“Alright, let’s get this party started!” Ayame shouted.
“Allow me,” Seppe stated. In the arena, he held what looked to be a super-sized paintbrush; it was just about the same height as him, and Seppe was taller than the other apprentices, other than Mochi. Roots emerged from the floor, glowing a faint blue.
“And what do you plan to do with that?” Ayame said.
“Just watch, you’re about to see what true art looks like,” Seppe said. Seppe twirled the oversized paintbrush in his hand, the bristles shimmering in the light. As he spun it, tiny sparks of flux force danced along the length of the brush.
Ayame raised an eyebrow, “Art, huh? Well, let's see what you've got,” she replied, taking her badge out to capture a pic.
Seppe lunged forward, the brush leading the charge like a knight's lance. Closing the distance between them, Seppe swung the brush in a wide arc, unleashing a torrent of colorful paint toward Inari and Daichi. The colors streaked through the air like shooting stars, leaving trails of paint in their wake. Daichi's eyes widened. Seppe chuckled, his laughter echoing through the arena like thunder. “Oh, you haven't seen anything yet.” Swinging the brush upward, he sent the wave of paint toward the sky.
“I thought he was about to attack just now…” Daichi said, hiding behind Inari.
“If you’re planning on hiding, forfeit. Otherwise, I can’t be responsible for what happens…” Inari stated.
Daichi, thinking the situation over, considered doing as she said.
“HAHA! Behold!” Seppe wasn't aiming for them directly, he had something else in mind. The paint in the air started raining down.
“No!” Ayame shouted, covering her head from the splattering paint.
“No worry, miss,” Seppe said, as the paint splashed perfectly onto the arena, leaving only two spots untouched; that being the one where his opponent stood, and, where his team was. “My art is perfect!” As the last drops of paint fell, the arena transformed before their eyes.
The once barren floor was now a masterpiece of Seppe's creation; a medieval castle sprawled across the ground, its towering walls and ballista, all aimed with large arrows—and hovering high above, a fierce dragon, its wings outstretched in a menacing pose!
Ayame's eyes widened in awe as she took in the breathtaking scene. “What... how did you...?”
Seppe grinned proudly, like I said, “My art, is perfect!” Seppe stomped the hard end of the brush against the ground. There was more to Seppe's painting than met the eye. Channeling his flux into the painted scenery, the castle shimmered with newfound life, its stone walls pulsing with transparent rings of energy. Suddenly, the dragon's eyes flashed with a fiery glow as it broke free from the confines of the painting, soaring through the air.
“Dra- Dra- Dragon!” Alan shouted.
Behind a tree, hidden, “Plu!” the little figure known as Plu shouted, seeing the dragon above. Rai had resummoned it, but as soon as it saw the dragon, it hid in Rai’s coat.
“We’d get our little buddy back?” Lily said, turning the corner of the tree.
“Yeah,” Rai said, giving her a thumbs up; they returned to the fight right after. “That can’t be real? Can it?” Rai stated, gazing at the dragon.
Kiku blinked in awe at the flying creature, reaching out with two hands, squeezing her palms inward, as if she wanted to hug it.
Ayame and other apprentices watched in astonishment as the mythical beast circled above them.
Seppe then directed his attention towards the castle's courtyard, where a red carpet lay stretched out before the grand entrance. With a subtle gesture, he commanded the carpet to come to life, its fabric rippling as if stirred by an invisible breeze.
Inari, raising a hand, appeared to be ready to begin her assault, however, Seppe caused Inari and Daichi to stumble as the carpet slipped beneath them. Inari noticed that the entirety of the arena painting had shifted beneath them. They struggled to maintain their balance as the fabric twisted and turned, slowly sucking them down a spiral vortex, deep into the earth’s surface.
“What... what’s happening!?” Daichi shouted. Everything around them was melting, the apprentices, even the arena—like a black hole!
Seppe chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Just a taste of what my art can do. Welcome to my world,” and at that moment, the dragon came crashing down on them.
“Seppe!” Ayame said, seeing the swirling painted dragon crash into the arena, flooding it with a gigantic wave of vibrant colors. When paint settled, the arena painting was now one giant mass of splattered paint, no artwork apparent – according to the eyes of the apprentices at least.
