230. Anthill's builders! Ant Demons?

[The Dueling Exam: Arc 11]

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness - Saturday 1:50 a.m.]

"The place is getting heavier to breath in." Kylin, Shin, Shoji and Yasu were running at identical pace. "It does, that really does. But, it may have some kind of a meaning, in other hands, there might be a reason to why it does..." In that event, Shin stopped moving, so the rest stopped as well.

"Whoa, hey. Why did we stop?" But, her question was meaningless, when the rest faced at some sort of pile of dirt. "Is it, a hole? Or something?" Kylin wondered, rather confused. "It reminds me of anthill, truly does." Shin explained. "An anthil? You're not actually serious. Since when do ants make such a massive anthill?" Yasu wondered, confused. Shoji stepped toward it and crouched, using his glasses. "It is an anthill. Hmm... but it's really too large to be built by ants.... this is definetly something that involves Demons." Wondered Shoji, standing up and fixing his technological glasses. "There were sights of Tier 3 and Tier 5 Demons, it's possible this doing is by Tier 4's." Claimed Kylin, moving closer. "You think it's made by Beast Demons?" Yasu wondered. "Yes, it is the closest we could think about. Beast Demons may be of any animal-like shape, so ants might as well be something like it, and we all know that Beast Demons have different inhabitats, this may be an anthill, but it's larger duo to them being Ants." Explained Shin, standing between crouched Kylin and standing Shoji. "So we're safe to assume so, eh?" Shoji wondered. "Yes, for sure." Kylin stood up as well.

"So what? We may as well leave? They aren't disturbing us, so we don't have to disturb them either." Yasu persuade, rather worried. "We can, but we shouldn't. These Demons roam around these woods, taking care of them might give us more space, so we have to clear each and every single one of them out." Applauded Kylin. "True, yes. But if we don't make it out on time, what can we do then? We've failed the exam entirely." Sighed Yasu. "Who knows, I don't think this forest is as huge as we think, we just see it huge and massive, duo to the large amount of fog, either way, as a Spiritual Duelist, we're bound to clean the world off these islands, so killing them is something we must need." Explained Kylin, soon to that, a loud yell was heard inside of the anthill. "There's someone in there! Hurry, let's go." The four of them dropped down and began walking down the anthill. "You know, it sure is dark if you ask me." Sighed Shoji. "No worries, I'll make us some light." By that, Yasu opened her palm and stepped before others, making fire as their light source. "Oh! A Pyro Type, that's very interesting." Claimed Shoji. "Does it matter my Type? Let's just keep going, if there is somebody down there, we may actually really need to save them." Kylin agreed to what Yasu said, so each of them continued to move down the dirty path.

"It smells so bad down here, ugh." Shoji added. "Is that really what you're worrying about, right now? Focus ahead, ignore the smell, it's just the traces of left and old Demons..." Shin explained, walking next to second. "Urgh.... fine..." Claimed Shoji, rather annoyed. "How deep does this even go?" Yasu asked, looking around. "An ordinary anthill is usually tall 3 feet but it's 6 feet deep, so maybe much deeper, after all. It was made by Demons and not ants, this a proper chamber for them." Explained Kylin, walking down the spinny 'path'. "Let's just hope we're getting closer, I don't intend to play around here for more than 2 hours...." Sighed Shoji. "None of us are, but keeping a low profile down here is something that we also must keep in mind, soon as we're detected, these Demons will attack, no doubt about it. That's just their nature reactions, feeling offensive, they'll defend themselves with pure force if needed." Shin explained, carefully and clearly. "So how much do you expect this to be deep then?" Wondered Shoji. "Probably another 500 feet." In that moment, Shoji became shocked. "Are you kidding me? In european knowledge, that's about 152 meters deep!" Called Shoji, surprised. "Not how deep it goes, that's just probably the entirety of how huge this place is, it may go around 60 feet deep." Claimed Shin. "This is so large...." Shoji added, quite worried. "Though, what I am not understanding, the entrance was rather small, but its entire body, it may be so, that the anthill created by Demons is actually mostly underground." Shin added, rather suspect. "So, maybe 'Ant-Type-Beast Demons' inhabited themselves below the surface more, rather than above the ground?" Yasu dared to ask, using her fire to constantly provide them with light. "Yes, seems so.... this may actually be the main exit. And, if it is, we're going to be stuck and found quickly, before we even get to the bottom." Explained Shin, stalking the area. "Let's just hope that we do not, getting discovered will surely ruin our reputation of reaching the finish line." Explained Kylin, finally in the next few minutes, they finally arrived to the bottom and they were immediately left in the front of three tunnels.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness (Anthill) - Saturday 2:05 a.m.]

"Well, who would of have expect. Additional tunnels that we must go through." Proclaimed Shoji, reaching for his forehead, then raising his glasses. "So, how are we supposed to know which is the correct one?" But, soon after Yasu asked, Shin closed his eyes, relaxing.

