Genji doesn’t exactly trust the barbarians. He has many questions right now. Why did his predecessors stop responding to EverRealm, and what exactly were their missions? Logically, their missions should be similar to his since they entered the world after it started weakening. Perhaps an investigation or combat assignment, but it shouldn't differ much.
Yet that raises another question: why did they switch sides? They followed the normal progression and reached the crosspoint between the two parties, but they went radio silent after entering the lunatic's territory. It doesn’t make sense unless the barbarians were their true mission targets.
But why go silent? And why are they taking so long to complete their missions? Achieving a high rating might be challenging, but it shouldn't be this extreme. Even EverRealm said so. Judging by the barbarian leader's tone, it’s been at least a few months, if not years, since their last contact.
Something doesn't add up. It's like they are purposely stalling the missions. But why? What good would come of that? To get away from EverRealm's missions and live a carefree life? That doesn't make sense either. They knew the world was dying, so how long could their vacation last? A few years? Maybe a decade?
On the off chance that they considered this a permanent retirement, why this world? It's not exactly friendly to live in. Genji could think of many other settings that are much more enjoyable to live in. And that's not even mentioning how they would be leaving everyone in their old lives behind. Like family? Friends? Ambitions? All of that for a crappy existence?
World hopping shouldn't be so bad that they would resort to that. They're champions! They get good treatment from EverRealm. If this were from a servant or someone forcibly pulled in, it might be possible, albeit far-fetched. So, what is going on?
Genji is missing a crucial piece of information, and there's only one way to find out.
'Time to visit the tree and see for myself.'
But before that, he needed to make some preparations. Bringing his group to a remote location, Genji built a small camp and passed Astros to Bruce.
"Take care of him for me. I don't know how long this will take, so I don't want to leave him alone. I'll meet you back here once I'm finished, okay?"
Bruce nodded and began setting up his kitchen. Genji left most of his spices and cooking utensils to make their lives easier. Then he headed back to the mountains, asking EverRealm another clarification question along the way.
"How exactly does Soul Sanctuary determine if an attack is fatal? Like, how broad is the term 'fatal' here? By what standard is an attack considered fatal?"
This sudden question piqued Ij'gne's interest, but the scene abruptly ended before he heard the response. "Huh? What the frick, man? You raise such a big question and don't answer it? What kind of crappy cliffhanger is this?" Ij'gne complained as the darkness changed into the next scene.
From what Ij'gne could tell, this episode wasn't long after the previous one. Genji was still walking back to the mountain, and he had a compass out. After following the pointer for some time, Genji came upon a tunnel covered by dense tree roots and overgrown shrubbery. Ij'gne recognized this as one of the hidden passageways used by the secret forces.
Judging by the soil build-up and colony of spiders living at the entrance, Ij'gne knew it had been abandoned for a long time. Genji brushed aside the debris and headed inside the twisting rock chambers. His body began shifting as he walked, referencing the few lunatics he'd seen. When he emerged on the other side, his mask had disappeared, and Genji had taken on a new appearance.
Ij'gne felt a strange familiarity with this face, but he couldn't pinpoint where he'd seen it. After a while, Ij'gne gave up and decided to just enjoy the show.
Genji surveyed the area and made his way toward civilization. The image of the world tree grew clearer and more demonic as he approached, the details coming into view. The ominous red scattered throughout its bark seemed to pulsate with life. Genji could understand why the barbarians detested this tree based on its appearance, but Ij'gne couldn't accept how the memory portrayed his lord.
"Why do you have to lie to me like this? I've already ended the barbarians. What's the point of this propaganda?" Ij'gne asked with a disappointed headshake.
Genji eventually entered a sparsely populated area where farmers worked in the fields with the help of domesticated animals. These people shot strange looks his way, not recognizing him, but mostly kept to themselves. Given the wide-reaching influence of the world tree, it wasn't strange to see a new face every now and then.
'They seem normal,' Genji thought. 'Why do the barbarians call them lunatics as well?'
