Let’s Rise

The paths through the castle was much more limited than any of them would have thought. Giant roots pierced walls and covered pathways. After considering the battle ahead, Roko decided not to waste mana on any roots that would require 6% or more mana to cut through. That meant avoiding any roots with a defense rating of 87 or higher. Along the way, they were occasionally assaulted by some moving branches that seemed to be creeping around across the castle across the floor and along walls, as if it was searching or mapping the castle. These branches were thinner and frailer than the roots but as Roko had seen one pierce through his bed before, he was well aware of their offensive abilities. Despite having no eyes, it would recognize whenever they got close and start attacking them. Between the three of them, it wasn't hard to repel one of them and the roots along the ground didn't seem interested in waking up to help the branches either.

"There's another one." Murasaki whispered as she checked around the corner and spotted a wandering branch in the hallways, "I don't think we can avoid this one."

"Then leave it to me." Momo nodded as she stepped out from cover and studied the branch from down the hall, "...Haste."

In a flash, Momo closed the distance and sliced the branch, cutting it off before it could even notice her.

"It's a good thing we figured out their weakness." Momo waved for her friends to come out of hiding, "Thanks to Roko that is."

"Scan points out weak points for me." Roko nodded, "The branches can only move seven feet before it has to adhere to a surface. That means the active range of the branch is only seven feet. At least while wandering. We've seen it move more than seven feet of its body at a time when we were fighting it normally."

"But now we don't have to." Rokusho grinned, "That's some impressive magic you have there. We've been advancing at a good pace and in good condition. At this rate, we will hardly be winded by the time we get to the tree."

"Not at this rate." Roko scowled, "To snipe branches like this, 8% of Momo's mana has to be used. Between cutting out paths open and clearing branches, Momo's mana is already close to halfway gone and we've grown no closer to the tree. If we don't make any substantial progress, we're going to be worn out before the day breaks."

"I'm fine." Momo gave a reassuring thumbs up, "We've got mana potions to spare as well."

"We don't have an infinite amount of potions." Roko replied, "If we keep moving away from the tree like this, we're only going to be placing more lives in danger."

"Roko, I understand you're concerned about everything and you're doing your best to save everyone as soon as possible. But we still have time and resources. Making rash decisions now will only make things unnecessarily complicated. Just calm down. Everything's going to be fine."

"I didn't really need that." Roko sighed, "But thanks anyway."

All of a sudden, a scream came from down the hallway.

"Survivors?!" Murasaki cried, "We need to save them!"

Momo was already running off towards the sound and the rest of them quickly followed behind her. Not far from where they were standing, they found a pair of nobles, huddled up against a wall as a branch slowly approached them.

"We need to help!" Momo frowned, "Haste!"

"Wait!" Roko called out, "That branch is active. You won't be able to dispatch it in one hit anymore."

"Even so, we have to do something." Momo replied as she jumped forward, closing the distance in an instant and blocking the branch's attack with her sword.

"I didn't say we shouldn't help." Roko mumbled as he and Murasaki dove into battle with their own swords drawn. Murasaki slashed at the branch, cutting it in half and allowing Momo to let down her guard as the tip dropped to the ground. Roko began helping the nobles up as Momo turned to check up on them.

"Haku! Sena! Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yes!" The male noble yelped as the two clung to each other, "Thank you for saving us, Lady Momo!"

"Now now, you're not saved until you're outside." Rokusho said as he helped push the two nobles up, "Now get away from here, you two."

Rushing the two away, Momo turned her attention back to the branch as it regenerated its tip and stared down the trio.

"Any ideas, Roko?" Momo asked.

"Nothing turns up when I scan it." Roko replied, "Though that's not surprising at this point."

"So how do we beat it?" Murasaki scowled as she slashed at the branch, keeping it from coming any closer.

"Our best bet is to cut if off at the point where it diverges from the walls. That's where we often have to cut it."

"It's pretty active right now." Momo gulped, "I don't think I can even see where it diverges from the wall."

"At least we know what to do, unlike the first time we fought them." Roko scowled.

"Lady Momo, allow me." Murasaki nodded, "I'll find the weak spot and cut it down!"

"Alright. I know you won't let us down! Haste!"

Momo's spell filled Murasaki with power and Murasaki quickly rushed past the branch down the hall it came from. The branch reacted immediately, pulling more of its body from the wall and turning its tip around to chase after Murasaki.

"Oh no. After it!"

Momo and Roko chased the branch as it turned its sights on Murasaki. Running down the hall, Roko could hear the building cracking as more and more of the branch came alive and thrashed about. All of a sudden, it snapped around something, catching Murasaki in its grasp.

"Oh no!" Momo cried, "Saki! I'm coming to help!"

