“He’s grown,” Lily said of the mantical they rode.
“Manticals adapt to the environment they live in,” Eiji said, petting the creature. “No more small stupid cages for you isn’t that right Manty.” It wagged its tail, snorting as if agreeing. Eiji ended up keeping his original mantical, instead of Kantar’s red mantical.
“Are we almost there?” Rai, looking unwell, asked.
“There’s a village ahead,” Lily replied.
“Sweet,” Rai said, casually falling from the mantical.
Within the tavern of the village, Lily and Eiji asked around in hopes of finding someone who could check on Rai’s condition.
Lily looked around for someone else who might be able to help her when a sudden slap on her butt jolted her entire body. She turned around in disbelief.
“Come on, it’s just harmless fun. Don’t be so uptight about it,” the man said.
Swinging, Lily knocked him right off his stool. “Don’t touch me,” she said, stepping over the unconscious man.
“She sure is something,” Eiji said. Rai was slouched over on his shoulder unable to respond.
“I may be able to help,” a bald man in a robe offered. “I overheard your friend. My name is Dr. Metzuki.”
“No,” Eiji said, pulling Rai away.
“Eiji, he’s a doctor,” Lily said, annoyed.
“My instincts say he’s trouble,” Eiji argued. “Just look at his face tattoo.”
The man had a backward moon tatted on one side of his face.
“You’re judging it based on that?” Lily marched back to the doctor with Rai. “Please help him.”
Dr. Metzuki examined Rai, but the moment he touched his hand, Rai fell to his knees, gripping his head in agony.
A gust of flux force burst into the bar, shattering glasses, and knocking over stools. The ground cracked and roots emerged, until eventually everything ceased once Rai passed out.
“What in tarnation was that?” the bartender said.
“Impossible,” Dr. Metzuki muttered, staring at Rai.
“Rai!” Lily and Eiji rushed to their fallen companion.
“Quick, bring him. If we don’t help him soon, he may lose all his memories,” Dr. Metzuki urgently instructed.
Lying in bed, Rai remained unconscious. Dr. Metzuki had given him some medication to calm his fever.
The room was full of strange artifacts and scrolls, with even a variety of potions along the shelves.
“So, what’s with all the strange-looking nicknacks,” Eiji said, accidentally snapping the arm of a small statue off.
“I’m something of a collector,” Dr. Metzuki replied.
“Oh right, course,” Eiji said, quickly flinging the arm of the statue away.
While Eiji and Dr. Metzuki looked after Rai, Lily traced the edges of the room, admiring all the trinkets. Standing in front of a bookcase, she pulled a few out to read, finding recipes and stories alike, but there was one book in particular that caught her attention. Page after page she turned, revealing sketches of monstrous figures. From titanic sea beasts to tiny hand-sized critters, but what caught Lily’s eye the most; was a woman sitting on a throne with a pool of blood surrounding her. All but one eye was covered by her oily blood-stained hair. It was almost as if she was gazing directly at her. “Ow,” Lily said, slitting her finger on the book. A small amount of blood emerged.
“These drawings are inspired by various cultural myths and legends,” Dr. Metzuki shared, referring to the sketches. “I’ve been studying them, capturing the essence of them in these drawings.”
Lily turned another page to see the drawing of a figure shrouded in mist. It had two red eyes colored in. “Ghost of Dmir?”
“Correct.”
Lily was told stories as a kid that the Ghost of Dmir was a spirit who snatches up those who have sinned against humanity. Sniffing the air, she turned towards the window.
“Do you guys hear that?” Eiji asked.
A brick smashed through the window landing beside the foot of Lily.
“Hey, that almost hit us!” Eiji hollered out the window.
“I’ll handle this,” Dr. Metzuki said, exiting to confront the unruly mob outside of his home.
“Get up out of here!” the townspeople shouted.
“yeah, and take all your voodoo-looking shit with you!”
“Why’re they doing this?” Lily asked watching from inside.
