Plan

"It's not a problem, Enatsu! I already have a strategy in mind, and... I think Kenji and I can make this, can we, little guy?" Yoichi smiled, asking a direct question to his demon pet, who looked him in the eye and answered "screek!" with conviction.

"Uff... I just hope you don't get hurt, man. Sora and I will stay here and look at you," Enatsu mumbled, annoyed that his friend and 'pupil' had not listened to him.

As the crowd continued to cheer on Kato, who never stopped strutting like a peacock while receiving compliments of all kinds, Yoichi's gaze fell on one object in particular, just before his eyes: some of the people in the crowd appeared to be fighters. They wore weapons and armour, both light and heavy.

In particular, the man in front of him, as he clapped, raising his arms, made a dagger tied to his belt visible.

"Uhm... excuse me, sir... excuse me?" Yoichi requested insistently, drawing the man's attention by touching his shoulder.

"Uh? What do you want, kid?" he replied arrogantly, annoyed by the insistence of that unknown young farmer.

"I don't want to sound rude, but... I want to face that guy and... Can you lend me your dagger for just a few minutes? You know, I'm a tamer too," Yoichi smiled with conviction, pointing to Kenji, standing next to him.

The man checked Kenji, then contemplated his interlocutor again and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You? Do you want to face Kato? Boy, don't talk nonsense! Maybe you're drunk! Hahah!" the moustached man smirked, turning again towards the winner of the fight and keeping clapping for him.

"No, I'm not drunk. I'm just asking you to lend me your weapon to fight him, I don't think that's so ridiculous! The fight will take just a few minutes, you know that, too!" Yoichi replied, behind the man, who turned once again annoyed.

This time, in addition to the man's gaze, Yoichi's words also caught other eyes. Two women and another man not far from him began to whisper something, looking at him and laughing in their sleeves.

"So... listen to me well... I don't know where you're from, and I don't care. This is not a game for kids like you, it's not..."

"What do I smell? Is there anyone who wants to challenge the great Kato?" a voice suddenly interrupted, shutting up the crowd.

The moustached man, Yoichi and everyone present looked at the blue-haired tamer, who had just spoken, eavesdropping on the young farmer's words.

After taking a deep breath and a step forward, Yoichi responded: "yes! I want to be your next challenger, Kato!"

An awkward silence followed Yoichi's words, and the men who had witnessed Kato's last fight in the front row burst out laughing.

"Yoichi, lay off! You're just going to make fun of yourself! If you really want to become a tamer, you have to maintain a certain level of dignity! Yoichi!" Enatsu whispered, twice trying to pull his friend back by grabbing him from his leather jacket to no avail.

"You? Do you want to challenge me?" Kato repeated, calming the crowd with a hand movement while his Kuwatako stood still in mid-air just behind him, taking a gander at Yoichi with its piercing purple eyes.

"That's right. I was asking this kind gentleman to lend me his dagger because mine broke a few days ago, and I wouldn't want to fight against you with my bare hands!" Yoichi explained, speaking aloud without any fear.

The man with a moustache put a hand on his weapon, an ordinary metal dagger, well sharpened and with the handle covered with soft leather strips. Meanwhile, he gawked at Kato as if waiting for his consent.

"Let the public decide! Haha! So? Do any of you want to watch another fight?" Kato yelled, full of himself, opening his arms and generating more shouts in the audience, which responded positively to that question.

"You're wrong, boy. I don't know what you have in mind, but it won't work," the moustached man said, pulling the dagger out of its cover and moving it toward Yoichi, who grabbed it firmly.

"Hey, stop for a second! If you really want to face that guy, why don't you get a stronger weapon? Could you ask for a hachiwari or a naginata... a katana! There's a guy over there who has one, look..." Enatsu interrupted once again, grasping Yoichi's wrist.

"Enatsu, don't worry, " he smiled, "it's no accident that I chose the dagger. You'll see, I am up to a little something."

"Aargh... dammit!" the merchant grunted, letting go of his travelling companion's wrist with a gesture of constipation.

"Well, well! It seems that I will have to face another challenger! Phew! What a busy day!" Kato repeated, stretching down on his legs and then performing a perfect backflip, continuing to brag about his skill and drawing more applause, especially from a group of damsels fascinated by his charm.

Yoichi squeezed the dagger into his right hand and began to walk forward, making room among the crowd: people widened and let him pass and each of them gawped at him with interest and amazement, trying to figure out whether he was a famous tamer or just a self-confident kid who had just made a stupid decision.

Kato kept hopping and stretching his arm and leg muscles while his nunchaku hung from his belt.

His blue hair shone in the sunlight now high in the sky and his eyes of the same colour did not even deign to look at his opponent, knowing that that fight would not be challenging as the previous one.

When Yoichi walked out of the crowd, entering the ample space that had hosted the previous fight, people's gaze focused downwards on his pet, which proudly followed its tamer.

"So... what we have here... a Nekage! Well! It's not the first time I've faced one. Don't worry, kid, it will not last long," Kato stated, winking at Yoichi and then looking at the group of girls, courting them remotely.

"Kid? I don't think you're much older than me, do you?" Yoichi promptly replied, showing everybody his cheeky and brilliant nature, continuing to smile as if cameras were framing him.

"Uuuh!"

The crowd was amazed by that statement, knowing Kato's touchy character and also that, when someone disrespected him, he tended to lose control.

"Haha! Did you hear the kid? We are the same age! Hahah! Well, then I won't hold back my strength in the slightest!" the blue-haired tamer chuckled, doing another flip in the air and wielding his nunchaku with agility, causing it to swirl.