After a while, the dirt roads transitioned into patched gravel, and the houses grew closer together. More specialized buildings came into view, allowing for better livelihoods. Grain mills, butcher shops, and taverns appeared in rapid succession, but there were no schoolhouses. This was the first thing that set off alarms for Genji. For some reason, there were no children in sight.
'How are they replenishing their troops like this? Wouldn't people notice, given how often they're losing their population?'
To further emphasize the bizarreness, Genji couldn't find any jailhouses or guards in these settlements. It was as if there were no crimes in the townspeople's lives.
'Now this is starting to seem like a dystopia. Maybe the barbarians are correct about them.'
This feeling only grew stronger with each step until it finally hit Genji. All these people were far too content with their lives despite the ongoing conflict merely kilometers away. Additionally, their joy was eerily similar to each other's, as if conforming to a template.
'It's almost cult-like how they're behaving. Something is definitely wrong with this place.'
Genji gazed up at the ghostly world tree and continued deeper. After half an hour, he entered a training field full of martial artists. Glistening sweat drenched their skin as they pushed their trembling bodies to their limits. Then they would recklessly continue as if nothing had happened, leading many to collapse from exhaustion.
Genji furrowed his brows at this sight. This was a dangerous way to train, as it could easily leave behind hidden injuries. If they weren't careful, they might only be able to fight for a few years before their bodies broke down and they became crippled. Genji would know since his training regimen was far harsher than this.
However, he had access to better healing facilities, a training hall, and an adequately strong body. His circumstances were completely different, allowing him to sustain the training without consequences.
On the other hand, these people had none of these luxuries and persisted solely with obsession. It was almost maniacal how crazed they were. No, this wasn’t a training field anymore; it was a factory, operating solely to churn out as many combatants as possible.
"Ah, the good old times," Ij'gne sighed with nostalgia. "Things are just as I remembered."
At this moment, Genji felt a sudden sense of unease. This feeling came out of nowhere, but Genji trusted his instincts. His senses had only gotten sharper since he advanced his dodging mastery. Since his intuition warned him about something, he would be foolish to ignore it.
As Genji turned to escape, his mind finally caught up to his instincts and started to grasp what was wrong with the situation. He was deep in enemy territory—so deep, in fact, that they should have noticed him by now.
But why hasn't anyone stopped him yet? Genji doubted the lunatics' security was so lax that they would allow a stranger to waltz so close to their tree, especially given how adamant they were about defending it.
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There could only be one explanation for this: the enemies had already noticed him and were letting him approach. It was a trap!
As if confirming his suspicion, the same man Genji had fought before suddenly teleported in front of him and slashed at his shoulder. Genji hurriedly manifested his daggers and blocked the attack, stumbling backward from the unexpected impact.
"You're a lot sharper than I thought, intruder," the man said, cutting off Genji's path.
Genji paid no mind to him and activated Berserk. He was surrounded by enemies and needed to get out fast.
Dagger Arts: Scar!
A cross of black flames overwhelmed the man, blocking him long enough for Genji to run past. The man recognized Genji as his previous foe, but there wasn't much he could do with his liberation on cooldown. However, he wasn't alone. Before Genji could fully accelerate, a flaming whip crashed into the ground in front of him, conjuring a scorching wall.
Another liberation had joined the fray, one of flames and cinder. Marlo walked into view, wielding a whip and a shortsword. The chinks in her armor lit up with fiery runes, resisting the high temperatures emanating from her weapons. At the same time, Zarasu flanked Genji, condensing a ghastly figure behind him. This energy projection emitted a deep purple aura and reeked of decaying moss.
Ij'gne shook his head at this scene and said, "Again, why the villainous depiction? You're on the verge of battle, and you still have time to create these slanderous adjustments? I know Father better than anyone. He doesn't have such foul energy. Can't you just show me the objective truth without any of these meddlesome details?"
[You have entered a conflict with two fellow champions. Please resolve this issue peacefully if possible.]