“Where’d they go?!” Rai said.
“It looks like they’ve entered a flux realm of some sort,” Haruki said.
“Flux realm?” Lily said.
“A flux realm is a territory that is not of the surface world, and only Nephilim can access them; each according to the ancient root they’ve bonded with,” Mr. Briggs said, walking towards the lot.
“So, other worlds?” Alan asked.
“I imagine realms more like small territories where the ancient roots, be it ice, or, even lava, eventually created its habitat, deep beneath the surface we stand on.” Mr. Briggs replied.
“Ancient roots are categorized under the four-star roots, along with others like Neptus’s Galaxy root and Aegis’s Phantom root,” Alan said.
“Mhm, they are still equally as rare, especially since the total Nephilim in this world may not be more than the fingers on my hands,” Mr. Briggs stated, raising his own. “Either way, not even General Kur can traverse into their realm, as only a few Nephilim have been reported to do so.”
“What ancient root is the general bonded to?” Peon asked.
“An ancient root known as, Spirit Paradox,” Rai said.
“How did you know this?” Lily asked Rai.
“Tanabe!” Rai hollered, kicking the grass beneath his feet; he was hoping to see some action.
“In the few reports we have, there’s one thing so far we know of these realms,” Mr. Briggs said.
“No way out. No way in…” Neptus uttered, causing everyone to gaze at him. “Uh. Sorry. My father used to tell ghost stories of an evil Nephilim that would take people in their sleep, bringing them into their realm, where it would trap them forever. The story originated from the knowledge that Nephilim, in each of their realms, there was no way out, and, no way knowing how to get in, from the surface that is.”
“Sounds like a prison…” Lily said.
“AHHHH!” Jack’s battle roar echoed throughout while swiftly sliding in behind Lily, startling her and a few others. “Did I miss anything?!” he said, breathing heavily. “Are the matches over?”
“No idea,” Rai replied, lazily, while gazing at the painted surface where the contestants used to be. “Grab a seat, we could be here a while.”
“No can do!” Jack replied, starting his sit-ups. “Gott make use of every second! 23-24-25-26-27!”
Bored, Rai kicked a rock into the painted arena, causing it to immediately disappear within it.
“I’d suggest you refrain from doing that again,” Eloise said firmly.
“Sorry!” Rai said, sweating nervously.
“Ooh, look who’s in trouble,” Alan and Lily whispered behind Rai.
“Shut up,” Rai said through his teeth.
“Rina, everything okay?” Jack asked, having finished his sit-ups, he noticed her in a corner by herself.
Rina was curled up with her badge in hand as if it were food and she hadn’t eaten in months. “O- Okay? Of course, I’m okay!” she shouted - teeth razor sharp, one eye twitching. She had been scrolling through photos she had taken of Ayame when she found one in particular that was nearly perfect. In it, Ayame had a double chin; it was during the moment the paint came crashing down. A fire burned in Rina’s eyes. “It’s perfect!”
“I thought they were friends…” Lily said, slightly worried.
“Oh, she’s still my bestie,” Rina quickly stated with a smile, before quickly focusing her attention on mass-forwarding the picture.
“Right…” Rai muttered. “Does this realm have a tipping point?”
“Five minutes,” Giaus said, causing everyone to look at him. “It’ll be done in five minutes, and that’s me being generous.”
“Who made you an expert in Nephilim?” Neptus sneered.
“A nobody like you wouldn’t recognize a Nephilim if they were speaking directly to your face,” Gaius quickly remarked.
“Oh yeah?!” Neptus retaliated, but upon feeling his wounds reopen, he fell directly to the floor.
“Hey, you okay?” Alan asked, tending to Neptus.
“I’ve never heard of an Abminus with such an ability that resembles a realm.” Mr. Briggs said. “Let’s see what happens. You might be surprised with the outcome…”
And so, the apprentices awaited the return of their fellow combatants.
