Tetans moved through the thick of battle, their wooden armor gleaming with rain and moss. The first Tetan gripped a wooden sword in both hands, which burst with a green light that cut through darkness and rain like a beacon.

Before it swept out and cut through the Night Terror's stomach.

The creature split apart with shadow fragments exploding outward before a fist descended down on the Night Terror, and smashed it right into the ground.

Even more shadow fragments scattered out.

But the Tetan didn't stop as it pushed off the ground, its sword slashing and hacking through two more Night Terrors behind the first. Then the Tetan began chopping, slashing, and thrusting through even more Night Terrors with the green light flaring brighter after every hit.

A second Tetan moved beside the first, wielding a spear as they began thrusting forward, the spear blasting holes through a Night Terror's chest.

Before then, withdrawing smoothly and striking into a different target's throat.

Each strike found its mark as three holes appeared in a Night Terror close by.

A Night Terror retaliated through its tendrils, lashing toward the spear-wielding Tetan. The black appendages wrapped around the Tetan wooden armor before they began squeezing, while others tried to puncture through it. But the armor held as the tendrils bounced off, while the one trying to squeeze couldn't form a crack in it.

The Tetan ignored the assault entirely, continuing its assault on the Night Terrors while dragging the one wrapped around it.

The sword-wielding Tetan pivoted, bringing its blade up in a rising slash.

A Night Terror lunging from above was bisected, its halves falling in opposite directions.

Without pausing, the Tetan reversed the swing, bringing the blade down and hacking into the head of another creature.

Another Night Terror exploded into shadow fragments, the green light consuming its essence.

Three more Night Terrors rushed the Tetans simultaneously, attempting to overwhelm them through numbers.

But the Tetan blasted out with its spear, which pierced through the first Night Terror's eye before bursting from a flick.

Then the shaft slid against armor as the spear-wielder pivoted, before smashing and sending the second creature rolling behind it.

The third Night Terror's claws extended mid-leap, inches from connecting when the spear-wielder ducked and twisted.

Before the spear was thrust through the creature's body. The Night Terror momentum carried it forward until it hung suspended, and twitching.

A Werefang's paws barely touched the ground as it rushed forward. Its three tails whipping slashed through a Night Terror before its claw coated in shadows ripped through half-formed bodies, sending fragments flying.

Behind it, a Night Terror's face peeled apart and blasted out with tendrils that reached toward the Werefang's back.

A Kungala's massive hand shot forward, fingers closing around the black tendrils. The pale wooden giant squeezed, its enormous strength crushing the tendrils.

Before its other fist grasped onto the Night Terror, and then it squeezed, leading to shadow fragments leaking out of its hand.

The Werefang didn't look back as it turned before spotting three more Night Terrors advancing on the Kungala's leg. The massive creature couldn't defend itself effectively at that angle, leading the Werefang to lunge, closing the distance in seconds.

Its claws tore through the first Night Terror while the second creature tried to grab the Werefang. But the beast twisted its body, three tails slashing through the second Night terror before its claws tore through its head.

The third Night Terror's tendrils shot forward, but the Werefang's jaws clamped down, catching the tendrils and severing them with razor teeth.

Then its claws finished the job as it ripped and tore through the creature's body.

A Bear-Terror nearby released a roar that had sonic waves rippling outward, visible as distortion in the rain.

Five Night Terrors caught in the blast froze, their shadowy forms locked in place.

A Forest Root swung its arm, leading to roots erupting beneath the stunned beasts, piercing through them.

Kabas released more spores, and when spores touched Night Terror flesh, green roots sprouted instantly. The infection spread like wildfire through interconnected shadows, and within seconds, a cluster of seven Night Terrors before the internal roots tore them apart.

More Night Terrors fell with each passing second.

Their screeches filled the air while the noise mixed with Phantasm Beast roars, such as the Bear-Terrors' bellows, Werefangs' snarls, and Kungalas resonant calls.