'I don’t think I can. Not if my suspicions about what’s happening are correct,' Genji thought, activating his cloak's liberation.
The four fighters evaluated each other briefly before disappearing from their positions. Whistles and sonic booms sounded as they crashed into each other. Genji's black flames fought for dominance against Marlo's inferno, each devouring the other with endless ferocity. His daggers slammed the whip away, followed by a harsh hack at the short sword.
Marlo struggled to parry his immense force, but Zarasu assisted just in time to prevent her from being overwhelmed. The unnamed man supported them from the side, flickering in and out of combat for quick attacks. He couldn't teleport as freely since he wasn't using his liberation, but his movement speed was enough to keep up with the battle.
Zarasu threw rapid punches like a machine gun, shattering the air with each strike, but Genji weaved between them with overbearing agility. His daggers left dangerous nicks on Zarasu's arm, threatening to sever tendons with a single lapse of attention. Unfortunately, Zarasu had trained his body to be like steel and could minimize these injuries. Genji simply didn't have enough time to deliver a deep cut given the ongoing barrage.
Weapon intent permeated the surroundings, turning the area into a lethal tornado capable of shredding any unlucky bystanders. Genji danced along this stream of death, attacking with enough intensity to constantly force his opponents back. Zarasu and Marlo alternated as the main fighters, doing their best to manage their wounds.
Suddenly, Marlo cracked her whip with all her strength, sending it on a peculiar trajectory to snag Genji's arm. A searing heat traveled through the armguard, charring his skin. However, Genji remained unfazed and pulled Marlo into Zarasu's path, followed by a heavy kick to the stomach.
He then parried the man's strike, disarming him with impeccable precision before aiming for the heart. Unfortunately, the fatal blow deviated from its intended trajectory when Marlo unleashed a massive crescent of flames at him.
Genji settled for severing the left arm and dived back into combat against Zarasu, using punches to remove the entangled whip. Suddenly, a mental shock paralyzed the three enemies, giving Genji an opening to use his second liberation. A storm of cuts enveloped the group, opening countless abrasions across their skins.
Marlo's flames dimmed against this barrage, allowing Genji to charge through with his quantum barrier. The energy screen shattered, and Genji swung down at Marlo's head, giving her no time to react.
Marlo's eyes widened as she realized the impending strike. Suddenly, the branches of the world tree rustled, prompting several leaves to decay. A green, life-infused field surrounded Marlo, helping her block the attack. However, the daggers' sharpness wasn't stopped so easily. Upon contact, they tore through the protecting ward and left a nasty cut across Marlo's chest.
Genji wanted to follow through with another attack, but the field suddenly detonated, launching him backward. When the smoke cleared, Genji realized the world tree had lost another branch worth of leaves, and the field expanded to cover all three fighters.
The field forcibly squeezed their wounds shut, but their skin still leaked blood. Dealing with the healing negation of Genji's liberation wasn't easy, requiring a considerable amount of life force.
"Fine, let's see how long you can keep this up," Genji sneered, bursting toward Zarasu with his strongest attack.
Stealth Dagger tore through the field, leaving behind sharp tears and nearly gouging out Zarasu's kidney. He managed to dodge only because the field suddenly condensed around Genji, stalling him. Yet this restraint barely lasted as Genji immediately tore it apart shortly after, draining another branch's worth of energy.
Zarasu and Marlo struggled to defend against Genji's onslaught as they desperately bought time for their lord to rearm the buffs. All of them sustained heavy injuries within this short period, while Genji only suffered negligible burns and a broken rib. Out of everyone, Genji was by far the least injured.
Suddenly, his hyper dodge triggered, prompting him to awkwardly twist his body and endure a harsh strike from Zarasu.
'What did I just dodge?' he wondered, sensing a sharp sensation brushing past his skin. 'It didn't feel like a physical attack. Was it a mental one?'
At this moment, three of the world tree's branches collapsed into ash, permanently vanishing from its trunk. Whatever it had done, it had taken a significant portion of its energy reserves.
