Golden light shattered like glass, its fragments dissolving into nothing.

Reinhard's eyes snapped open before he felt his vision adjusting from the warm glow of Martha's fantasy to the dim light of the underground chamber. His boots touched polished stone, and then he felt the roots around him beginning to move.

They unwrapped slowly in a controlled manner that pulled away from his arms, his torso, and his legs.

Each tendril released its grip and withdrew, leaving him standing free before the massive root's base. He stepped backward as his hand instinctively steadied himself against empty air before finding balance.

Ahead, the golden cocoon glows once again, and then the light intensified briefly before dimming. The roots encasing it began unwrapping at a slower rate than his had, but with the same purpose.

Layer after layer peeled away, revealing Martha's form, and then she fell.

Reinhard's body moved before he could think, and his arm opened, catching her in his arms. Her light violet-blue hair spilled across his arm while her eyes remained closed, but she had a peaceful expression on her face.

His fingers found her neck, pressing against her, and then he sighed in relief as she was just sleeping and would wake up soon.

That's good.

The Star Jewel hung around her neck on its black chain. The orb shined with light so intense it hurt to look at directly, and its form was impossible to distinguish. Reinhard shifted his gaze from the radiance that seemed to brighten its glow every couple of seconds, and then he began scanning the chamber around.

His frown deepened immediately.

The other dozens of cocoons still remained. They were still spread across the platform, wrapped around the bodies of dead Mehko researchers, guards, and workers.

From each one, thin streams of golden energy continued flowing upward along the massive root's surface.

But I don't see Phineas... Did he leave or he is hiding? No, doesn't matter right now.

Reinhard quickly summoned Mimir, leading to a streak of black landing on his shoulder and the familiar weight of Mimir appearing.

Black feathers caught the glowing light as the crow turned its head toward Reinhard.

"Did Fenrir get sent back?!" Reinhard urgently asks, hoping it was just his imagination, Fenrir was still around.

Mimir shakes his head. "You all have to hurt Fenrir enough to send it back."

Reinhard blinked and then blinked once more as he stared at the crow. "Why do we even need that?"

"Fenrir has forcibly connected with the roots and collected a good sum of souls." Mimir said softly. "While he isn't fully summoned, it's still enough to sustain him in the world for a bit… And to put it bluntly, enough time to utterly wipe out this entire city."

Reinhard's expression shifted as his lips pressed into a thin line and a shiver ran through his body. "Is it even possible with our strength to send Fenrir back? Let alone hurt it?"

"No." Mimir's response came flat. "One roar from Fenrir would kill you all."

Reinhard's lips twitched, and then he asked. "What should we do? I don't know if any professors or Empire forces are here or even near. And I doubt we'll still be around by the time they arrive."

"They can't enter." Mimir shifted on his shoulder. "Fenrir locked off the city from the world and won't release it till it's fully summoned. It would take a long while before they can find it and then break through."

Reinhard sighed. "Its dimensional powers are absurd..." He adjusted Martha's weight in his arms. "So what's the plan?"

"The way to defeat Fenrir is for you to help bring Odin down here from the Throne of Myth."

Reinhard blankly stared at Mimir for three full seconds. "How am I supposed to even do that? Wait, can I even do that?!"

"You'll use the souls of the entire city, plus Martha's help and Odin's willingness."

Reinhard frowned as he said. "Are you saying we need to kill-"

Mimir shakes his head before he can finish. "Right now, there are already many people killed and beasts dead. The number of souls used to summon Fenrir was only one hundred thousand. And Martha herself was also used in that ritual, more likely, she took up most of that requirement." The crow's golden horns caught light as it tilted its head. "Martha is a First Class Beast Master, which means she most likely has devoured close to one hundred thousand souls."

Reinhard's eyes widened in shock. "You mean the souls that weren't used are still around?"

"Martha still has them, which is what she most likely used to make her dream world. So all you need is her help to give you the souls, and then Odin descends through your body and the souls."

"What's the cost?" Reinhard's question came quietly as he furrowed his brows.

"Well, first you need to die. Second, you need to hope Odin is willing to help. Third, feeling the pain after everything is over for a while."

Reinhard stared at Mimir with his lips twitching. "Can you suggest a plan that isn't chance or requires me dying?!"

"Don't worry. Odin won't have you die since you're too important to him."

Reinhard's brows furrowed. "Why would I-"

"Because you are his only summoner in the entire history of this world." Mimir's voice carried finality. "Now we don't have much time. Do you want to do it or not?"

It was then that Reinhard heard the sounds all the way from the entrance and through the hall. The sounds of weapon clashing, beasts roaring, the trembling of the area, and the shouting of his friends. His friends were still fighting, still stalling, and still buying time they might not have for him.

