Chapter 318: The Mirrors

Deep within the World Tree, the ground pulsed.

THUM.

The sound traveled through the enormous trunk and out into the roots around it.

Ronin stood alone in a massive chamber.

It wasn’t a normal room. Its walls were made of ancient roots twisted together so tightly they looked like enormous pillars, and golden light still flowed through parts of them.

Though black-purple veins had spread across their surface, slowly replacing the gold.

Ronin stood in the middle of it all with his eyes closed, feeling the World Tree, every root, every branch, and every change happening throughout the Secret Realm.

Forests were moving, rivers were changing course, and Beasts were evolving while others were being corrupted. And beneath all of it, five familiar powers kept pulsing, fire, water, earth, darkness, and light.

The Mirrors.

Ronin slowly opened his eyes. "They’re reacting."

Another pulse moved through the roots, and this time something came with it, a faint disturbance, then another, and another.

Ronin’s expression changed. Something was moving toward the Mirrors, and it wasn’t the humans, Arthur, or the professors.

It was the Beasts, the native Beasts of the Secret Realm. He could feel them moving through the newly connected regions, some following the enormous concentrations of mana and others drawn straight toward the Mirrors.

A few had already begun to change, their bodies soaking up the Miasma around the regions as the corruption forced their strength higher.

Ronin frowned. "So they’ve noticed."

A low growl echoed through the chamber, and Ronin turned as a black shadow moved between the roots, then another. The Beasts weren’t coming for him. They were heading for the Mirrors.

One of them stopped at the edge of the chamber. It was enormous, shaped like a wolf, with crystalline growths covering its back and purple energy leaking from between its teeth. Ronin looked at it for several seconds, and the Beast didn’t attack. It simply turned its head toward the distant Fire Region, and Ronin understood. It could sense the Mirror.

"So that’s what you’re after."

The Beast growled, and Ronin raised one hand as purple Miasma gathered around his fingers.

The Beast backed away at once. Ronin didn’t attack it. He simply watched it retreat. There was no point, because there were too many of them.

The World Tree’s awakening had changed everything. Before today, the Mirrors had been hidden behind the barriers.

Now the barriers were gone, their power was exposed, and every powerful Beast in the Secret Realm could feel it. Sooner or later, they would start fighting over them.

Ronin looked at the enormous wall of roots. "The Mirrors were never supposed to be this easy to reach."

"Then why are they?" a voice asked behind him.

Ronin turned as Jako walked into the chamber, still in his black clothing, the dragon marking visible along his arm.

Behind him came the enormous Water Long Serpent Dragon, which had to lower its head even in the massive chamber to keep from scraping the roots.

Jako looked around. "What happened?"

Ronin didn’t answer right away. He looked at the Dragon instead. "It seems your Beast noticed."

Jako’s expression turned slightly more serious. "The Mirror?"

Ronin nodded. "The Water Mirror is calling to it."

The Water Long Serpent Dragon let out a low rumble, and Jako glanced at it. "It can feel it."

"Of course it can," Ronin said, turning away. "The awakening removed the barriers. The Mirrors are exposed, and every powerful Beast in the Secret Realm can sense their energy."

Jako crossed his arms. "And?"

Ronin looked at him. "If a Beast reaches one first, it might absorb the Mirror’s power."

Jako’s eyes narrowed. "Can it?"

"I don’t know." Ronin paused. "But I’m not willing to find out."

"Neither am I," another voice said from the darkness.

Rokkaku stepped into the chamber, his black robes still torn from his last battle and his demon mask cracked along one side, with several thin black threads floating behind him.

The Spider General followed, its enormous body moving quietly through the chamber, each leg sinking slightly into the soft roots.

Jako glanced at him. "You look terrible."

Rokkaku looked at him. "You look annoying."

Jako smiled. "Good. You’re still yourself."

Ronin ignored the exchange, his attention still on the five distant powers. "The humans will eventually realize what’s happening."

Rokkaku’s eyes narrowed. "Arthur already has."

Ronin looked at him. "You encountered him."

"Yes."

"And?"

Rokkaku was quiet for a moment. "He’s troublesome."

Jako laughed. "That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard you say about someone."

Rokkaku ignored him. "He understands things too quickly."

Ronin’s expression stayed calm. "That’s why he can’t be allowed to reach the Mirrors."

