Rai observed as the floor broke apart into large tentacle-like tree roots. They grabbed the cages full of humans and began spinning the cages.

Shrieking howls of pain and torture came from the humans within them, despite their lack of mouths to make such noises with.

Rai was speechless. Blood spattered outwards from the spinning cages, and a stray bone here or there would find its escape.

The screams stopped. When the roots finished spinning the cages, what was left inside them was a bloody mess of human body parts crushed under their own weights.

It was a gross display.

The whole point of gathering humans was to crush them into a mush of gore and feed that to the forest. That’s... disgusting... Rai wanted to puke.

Rai diverted his attention from the few cages that had been lifted into the air and spun around to the floating mass of roots. It’s almost like a minion of the grand oak. The way it moves its stray roots makes it look like it’s controlling the bigger roots.

The oaken minion directed one of the cages full of human mush to be held over a smaller hole in the floor of the grand oak. Upon reaching the hole, the bottom of the cage was opened up. The mess of gore within fell into the hole.

Okay. The trial must have something to do with stopping this barbaric mess. I should destroy that oaken minion. If I can’t use Stormflow or Antithesis, then I’ll have to rely on what I know best. Swordsmanship.

Rai called forth Ghost.

The flash of lightning was instant. Ghost was in his hand.

The black blade felt cool in Rai’s grip. He’d never had an opportunity to use Ghost properly until now. What would cut through wood easily? Ice would make it easy to shatter, but perhaps it would be more effective to slice through those roots as easily as possible. Flames would be best.

The cracks within Ghost’s blade lit up with a bright orange colour. The blade itself took on a flaming aura. The diamond shaped holes were filled by screens of blazing fire.

Rai was ready.

The oaken minion directed the roots to prepare another set of cages.

Rai counted four large roots.

He imbued his body with wind and soared through the air before the roots acted on their orders.

With a flaming cyclonic strike, Rai sliced cleanly through one of the four roots. A gooey orange sap-like liquid poured out of the root as it flopped to the ground with a loud thud.

He propelled himself with extra wind in the direction of another root, diverting from his original path.

Ghost’s blade burned brightly as Rai incinerated the bare edges of the second root upon slicing through it.

He propelled himself once more towards another root while mid-air.

Smash!

Rai was swatted away in the air by the remnants of the second root.

So powerful was the impact that Rai coughed out blood.

Still, he reoriented himself before colliding with the wall of the grand oak. Rai couldn’t stop himself from slamming into the wall, but he softened the impact with wind magic.

With a soft thud, Rai hit the wall. He shot out enough propelling wind to stop himself from falling face first onto the ground, which was a saving grace in this kind of situation. Upon landing, Rai wiped away the stray blood around his lips.

A shriek came from the middle of the tree. The same guttural sounds came from the oaken minion. “INVADER! AVENGE YOUR BRETHREN! KILL THE HUMAN!” The language of the Ancients again!

Rai had no time to think about how the tree-beings could speak the language of the Ancients, since the remaining two roots shot themselves directly at him.

He had no time to react either.

Rai continually used wind magic to propel himself in different directions to avoid getting stabbed or sliced by the sharp edges of the roots.

Fighting these things is impossible. My surprise attack allowed me to get rid of two of them, but they’re so fast! He lamented not being able to use Stormflow right now. Regardless, Rai had access to a technique that Stormflow couldn’t hold much of a candle to.

The Sword Dance.

The guttural screaming sound came once more, “KILL FOR THE FOREST! KILL FOR THE FOREST!”

The roots... got faster?

Rai slowed his breathing.

Centre yourself.

The roots shot directly at Rai.

No inefficient movements.

Without moving too far or too little, Rai sidestepped one of the roots. It flew past him and lodged itself into the floor behind him.

Apply the fundamentals of the Dance to everything.

Rai held Ghost out, pointing it towards the tip of the root that was still flying towards him.

Wait. Patience is key.

Ghost’s flames felt it.

Rai jumped.

He held himself laying face forward in the air using wind magic on his body.

The root zoomed past where he once stood.

Rai rotated his body like a corkscrew with wind, cleanly cutting through the root with Ghost’s extended flames in a satisfying arc.

Scorched blade strike marks were left on the floor below the root.

Rai landed, standing on top of the fallen root.

The other root that attacked him broke free of its lodging.

Rai imbued both wind and flame into Ghost.

He nimbly leapt into the air over the large part of the final root.

Aiming directly downwards, Rai sliced the air.

He’d shot a flaming arc that speedily burnt straight through the root.

Using wind magic, Rai slowly floated towards the ground.

He landed.

One left.

A guttural cry came from the middle of the room.

“DESTROYER! DESTROYER OF THE FOREST! MUST DIE!”

Rai stared at the mass of roots. Now that he was closer, it looked like a big sphere made entirely of roots that... slithered around the body.

Is there something inside it?