Daichi, being in a completely different space than Inari, stood in the confines of a dark gloomy dungeon. Bones wrapped the floor and spiders crawled all around, trailing the many webs within the corners. Daichi, panicking from a rat nearby, fell into a web that seemed to melt away into a silver liquid. “Is this paint…” he said, gliding his finger through it. Continuing down the dark dungeon halls, he came across a giant suit of armor, helmet, and all. Daichi, turned away, when a creaking noise behind him startled him, causing him to look behind, where suddenly, the armor thrusted down its halberd. Daichi held his arms up, but the statue’s halberd slammed straight down into him, splashing paint all over. More paint? Daichi examined his clothing, now drenched in many different colors when the armor stepped down from its pedestal. “Perhaps, everything here is made of paint-” a crushing fist from the armor smashed into the side of Daichi, propelling him straight through a cell made of paint, however the wall behind that crumbled from the impact of Daichi’s body ramming into it. Daichi, rolling many feet away, looked up – he was now in a cave. Chains hung from the ceilings carrying caged souls that were burning.
“Heeeeelp,” they shrieked.
“What’s going on,” Daichi said, coughing up blood.
“Death,” a whisper of air slipped by Daichi’s ears.
The armored suit approached from the hole, swinging a chain with a spiked ball at the end of it. It tore through the dirt with each swing, carving a path on its slow approach toward Daichi.
“St- Stay away!” Daichi said, and roots formed at his feet. On the outer surface, where the arena of paint was, roots randomly emerged, glowing brown. Daichi, summoning two mounds of earth, both in the shape of a square, stomped the ground and smashed the armored suit between them, causing the paint to splatter. Behind the two stone platforms, many more armored knights appeared. “I thought it was a solid suit of armor?” Daichi said, blood trickling from his forehead. “What is this place…” He backed up, but then, hearing the quiver of a large web, he cautiously looked up. An enormous spider—and it was heading his way! In the corner of his eye, the light flickered from a candle, revealing a small window lined with roots on the cave walls. A way back to the castle perhaps! Utilizing his roots, he raised a stairway towards the window and darted towards the top. He made it about halfway before he couldn’t run any farther, lying on his back, sweating profusely. However, the clinking of armor and the scurrying stomps of the giant spider climbing his staircase sent shivers down his spine, as he jolted up and ran for it. The cave floor flooded with paint, slowly filling the ground, even overtaking the spider and knights. Daichi lunged for the window, but his wide body got stuck. No! Wiggling his way in, he finally managed to squeeze through, quickly using his earth-based abilities to seal the window behind him as paint washed across the floor. Standing, Daichi noticed he was now in a large room with many mirrors in it. A girl's laughter echoing in the dimly lit space made him shake… “Inari, where’d you go…” he whispered to himself.
Inari, standing in what looked to be a grand hall with a tree sprouting from the center, looked about as a dark shadow swiveled across the corners of the walls.
“Wow!” Ayame's voice lingered in the air. “Who would have thought the painter had something like this up his sleeve.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Inari looked around, but Ayame was nowhere to be seen. Mirrors lurked in every corner of the room.
Seppe appearing from the shadows, said, “Separating them wasn’t easy… We don’t have much time.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve come up with a grand idea,” Ayame said, stepping out of a mirror laid against the castle walls. “Your partner’s already out of commission.” Reaching into the mirror she dragged an unconscious Daichi, however, Inari didn’t pay it much attention.
“Your ability, is this a realm?” Inari said.
“Hm,” Seppe, straightening his tie, “it is in fact, and the only of its kind, as an Abminus that is. Dye Root derived from Dyer’s Plant. The plant is coated in a multitude of colors and can be stripped of its many vibrant leaves – which then can be used to color concrete flooring. But as a power, instead, whatever form of art I make, when connected with the coursing power of the world tree, I can bring my art and those around me into a new reality, for as long as I can maintain it. Something like a castle is well under my ability.”
“Seppe… What’s up with your castle?” Ayame said. The entire wall was melting slowly; even the rooftop was peeling back, dropping vibrant splashes of paint, all across the floor.