Jako’s smile faded. "You want us to stop him?"

"No." Ronin turned to him. "I want you to reach the Mirrors before anyone else."

The room went quiet.

Jako’s eyes narrowed. "All of them?"

"No." Ronin looked toward the distant regions. "Go to the ones you can reach."

Five locations, five targets, and only two of them to cover them. It was going to be a race.

Jako looked toward the Water Region. "We’ve already been to the Water Mirror’s region."

Ronin nodded. "Then you know the path."

Jako smiled. "That’s convenient."

Rokkaku’s gaze moved to the opposite side. "What about the other regions?"

Ronin pointed toward the distant darkness. "The Beasts are already moving."

As if to prove him right, an enormous roar echoed through the roots, then another, then several more, and the World Tree trembled.

Jako’s expression turned serious. "So they’re already fighting over them."

"Not yet," Ronin said, his eyes narrowing. "But they will."

He walked to the edge of the chamber, where the enormous interior of the World Tree opened up before him.

Roots stretched in every direction, some golden, some black, and some covered in purple Miasma, and beyond them, five distant lights shone through the vast network. Five Mirrors.

Ronin watched them in silence. He had spent years preparing for this moment.

The barriers were gone, the World Tree was awake, and the Mirrors were exposed.

Everything was finally moving according to plan, except the Beasts. They had never been part of the plan, and neither had Arthur and the students.

His eyes narrowed. "The humans are moving too."

Rokkaku looked at him. "Arthur?"

"Most likely."

Jako smiled. "Then I’ll deal with him if I find him."

"No," Ronin said.

Jako’s smile vanished. "Why?"

"Because that isn’t your objective," Ronin said, his voice still calm. "Don’t waste your time fighting Arthur."

Jako frowned. "But..."

"The Mirrors are more important."

Jako stared at him for a moment, and then he smiled again. "Fine."

Rokkaku looked at Ronin. "And if Arthur reaches one?"

Ronin’s expression darkened. "Then stop him." Rokkaku nodded, and Ronin added, "But don’t chase him if he retreats." He looked at the five lights. "The Mirrors come first."

Jako glanced at the Water Long Serpent Dragon, which had lifted its head, its eyes fixed on the distant Water Region. He smiled. "Looks like my Beast already made its choice."

Rokkaku’s Spider General turned as well, its eight legs shifting beneath it as black threads began stretching out through the roots.

Rokkaku watched them carefully. "It’s sensing something too."

Ronin looked at both Beasts, and for the first time, a faint smile crossed his face. "Then go."

Jako stepped forward. "To the Mirrors?"

"Yes."

"Why now?" Rokkaku asked, following him.

Ronin’s expression turned cold. "Because the Beasts are beginning to understand what the Mirrors are." He looked at the distant lights. "And I won’t let them take what belongs to us."

Jako went first. The Water Long Serpent Dragon lowered its body, and Jako stepped onto its head. "Come on."

The enormous Beast surged forward, water erupting beneath it as it vanished into the roots.

Rokkaku stayed a moment longer and looked at Ronin. "What about you?"

Ronin turned back toward the World Tree. "I have something else to do."

Rokkaku didn’t ask. He already understood. Ronin was staying behind, because the World Tree was becoming harder to control.

Its roots were moving without his command, its corruption was spreading in directions he hadn’t expected, and somewhere deep inside the enormous tree, something was resisting him.

Rokkaku turned away. "Then we’ll handle the Mirrors."

Ronin didn’t answer, and Rokkaku disappeared into the darkness.

Ronin stood alone.

THUM.

The World Tree pulsed, and Ronin placed a hand against the enormous root in front of him. Purple Miasma flowed from his palm into the tree, and for a moment, the root responded. Then the golden light beneath the corruption pushed back.

Ronin’s eyes narrowed. "So you still resist."

The root trembled, and Ronin slowly pulled his hand away.

"That’s fine." He looked up. "You’re already awake." A faint smile appeared. "Now I only need to teach you who your master is."

Far beyond the roots, the five Mirrors kept shining, and across the Everglades, Beasts were beginning to move toward them.

The race had begun.

Arthur’s group was breaking the roots, the professors were gathering the students, the Beasts were hunting the Mirrors, and now Jako and Rokkaku were coming for them too.