“A Nephilim of Root Root,” Emperor Adonis said, watching on a hologram within the throne room. General Kur stood beside him. “I wonder how it differs…”

  “I imagine Nephilim around the world are watching this as well. Afterall, even the ancient roots derive from the original root of the world tree, dubbed Root Root. It may even give us a glimpse of how to access our own realms.”

  “Do you remember how many Nephilim are able to access the realms their ancient roots lie within?” Emperor Adonis asked.

  “I only know of three. Bishop 1 of Caladale, Matau, also known as the former number one illuminus elite that now represents the Axien Church under King. The unknown figure head of the mountain men high within the valley of Xinax, and that’s only speculation seeing as our knowledge is very limited; however, given they’ve been labeled as one of the four pillars of the world, it is likely they possess such an ability. And of course, the one we discussed the other day.”

  “Perhaps after today, there may be another,” Emperor Adonis said, intertwining his fingers as he watched the fight commence.

  The entire coliseum started to shake.

  “Earthquake?!” someone hollered, causing many to panic; but then many large roots erupted from the surface!

  They loomed high over Inari, coiling around her as if they were newborns and she were their mother. Stretching her arm out, the roots attacked!

  They whizzed through the air, aiming right at Rai! He jumped as they crashed below, ravaging the ground before sporadically twisting up into the air after him. Flipping mid-air, he launched off a giant root that had nearly hit him, landing on the ground. Gazing down, “Below!” The ground burst open as another root lightly smacked him in his attempt to avoid it. Rolling through the dirt, he smacked his palm onto the ground, backflipping while landing back on his feet. The ground started to vibrate, prompting him to turn and run. The earth continuously erupted behind him as root after root emerged, aiming to skewer him.

  “He can sense my ancient roots?” Inari said, placing her hand out to trap him.

  Rai leaped back as another root burst in front of him; though he improvised by using the two as a means to jump back and forth between the two, rising higher into the sky. “Uh!” Another root of Inari smashed into the one he was scaling, sending him sprawling backward; in the distance he caught a glimpse of Inari staring directly at him from the ground in the same place as when the fight had started.

  “You move around too much,” Inari said.

  “You attack too much!” Rai said, smashing his fist into a smaller root, however, the root remained strong not even cracking. Rai land on a root suspended in the air that had come to an almost standstill. Hand pulsing red, he blew on it. “It’s as hard as the luminite.”

  “The roots of the world tree aren’t something you’ll be able to crush with a simple flux-backed punch,” Inari said, lifting her hand as more giant roots target him.

  Quickly launching off of it, he slipped between the crevices of many of them, trying to close the distance, but below another giant root burst forth, aiming straight for his gut. “Ikken!” Rai shouted, blasting the giant root to tiny bits. “How’s that for simple!”

  “Did a human just use ikken?” a Nefarian in the crowd said.

  “Can’t be… Gotta be something else,” another said.

  Alderai watched carefully; Chozu had spoken to him of a human who could use the Kalumi’s secret ability, however he was still surprised himself.

  Rai pulled his leg back, target a root nearby.

  “Didn’t I just tell you attacks like that—”

  Rai kicked the very surface of the root, causing small bits to chip off, speedily raced her way like bullets.

  A root emerged from the ground to block Inari, however one got through, slightly nicking her cheek.

  A few strands of Inari's long green hair remained in her hand, as a drop of blood rolled down her cheek.

  “He got her!” Lily said, watching on the screen below the arena stands.

  “It actually hit,” Rai said as he landed on one of the larger roots that had become stagnant.

  Inari, frowning, wiped the blood from her cheek. “I didn’t expect you to peel off the surface of the root as a means of directing an attack from a distance.”

  “As much as I hate to admit it, I learned that trick from someone back in the slums when I was a kid,” Rai said.

  Gazing at the lightly smeared blood and the few strands of hair in her hand, she said, “A scratch and a couple strands of hair, what have you accomplished exactly?”

  “Sheesh, if you’re that eager for a haircut, the next one will be on the house.” Tapping the root beneath him with his foot, he muttered, “Can she only control a few at a time?”