“Everything is fine…” Seppe looked like he had the flu. Abruptly standing firm, yet again, he said, “I choose what is fake,” Seppe swung his paintbrush straight through a pillar which then splashed into a large puddle of paint, “and what is real,” he said, swishing the paintbrush at another pillar, which hit hard, causing him to shake from his arms down to his toes.
“Sounds like you’ve spent too much time with Mu,” Inari said bluntly, causing Ayame to giggle.
“Wha-?!” Frustration grew in Seppe. The roof peeled back, and the castle walls peeled back. The spacing around them swirled into a vortex of paint, until all of a sudden, they were back in the arena with the apprentices watching. “How dare you mock my art…” The vortex of paint formed into the dragon from earlier, standing furiously behind Seppe and Ayame.
“There back!” Jack shouted.
“Alright!” Rai stated as Alan hid behind him.
“Let me join in on the fun!” Ayame shouted joyfully, activating her powers, and roots emerged from the ground, glowing pink. Four monoliths, shining like mirrors, each the size of a dragon, burst from under the surface surrounding the arena.
“Rainbow Dragon!” Seppe shouted, and the dragon flew into the sky, splashing paint across the floor as it soared toward the heavens.
“Copy!” Ayame shouted simultaneously, and the reflection of the dragons on the monolith separated from the monolith, causing them to crumble once each dragon slipped out of them. She fell to a knee, breathing heavily. “Ow…” her hand was on her chest, the place in which the core was located; be it human or Nefarian.
Daichi, waking up, saw the swirling dragons above his head, running towards his partner in fear.
“Where do you think you’re going,” Ayame said, stepping on the rope that was trailing past her foot, however, she underestimated the size of Daichi, instead falling on her butt as he retreated. Hearing a camera click, she looked over. “Who took that?!”
Rina whistling, stealthily placed the badge in her bag, behind her back. “Let’s go Ayame!”
“Here it comes!” Lily shouted.
Seppe’s legs were wobbling, but still, he swiped the giant brush down, and all the dragons crashing to the ground.
Inari had her eyes closed, before steadily raising her hand towards her opponents, opening them as she did.
“The attacks coming from above you dim whit!” Rai shouted.
The ground began to rumble, and many apprentices struggled to maintain their balance. Suddenly, enormous roots erupted from the surface, ripping through the dragons, and sending paint everywhere.
When the dust settled, Daichi, was unharmed, though barely, seeing as many sharp roots threatened to pierce through him. The arena, the ground which apprentices stood on, was covered in large mangled roots. Where the arena was, a towering force of roots, cascaded like a deviant god, casting shadows over the apprentices.
Eloise, placing a hand on her blade, had thought for a moment she would have to intervene for the safety of the apprentices, but the roots had either maneuvered around them or the apprentices handled the situation themselves. Quite the promising group. Staring back into the arena, Eloise witnessed apparent victor, calling, “Inari and Daichi, you are our winners.”
Within the twisting tower of roots, Ayame and Seppe were both entangled, clearly helpless.
“Ah- Who would have known…” Ayame muttered.
“The rumors were true…” Gaius said, smirking. A Nephilim who’s managed to bond with the world tree itself. The most ancient of roots. Root Root. It would seem there was someone worthy in this helpless apprenticeship after all.
“Root Root… Nephilim…” Alan uttered, dropping his book from his hand.
Every apprentice was in awe, even those who were already aware of her abilities, due to the reports; like Mr. Briggs and Eloise. It was their first time seeing Inari’s abilities.
“That will conclude the second stage. Congratulations on surviving, but know, the apprenticeship will only get tougher from here on. The final stage of the placement exam is nearly a few months from now. Sharpen your skills, the world will be there to witness you. As for the rest of you, demand more of yourself, and prove you too can become the strongest elite.” Neptus nodded, clenching his fist while glaring at Giaus and Rai. “Dismissed,” Eloise said.
Soon, the roots Inari summoned, sprouted beautiful flowers, flushed with vibrant leaves.
“Yeah, perhaps she shouldn’t be on your list of people you ‘may’ have pissed off,” Lily said.
“No kidding…” Rai replied, looking up at the mass of roots.
