Chapter — "The Awakening Root"
Greenland | The New Stronghold
The cold winds of Greenland howled beyond the steel-reinforced walls of the fortress, but inside the council hall, a palpable tension hung heavier than the frost outside. The chamber was constructed like a war cathedral—tall, slanted ceilings, high-glass screens projecting orbital surveillance data, and a grand obsidian table shaped like a crescent moon.
All eyes turned to the man now standing at its helm.
Minister Tenzy, clad in a long grey robe with deep golden trimmings, placed his palm firmly on the center of the table. His voice, though calm, reverberated with the weight of looming catastrophe.
"The world has not known peace since The Ten returned from the shadows…"
A murmur passed through the room as he continued.
"Their reawakening has fractured our defenses, shattered our balance. Two of our strongest—Knight Óðr and Knight Fendro—were lost in the last raid. This is no longer a war we can win alone."
He looked slowly around the room, his eyes pausing on each leader.
"Greenland stands now as the last stronghold—our final bastion. A sanctuary not just for us… but for the ordinary humans, the powerless. If this fortress falls, so too does the last shred of organized resistance."
He raised a hand, motioning toward the sleek, metallic table before each leader.
"On the surface of your console rests a sealed letter. Inside, you will find your assigned teams. Effective immediately, each remaining SUHA Knight will take command of a unit. You are to oversee specific sectors within Greenland's perimeter."
Tenzy's tone grew sterner.
"These are not ceremonial teams. Their primary mission is to protect the final Yggdrasil piece, secure this fortress, and strike directly against The Ten if necessary. Unity is no longer optional. It is vital."
As the last sentence left his lips, he stepped back and seated himself.
The next to rise was Minister Alfred, sharp in his pinstriped diplomatic coat. His eyes burned with quiet fire.
"I propose we seek aid from The Travelers."
Gasps and side murmurs followed. A few seats even shifted uneasily.
"They have long stood watch from the shadows, defending this world from threats beyond the stars—ancient forces that predate even Shen," Alfred said. "They've fought battles we'll never understand… perhaps it's time we ask them to fight for us."
Before the council could respond, Minister Makakis—his bald head gleaming under the lights—slammed a hand down.
"That will be discussed properly in a closed hearing. This is not the moment for myth-chasing."
A tensioned silence fell.
Tenzy nodded once, signaling the end of the session. "Meeting adjourned."
The room emptied slowly, the gravity of the decisions weighing heavy on every step.
Undisclosed Location | The Ten's Sanctuary
A void-choked cave carved into the ancient belly of the Earth pulsed with violet and red light, humming like a dying heartbeat. Inside its obsidian heart, Lord Arcade, clad in Draven's form, stood before a ceremonial slab.
Three Yggdrasil fragments—twisted roots glowing faint green—were placed in perfect symmetry, forming a triangle around a large, silver-gilded coffin.
"This won't be enough," Lord Arcade muttered, eyes glowing white. "But… it will do."
He pressed his palms together slowly, murmuring ancient words under his breath.
"Moon. Sun. Star."
With those words, a flash of blinding white smoke erupted from his palms.
FWOOOM!
When it cleared, the Coffin of Shukaku—the hybrid beast lord—stood tall, monstrous, and silent. Its aura spilled into the air like wet ink in water, coiling around the fragments like a predator sensing prey.
Arcade raised both arms.
"Light, rise. Let roots find the world once again…"
A surge of luminous Shen energy exploded from his hands and struck the center of the triangle. The three Yggdrasil fragments shook, then began to fuse, swirling into each other like molten vines.
From the ground, roots erupted—thick, ancient veins that throbbed with life—gripping the coffin and pulling it into the ritual. The Yggdrasil fragments began to pulse, generating massive tendrils that wormed into the stone, planting themselves deep into the earth like they had always belonged.
CRAAAACK!
A trunk exploded from the ground, stretching upwards like a sky-splitting spear. It pierced the roof of the cavern. Above them, the heavens trembled.
As the colossal Yggdrasil Tree took form, its bark shimmered with sigils from every hybrid beast slain. Their Shen was being fed directly into its roots, the air quivering under the weight of the siphoned energy.
Then, with a sudden jolt—
BOOOOOM!!
The ceiling burst open. The tree surged four miles high, ripping through the surface into open sunlight. The moment it touched the rays of the sun, it paused. Then…
SCHHHHRRKKKKKK!
Roots burst inward, latching onto the cavern's floor. Any lesser beings in the sanctuary—those unblessed by Arcade's mark—were instantly consumed. Their bodies disintegrated into ash, their Shen extracted, veins turned to dust.
Cries of agony were silenced in seconds.
Arcade watched, unflinching.
"As it gave to us and was sinned against, so shall it retrieve what was stolen from it…"
He turned to face Huey, standing beside other alphas and omegas.
"The God Tree Yggdrasil is still incomplete. Two fragments are missing."
His eyes narrowed.
"But we only need one."
He clenched a fist.
"Alexander the Great. His betrayal is… distasteful."
With slow, deliberate grace, Arcade stepped forward and placed a palm on the tree's trunk. In a sickening vortex of suction, the entire towering tree began to fold, compressing into him like mist drawn into a vessel.
SSHHHHHHHH!!!
Within moments, the entire tree had vanished into his body. His form glowed—veins lit like rivers of gold beneath his skin—until it all calmed.
His eyes turned white, then slowly returned to normal.
He flexed his fingers.
"This will do… until I return to my true body."
He glanced over to Huey one final time.
"My beloved… prepare the pieces of my body. Once I return, you will anchor my soul into it."
Without waiting, Lord Arcade's form began to levitate.
FWOOOSH!
Like a comet of wrath, he shot into the sky, splitting the clouds in his wake.
His target was clear.
Alexander the Great.