burgeoning smell of blood in the dust cloud quickly stopped them.

Every flash of a blade accompanied the fall of a guard, as Aya raised the dust, Soya followed closely behind him. With the guard losing visibility, the blade-wielding Dark Pursuers moved like ghosts into their territory.

Although Soya had been taught since childhood the techniques to slay dark forms, dealing with humans was no different, the flesh and blood bodies of humans were not as tough as the forms of darkness.

So just swing the blade, and cut them down.