Outside, the doctor attempted to calm everyone, but someone instead through a rock, pelting him across the head.
“Screw you!” a man with a scruffy beard shouted, picking up another rock.
Bursting out the front door Lily stood in front of Dr. Metzuki. “The heck’s wrong with you all!?” she said.
“Who the hell is she?”
“Get lost!”
Lily smashed a wooden box, silencing everyone around. “This man is here to aid my friend. Lay a finger on him, and you’ll answer to me,” she stated, freezing the onlookers in their tracks.
Murmurs subsided as the crowd begrudgingly dispersed.
As the tension lifted, Lily turned her attention to helping the doctor. “What was all that about?” she asked.
“It’s in their nature,” he sighed. “With the surge in cases of unexplained comas, people have become restless, suspicious even. Fear has a way of twisting even the most compassionate hearts,” he said catching Lily’s gaze.
Once inside, Dr. Metzuki continued his examination, when Rai’s unconscious body suddenly began to emit a soft glow.
At the same time, Lily noticed a peculiar-looking amulet hanging on the wall that radiated a similar glow.
Eiji approached the amulet near Lily. Reaching for it, a surge of energy passed through them, intertwining with Rai’s quivering form as the amulet revealed glimpses of colossal elemental roots lying in enormous uncharted realms.
“What’s going on?” Lily said, one image after another passing her by—a sudden chill ran down her spine. The air thickened and her senses heightened as the very fabric of reality shifted around her, pulling her into another space in time. She was now standing upon the very highest branches of Yaitweh. A little girl facing away from her stood on the very edge of a branch that stretched out like a plank over the ocean. The ash falling made it hard for Lily to breathe.
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Extending her arm, the girl pointed to the horizon.
Curious, Lily gazed over, gasping as she did. The world was engulfed in flames! A harrowing cry caused Lily to turn around, but Eiji was there instead; she was back in the room twisting with energy.
“His memories are unraveling, experiencing moments long forgotten, perhaps suppressed,” Dr. Metzuki said, peering closer at the passing images. “Strange, some of these memories look to be from a time long well before his time.” Rai’s body relaxed, and the energy in the air gradually faded away.
“Did I just get a power-up or something?” Eiji asked.
“No,” Metzuki replied.
“I was on top of the world tree... Yaitweh,” Lily said, wiping tears from her eyes. “She was showing me the end of the world.”
Agreeing to come back in the morning, Eiji and Lily departed to find a place to sleep for the night.
When Rai finally opened his eyes, there was a newfound clarity in them. “I remember,” he mumbled to himself. Attempting to move his head, he realized his head was securely fastened to a metal table, strapped down like some twisted experiment, In a slight panic, Rai shouted, “Hey, is anyone there?!”
“Fascinating.” Dr. Metzuki remarked, entering the room. He flipped through the pages of a mysterious book. “But why you?” he pondered aloud.
“What the hell?” Rai said, still struggling to move. “Where am I?”
Approaching, he pricked Rai’s finger without explanation.
“Ow,” Rai responded. Carrying Rai’s blood, Dr. Metzuki placed it on a microscope slide, setting it in an open container under a telescope. What is this creepy doctor up to? Rai looked around the room to find a bunch of medical supplies and strange diagrams of the anatomy of creatures he’d never seen before.
Shuffling through a cabinet, “Let’s see,” Dr. Metzuki said. Retrieving a deceased rat from a jar, he ripped off its arm and, disturbingly, sucked on it.
“Wait a damn minute! Did you just suck on a rat’s arm!?” Rai said in disbelief. What kind of messed-up circus did I stumble into? I’ve seen a lot of disturbing things during my stay in Nitehood, but that’s by far the strangest!
“Let’s see.” Tossing the arm into a trashcan, the doctor placed the rat in the same container as Rai’s blood. Swishing something in his mouth, he spat out a black substance that squirmed around before infiltrating the rat. Gradually, it came back to life, growing slightly in size.