Rain continued falling through it all.

Then another chill rushed down Reinhard's spine, this one far colder than anything before. His blue eyes began darting around, searching for the source.

But he saw nothing.

Something fell from the clouds.

It crashed into the ground near the battle with an impact that cracked cobblestones. The sound was deafening as it echoed through the area, freezing the Phantasm Beasts.

Even mid-swing, mid-bite, mid-strike, all of them stopped. The Night Terrors collapsed, their forms going limp like puppets with cut strings.

Rain continued falling as Reinhard strained to see through the downpour and darkness. He couldn't make out most of the details, except just a shape which was larger than anything else present.

The Phantasm Beasts were wary as they began backing away slowly, attempting to disengage.

A streak flashed before blood splashed out.

Two Bear-Terrors split apart, cleaved cleanly in half by something moving too fast to see. Just a streak of black, and then bodies falling in separate pieces.

The other Phantasm Beasts reacted instantly. The Kungalas created axes and hammers, swinging with all their massive strength.

Kabas released every spore they possessed as clouds so thick they obscured vision, and rushed out.

Forest Roots called forth forests of piercing wood while Tetans threw their weapons before creating new ones. Werefangs lunged with claws extended, and Bear-Terrors roared with visible waves rushing out.

All attacks rushed out in the same direction as twenty-five Phantasm Beasts unleashed everything simultaneously.

But it was all futile.

The attacks were hacked apart, chopped through, smashed into fragments, and shattered into dust.

Before then, another streak of black flashed!

Wooden axes were hacked apart, spores were blown away, roots got severed, weapons deflected, and claws caught and snapped.

And roars cut off mid-sound.

Then the Phantasm Beasts began bleeding.

Slashed marks appeared on their bodies over dozens of cuts.

A Kungala's arm fell, severed at the shoulder, and a Tetan was split vertically. Kabas shells cracked with spilling fluid, Werefangs collapsed with their legs removed, and Bear-Terrors fell as their throats were open.

The massacre was swift. Twenty-five Phantasm Beasts were slaughtered in seconds.

The final survivor was a Werefang.

It tried running with it, launching itself forward, but then something grasped it, an enormous hand emerging from darkness. The Werefang struggled, claws tearing at the grip holding it while its muscles strained, and it released a desperate howl.

Then lightning flashed.

For one brilliant moment, everything was illuminated in white light, and Reinhard saw what had landed.

It was similar to the other Night Terrors but more evolved. It stood the size of a Kungala, towering over fifteen feet tall with four arms extended from its torso, each wielding a weapon made from the same shadow material as its body.

A sword, an axe, a spear, a hammer that were all gleaming black, all leaking smoke.

Its head bore four horns arranged in a crown with multiple black tendrils rising from its back. It had three eyes, two on the sides, one between them, forming a triangle of blazing white light.

The Towering Night Terror held the struggling Werefang in one hand before its face split open. Layers peeled back before black tendrils rushed out, dozens becoming hundreds.

They wrapped around the Werefang, binding it completely. The creature's struggles intensified, then suddenly ceased.

It went limp, not dead but completely paralyzed.

More tendrils emerged, reaching toward the other fallen Phantasm Beasts. They wrapped around bodies before the tendrils dragged everything away into darkness beyond the street's edge.

The lesser Night Terrors rose.

Their dazed looks returned as their white eyes dimmed. They resumed their slow drifting, moving through rain-soaked streets as if nothing had happened.

The Towering Night Terror stood motionless for several seconds. Its three eyes swept the area once before sinking into the shadow, merging with darkness on the ground until it vanished completely.

Silence returned with only the sounds of the rain remaining, erasing all evidence of the battle.

Reinhard sat with a blank look while Joseph wore an identical expression. Both of them were going through various emotions, but the most prominent was shock at what they saw, and curiosity about what exactly the Night Terror was.

And what is its purpose?

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