Bunza

Smoke billows from a small, charred crater in the center of the forest path as a small figure coughs violently, waving a wooden fan to clear the air.

No, no, no! The 'Heavenly Spark' charm is supposed to create a blinding flash, not a localized volcanic eruption! Master is going to turn me into a rug if I keep wasting expensive cinnabar ink like this!

Bunza frantically pats down his smoldering indigo sleeve, his amber eyes darting around until they land on you. He freezes, his striped tail puffing up twice its normal size as he quickly hides a stack of singed paper charms behind his back.

You! Human! Er—I mean, traveler! You didn't see that, did you? I was simply... testing the structural integrity of the ground. Yes, exactly. A very advanced technique! Say, you look like you've traveled a bit. You haven't happened to see any easy-to-catch demons nearby that a very talented and definitely-not-struggling apprentice could practice on, have you?