Momo tried to make a move but the branch's tip swung at her, forcing her to back away. Roko dodged under the branch's swing and cut off part of it, causing it to recoil. Momo stepped in again and slashed away more of the branch's length, slowly making their way closer to Murasaki. The branch reeled back once more as it was cut before the head started to pulse and bulge, deforming the head of the branch.

"Watch out!" Roko called out as he quickly grabbed Momo and pulled her back.

Just in time as the head of the branch suddenly exploded into a series of smaller branches, shooting out and branching off in a myriad of random directions, cracking into the walls, floor and ceiling, completely covering the entire hall in front of them with numerous branches impeding them from reaching Murasaki.

"What's this?!" Momo cried ash she grabbed onto some of the branches and tried pulling them away to no avail.

As Momo struggled with the mini branches, the main branch tightened its grip around Murasaki, causing her to cry out in pain as they heard her bones creak and crack. Roko scowled as he stepped forward to cut at the branches only for Momo to stop him. Placing her hands back on the branches, Momo took a deep breath, "Lightning!"

Electricity coursed through the blockade of branches, shriveling them up before they exploded into a cloud of ash and smoke. The branch held back, wary of what would come out of the smoke until Momo charged through, baring her blade. The branch reacted immediately, striking at her and keeping her back. In the chaos of their fight, Roko slipped though the smoke and slashed Murasaki free from the branches. Murasaki dropped to the ground but the instant her feet landed on the ground, she jumped back at accelerated speed and slashed the base of the branch, cutting off the branch entirely as it fell to the ground, motionless.

"Phew." Momo breathed a sigh of relief only to start coughing up from all the dust, "That was a lot harder than I expected."

"You kept haste active on Murasaki even after she was captured?" Roko asked as they returned to her side.

"I knew she wouldn't let us down." Momo smiled.

"T-Thank you." Murasaki said anxiously, "I apologize for getting caught and thanks for saving me but um...if I may, erm...what...did you call me at the beginning there?"

"What? Saki?" Momo giggled, "It's just a bit of a nickname. 'Murasaki' felt a bit too long. I could stop if you want."

"N-No!" Murasaki cried, "I don't mind! Not one bit!"

"I could change it if you want." Momo offered, "I could always do Mura instead. How does Muramura sound?"

"Please don't." Roko sighed, "That doesn't even make it any shorter. In any case, where did the old man go?"

"Sensei?" Momo looked around, "I think he left to guide Haku and Sena back to the entrance."

"Well that saves us all the trouble of going to back to the entrance ourselves but now we have to wait for him to get back."

"We can just leave without him." Murasaki said.

"As much as I'd like to, he has all the potions and it wouldn't be wise to abandon resources we could use."

"Sensei would be disappointed to hear you talking about him like he's just a bunch of potions." Murasaki sighed.

"He can complain all he wants." Roko scoffed, "I won't be listening. In the meantime, we can't really move around so we could take a break."

The three of them stood there for approximately 5 seconds before Momo spoke up, "Or we could check out some of these rooms."

"I'm down for that." Murasaki said.

"I guess I can't stop you." Roko sighed.

"Alright! Then this room first!" Momo grinned cheerfully as she grabbed one of the doors and opened it.

The room was someone's private room. The furnishings were much the same as Roko's room. Desk, bed, closets and drawers were essentially in the same places as the room Roko was using. The only personal decorations was a bookshelf filled to the brim with books and small bins filled with yarn and needles. On their desk was a sewing machine, a fancy robe still left in the machine. On the bed was a woman and a root piercing out from under her bed and through her body, continuing to wrap around her room before disappearing into the floor above her.

"Junko..." Momo said forlornly, "How terrible."

"At least she died in her sleep." Murasaki grimaced, unable to look at the body for long.

"Not according to the shock in her eyes." Roko said, "Seems like she woke up just in time to die instantly."

Momo walked over and closed Junko's eyes, "Rest in peace, Junko. I'll pass down your unfinished work to your children."

"You sure seem to know everybody here." Roko noted.

"Of course. We all live under the same roof." Momo smiled, "You could pass by a few people that you don't know everyday but they still live in the same castle as you. Even when you may not know them that well, everyone knows each other as just one big family. That's why we made such a big castle to begin with."

"Must be nice to live in a world devoid of political scandals."

"Oh there are drama." Momo sighed, "They're dozens of families with disagreements with each other, sometimes on a daily basis. But especially nefarious scandals like what you're thinking of are superbly rare. The last time a family was explicitly kicked out of the castle was nearly 20 years ago."

"It was 20 years ago because since then, families have been leaving the castle willingly before they could be kicked out." Roko replied, "It's the same result, just saving everyone face."

"Roko..." Murasaki growled but Momo patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"This is just Roko." Momo smiled, "You can't hide awkward truths like this from him. Still, while that is true, there are records of nobles in the castle continuing to interact with members that no longer live in the castle. Outside Omomo castle of course. There are genuine ties between us, beyond just political squabbles."

"..."

