M.K. and Nod followed the slime trail until suddenly a horde of Boggans came bustling down the tunnel. They were on their way to fight Ronin. Nod and M.K. pushed their way upstream against the crowd until they made it through to the other side.

“When I get big again,” began M.K., “I am so coming back here with a can of bug spray!”

Hurriedly, they ran down a path until the slime stopped at a dismembered jawbone, lying on its side.

“Mub? Grub?” M.K. called quietly.

Mub’s eyestalks popped up from under the jawbone. “We’re down here! I knew you’d come!” Then he turned to Grub, and added, “See? That girl is smitten.”

Nod pushed the jawbone away and he and M.K. retrieved the pod, as well as Mub and Grub.

“Hurry, before the guards come back!” urged M.K.

But it was too late. They could hear Boggans coming down the corridor.

“I have a plan!” said Grub.

Two Boggan guards entered to find the jawbone moved and the room empty. Suddenly, one of them was hit on the head with a drop of slime. They looked up to see M.K. and Nod on the snail and slug, all making their escape!

“Go, go, go!” yelled Nod.

“Ow! That hurts!” complained Mub. Nod was holding on to Mub’s eyestalks so he wouldn’t fall off.

The snail and slug crawled across the ceiling, staying just out of reach of the pursuing Boggans.

Meanwhile, the number of Boggans chasing Ronin had increased tenfold. But they were no closer to catching him as Ronin leaped from ledge to ledge, always managing to stay ahead of the swarm.

Suddenly, the Boggans retreated. But they weren’t fleeing; they were clearing a path for their boss, Mandrake.

“Ronin, what a surprise,” said Mandrake. “I get so few guests.”

The Leafman shrugged. “It could be the stench of death. Some people don’t care for it,” Ronin said.

The Boggans watching clearly didn’t like that, but Mandrake motioned for them to stand down. “It’s all right. Ronin’s an old . . . what do you call someone you’ve known for a long time and always wanted to kill? Wait, it’ll come to me.”

“I hope it comes to you quickly. You don’t have much more time,” said Ronin.

Mandrake jumped down and took out the bridge Ronin was standing on. The Leafman barely leaped to safety.

Ronin swung, but Mandrake blocked the attack.

“I expected you’d come, but I didn’t think you’d come alone,” said Mandrake.

“Who said I’m alone?” Ronin replied. He knew that Mandrake didn’t see M.K., Nod, Mub, and Grub up above, making their way along the ceiling into the coliseum toward the exit. Unfortunately, the two guards pursued them.

Nod swung his foot—and it connected with the two Boggans!

Just as Mandrake was going to deliver a crushing blow to Ronin, the two guards landed directly on his head. Mandrake looked up to see M.K. and Nod riding the slug and snail and let out a primal roar. Thousands of Boggans poured out of the walls, climbing toward M.K. and Nod. Mandrake leaped up the walls to block the exit.

Ronin looked down below and saw Boggans pouring out of every hole, getting closer and closer. He pursued Mandrake as the Boggan leader went after Nod and M.K. Ronin leaped in and grabbed Mandrake by the neck. They tumbled down together, hitting a ledge. Mandrake was knocked off into a pit of Boggans. Ronin held onto the ledge with one hand.

“Ronin! Hang on!” shouted Nod.

Ronin climbed up on the ledge, just as the Boggan swarm arrived. The Leafman began hand-to-hand combat, launching punches left and right.

“Go! Take the pod to Moonhaven!” Ronin ordered Nod.

“I’m not leaving without you!” Nod insisted.

“Now you sound like a Leafman!” Ronin said proudly. Then he was swallowed up in the teeming mass of Boggans below.

“Ronin!” exclaimed Nod.

M.K. touched Nod’s arm and motioned to the exit. “Come on.”

Nod took one last look at Ronin. He didn’t want to leave him, but he knew they didn’t have much time. The Boggans wouldn’t be far behind, and they needed to get the pod back to Moonhaven before the moon reached its highest peak. Along with Mub and Grub, M.K. and Nod hopped onto Nod’s waiting sparrow and flew off, worrying and wondering how Ronin was going to fight off all those Boggans—and knowing that he probably wouldn’t.