Genji briefly put away his daggers, drinking several potions before rearming himself. Then he struck out again, upping his ferocity in hopes of overwhelming the world tree's output. His opponents had to focus everything on defense to survive this assault, but it eventually paid off when the green field descended once more.
Only this time, it was so dense that one couldn't even see through it. The three combatants felt their bodies recover some of their spent energy, and their fatigue drained away. Genji cut through the field like flowing water and engaged them once more. The skirmishes became much more even, and Genji began considering a proper time to escape.
However, he quickly dismissed this thought when he realized doing so would leave him vulnerable to dangerous counterattacks. The hindrance was bad enough right now, but it would only get worse if it meant delivering a finishing strike. So, for the sake of maximizing his chances, Genji poured everything into the offensive.
Cutting intent and shadow flames ripped through the greenery at high rates, further increasing energy consumption. Then he added his poison into the mix, nullifying a good portion of their healing. Under his efforts, the thick green mist dispersed at an alarming rate, forcing his opponents into desperation again.
But Genji wasn't going to give them time to recover their advantage. Piercing through the air like a drill, Genji arrived before Zarasu and prepared his finishing strike. He had already accounted for the field detonation with this movement, so he was certain this would land.
Blood splattered, eyes widened, and life drained from a body, but it wasn't the intended target. The one dying under Genji's dagger wasn't Zarasu, but the unnamed champion from before. Zarasu had grabbed the man and thrown him into the daggers' path, sacrificing his companion to survive.
Shock coursed through Ij'gne and the man's mind, unable to comprehend what had happened. However, this emotion soon turned to acceptance as they both forgave Zarasu's treacherous act.
'So this is why Father couldn't get over his pain,' Ij'gne thought. 'To think he was the one that condemned his own son to death. But I understand the choice. I would gladly sacrifice myself if it meant ensuring my father's safety. I'm sure my brother must have thought the same. I sense no anger from him. So, Father, please let go of this guilt. It's not your fault. If anything, we should blame this intruder. You've done nothing wrong. Don't wallow in the past so much.'
Ij'gne was heartbroken when he finally learned the source of his father's pain. He'd done so much to help Zarasu forget his sorrows, yet Ij'gne now realized why he never succeeded. 'I need to tell him this and finally put this matter to rest,' he thought, his eyes becoming firm again.
But while Ij'gne interrupted the event this way, Genji had a different feeling. 'Why did he sacrifice his ally like this? It's in vain! I'm sure he could have survived if the field detonated. Something is not right! It's as if he's trying to distract me from something! But what?'
Suddenly, Genji's eyes widened in realization. 'The tree! It hasn't made a move for a while! How long has it been charging its next attack?!?'
Realizing the danger he was in, Genji stomped hard, redirecting himself at the tree with a sharp pivot. Then he pushed his body to its limits, accelerating at max speeds as he gathered all his strength. Yet, this didn't stop the smile creeping onto Zarasu's face.
"Too late," Zarasu said triumphantly.
'I won't make it,' Genji determined at the same time. The sense of danger was rising too quickly for him. Recognizing this face, Genji's eyes hardened with a resolute glint. 'Fuck it! Time to gamble again!'
Genji put away one dagger, concentrated all his strength into the remaining one, and slashed out. A blinding streak of light tore through the horizon and dug into the side of the tree, bypassing his normal range limit.
Simultaneously, an agonizing pain beyond anything he'd endured erupted inside his head. It was so painful that it felt as if his skull would explode and splatter his brain matter everywhere. Genji tried his best to remain conscious, but the attack was far from over. The next moment, the pain multiplied countless times, overwhelming even his absurd tolerance.
As the last of his vision faded to black, several short prompts appeared before Genji, evoking a subtle shift in the corner of his lips.
[Your soul has suffered moderate damage.]
[Detecting incoming-]
[Mask of-]
But before Ij'gne could read any more, Genji fainted and the scene abruptly ended. And along with it, the whole spectator experience, as this was the last recorded memory.