When a human attuned to an element they were always accompanied by a revelation. A deep sense of connection and trust needed to be established during the process, and an unshakable bond was born after.

Watching the forest dissolve into a sea of blue flames as an unstoppable storm raged across my vision, I could say with certainty that the tree wasn't just connecting with nature on an emotional level. Its roots spread underneath me, absorbing the blue flames, and in the sky its leaves glowed a brilliant green as they sucked in the rainfall greedily. Cloud and branches became one, and flame and root connected inseparably as the blue fire spread across the tree’s body but didn't harm it.

The tree was joining together with nature itself.

“Is this normal?” I asked.

I’d never seen a plant attune before. For all I knew this was the standard for each attunement. Or it was a one in a million occurrence that I was lucky to witness in my lifetime

Amanda's expression told me it was the latter.

“Holy Fue.” Amanda gaped at the tree. “I have no idea what that is.”

A crash resonated through my ears, and I turned around to see the forest overturning. The blue flames were consuming them from the inside out. Half a dozen trees flew toward us, guided by the rising storm winds. A wall of earth rose from the ground and deflected the trees, and I winced as part of the wall was scattered by the impact.

Within my mind I could feel my earth attunement blooming with power.

“My magic is back.” I said.

"Mine too.” Amanda said.

Her words were stolen from her lips by a gust of wind, and I stared up at the storm that raged above us. Swathes of clouds were being absorbed by the tree, merging with it like cotton candy on a stick. I would have thought that that would make the storm quieten, but the elements raged against the transformation in a fight against nature.

All around us the wind ripped trees and flames from the ground and sent them flying across the holy land. The only consolation was that the storm was only raging at its center.

The outer edges were deceptively quiet, and I doubted anyone looking casually would see anything stranger than a glowing tree and low hanging clouds. Of course, if they looked with more than a casual glance, they would see how strange the situation was.

“There has to be an unknown factor at play.” Amanda said. “Something like this doesn't just happen. If only this damn thing hadn't taken so much of my mana, I'd try burning it down right now.”

"Wait. It's taking our mana?” I said. “Oh, crud.”

Thoughts raced through my mind as the landscape screamed. The tree’s glow resonated through the holy land, unmarred by the storm. In fact, the storm aided it's call as it was absorbed, its clouds transforming into the treetop of the tree, and it's glow illuminated the decimated forest around me.

It had been absorbing mana. My mana.

The mana of a Marked one.

“I think I might be slightly responsible for this.” I said.

Amanda and Agni stared at me, and I saw their eyes widen as they realised what I was implying. Amanda's gaze shifted from me to the tree, and she smacked her cheek, pinching it for good measure.

“No. Maybe? No.” Her face shifted from confusion to surprise and then back to confusion. “Even if you're here this isn't the kind of thing that would happen. I think. You'd need so much more divine mana to induce a change like this, especially since we haven't been inside the domain that long. Maybe. This is kind of uncharted territory for me.”

To my surprise Agni reached out toward me and let out a single chirp.

Your mana. Not enough. Not at fault.

A loose branch whipped toward me, but before it could slash my chest Amanda’s hand tore through it, flames spilling out into the air. The branch disintegrated on impact and ashes spread across my uniform, only to be blown back by the fierce gale that hounded us.

“I'd love to agree with you two, but the killer tree is making a compelling case against you.” I said. "Speaking of which, can the other students survive this?"

“If they hide, yes.” Amanda said. “But something tells me nobody’s going to give up this chance.”

As though they’d heard her words, three figures appeared in the sky. I could barely see them through the rain and the trees, but their magic lit up through my [Mana Sense].

Three separate streams of magic surrounded the tree, green, blue and one that was composed of pure wind. I watched as each of them began to work on a different task.

One stopped the raging storm, carving a path through the fierce gales. The next stopped the rain and directed it to form a wall to protect the group as they made their way through the sky. Then the third glowed bright green as he connected with the tree, life and nature magic weaving a tapestry of love and attention.

They were trying to communicate with it.

There was a crackle of lightning within the cloud branches of the tree, and its body glowed in response to the magician’s call. Then a large branch closed in on them, crushing the wall of water that protected the group. Three bodies dropped from the sky as the tree swatted them out of its domain like they were flies.

Three separate marks shot into the air as the tree decimated the group's protection regents.

“[Stone Grasp].”

I moved immediately, taking to the skies with nothing but stone and metal protecting me. All around me stone hands appeared in the air and were immediately buffeted by the storm, trying their best to stay by my side.

“Save them.” I said.

Without their protection regents the three people would be helpless. I couldn't take the chance that something would happen if they hit the ground. My spells fired off one by one and I watched as they zoomed toward the three falling bodies.

[Stone Grasp (II) has reached level 4]

I breathed a sigh of relief as all three of them were caught. The wind magician was knocked out, but Oalice looked in my general direction and gave me a weak wave of thanks. Then he collapsed into a pile on my spell. I was surprised that he didn't immediately try to escape. I'd been worried that he would try to leave and make another run for the tree, but it looked like he had common sense. Or was unconscious.