As the dust settled, Inari, standing on the edge of a root suspended in the air, looked down at Rai, once again furrowing her brows. Her long green hair, shimmered perfectly in the stunning scenery of plant growth evolving behind her.
***
“Can’t believe it’s already been a week since the placement exam,” Lily said, stretching her arms towards the sky. She had just ported over from the Kingdom of Celestria.
Ports made of roots and machinery lined the walls of the palace within the Kingdom of Aurahelm. One of the luminite’s inserted into the ports to power it, started to glow, and before you know it – a flash! “Man, I’m beat…” Alan said, having just ported over from the Kingdom of Excalibur. “Why’d it have to be combat class of all things…”
“What do you mean, this is the best class there is!” Rai said.
“Coming from the one who skipped all the other classes…” Alan argued, yawning after.
“What’s the blink class?” Lily asked, checking her schedule. It was crossed out.
“That’s only for Abminus,” Rai said.
“To better clarify,” Alan said, opening a book, “It be best to explain it all. Abminus are people who merge with special roots, infused with flux force. When an Abminus dies, their body will then return to flux force, leaving behind the seed of the root they’ve merged with.”
“Seriously…” Lily said, looking at Rai, who nodded.
Alan, continues, “If an Abminus doesn’t merge with a root, then their body will remain in the physical realm, once they pass, that is. Ah, here it is,” Alan said, quickly moving his finger to the bottom of the page. “Because Abminus are beings whose cores have merged with the flow of flux, they can ‘Blink.’”
“Your friend in the tournament used it multiple times,” Haruki said, appearing before the group.
“Haruki,” Rai said, while Lily gave a friendly wave.
“Blinking is when an Abminus shifts through flux force, normally disappearing to the naked eye once they enter the flow when in actuality, they are traveling through it, appearing only when they exit the flow of flux. There’s quite a lot in here,” Alan said, flipping through more pages rapidly.
“Hm, now I want to go,” Lily pouted.
“You can still go,” Peon said. “I go because I’ve got nothing better to do…”
“Just take the day off, go enjoy a Lumi Lumi or something,” Rai said.
“Here,” Alan said, and baby roots emerged from the ground glowing silver; quickly flipping through the pages, he handed the book over, stating, “I’m done with it.”
“Already?” Lily said.
“That’s right. I’ve got the Recap Root, from Memory Ferns.” Alan replied.
“Hey, that’s the same as the elder,” Lily said. “Can you see in the past too?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m just able to memorize things thing’s the second I see them. Picture memory I guess you could say.”
“That’s pretty neat,” Lily said. “Its funny how it differs between races, though, it would be cool if Nefarians could blink too... That’s it. I’ve decided, I’m watching your guy’s class today.”
“Sheesh, nobody said we’re taking two classes,” Rai hollered walking out the front door. He had heard enough of the info dumping.
“Don’t mind him, he’s just anxious because his first match-up in the final stage has been determined to be Inari…” Lily said, in his place.
”I don’t blame him…” Alan said. The final stage was going to be a single-elimination tournament.
The portal, once again, activated, and soon Tamarri appeared. He had bandages over his waist.
“Tamarri, you’ve finally been released,” Lily said.
“Is that Bear?! Bearrrr!” Ayame shouted, as she also just ported in with Rina.
Tamarri, embarrassed, looked over at Lily and Haruki standing next to her, saying, “Haruki, supplied the herbs necessary for a speedy recovery; and my Solomon bloodline may have played a role. “Thank you,” Tamarri gave a quick bow.
“No need to thank me. You put up a good fight,” Haruki replied.
“If you ever get the chance, come by my father’s, Crumbly Cattaneo; the world’s number one restaurant and place to eat!” he said in a blaze of passion.
“I can vouge for the food, nothing compares… Hm, except maybe for Grace’s Lumi Lumi’s,” Lily said.
“WHAAA-!” Tamarri’s eyes lit up. Of the delicacies in the world, truly, Grace’s cookies and the Crumbly Cattaeno’s dinner dish were of the best the world had to offer. Their rivalry has swayed the appetites of millions everywhere.