"Oho, I was wondering where you three went." Rokusho said as he walked into the room, "Have you found anything interesting?"

"Nothing of relevant note." Momo answered.

"Hmm. This is Junko isn't it?" Rokusho walked over to the bed somberly, "So the Young Silken Spider dies like this. I was meaning to give you a new title for a long while. It must be distasteful to still be regarded as "young" in your age. Especially as you have kids now. I've brought Haku and Sena to safety. So you can rest in peace, Silver Silken Spider."

Roko watched moment of silence, that the party took. Roko kept silent but otherwise felt awkward. He didn't know this Junko all that well so mourning her seemed a bit disrespectful. All the same, Roko waited until everyone was ready to start moving again.

The night grew longer and longer as Roko and company traveled through the castle, its once straightforward and extravagantly condensed and compact design now becoming like a maze. Whenever or not the tree knew of their plan or not, Roko could find little openings that would allow them to drop into the central courtyard. The higher and higher they climbed, the more perilous their drop plan became and while they had Momo's protect to help cushion their fall, Roko really didn't like the idea of using more mana just to get to the fight. As it stood however, there had been no opportunity to even look down at the balcony, the roots and branches keeping them from coming too close. Their only hope now was to outpace the growing roots to the upper floors and jump down where there aren't any roots to block them, even if that meant they had to reach the roof. By the 6th floor, Roko was already getting tired from the expedition that he did not expect to be on when he went to bed that night.

"Shall we take a break?" Momo announced as she noticed Roko's fatigue, "We could rest in one of these rooms."

"We can't stop here." Roko shook his head, "The longer we wait, the more options get blocked."

"The more we push ourselves, the more tired we'll be when we reach the tree." Momo replied sternly, "Besides, I think we're close to a cafeteria. We might be able to scrounge up some food."

"The night's about halfway over." Murasaki nodded, "It's about time for lunch. If it was day of course."

"These old bones can't go long without some rest these days." Rokusho added with a knowing smile.

Outvoted, Roko followed the group down a hallway and through a pair of decorated doors into the cafeteria.

There were no bodies and hardly any roots or branches in the cafeteria. A few tables were thrown to the side and chairs scattered but there were a couple of standing tables that Rokusho took to cleaning up as Roko joined Momo and Murasaki in scrounging around the kitchen. The kitchen was about as standard as Roko imagined. No fancy decorations or flourishes. Roots had invaded a bit but the equipment was left mostly untouched. Murasaki immediately checked the fridge which seemed stocked with plentiful ingredients.

"We have a good spread of food here." Murasaki reported, "What shall we make?"

"How about some cookies?" Momo offered.

"Um...I'm not sure cookies would do the trick. We're going to need something more substantial."

"Oh..."

"What's wrong?" Murasaki looked up, noticing Momo's disappointed tone, "Did you really want cookies?"

"Momo can't cook." Roko explained.

"What?!"

"I can bake!" Momo objected, "But as for normal cooking, no, I cannot."

"W-W-Well, I can't bake so I'm impressed that you can, Lord Momo!" Murasaki said quickly, "I'm sure your cookies would taste wonderful!"

"So does that mean you can cook?" Roko asked.

"Gh. Guess I'll have to." Murasaki growled, "I'm going to charge you for this later."

"I didn't know you needed money." Momo blinked.

"Not you! Roko!" Murasaki corrected.

"Well that's just unfair." Roko smirked, "I could cook my own food you know."

"You can?!"

"It wouldn't be anything impressive but it'd taste fine." Roko shrugged, "But there's something I have to check."

"What's that?" Momo asked.

Roko looked up at the ceiling. Where there was a grate built in to funnel air out.

"That."

Momo and Murasaki followed Roko's gaze and came to the same conclusion.

"You think it'll lead out into the courtyard?" Momo asked.

"It'll lead out somewhere." Roko sighed, "Either to the outside perimeter of the castle or the inside courtyard. It's a fair 50/50 shot unless you know where this will lead without me having to trudge through the dust."

"My guess would be the outside." Momo crossed her arms, "But I honestly can't say I studied the castle's ventilation system."

"Can haste get me up there?"

"Speeding up won't get you up there. You want power to jump up there so you'll need strengthening instead."

"Rally then, I guess? Then let's get it done."

"We should prepare first." Momo said as she strolled over to one of the drawers and pulled out a handkerchief, "Tie this around your mouth to prevent the dust from getting in. And I'll find a rope to tie to your body. You won't be able to turn around in that thin airway so once you're ready to come back, give the rope a few tugs and I'll help pull you back."

"You've thought about this more than me." Roko said impressed.

"You don't tend to think about your own safety." Momo smiled, "Just make sure you come back instead of doing anything rash."

"At this height, I wouldn't survive the fall down, even if I did think I could cut down a tree by myself." Roko scoffed.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Momo chuckled, "Just disappointed."