In moments my spells were sending them away from the storm and toward the calm sections of the holy land.

The surroundings lit up as Amanda appeared beside me, golden wings once again flapping fiercely behind her back.

"What are we going to do?” Amanda asked. “I don't think the teachers can ignore this one. They'll probably be here in a few minutes.”

“In a few minutes this entire place will be gone.” A voice spoke out from beside us. “I think I may have fed it a little too much mana because aside from that I have no idea why this would be happening.”

Kyle appeared beside me, his hair a mess and his teal robes soaking wet. His expression was calm, although I could see a wave of confusion underneath his stable exterior.

I didn't blame him. He had no idea that the tree had absorbed the mana of a Marked one.

"Gone? What do you mean?” Amanda asked.

Kyle pointed up at the sky and gestured at the tree. Sparks of lightning were coursing through its cloud branches, and several fought against a tide of blue flame veins that were creating new pathways through the tree.

"That’s chaos.” Kyle said. “An ordinary tree can't contain this kind of power. It's like a symbol paper that's taking in too much mana. When it reaches the breaking point, it's finished.”

I didn't need him to tell me what that meant. When symbol papers overloaded, they disintegrated into nothing. Or exploded.

Something told me that the tree wasn't going to go quietly.

“If this thing blows up, that's not going to go well for us.” I said.

“As your senior I should tell you that pointing out the obvious is just a waste of time.” Kyle said. “But yeah, this ain't good.”

“Did everyone else get out?” Amanda asked.

My awareness spread through the earth around me, trying to find signs of Shar, Vesper or the other students we'd seen fighting.

“I think so.” I said. “I'd sense it if one of the earth magicians was still around.”

"Good enough for me." Kyle said. “So, are we going to go and try and get a piece of that thing before it explodes?”

“Are you crazy?” Amanda asked.

I didn't say it out loud, but a part of me agreed with her. The entire area for kilometres was being torn apart, and that was just a byproduct of the tree’s transformation. When it had gone after the second-year students it had disabled them with a single swipe.

“It could be worth a lot of money. Or better.” Kyle said. “Plus, it looks fun.”

Amanda hesitated. I knew that she didn't care about the money, or the fun, but she also wasn't the kind of person to miss out on a golden opportunity. We didn't know what this tree could do, but if we could contain it then it would be a treasure that could elevate all of us into a higher position.

Well, maybe not me, but we had no idea what benefits it would provide.

“I have Gold’s defence regents.” I said.

My words were for Amanda and Agni, not Kyle. Several twigs appeared in my hands, each one of them a complex regent created by the puffer to protect us in dire situations. Because I was reluctant to use them, I'd taken to hoarding them in my inventory even when Gold kept creating new and better ones. They were too valuable to waste on arena spars, but they were perfect for today.

“One try.” Amanda said. “I love adventure as much as the next person, but if that tree slaps the consciousness out of you guys, I’m taking you out of there.”

"Deal.” Kyle chuckled.

“Make sure you stay safe as well.” I said. “These are simple to use. Pour in mana and a shield will appear.”

I handed a dozen twigs to Amanda and she nodded sombrely. She knew better than anyone how the regents worked, having had her life saved by them once before.

Next, I brought out several for Kyle, but to my surprise he rejected the offer.

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I can use." He said. "We don't have long to think up a game plan. Do you guys think we should wing it?”

The crackling of lightning and rumbling of thunder disrupted any replies as light spilled forth from the tree. This time it was the healthy green glow of a magical plant. Red flames fought against blue as the lightning at the tree’s top shaved off a section of its mighty trunk, leaving behind a burnt exterior.

“Okay, we have to go. Now or never.” Kyle said.

Amanda and I leapt into the air without hesitation, and Kyle joined us from the side. His robes billowed in the wind as he glided on a stream of water, and a manic grin spread across his face.

As we grew closer to the tree the clouds above us rumbled, and sparks of electricity flew through the air. There was a surge of mana from within the cloud as streaks of lightning shot out toward us, and I raised my hands to greet them.

“[Earth Creation].”

The lightning was quick, but it crashed and crackled helplessly as a tunnel of dirt and stone formed in mid-air around us. As I wove my magic, and the lightning raged as it tried to find a way through. After a few moments it dissipated, and I opened up holes within the walls around us to show us what was happening outside.

Fire and lightning was gathering at in the treetops, the storm raging as the tree loomed over us.

"I think that tree is looking at us.” I said.

“You know what, I think you're right.” Kyle said.

My [Heart Silver] formed a spear that I gripped in my hand, and I tightened the formation of stone around us. Amanda's body glowed with golden light as six claws of fire surrounded her, and I saw her clasping Gold’s regents tightly in her hand. Judging from the lightning forming above its branches, it wouldn't give up without a fight.

We had one chance, and the tree knew that we were coming for it.