The cry came once more. “THE MAHJ IS KING. THE MAHJ RULES ALL. THE MAHJ WILLS THE DEATH OF ALL HUMANS!”

Mahj? What on Zenith is a Mahj?

Completely throwing Rai off, the oaken minion... It opened up?

An orb! A golden orb, just like the last trial! It’s inside the oaken minion... All I have to do-

Before Rai could run and touch the orb, the roots of the oaken minion expanded. And expanded. Rai looked onwards in shock.

Wooden segments from the fallen roots flew off of their limp bodies and towards the oaken minion. Quickly, segments of the grand oak’s insides also ripped themselves away from their natural resting places and flew towards the oaken minion.

The creature in front of Rai was quite possibly the largest living thing he’d ever seen.

It was tall. Very tall. Craning his neck up, Rai’d only just noticed the little light sources on the inside of the grand oak’s trunk. He also wondered how on Zenith he was supposed to get to the top of this thing and destroy it. The creature resembled something like a golem, similar to what Rai refused to be taught by his Aunt Elly. I really wish I took those lessons now...

The oaken minion was now embedded in the centre of the oaken golem’s torso.

A thunderous guttural cry came from the golem. “THE MAHJ IS HERE. THE MAHJ WILL ACT!”

Rai sighed. For fucks’ sake what is this Mahj thing?

One of the golem’s arms flew towards Rai.

He managed to dodge out of the way. The crash of the golem’s arm into the ground was loud. The arm slowly lifted back up. Blood and gore dripped from the bottom of the golem’s stumpy arm.

It crushed a cage of humans.

Rai gagged as he witnessed the mess of gore on the ground.

He looked away.

I really can’t handle this much blood and gore...

The golem readied itself for another attack.

Rai focused and re-ignited Ghost.

I’ll damage it the next time it hits the ground.

The oaken golem subverted Rai’s expectations. A barrage of mini-roots shot out from the golem’s chest. Specifically, they came from the oaken minion that acted as its heart.

Rai sliced through the mini-roots that he could reach, and dodged backwards to avoid as many of the others as possible.

The onslaught was short, but intense.

Rai didn’t make it through unscathed.

A couple roots made it past his blade and were completely unavoidable. Fortunately, they missed his vitals. One nicked his torso’s side. The other sliced past Rai’s left forearm. Blood poured out of both cuts. Flesh wounds, I can cauterise them with fire magic.

Rai willed searing flames to form out of his mana, causing an intense pain far worse than the wounds themselves.

Still, he’d amateurishly cauterised his wounds, stopping the bleeding.

The oaken golem was reeling. It can’t unleash that attack multiple times in a row... Now’s my chance!

Rai used 10% of his mana to build up wind magic around his feet.

The golem wobbled. The recoil of its own attack was affecting it.

Still, Rai waited. He built up enough propelling power and held it for the right opportunity.

The golem stomped forward to try and hold its balance.

Now!

Rai unleashed the propelling magic.

He shot forward with Ghost’s flaming blade ready to slice directly through the oaken minion. In an instant, Rai’d reached the oaken minion. His own momentum was staggering, and even though he wanted to avoid damaging the orb, there was no choice now. Aiming right where the golden orb was, Rai sliced the minion in the golem’s chest.

Rai’s momentum carried him straight through the oaken minion, the resistance of the roots he’d sliced through only somewhat slowing him down.

Before he had the chance to think about stabilising himself, the world lit up in flames.

Rai flew towards the never-ending fire. He flailed around screaming. No matter how much he tried to use magic to stop himself from flying towards it, nothing worked.

Silence met him.

Rai’s eyes were shut tight.

His entire body was clenched.

A deep, rumbling, voice from behind him let out a chuckle, “Hmm... a little dragon has appeared. A descendant, at that. This is what you would send me, dear Phoenix?”

Rai opened his eyes. His wounds were gone.

The view he was met with was unbelievably beautiful.

A clear blue sky, and an endless ocean.

Rai felt the ground around him. Grass. He felt for Ghost in his seals. It was there. Phew. That’s a relief.

The rumbling voice made its presence known once more, “Will you not meet me, little dragon?” Rai’s body shook from just the voice’s incredibly shocking power.

He turned around.

What the... fuck.

Laying on the ground was a creature with such majesty that Rai’s heart wept in awe. Its beautiful eyes were a mix of black and white. The feeling they emanated was both harsh and soft. Pure white scales all over its body glistened in the light of the twin suns, giving off an ethereal feeling. Utter beauty.

Rai’d felt this feeling before. Within his body was a visceral reaction... Compared to the sea serpent, this was far more intense. His body implored him to kneel, to revere the creature in front of him. But his mind refused to act in such a way without more information. Still, the pull that he felt towards the beast in front of him was tangible.

The creature’s voice rumbled as it laughed once more, “I suppose we should have a chat, since that damned bird sent you to me. What say you, little dragon?”

Rai audibly gulped.

He stared at the white dragon and nodded.