The trembling ground and the sudden emergence of trees from beneath the earth shocked the onlookers.
"Trees rising from the ground? Is this magic?"
"They keep appearing and shooting upwards. Everyone, watch where you step, another tree might sprout right beneath your feet. If you don't dodge, you'll be carried high into the air along with the rising tree," exclaimed the people startled by the sight.
The trees continued to appear in vast numbers. They emerged in a distinct pattern: new trees would sprout close to existing ones, causing them to stand packed tightly together. This dense clustering created what felt like a wall of wood, with the trees pressed so closely against one another that no gaps remained between them. The formations stretched straight ahead, extended sideways, or wound in twisting paths—resembling a labyrinth. A maze made of towering trees was rapidly taking shape across the academy grounds and the surrounding area.
-
In front of the academy's lobby building.
Just as Miss Karina, Miss Violetta, and I were battling King Albert and his forces, towering trees began to erupt from the ground right where we stood. They shot up rapidly, clustering tightly together. These trees sprang up between us, driving a wedge of dense timber that separated the three of us.
"Miss Karina! Miss Violetta!" I shouted as the trees tore us apart.
There was no response after I shouted for Miss Karina and Miss Violetta. It seemed they hadn't heard me, as the wall of tightly packed trees blocked the sound. I immediately unleashed a slash, intending to shatter that wall of trees.
~Flame Sword Art: Great Flame Slash~
I sent a fiery slash toward the wall. It struck and ignited the trees, but moments later, the flames vanished. I was taken aback by this.
"That wall is incredibly tough; even a flame slash couldn't destroy or burn it down. So, how can I manage to meet Miss Karina and Miss Violetta, who are on the other side of that tree wall?" I thought.
I fell silent, observing my surroundings. While a wall of trees did surround me, it didn't enclose me completely; I spotted two sizable gaps in the barrier. These openings connected my current location to other areas. Seeing them, I realized I was likely inside a labyrinth made of trees.
"A wall of trees surrounding me, plus two paths leading to different places. It feels just like a labyrinth. Who created the trees that form this labyrinth?" I asked myself.
I then turned my gaze toward the two paths. I had to choose one to reach Miss Karina and Miss Violetta, yet I had no idea which one to take.
"This is truly difficult; I have to choose one of the two available paths. I can sense Miss Karina and Miss Violetta behind the wall of trees to my left. Logically, the left path is the one I should choose, as it ought to lead to where they are. However, given that this place has turned into a labyrinth, that path might connect somewhere else entirely. It’s all so confusing," I thought.
Then, I looked upward. Above me, dense foliage from tightly packed trees formed a wall enclosing the area. The leaves were so thick they blocked out the sunlight; the sky itself was completely hidden from view.
"Perhaps there’s an opening up there I can use to reach Miss Karina and Miss Violetta. If the standard path is too confusing, I’d be better off taking a shortcut," I reasoned.
With that, I prepared to leap upward and break through the canopy of leaves overhead. I intended to reach Miss Karina and Miss Violetta by passing over this area and heading straight to where they were located on the other side. I leaped high into the air, aiming for the canopy of leaves covering the area. However, just as I was about to reach the foliage, a slash of black flame suddenly shot out from within the leaves, heading straight for me. Seeing the attack coming, I instantly dodged it. Immediately after, King Albert emerged from the foliage and attacked me with a sword wreathed in black flames. I blocked the strike with my own sword. After parrying the blow, I retreated back to the ground, and King Albert followed me down.
"I wondered where you had gone; it turns out you were hiding in the canopy above," I said.
Then, two more figures emerged from the foliage above and stood beside King Albert. They were Commander Marshall and Senior Florian—both of whom had transformed into demons.
"Three people have turned into demons, huh. I never expected the three of you to gang up on me like this."
"I was trying to get to Miss Karina and Miss Violetta, but it seems the three of you won't let me pass. It looks like I'll have to defeat all three of you first," I said, preparing to attack them with my sword.
-
Where Miss Violetta was located.
Miss Violetta was still engaged in battle with Duchess Harriet. The two of them were trading blows, clashing with their respective attacks.
"Suddenly, numerous trees erupted from the ground, transforming the area into a labyrinth. Who created this labyrinth? Judging by the nature of the emerging trees, this appears to be the work of ~Plant Magic~. In this kingdom, I know of only two people capable of using ~Plant Magic~. One is Miss Karina, but it couldn't be her; I didn't see her employ this technique earlier. That leaves only one other person who could be responsible. Father, if it truly is *him*, then he is undoubtedly the one who turned Amelia into a demon. To think he would do such a thing..."
"For now, I must defeat Miss Harriet. Afterward, I need to find Miss Karina and Rid, who are on the other side of the wall, and then locate Amelia. The sudden appearance of these trees has separated me from her. I cannot allow her to roam free and attack the people at this academy," Miss Violetta thought, all while continuing to clash with Duchess Harriet.
-
Where Miss Karina was located.
Miss Karina was currently engaged in combat with Duchess Claret. However, she appeared distracted; her eyes kept darting toward the wall of trees surrounding her and the foliage overhead.
"This magic... it is more powerful than my own ~Great Forest~. Could it be you who is casting this spell, Lord Remy?" Miss Karina wondered, continuing to trade blows with Duchess Claret.
-
At the academy tournament arena.
Duke Remy was rising to his feet after having crouched down with both hands touching the arena floor. He then looked toward Duchess Arnett, Commander Dayne, Senior Vyn, and the knights surrounding him.
"The hunting ground has been prepared. Now, go forth and kill the targets I have designated," Duke Remy commanded.
"Very well, My Lord," said Duchess Arnett, Commander Dayne, Vyn, and their knighs.
With that, they immediately departed the tournament arena, smashing through the wall to exit the central building directly, bypassing the need to descend to the first floor. Duke Remy watched as they left the arena one by one.
"I must go as well; I have my own 'prey' to hunt and kill," Duke Remy said, removing the glasses he was wearing.
He then discarded the glasses and immediately left the tournament arena.
-To be continued
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