“What in the world?” Rai said, having witnessed the creature’s state just moments ago.
The rat, sniffing around, dragged its body to Rai’s blood with its remaining limbs, swallowing the glass along with it, however, soon it shuddered as if poisoned, dissolving until only bones and fur; black stains remained instead of blood.
“As I thought,” Dr. Metzuki declared, looming over Rai. “You’re a disease.”
“Listen up, Doc! I don’t care how many pages you’ve got in that book of yours, I’m no disease! Now cut the crap and untie me.”
“Release you after all the trouble your friends went through to bring you here?” Dr. Metzuki responded.
“What did you do to them?!”
Producing a metal collar infused with roots, Dr. Metzuki stood over Rai, collar hovering over his his neck.
“Get that away from me,” Rai demanded, but the doctor swiftly clamped the collar around his neck. “That’s it, prepare yourself for a world of pain!” Rai concentrated his flux force, but to his dismay, nothing happened. “I can’t gather any flux?”
A monitor screen sparked to life, unveiling a short, stout man, cradling a cat with a stubbed tail.
“Dr. Metzuki, what brings me the pleasure of hearing from you today?” he asked. “Business, per usual?”
“Mr. Rena, no business, rather a gift,” Dr. Metzuki replied, gesturing towards Rai.
“Why would I want a little brat like him?” Rena said.
“Say that to my face!” Rai shouted, unable to see who insulted him.
“I can assure you, he’s no ordinary boy. He happens to be an Abminus.”
“Abminus?! Underrena’s viewers would skyrocket! Forget charging an arm and a leg, I could get the whole family,” Rena snickered, leaning forward. The cat hissed, but he casually tossed it aside. “Ahem. What’s the catch?”
“No catch. I simply wish to study how he would fare in the arena. I care less if he lives or dies,” Dr. Metzuki stated.
“If that’s the case, then I’ll gladly take you up on the offer,” Rena said with a chuckle, rubbing his hands together greedily. “I’ll have someone pick him up immediately,” Rena added, pressing a button and disconnecting the call.
Rai gulped. Where are they taking me?
That night, Eiji and Lily camped out with Mantical outside the village. There weren’t any spots available within the inn, unfortunately. Lily was applying a base coat to her toenails within her tent, while Eiji was busy stoking the fire.
“It was kind of Dr. Metzuki to let Rai stay overnight, in case anything happens to him,” Lily mentioned.
“Yeah, but I still don’t trust him,” Eiji responded. “Plus, you saw all that crazy space magic mumbo jumbo back there. Nine out of ten times, guys like that are villains.”
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Lily replied.
“Just saying.”
“Well, he was willing to help get Rai’s memories back. If he hadn’t pointed it out earlier, who knows what would have happened.”
“What did you just say?” Eiji asked.
“It was nice of the doctor to let Rai stay overnight?”
“No, not that. The other thing,” Eiji clarified, sitting up. “You just said it.”
“It’s nice he’s willing to help get Rai’s memories back?”
“There!” Eiji interrupted, flipping the tent entrance open. “How did he know Rai lost his memory? We never told him that.”
The realization struck Lily.
Returning to the site, a sense of desperation took hold - the entire place was engulfed in flames! The fire's intensity made it nearly impossible to get close. Even so, Lily ran into the home, crackling flames danced all around her.
Eiji tried to chase after her but was tackled by bystanders.
“Are you crazy?!” they said.
“Get off!” Eiji said.
Lily spotted a big wooden beam blocking the door where Rai should be. She attempted utilizing flux force to lift it, but the flames were just too hot. Undeterred, she attempted again, enduring the burning pain. She was about to pass out, but her legacies started glowing and she felt a change. Orange markings appeared on her body, her clothes - even her hair and eyelashes shared a new shade with them! Suddenly, the heat didn’t bother her anymore. Tossing the wood aside, she entered the room, only to discover the bed where Rai should have been lying was empty. Even the doctor, who had been assisting them, was nowhere to be found. Confusion and concern gripped Lily as she glanced around.
