What are Nexus Battles
Nexus Battles are the recognized method of resolving disputes across most of the 81 Planes. Rather than warfare or political scheming, conflicts are settled through structured Anima combat on grid-based battlefields. Animasters collect and cultivate Anima, build team compositions, and face off against opponents in the auto-chess format that forms the game's core combat system.
Structure
Nexus Battles are organized through an Arena hierarchy. Each region or Plane has local Arenas with Arena Masters (like Jalily in Iia) and Deputy Arena Masters. Players progress through qualifiers at local Arenas to earn the right to challenge at higher levels. The ultimate destination is The Amphitheater, where the top Animasters from across the Planes compete.
The progression from local Arena to regional championship to cross-Plane competition gives the game a natural difficulty curve. Early Nexus Battles teach the auto-chess mechanics, while later ones demand more sophisticated team building and synergy management.
In-world significance
Nexus Battles aren't just a game mechanic. They're woven into the world's social fabric. They determine political standing, resolve territorial disputes, and establish hierarchies. Being a skilled Animaster carries real social weight. Arena Masters are respected authority figures, and qualifying for The Amphitheater is a career goal that characters like Hua spend their lives pursuing.
The system's adoption across most Planes suggests it emerged as a stabilizing force after the Sundering. When the Old World fragmented into 81 separate dimensions, some method of structured conflict resolution became necessary. Anima combat (using the very fragments of the shattered Nexus) became that method.
Player progression
For the player, Nexus Battles are the primary way to advance the story. Each victory in the Arena system unlocks new content: access to additional Planes, encounters with new characters, and deeper involvement in the mystery of the Sundering. The battles themselves scale in difficulty, introducing new enemy compositions, stronger Anima, and more complex synergy requirements as the player progresses.