  “You wanted to know about Nephilim,” Inari said, just barely visible to Rai.

  “Sure, if you’re offering,” Rai said.

  “When Nephilim access their roots, they almost always emerge as a root of the world tree, like the one you’re standing on. It’s only after inserting their flux that it manifests into their ancient forms.”

  Suddenly, the root below him sprouted branches! Quickly grabbing it, the branch still managed to pierce the surface of his chest. Snapping it, he swiftly jumped toward the ground. “If I hadn’t snatched the branch in time, it would have drove straight through me...” Many leaves and flowers bloomed all around him, blocking his view of Inari. Looking around, it was like being in the jungle. Hearing leaves ruffle behind him, he swiftly turned, only to see a floating lu-cam.

  “No need to worry folks,” Otto announced. “Our lu-cams will continue to record the fight, feeding it in real time to the projector above.” The tournament board that displayed the match ups, instead revealed the entire arena, at times showing multiple screens, or switching between the two competitors in order to catch the best angles of the fight.

  Walking through the jungle, Rai heard more ruffling behind him. “You mind moving the camera elsewhere,” he said turning around, however to his surprise, a creature with a flower as a head rushed him. It’s disc, located in the center, peeled backward, revealing teeth as tentacles shot out, wrapping around Rai’s leg. He yanked it toward him smashing it into the ground, causing purple blood to splatter everywhere. “Where did that come from?” Not long after, many more came running from the shadows. “Crap!” Rai said, running in the opposite direction.

  “Hey, those are terrorpetals,” Alan said. “What’re they doing here?”

  Rai raced through the jungle, passing a field of screeching orchids, clutching his ears in pain. Stopping under the shadow of an earthbreaker yew tree, one of its massive hammerheads slung back like a bent plastic spoon, detaching and smashing down. Leaping back, a terropetal splattered behind in his place.

  Soon, more rooted tentacles ensnared him as a many emerged from the surrounding bushes. “Can’t move!” Rai shouted, but another heavy crack down from the yew breaker tree, splattered the remaining plants ensnaring him. Alarmed by a coming threat, Rai rolled left as a root tore past. “Stop hiding!” he yelled, racing forward as flux vines followed his energy, alerting nearby plants. At each turn he met a new type of creature, before tripping into a mas of gravity vines, which slowly lifted him into the air. “What the hell?!”

  Outside the jungle, Inari stood patiently. “Got you,” she said, lifting her hand, but before she could act, a snapblossom appeared, charging at her with its long green mouth.

  A root emerged, severing its head—but it kept coming! It climbed over the root and lunged at her, forcing Inari to dash left.

  Then, a second snapblossom appeared from the jungle, but Inari stopped, using a large root to smash both creatures to the ground.

  “This is insane,” Ayame said. “It’s like the outside world of plants have all gathered within the arena.”

  “Hey guys, sorry I’m late,” Chloe said, appearing beside the rest. “How’s the match going?”

  “Not sure,” Jack said. “The jungle seems to be against them both…”

  “The chaotic nature of this jungle, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s even more puzzling than your magic Mu,” Marco said.

  “It is quite the trick indeed,” Mu said, watching intently.

  In the throne room, Emperor Adonis asked General Ku, “Is this a realm?”

  “No… When entering a realm, you no longer stay within the surface world. This is something else entirely.”

  Inari, gazing at the lu-cam hovering nearby, said, “Root-Root allows me to summon the essence of any type of plant that could ever be produced, however, which appear, and the will of the plants themselves, are completely out of my control.”

  “Kind of sounds like a wild mage,” Eiji said.

  “Wild what?” Hanabi said.

  “I main it in Baulders Grove; the characters are amazing,” Eiji said, clenching his fists to his chest.

  “Game of the year,” Alan said, nodding.

  “Nah, Eldin Roots got it,” Neptus said.

  “Guys…” Hanabi said.

  “Basically, it’s a mage who can use crazy types of magic, but they have a chance to cause randoms spells to fire off, which can either be very helpful or very dangerous, depending. You might get stronger because of a power buff, or you might summon a chimera and get your face torn off.”