Reinhard sighed as he clenched his hand. "What do I have to do?"

"Wake up Martha."

Reinhard shifted his grip on Martha's unconscious form before his hand moved to her shoulder, gently shaking. "Martha. Martha, wake up."

Martha trembled before her eyes opened, and light blue eyes blinked in confusion before focusing on his face. "Reinhard?"

Reinhard smiled despite everything. "Fenrir is still here. Mimir has a plan." He spoke quickly, words tumbling out in rapid explanation. The souls Martha held, Odin's potential descent, and what they needed to do.

Martha's eyes widened with each sentence. Shock appeared on her face before shifting into grim understanding, and she nodded. "Right now, I have over one hundred thousand souls trying to come through."

Reinhard's expression shifted as he said. "That's a lot…"

Martha nodded with a sorrowful smile as she said softly. "Yeah, it's, but we have to push forward. I'll go back into the node, and you just need to touch it to accept the souls."

Reinhard nodded.

Martha's hand closed around the Star Jewel, and the orb shines brighter in her grip before golden light poured between her fingers. Swirls of golden roots appeared from below before they began wrapping around her arms, her torso, and pulling her from Reinhard's grasp.

She rose into the air, lifted by the roots back toward the massive trunk's base. The cocoon reformed around her with the golden light intensifying as she settled into position.

Reinhard stepped forward with his hand extended, and his fingers touched the root's surface.

Heat radiated through the bark as he felt the warmth of life concentrated beyond natural limits.

Then the souls came.

They flowed into him, but it wasn't through his hand, but around him. Golden streams of magic that wrapped his arm, his shoulder, and his chest. More and more, spiraling around his body in layers that glowed brighter with each addition.

Reinhard's body trembled as he felt his knees trembling with the strain of containing.

It wasn't him devouring the souls but them simply wrapped around him, held in place by Martha's will as she took on the pressure of channeling them.

Reinhard grit his teeth as sweat rolled down his forehead despite it. He felt the one hundred thousand souls wrapped around him, their light gathered and waiting to be used.

"Now for your death." Mimir's voice cut through the sensation.

Reinhard eyes shifted toward the crow on his shoulder. "How will you do that?"

"Normally, I would just hang you, but well, we already have someone willing to do it."

"What?"

The word barely left Reinhard's lips before sensation exploded through his chest. He blinked before awareness seemed to hit him, as the feeling of something wrong hit him, and then something impossible happened.

His hand instinctively rushed towards his chest, and his fingers found nothing. His eyes widened in disbelief as his fingers sank into empty space where his flesh should be, where his ribs should be, and where his heart should beat.

Reinhard slowly looked down to see a massive perfectly circular hole going completely through his torso from front to back. His blue eyes trembled in confusion, shock, disbelief, and fear at the impossibility of what he was seeing.

Where is my…

Blood welled up before it began flowing out steadily at the edge of the hole and running down his chest and back simultaneously. The wound didn't splash or burst out as it was too clean a strike, and his blood dripped down on the ground.

Reinhard's legs gave out as he collapsed forward, but his hand remained attached to the root. It was glued there by Martha's power or maybe his own desperate grip, his knees hit stone with impacts he barely felt.

His free hand pressed against the ground, trying to support the weight that suddenly felt impossible to hold.

His vision began darkening at the edges as the darkness crept inward. He saw the darkness coming from the edge of his vision before he slowly raised his head, and through his failing vision, he saw the ceiling.

Or where the ceiling should be, as instead he saw a massive hole that had torn through the cobblestone and the earth. The edges still glowed faintly with residual golden light that glowed and faded. Beyond the hole for a second, Reinhard saw six burning eyes visible even from this distance.

Fenrir.

Still resting in its cocoon at the top of the massive tree, but somehow it was still aware of what was going on below. Its attack had reached down through hundreds of feet of ground to strike him.

It killed me, Reinhard's mind supplied with strange detachment. Fenrir killed me without even moving.

Blood continued flowing as his hand remained pressed against the root, fingers going numb. The golden streams of souls still wrapped around him began tightening now, condensing, preparing for something.

Mimir's voice reached him as if from a great distance. "Don't fight it. Let go, and Odin will catch you."

Reinhard's vision narrowed further. Now, just a tunnel of fading sight surrounded by encroaching black as he saw Martha's cocoon. He could feel her presence holding the souls in place even as his life bled out.

His lips moved as he tried to form words, but the darkness took him before he could finish.

Reinhard's body went limp, collapsing completely with the blood pooled beneath him, spreading outward in growing circles.

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