I helped the light headed Noire lie down in her seat best I could. While not a mage myself I’d certainly seen enough of them fight to get a feel for what is considered good mana management. It was something I’d long found interesting about this world’s logic. Mages proficient in long range combat typically cast fewer spells stretched out over a period of time while close combat mages such as elemental brawlers tend to spam without a thought. Best I could figure distance mages avoided this behavior in favor of high accuracy, high power, attacks when facing single targets. All that is to say what Noire had just done was anything but normal. Spending over a third of her stamina on one attack could only mean it was the only option. It simply wasn’t her nature to do so.

Scanning the stands for any other strange activity I spoke to everyone at once “Known targets have been captured. Noire is on the bench but I want all of you to keep your eyes out, especially you Mary. We don ’t know if there are any more of those guys hiding around here. What we do know now is they were targeting the other dungeon masters, not just us, with the intent to control them. To what end we ’re un clear but still, it’s a start. Hopefully when they notice their inside team went silent they ’ll call off their mission but we won ’t hold our breaths.”

Mary was the first to respond, “Where should I dump the bodies?”

“Don’t kill them! We’ll conduct our own interrogation before handing them over to Eli. Given recent events we can ’t leave everything to the royal knights.”

“After that?”

“I don ’t know yet. Strange as it feels to say they could make good bargaining chips.”

Finding the time to respond while eliciting excited cheers from the riled up crowd with his cheerful demeanor Almar chided “Doubt it. A group strong and confident enough to attempt something like this wouldn’t send anyone without countermeasures. Either our new prisoners are under some sort of contract, or they’re expendable. I agree we should keep them in our custody for now though. I’ve yet to be convince d the royal knights themselves aren’t internally compromised.”

“Almar raises a fair point.” A very cheerful sounding Mulan said while walking back under the colosseum without addressing the crowd “Should we let them know about what just happened? Much as I wish to trust your allies Milord we should proceed with caution.”

Clapping as my oni and lamia triumphantly cheered in my direction, contagious smiles plastered across their bloodied faces, I sighed “I suppose we ’ll need to let him know directly. It may be naive but I do trust Eli. Best I can tell he truly does have the people’s best interests at heart. The knights themselves on the other hand... I agree. Mary can I leave that to you? A note or something requesting a meeting should work. Tell him we have a lead.”

“On it.” She answered with the mental equivalent of a thumbs up.

“What about... those being targeted?” Noire groaned.

Before I could give the go ahead to inform them Almar coughed politely “If I may make a suggestion Boss? It is my recommendation we leave them in the dark. No need to cause excessive panic. We should instead use them to bait a trap. Now that we know who their targets are luring out our enemies should prove a simple feat.” He paused to let the point sink in before asking “Scales, can you confirm there were no invisible enemies hiding behind Mr. Ringley?”

“I... can. Are you insinuating that-?”

Finally departing from the arena for the lounge where all participants would be healed Almar interrupted “I’m simply making the observation, nothing more. We’ve observed some strange behavior from Mr. Ringley ourselves down here. Nothing outwardly nefarious or antagonistic but certainly unusual. There is a chance his actions are independent but he could just as easily be involved.”

I crossed my arms and stared out at the man who’d given me so much trouble since entering the capitol. Other than looking very aggravated he wasn’t doing anything unusual. Maybe he just couldn’t be in a public space but the man genuinely only seemed upset at his disqualified mercenaries. Best I could tell not a single one of the dungeon masters seemed aware of what had just happened. Luckily it seemed Noire’s expensive discharge of mana had gone unnoticed thanks to the intense battle down below drawing everyone’s attention.

“Continue on for now guys. This tournament is supposed to be a message to the assassins Illia won ’t be messed with. We shouldn’t let them ruin that. I ’m looking forward to the individual matches any way.”

Potentially disagreeing but not one to defy orders Almar answered simply “Can do Boss. We ’ll give em hell.”

Much more eager than her compatriot Mulan chuckled “That egg will be in your hands by the end of the day Milord.”

---

‘What...? Where am I...? I had... an opponent? A match...?’

Struggling to open his eyes amidst the drowsiness wrapping itself around his body Orphin found himself looking down a tunnel. Stone walls pressed down on all sides as he unconsciously marched forward towards the only source of light. Every step felt as though he were trudging through mud but all the same he couldn’t stop. He didn’t know why he was moving, where he was going, or why he couldn’t stop. What was stranger though was how little he cared.

‘Forward... I - I should go forward. Something... something will happen if I move forward. Something...’

Halfway to the light Orphin realized he couldn’t hear the familiar clanging on his hip. In his line of work it was crucial to remain armed at all times. He wouldn’t have forgotten his- Oh. With a self-chastising laugh Orphin remembered he had never owned a weapon. Why would he need one? The only thing he needed to do was move forward! That’s what felt good.

Emerging from the tunnel Orphin covered his half shut eyes from the sun’s rays with his arm, absentmindedly wondering why his skin was wriggling. Had it always done that? Yeah... yeah it had. Since the tunnel at least. Walking down the tunnel was good so wriggling was also good. Cold... so cold... but good.

‘Oh! I knew I was doing good! I see them now!’ Orphin thought, smiling as his opponent, some really long red woman, who shot him a look that obviously wasn’t wriggling.

From the inside of his eyes Orphin could see them. Slithering as they grew upwards into his mind the cold, brown, wooden roots delighted him. The better he walked forward the better they would grow! And how good the growing felt... with every step they moved closer and closer to his brain. He could feel them everywhere, just underneath the skin, absorbing more of what they needed from within him. He liked the cold now. With every centimeter they grew the roots rewarded him. They were in his mind now. Making Orphin happy was increasingly simple as they burrowed deeper and deeper into his mind.

Then it stopped.

Just before the sun that had been so bright moments earlier was blotted out, replaced by the cold brown roots, the happiness stopped.

‘WHY!?!’ Orphin screamed desperate to feel the wriggling again.

And the roots answered pitifully as one ‘We are scared of the one near you.’

Rage filling his body as he stared down the long woman Orphin cried ‘Then if I kill her will you be happy with me again !?!’

‘Of course.’ They answered, ‘We would love nothing more than to be happy with you again.’

Already running towards the woman, hands outstretched in feral anger, Orphin cried tears of happiness. He only needed to kill her and then he would be happy again! It was so simple! Following the roots was so simple!

‘Allow us to help you.’ They whispered as the sun was extinguished.

‘Please.’ Orphin begged, his mind fully committing to its role as their soil at last.

In that moment the roots took over completely.

And Orphin was happy.

What had been the famed spear wielding mercenary Orphin Yuul was extinguished as his mind was flooded with endorphins, the nutrients of his flesh absorbed without remorse by the roots. In that moment the wood stemming from his band became indistinguishable from his skin as his form was entombed in armor of bark. It’s form grew in size and power as the last drop of sustenance was drawn out from its host.

The monster that had been a man only moments prior then set its eyes on its prey. The long woman had to die. And if the screams from above and below it heard could be believed, so did many more.