  “Way to encourage,” Rina said.

  Chloe gazing into the arena, “So there’s no telling what Rai’s up against?”

  Hanabi clasped her hands together, bringing them close to her lips. Ri Ri…

  As Rai was lifted into the air, he spotted a large, football-shaped head atop a twisted tree. The head rotated slowly, grinning wickedly before spewing a sticky liquid that bound him to a thick root behind him. “What the—?!” he shouted. The tree's bark darkened to purple as its vines slithered toward him. “Screw it, Plu!” Rai yelled. A massive root erupted from the ground, smashing the plant's head off and tearing into its hollow core. “Hurry, get me loose!” Rai called out.

  Plu, in its root form, nodded, rushing over to Rai as the tip of its wooden head gazed at the sticky substance. The root rubbed against the sticky material, attempting to saw away at it, but instead it got stuck. Yanking off, the root slouched in defeat.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “Try to escape this time,” Inari said.

  “Plu! She’s coming!” Rai shouted.

  Plu glanced back as two massive roots crushed trees in their path. Panicking, Plu wrapped around the tree Rai was stuck to, snapping it off and carrying him away just as the roots flew by.

  “Nice moving Plu!” Lily shouted.

  Weaving through the jungle, Plu dodged roots emerging from the ground, carrying Rai and the severed tree stump. Spotting a flame-wheel tree with twelve rotating fiery stems, Plu carried Rai toward it, tossing him into the fire.

  “What the hell Plu?!” Rai shouted, crashing into the flames.

  “Ouch,” Lily and Daichi said.

  Kenji chuckled seeing this, meanwhile Haruki and Gaius watched carefully.

  Lying in a small crater of the destroyed fire-wheel tree, Rai’s entire face down to his feet was charred black. “Plu, we seriously need to work on our communication…”

  “Mecaw!” noises echoed below.

  Rai glanced down, seeing rootspore chimps climbing toward him.

  “Get out of there, Rai!” Alan warned. “The spores on their heads explode, paralyzing you—then you’ll be a sitting duck!”

  “Plu, get Inari!” Rai shouted. He jumped onto a giant flower, but it plummeted like a falling elevator. As the chimps lunged, Rai leaped off, and when one landed on the flower, it shot back up, sending the chimps flying into the sky.

  “Phew…” Hanabi said, placing her hand on her chest.

  “Inari! This is getting real old, you gonna fight me or what?!” Rai shouted, but heard nothing. The ground was littered with hushweaves—plants that silence everything. Crap! Sensing danger behind, Rai lunged just as a root scraped his coat. “Dammit, just fixed this!” Another root shot at him, and he dodged. “If it weren’t for this weird sense of mine, I’d be dead by now,” Rai said, racing through the forest.

  “Stubborn little…” Inari said, missing time and time again.

  Rai kept running, but as sound returned, an explosion from a nearby plant knocked him into a tree, coughing up blood.

  Without time to rest, Inari attacked again!

  Rai rolled, narrowly avoiding another root, only to be struck by a smaller one, sending him crashing through a tree.

  Struggling to rise, Rai saw three more roots coming. “Can’t avoid this!” Rai braced for impact, but stumbling back he slipped into a boomi pod, teleporting him to another spot in the jungle. Lying on the ground, breathing heavily, he said, “This is ridiculous.”

  Outside, Inari’s hand was outstretched as she attacked Rai again and again, but then the ground erupted beneath her. “What?!” It quickly wrapped around her, yanking her into the forest. As the jungled flew by her in a blur, she said, “It’s the same root as before.”

  When it came to a stop, Inari was hovering in Plu's grasp while Rai sat on a log, one leg folded over the other. “Tag, you're it,” he said, gazing up at Inari. “Good job Plu.”

  The tip of the root, nodded, as if to say ‘thank you.’

  “What is this?” Inari said. “The ancient roots of the world tree known as Root Root, are supposed to be under my control, and this is definitely one of them. Yet, I can’t control it at all.”