A familiar whimper caught Lily’s attention, and when she searched under the table, she found Plu.
Eiji, having shaken off the others, followed Lily, but stopped short when she emerged from the fiery house with Plu.
The form she was in withdrew, healing her wounds as it did.
“Did you find him?” Eiji asked.
Lily held Plu tight, shaking her head in disappointment.
***
“Hey! Release me at once! I serve the Empire,” Rai stated as the guards sealed the doors behind them. “Are you deaf? I’m Marco of Aurahelm’s apprentice. He’s ranked fifth!”
“It matters little who you are down here,” an elderly man sitting in the shadows of the cell adjacent to Rai’s spoke up. Emerging into the light, he leaned down to face Rai. “You can call me Ethan,” he said, extending his hand. His other arm was missing.
Rai shook it, giving his name.
“What brings a youngster like you to a place like this?” Ethan asked.
“I’m in the process of figuring that out right now,” Rai replied.
“No need to hurry, you’ll have plenty of time to ponder, assuming you survive the first bout,” Ethan remarked, lying down once more.
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have a little sister eagerly awaiting my return home, and missing another birthday is not an option,” Rai said. “Even if I have to gnaw my way out of here!”
Ethan observed Rai gnawing at the bars, causing a smile to crack on his face.
The next morning, a loud buzzing sound woke Rai, and numerous guards entered the room, unlocking both his cage and the one next to him.
“Huh? They’re making him fight?” another prisoner said.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Ethan demanded, “Has Rena not had his fill of games?”
“Apparently, he has not,” the guard replied, pushing Ethan forward.
Ethan glanced at Rai, shaking his head.
“Where are you taking him?” Rai asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” the guard said, shoving Rai forward.
Alone in the dim chamber, surrounded by darkness, Rai approached two giant doors. The edges allowed a thin sliver of light to pierce through, guiding Rai toward the glow. As he peered through the narrow opening, he saw an expansive arena with a dirt floor. High metallic walls encircled it, preventing escape.
With a steadying breath, Rai prepared himself as the giant doors slowly opened. Moving into the light, a large crowd surrounding the arena erupted in cheers, reminiscent of the fight against Banu where he teamed up with Milu. Rai halted, body trembling.
“He’s terrified!” someone hollered.
“Don’t give up on us now!”
A tear fell from Rai’s face, landing on the ground. Now that his memories had resurfaced, he recalled certain moments as if they occurred yesterday. Wiping his tears, he noticed a special seating area above, where an old man holding a cat observed him. Above them, a sign read ‘UNDEЯЯENA’. Two large doors, resembling Rai’s, opened, revealing Ethan.
“Ethan!” many voices praised.
“Come on, why is he part of the main event?!” a bandit heckled. “Boo! We want more bloodshed!”
Ethan, a one-armed man, stepped forward until he was a few feet from Rai.
“What’s all this?” Rai asked.
“This is the Underrena,” Ethan explained. “Any underground matches pale in comparison. In other words, you’re in the big leagues now.”
“I can endure a few blows,” Rai stated confidently. “What I can’t endure is those bastards gloating over there,” he pointed to the seating area where Rena’s group sat, enjoying wine and crackers while Rena was fed grapes. “We don’t have to do this.”
“Listen kid, one way or another, this is happening,” Ethan said, removing his shirt. For being as old as he was, he was incredibly fit. “When it comes to Rena, people don’t have a choice. That’s something I’ve gotten to know in time.” Getting into a fighting position he said, “Don’t worry I’ll make it quick.”
“You talk a big game for someone hiding in the shadows.” Ethan’s eyes narrowed having heard that before. “But fine, if this is the stage you want, I’ll play along. Rena might have everyone else on a string, but not me.” Rai also got into a fighting position. “After we’re done here, let’s find a way out, together. Now, get ready for a beating you won’t forget!”