Seren feels a flicker of reassurance. Her flames are effective; the monstrous tree's roots twist and writhe in agony, the fire from her previous attack scorching them relentlessly.
Some of the roots shoot up several meters into the air, then slam down toward her with the force of falling boulders, aiming to crush her entirely.
Seren dodges to the side with agile precision, her sword flashing as she slices through several roots in mid-air. They crash to the ground, severed in half.
The tree responds, an eerie creaking sound echoing through the forest as its remaining roots tear out of the earth. The amount of liquid tears streaming from the tree increases, flowing down and extinguishing the flames licking at its base.
'It's strong, no doubt'
Serens breathing is steady despite the intensity of the fight. Her gaze flickers toward her teammates, her concern deepening.
'But I'm worried about the others...'
She notices something strange, chaotic, disjointed movements from her comrades. Nico is repeatedly slashing his own wrist with his blood blade, the crimson liquid dripping freely but being used for nothing. The sight sends a jolt of alarm through Seren.
Ahri is on the ground nearby, sobbing uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking as though the weight of despair has completely crushed her.
Then there's Robert, his face twisted with uncharacteristic anger. His voice cuts through the din of battle as he hurls cruel insults at Ahri.
"You're useless! Just get out of the way, you're nothing but dead weight!"
'This damn mind hex... It's driving them insane'
She spins around frantically, searching for the rest of the team.
'Kiaran and Finn... wait, where are they?'
Before she can locate them, the tree launches a fresh attack. Roots erupt from the ground like tentacles, twisting and writhing. At their tips, small blue orbs begin to form, glowing with an ominous light.
Seren thinks grimly.
'Just like the water stream attack, except now there are ten of them.'
Her sword is already in motion as she braces for the onslaught, prepared to fight through the barrage. But before she can make her move, two figures suddenly move toward the tree from opposite sides, Finn and Kiaran.
"Damn it!" Seren curses. Her stomach twists with anger and worry.
"The mind hex is making them reckless."
Kiaran charges with his massive axe raised high, while Finn moves with surprising speed, his hands glowing faintly.
Seren grits her teeth and surges forward herself, determined to distract the abomination and draw its attention away from her hexed teammates.
The tree, however, seems unfazed by her presence. Its roots lash out in multiple directions, some targeting Seren, others swiping viciously at Finn and Kiaran.
Meanwhile, the blue orbs at the ends of the roots close to the trunk begin to shimmer with an unsettling intensity.
But something feels off from the previous attacks. Her instincts scream at her to move.
The orbs suddenly burst, not into concentrated streams like before but into massive waves. The water gushes out in all directions, threatening to drown everything in its path. The forest floor trembles under the sheer force of the surge.
Seren reacts instantly, her blade slicing cleanly through the wall of water barreling toward her. The wave splits apart, the divided currents rushing harmlessly past her.
But her relief is short-lived. She watches in horror as the rest of her team is swallowed by the deluge, showing no signs of defending themselves. Nico and Ahri are swept off their feet, the powerful currents dragging them away like ragdolls.
Seren notices Robert looking at her, before getting caught with the rest of Kiaran and Finn.
The water doesn't stop there. It forms into round prisons around each of them.
Seren stares in disbelief as the water morphs into cages, the liquid swirling violently inside, threatening to drown her teammates where they stand.
The cages churn with malicious intent, and her friends are helpless, thrashing weakly against their bonds as water fills their lungs.
The tree creaks ominously, as though savoring its dominance. Seren's mind races, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Seren tightens her grip on her blade, her mind racing.
'I have to kill it to save them... Looks like there's no other choice.'
She raises her gaze to the ominous sky above, her lips parting as if to utter a desperate incantation. But before any sound escapes, a series of deafening explosions rip through the battlefield.
The bubble encasing Robert bursts with violent force, leaving nothing behind, not even a trace of him.
Seren's eyes widen, confusion flooding her mind. But her focus is abruptly pulled to the scene ahead. Four figures, clad in military uniforms, sprint toward the tree with fearless determination.
The creature reacts instantly, its massive roots swinging down like living hammers, crushing them effortlessly. Yet, instead of simply being obliterated, the fallen soldiers erupt into fiery explosions upon impact, the shockwaves splintering the tree's bark and causing deep fissures to ripple through its trunk.
The continuous flow of water streaming from the tree ceases, the liquid cages surrounding her team collapse into harmless puddles. Relief washes over Seren for a brief moment before she notices someone stepping next to her.
"I freed myself from the hex just before the wave hit," Robert explains, his voice strained.
"I used my Arkana. Those clones you saw, they were my doing. They're designed to detonate on destruction."
Seren narrows her eyes, suspicion creeping into her expression. Something feels off.
"I know about your clones, but why was there a clone in the water prison?"
Robert meets her gaze, a flicker of pride crossing his face.
"I've ascended to the next rank: Flamebound. My Stigma evolved. I can now swap places with my clones at will."
Seren processes this revelation as the battlefield briefly quiets. The explosions have inflicted significant damage on the monstrous tree, its roots twitching and curling in pain. Deep gashes ooze a thick, sap-like substance, and several of its glowing blue orbs dim and flicker.
Despite the damage, it isn't finished. The tree shudders violently, its branches creaking and twisting with renewed malice.
Seren glances back at her team. The others are slowly regaining their composure, the mind hex that had them captive is now broken.
Nico wipes blood from his wrist, a grim determination replacing his earlier confusion. Ahri rises shakily to her feet, her tear-streaked face flushed with embarrassment.
Robert turns to Seren, his expression grim.
"Everyone, especially Ahri, I apologize."
"It's fine," Ahri replies, her cheeks red, though her focus remains on the enemy.
"But this thing isn't done yet."
Her words prove true as the monstrous tree's maw stretches open once more. From the depths of its throat comes a chilling creak, like the scream of tortured wood.
"It first ate the fruit with the crying face," Robert mutters, his analytical tone cutting through the tension.
"Next should be the one with the embarrassed—"
He stops mid-sentence as the tree abruptly shifts. A different branch moves instead, carrying a fruit marked with a devilish, grinning face. The tree devours it without hesitation.
Seren's heart sinks as the transformation begins. The creature's already twisted features contort further, its smile curling into something malevolent and unnatural.
The once faintly human-like grin becomes a grotesque smile, giving off an aura of unrestrained malice. The air around it grows heavy, charged with an oppressive, almost tangible sense of evil.
The roots, now darker than before, writhe with renewed vigor, their movements more calculated and sinister. The glowing orbs on their ends pulse erratically, like hearts beating in a frenzied rhythm.
Kiaran grabs his axe tighter, his knuckles whitening.
"Why can't this damn thing just die..."