  “Its name is Plu, and it’s my partner,” Rai said. Standing, he walked over to Inari, “Give up, it’s over.”

  Inari smirked, “You should have asked your partner to use the thicker end of its root to ensnare me.” Bit by bit, the root wrapped around Inari expanded, before Inari busted out, causing the large root to fall limp. “Enough games,” she said, retracting all the plant life around into the original root root’s lying around; any remaining creatures simply died off, withering into dust.

  Rai jumped back, “Damn. I totally forgot about Nephilim’s freakish strength.”

  Tanabe, who was on a mission elsewhere, watch the fight on a tv screen. “Rai… I told you to watch out for this.”

  Before Rai’s fight was set to commence, Tanabe met up with him. He was sitting in a chair placed backwards with his arms folded along the top of it, saying, “I hear you’re facing Inari in the tournament.”

  “Yeah, not exactly the luckiest draw,” Rai said, kicked back on the small couch of his place. He casually tossed a small ball into the air, catching it as it fell.

  “Nephilm, I hear you.”

  “Think your grandpa could give me any pointers?” Rai said, throwing the ball toward Tanabe.

  Catching it, Tanabe muttered, “Doubt it. He keeps most of his abilities as secret as possible, being the general and all. But I can tell you one thing. For being as old as he is, he’s got incredible durability and strength, and this is without even having a flux guard up. A quality of the Nephilim no doubt.”

  Appearing out of thin air—a Plus!

  It startled Rai who flipped backwards, taking the couch with him. The little blue fairy giggled, before vanishing. “What the heck is a Plus doing here?!” Rai said, lifting his head from behind the couch.

  “Uh… To be honest, this one in particular has been following me around since you lost your memory…” Tanabe said, placing his hand on his head. “She must like you. She’s never shown herself to anyone.”

  “Aren’t those supposed to be super rare?” Rai said.

  “Apparently,” Tanabe said, tossing the ball back at Rai who caught it. “Anyways, I’ve got a mission southeast of the Kalumi woods. There’s a Minus causing a ruckus around some small villages and I’ve been tasked to deal with it. Be careful in your match. Nephilim aren’t to be taken lightly, I would know.” Having trained with his grandpa every day as a child, he definitely knew more than most.

  Beneath Inari, a root emerged carrying her into the sky and away from Rai, back to the ground where she was originally at the start of the match. “Here’s another fact of the Nephilim,” Inari said. Under the arena, Gaius smirked watching the fight. “Our cores can handle a lot more than anyone else!”

  One by one, the ground erupted along the sides of the arena, wrapping every inch of the walls, even peering into the stands which were a hundred feet high.

  The smaller roots she summoned previously, now lay motionless, making up the entire arena floor.

  Elsewhere, Tina and Adrian, the couple who helped him up the stairs, watched cautiously from their home.

  There son, Tommy, was snuggled in between them biting the edge of the pillow nervously.

  “Plu, you still with me?” Rai said, looking around at the roots littering the floor to see if he can spot it. Nearby, a root lifted its head, looking left and right before spotting Rai. “I think its time we try that out,” Rai hollered.

  The root nodded, retreating into the ground before reappearing as a much smaller root, wrapping around Rai’s foot.

  “Farewell, imposter,” Inari said, and all the supersized roots crashed down at once.

  “Rai!” Hanabi shouted.

  When the dust settled, Inari gazed at the spot Rai was, however he wasn’t present.

  “Up here moss head!” Rai shouted, falling from the sky.

  “Lucky dodge!” Inari then continued the onslaught, but Rai simply was too fast, dodging everything she threw. “Uh!” Appearing in front of her, Rai. A medium-sized root emerged to stop the attack, but his leg smashed right through it, slamming his foot into her and sending her flying back.

  “Ouch,” Rai said, shaking his leg off. “Plu, I’m gonna need a little more reinforcement.” In turn the roots wrapped around Rai’s legs grew a bit thicker.

  “That’s more like it!” Eiji shouted, waving a flag with Rai’s face on it. “Woo!”

  “Get up Inari, we’re just getting started!” Rai said.