Soon, each apprentice arrived for the combat class held in the Kingdom of Aurahelm. The aura grazed the fields with soft hues of green and blue as apprentices gathered.
“Welcome,” a very old man, hunched over with a cane, by the name of Chozu spoke.
“Seem’s Mr. High and Mighty, couldn’t make it today,” Neptus said, looking around for Gaius.
“Mochi’s on a mission, I think…” someone stated.
“And Chloe’s still recovering,” Ayame added.
“What about Duke?” Lily asked.
“He’s taking the jump,” Rai said.
“No way!” Lily responded, excited.
Taking the jump is when you’re challenging an elite for their placement, something you’ve got five years to accomplish.
“Water, get it while it's cold!” Eiji came lurking around the corner with a water dispenser strapped to his back.”
“Eiji?” Lily asked.
“Lily!” he said happily, running over. “Care for a tall glass, of water,” he said, pouring it into a cup while raising an eyebrow.
“I’m okay,” Lily said, putting a hand up. “What’re you doing here?”
“We’ll after my job as a coachman didn’t work out, I found a new job as a hydration assistant.”
“You mean a water boy…” Rai said.
Eiji, squinting, stressed, “Water, assistant… Or specialist,” he stated, subtly shrugging it off.
“Hey water boy, get over here!” Kenji shouted.
“Coming!” Eiji said, rushing over, before slightly creeping back and pointing two fingers at Lily and Rai, “Assistant.”
“Ahem. As you’ve heard, the Duke is no longer with the apprenticeship. He has challenged the number eight elite, Knox.” Chozu interrupted.
“Hey, old geezer. What happened to Reezo!? Wasn’t he teaching this class before,” Rai, massaging the kink in his neck, stated, “I owe him a favor, and I’ve got a new trick I like to test out.”
“Reezo… Ah, Reezo. Yes, quite the martial teacher he is, but, in Shogi, not so much” Chozu chuckled, wheezing right after and giving Rai serious doubts about this guy's age…
Elsewhere, Reezo was having a cup of tea, when he sneezed, blowing half of it out.
“I’m out of here,” Rai stated, turning to leave.
“Rai, where you going?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know, to hit a tree or something. I need some actual training,” he hollered.
“How bout a wager,” Chozu said. “Let’s say, you land a hit on me, and I’ll let you skip class for three months.”
Rai’s head perked up, steadily turning around, “Three months?” He imagined all the free time he would have on his hands. “You’re on,” he said, pulling up his sleeves.
“Hey, go easy on him,” Lily said as Rai confidently walked by.
“Don't mention it,” Rai said, greedily rubbing his hands together. “Hey Plu!” he shouted, and from behind Rai’s hood, Plu appeared.
“What’s that?” Neptus said.
“Hey, it’s the cute little fur ball from the news!” Ayame said, capturing a photo of it.
Rai gave Plu a soft high five, as it poofed into the apple; swiftly snatching it mid-air, he snagged a bite, causing a large wave of flux to surge in him.
Inari, still not showing much emotion, acknowledged he had gotten a little stronger since the placement exam. It's the same feeling as last time…
“Is Rai a Link?” Jack asked.
“No,” Alan said. “He’s… just different.”
“Finally… Someone who gets me…” Peon stated in his low and boring tone, watching Rai.
“Please tell me this isn’t you admiring him…” Rina said, watching Peon.
“At least he’s watching,” Seppe stated, glaring at the sleeping Kiku, sporting yet another new oversized hoodie of some type of animal. She was using his leg as a pillow to sleep on, and though he tried to shake her off, she wouldn’t budge, even drooling over his slacks. “Kiku!”
Kenji, scowling, dug his fingers into the palm of his hands. More tricks? What happened while he was away…
“Ah, was that the strange creature that I’ve recently heard so much about,” Chozu said.
“Yeah, no use keeping a secret when you’re working for the empire,” Rai said, standing before Chozu. Quickly, he ran right, though Chozu kept a watchful eye on him. Rai rushed in, but upon sensing something was off, he retreated, sweat trickling down his forehead.
“What gives?” Eiji said, water bottle in hand. “Is he not planning on fighting back?”
“That’s not it. Chozu has the upper hand…” Jack said.