A sensation of ground reached below Shin's feet, feelings of heatness all around the anthill provoked him with knowledge and logactions. "The man who we are looking for, he's being kept in the far right tunnel." Shin claimed. "How can you possibly know, I don't hear him screaming." Asked Yasu. "Now that I am underground there is no fog or mist that would block me from sensing the area, this anthill is not as populated as we'd expect, but there are quite many of Ant-Type-Like Demons below us and in front of us. But the man is further ahead through the right tunnel." The rest finally stepped to the right tunnel and felt strange atmopshere. "God, this smell is even worse..." Shoji added, they grabbed their noses and walked through the tunnel, seeing bloody marks on the dirty floor. "....This is so disgusting, even ants make their places nicer." Claimed Yasu, but they kept reaching ahead. "Just a warning, if we do get discovered, do draw out your weapons." Claimed Kylin and at that, they've agreed.

[Planet Earth - Fortune Island - Fortune Forest of Mistiness (Anthill) - Saturday 2:10 a.m.]

While Shin and the rest continue to scout the anthill, deeper in, the Demons stood and were watching the man who they have caught. "How cute, you might be quite tastey, I might need you, just so that I can give birth to more of my beloved Demons." Giggled a femenine Demon, shaped like an ant. "Please! Let me go, you don't need me! Please, I'll be quiet, I just wish to go out of here, please, I beg of you, I beg for your mercy!" Shouted the man, crying, seemed to have been another examinee, caught by these ants. "Ah, how desperate are you, I just love the screeches of men, of people, begging for their mercy, begging to survive, it's just so wonderful." Giggled the femenine Demon. "No! Please, let me out of here!" But as he spoke, the femenine Demon, falling under Beast Demon's category stepped in front of him. "Let's just see, you'll be very delicious meal for me." Giggled the queen ant. "Please, rest of you, may you not disturb me while I take a bite of him?" The working Demons ran aside, but at the same moment, Shin and the others stalked them behind the dirt wall. "We just come and this is our result and discovery, god, what the hell?" Asked Shoji, amused but legally annoyed. "As we thought, Ant-like Demons, I understand that this chamber of them is really built differently than original ants." Claimed Shin.

"If I may ask. I know they slot below Beast Demon category, but how do they get that body, usually, people die and they transform into Demons, but how do Demons gain the look of an ant or any other animal?" Wondered Yasu. "It's remarkable creation, but, whenever a Tier 1 Demon eats an animal, when needing in meat, they sometimes take the animal's flesh, that mixes into their blood and begins to shape their bodies into similarities of animals, this is how they must of have gotten ant bodies." Explained Shin. "Are you hardly serious? This is so bad..." Claimed Yasu. "It is, however, those who shape into animals, they will die 20 years faster, that may not be much, duo to Demons being able to live over 200 years, but, it still is something they are afraid of." Explained Shin. "So you're telling me that Demons can live 200 plus years? No wonders why there is so many of them still." Confirmed Yasu. "Don't worry, we can slaughter this Demon, I believe. She's widely opened." Claimed Kylin, grabbing her blade that just appeared. "Slow down, she is still defenseful, we should strike when she begins to eat something." Claimed Shin. "Are you out of your mind? If we don't do anything about it right now, that queen ant - thingy, will for sure kill and eat that examinee." Answered Kylin, worried. "Oh, I guess I said it incorrectly. What I meant to tell is - strike whenever she'll about to begin, no earlier, no later. Wait for my mark." Claimed Shin, quietly and calmly. "All right, guess next time you should be more fond of your words." Sighed Kylin.

"Now, let me begin, where should I star. How about from legs up, that will make you feel, very great!" Giggled the queen ant, once she dropped down. "No! Wait, stop! Please, don't do it! I have family and I need my licenses so that I can feed-" But then as soon as the man spoke, the Demon bit into his leg. "Grrrhhhhaaaa!" Yelled the man, crying with begs and fears. "Now, hurry." Claimed Shin. Kylin immediately disappeared from the spot in an electrical current once the man became surprised, as for the attack, something stopped her. While she was about to cut, an Ant-like Demon jumped at Kylin, pressing its body up against her chest and legs, knocking her on the floor, disarming her. "Kyli-" But before Yasu managed to shout, Shoji made her quiet. "Oh, an investigating human, oh, you look even more delicious, I may make you as my special dish!" Giggled the Demon. "Curse you...!" Called Kylin when trying to escape. "Don't worry, I'll make a fun toy out of you, go on my dear ant, rip her clothes and sting her up on the wall." Laughed the queen ant. The ant dugged its claws into her clothes, slowly beginning to rip them off. But in that moment, the Demon above Kylin got cut and sliced into blood, when Kylin and the rest became rather surprised. "Huh, no! My poor baby!" Called the woman, depressed of losing a 'child'. Shin managed to strike in great time before Kylin would to get caught. Shin had a sharp, black and brown spear with an orange orb in the middle of its spiky blade. "Hurry up, ants get here!" The ants began to raid the area, Kylin managed to roll on the ground, grabbing her blade and standing back up, swinging her blade and blocking one of the Ants attack, then processing her electricity and cutting the Demon's body. Shin on the other hand, stabbed through a Demon, moved it over his head and smashed at the floor. "What, not you two as well!" Called the queen, but there were still, many more ants, roaming around them.

"There is so many of them, and thank you for that." Claimed Kylin. "Of course, you're very welcome." Claimed Shin, giving a nod. "Guess, fighting is our only option now." Spoke Shoji. "W-w-what! Seriously! All! All right then!" Both of them ran from the corner, queen noticing them.

"Let's clear out this anthill, then continue with our test."

To be continued...