  Inari, rising from the ground, gripped a root with her arm, rising toward the sky, before flipping up on it. Lifting her arm, roots attacked, however Rai disappeared, reappearing in front of her, delivering another crushing kick that sent her across the arena into her own root below. “So fast,” she said, sending everything at once.

  Rai jumped, ducked and dodged again and again, smashing through smaller roots while avoid the giant ones. “To slow,” he said, appearing in front of her, and smacking her around the arena numerous times, before kicking her to the sky. Jumping up, he clasped his hands together, smashing down, sending her plummeting into the ground.

  The giant roots looming over the arena, fell limp, causing the arena to shake as they hit the floor.

  “The fights completely changed in Rai’s favor!” Rina said.

  “He’s gotten much stronger,” Aegis said smiling.

  Rai, landing on the ground, breathed heavily before gripping his chest, spitting blood on the floor. He gazed at the roots wrapped around his legs, his vision slightly blurry. Standing upright, he watched as the dust cloud slowly dissipated, waiting to see the outcome. In order to use this ability, I have to push a ton of flux force into Plu. Asking Plu to give me a little be more firepower, was equivalent to me using many ikkens…

  “Is it over?” Seppe said. Looking to his right, Kiku was sleeping. “How can you sleep during such a match?!”

  “Guys…” Peon said, as the floor started to vibrate.

  On by one, the roots that had become the new arena floor, snapped in half, and all the roots lying around stood upright. You and that root” Inari muttered, blood trickling down her mouth.

  Now, roots were quite literally everywhere.

  “Dammit,” Rai said. “That’s Nephilim for you I guess.”

  “Let’s see you dodge all these!”

  They smashed down, and Rai jumped high out of the way, however another smacked into him sending him hurdling into a root which smacked him as well.

  Smashing through many, he quickly jumped off one, leaping between small and giant roots alike.

  Inari had placed many roots before her, making it difficult for him to get to her.

  “Ikken!” Rai shouted, and a large root was torn to bits as he launched off another toward Inari, but one above hit him, sending him straight into the ground.

  “You won’t get away this time,” Inari said. She had left a root on the ground, which steadily coiled around Rai, in the same way he ensnared Inari.

  “Crap! Ikken!” he shouted, aiming at his feet, blasting him and the root, propelling himself far away.

  “He hit himself with ikken?!” Neptus said.

  Rising from the floor, barely, Rai huffed, blood dripping down his arm.

  Inari was slightly in shock. “You would use such an attack on yourself.”

  “No, choice…” Rai said. Thankfully Plu’s reinforcement on my legs prevented them from getting torn off… More roots crashed down, causing Rai to jump high. He noticed many more arriving mid-air, quicker than he could do anything about.

  “It’s over,” Inari said.

  “Plu, quick! On me!” Plu, as a root along his legs, swiveled up to his hand, forming a short spear of sorts. Not long after the smaller roots of Inari, wrapped and coiled Rai yet again within the air. Bit by bit, they worked their way up his body. “Take this!” Rai shouted, throwing the wooden spear with all his might.

  Inari raised her hand to place a large root as a means of defense, however, a kick resonated from within her core, causing her to spit up blood; and the roots failed to rise in time to defend her. As a result, the wooden spear, smashed through the smaller defenses. Her eyes opened wide, but the spear just barely missed, only slightly slitting the side of her neck while completely chopping off her long green hair, to the left of her head.

  “He missed! Awh come on you had her!” Eiji said.

  “You wanted it to hit?” Neptus said, slightly worried.

  “Well, not exactly…” Eiji said, nervously.

  “You missed your only chance to win this,” Inari said, as the roots wrapped Rai up toward his head.

  Before they could completely encase him, Rai muttered, “Hope… you like the new cut,” smirking as the roots wrapped him entirely, head and all. Inari, shook, remembered a moment earlier in the match, when Rai stated, ‘If you’re that eager for a haircut, the next one will be on the house.’ Not long after, slowly the roots unraveled. “What the?” Rai said, as he was gently laid down.