“But he hasn’t moved?!” Eiji said, throwing out his hands, though everyone, even Lily watched intently, ignoring him. “What I’m missing here?”
“Alright then, here’s something new I was hoping to save, but so be it,” Rai said, clenched his fist and running straight at Chozu.
“Straight on?!” Neptus said.
“As real men should!” Jack said, flexing.
All of a sudden, the ground started to quiver, and though it was much weaker, it was similar to the time Inari summoned the ancient roots of Yaitweh.
Chozu was keeping a watchful eye on Rai when suddenly, his vision was completely obscured by a large root bursting from the earth – right in front of him!
Ducking beneath the root, Rai appeared, having charged a large amount of flux into his fist, he thrust an uppercut straight into the chin of the old man, sending him flying very far back, landing with a heavy thud against the floor.
“The teacher?!” Alan said.
“No mercy…” Lily said of Rai.
That is definitely a root of the world tree… But something still doesn't make sense. Why can’t I sense it? Just who is this person… Inari glared at Rai, who stood confidently by the giant root.
“Roots of the world tree?!” Sepe said.
“I can’t believe it,” Daichi said, beside him, an even more angered Kenji.
Since the new apprentices were to be showcased to the world, after the placement exam, each one was interviewed, revealing minor details of their abilities and roots.
“Guess class is over,” Rai said, turning and walking away. “Aha! Three-month vacation here I come!”
“Would you care to make another wager?” Chozu spoke, slowly rising from the ground.
Rai, sensing Chozu behind him, stated, “Nah, I think I got a fairly good deal. Smell ya later gramps.”
“How about, a full year’s worth of Lumi Lumi’s, and, you never have to come to class again.”
Rai, stopping, turned around, his tongue slithering as he contemplated the wager. “I take back what I said earlier, you’re a way better teach than Reezo.”
“You may come at me however you like. The rules remain the same, land a single hit.” Chozu said, patting off his outfit. “I'm curious as to this ikken I’ve heard so much about, maybe give that a go.”
“AH- Rai!” Alan said.
“Alan,” Rai stated, cutting him off. “Don't you know it’s rude to not listen to your elders,” Rai said, facing Chozu yet again. “Here I come!” Rai said, running directly at Chozu. The ground erupted with the same root, rapidly pulling back into the hole and bursting through the surface again and again. The root followed Rai’s zig-zag pattern, and bit by bit he got closer, circling Chozu while blocking his line of sight. I’m no dummy… Rai knew that Chozu was the one who trained Tux… Tux, the one who made his childhood a miniature hell; every time he was caught stealing, Tux would give him a good smack across the head! I can still feel the bump to this day… Payback time. “Consider this my parting gift to your retirement party!” Rai shouted. “Ikken!” A giant energy wave of air and flux erupted from Rai’s clasped hands, however, right in front of Chozu, the force seemed to stop entirely, swirling in place. Something was off!
Chozu, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, looked up at Rai, saying, “See you next class.”
“WHA-” The ikken was reflected, blasting instead, straight into Rai’s chest, tearing his clothing and sending him flying backwards, crashing through many trees along the way.
“HA!” Neptus said, happily, punching the air, seeing as he was also smacked with an ikken.
“I tried to warn him… Chozu’s root is the Rebound Root derived from Verdant Barries. Giant Stems shoot up towards the sky to form a wall. Once they receive any type of physical contact, store up the kinetic damage, then reflect anything that hits it the second time around.”
“In the future, you’ll come across many powers that can change the tide either for or against you, and so you must always be prepared and well informed. That is lesson number one,” Chozu said. “The real apprenticeship begins now!”
When the dust settled, Rai lay between the remains of the tree, imaginary birds circling his head. “What was that,” he said, before passing out.
The vibrant hues enveloping them, slowly started to change, as the shades of green and blue, shifted into pink and purple. This occurs four times a year, where the auroras within Aurahelm switch according to the new season.
“The season, it’s changing,” Lily said, staring at the skies.
The apprentices all gazed into the horizon, curious of what awaited them next, on the path to becoming an Illuminus Elite.