  “What gives?!” Kenji said, watching Inari let Rai go.

  Inari, gazing at her long green hair on the ground, which practically touched the floor prior to it being chopped off, said, “You missed on purpose…”

  “Well yeah. I wasn’t about to kill another apprentice just for some tournament,” Rai said. “I’ve got a lot of dreams I’m trying to accomplish, I’m sure you do too. Ultimately, we’re supposed to be here to support each other, right?”

  “Pathetic,” Gaius said under the arena stands, no longer watching the fight.

  Reezo leaned back, recalling his moment with Inari, whom he chose as an apprentice.

  They were standing out in the open field where Inari was testing her abilities against him. Rising from the floor, clothing tattered, Inari walked away from Reezo. “Is that it?” Reezo said.

  “There’s nothing more to show,” she said. “You’re stronger than me, for now.”

  “Inari, you should know strength isn’t everything.”

  “Strength is the only thing that determines one’s status in this world,” Inari said, leaving.

  “Dreams,” Reezo said, causing Inari to stop in place. “Strength can determine a lot, but it’s our dreams that are the driving force behind that strength.”

  “And how can one achieve such dreams if they are too weak to do so?” Inari said.

  “They’re made easier to achieve, when you have others who are willing to support you. Someday, I believe you too will come to realize this.”

  Inari, thinking it over, cracked a light smile, shaking her head slightly as if to disapprove. Looking up at Otto, she said, “I forfeit.”

  “WHAT?!” the arena full of people said.

  “F-forfeit?” Rai said, surprised.

  Inari didn’t answer, instead exiting the arena.

  “Um… that was unexpected.” Clearing his throat, Otto announced, “Lets hear it for your victor, Rai!” and the crowd erupted with cheers.

  “Ri Ri, you did it,” Hanabi said smiling.

  “That’s my bro in there!” Eiji said, waving the flag with his face on it high in the air.

  Once Inari departed the giant roots withered away, dispersing into dust that floated away into the air. The holes that would have been left, instead were filled with the wood, making the surface of the earth flat once again. The only holes were the ones the roots slammed directly down into when Inari aimed to attack Rai.

  Rai gazed around at the many people within the coliseum. “I.. won?” Suddenly a smile emerged on his face, leaping high into the air. “Alright!”

  “Well done,” Marco said.

  Under the coliseum where the fighters normally would be, Inari walked down a long dark corridor by herself, when Reezo appeared. “So, have you found your dream?” he asked.

  Inari, stopping short of the exit, glanced back, saying, “Not yet… but, these fights given me a lot to think about.” She continued to walk toward the exit, before stopping once more. “Thank you, Reezo. I look forward to our next sparring match,” she said turning, revealing a confident smile.

  Reezo in turn smiled, turning the opposite direction. “As do I Inari.”

  Rai, reappearing with the other combatants, hobbled over to Lily.

  “You did it!” Lily said. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Like a squashed potato,” he said.

  “You should probably see Hanabi before your next match,” Lily said. “You’ve got time, considering the time it’ll take to repair the damage.”

  “Good thinking,” Rai said.

  “Will the next contestants, please enter the arena!” Otto’s voice boomed from the speakers.

  “What?! Already?” Lily said. They both gazed at the projector, noticing Knox, the number eight elite whose hands were placed on the surface of the arena. All the holes created by Inari's attacks were filled with gold.

  Sighing, Lily gazed at Rai, “See you in the semi’s,” she said.

  “You bet,” Rai said.

  “You’ll be seeing her in the hospital,” Kenji said, bumping Lily as he brushed by.

  Outside, Lily and Kenji faced one another, with Otto once again standing in between them both.

  “Alright Lily, you got this,” she said to herself.

  “Just look, today the world gets to see just how useless of a Nefarian you really are,” Kenji said.

  “What they’ll see, is me pummeling you to the ground,” she replied.

  “Oh, a little fire in you I see. Can’t wait to snuff it out,” Kenji said, departing to his corner.

  “Hm,” Lily said, turning as well.

  After Otto and the apprentices got into position, he said, “Begin!”