Honor summoned his Beast Spirit as his eyes shifted, twin pools of absolute blackness like event horizons of micro-singularities. Then a nebulous cloak draped itself over his form, materializing from darkness itself. Two wings erupted from his back, composed of concentrated twilight and cosmic ash.

A large black banner appeared in his grip, its flag torn and tattered, fluttering despite no wind.

Janus' hands erupted with radiance as crimson-black light began forming a gauntlet that wrapped around his arms. They formed intricate patterns with crimson claws extended from the fingertips like crimson diamonds.

Reinhard and the others rushed forward as one.

Roots lashed from the side, thick tendrils seeking to entangle. Reinhard slashed through the first root, the blade cutting clean through wood before another root struck from above, dropping like a falling tree.

Janus rushed forward with his crimson claws on his gauntlet extending. Then, blasting through the descending tendril, wood splintering around crystallized points. The ground erupted with roots that burst upward between their feet, trying to impale from below.

Casseo's eyes glowed crimson through his helm's sockets. He stomped down, his armored boot crushing emerging roots before they could rise fully.

More roots struck from the opposite side.

Janus thrust both hands forward, his own crimson claws bursting out before multiplying. The replicated claws pierced through incoming tendrils, skewering them in place. He twisted his wrists, and the claws expanded inside the wood.

The roots exploded from within, shredded by the internal detonation.

They tore through the initial assault, boots hitting ground in rapid succession as they pressed forward. Amiya clutched the map against her chest, eyes scanning the markings while her feet moved automatically. Marie stayed beside her, the Star Jewel glowing in her hands, golden light sweeping ahead to part passive roots.

A strange sound echoed through the forest, creaking wood mixed with something that might have been breathing.

Humanoid figures emerged from the trees ahead.

They were made entirely of roots, woven together to create approximations of human form. Arms that ended in wooden claws, while heads with no faces, only smooth surfaces of interlocked wood.

Behind them came other shapes, such as Bear-Terrors constructed from roots instead of flesh, maintaining the massive spiked backs. Werefangs with three tails made of thin tendrils. Phantasm Beasts recreated in wood, mockeries of the creatures they resembled.

The root-constructs charged forward.

Honor swung his banner forward. Black shadowy aura flowed over the torn flag, and when it struck the first humanoid figure, the effect was immediate. The root-construct began breaking down from within, wood crumbling to dust as if centuries were passing in seconds.

The creature collapsed mid-stride, disintegrating before it could reach them.

Reinhard met the next humanoid head-on as his foot came down hard, purple-black energy erupted from the impact point. It spreads across the ground in rippling waves and the gravity well.

Three root-constructs were pulled toward him, their wooden bodies dragging across the earth as if magnetized. He released the pull and activated the push, leading to gravity reversing. All three constructs shot away, slamming into trees with enough force to shatter their wooden forms.

A root-Bear-Terror lunged at Janus, but Joseph waved his hand down, leading a terrifying gale to be pressed down onto it. The root Bear-Terror was forced down to the ground, leading Janus to thrust his claws into its chest. Wood splintered on contact, then he activated Ripper, and the claws expanded inside the construct, bursting outward in multiple directions.

The Bear-Terror exploded, fragments scattering across the clearing.

Veryn's eyes turned purple with slitted pupils. Her grimoire floated before her, pages turning rapidly before she gestured, and several circles materialized in the air.

Rain of Light activated.

Rapid volleys of light beams shot from the circles, striking root-Werefangs that were attempting to flank their position. The beams burned through wood, leaving smoking holes that caused the constructs to collapse.

But then a massive root burst from the canopy overhead, dropping toward Amiya and Marie with lethal intent.

Casseo moved as he leaped, his sword already swinging. Black shadowy aura coated the blade, the enhanced strike connected with the falling root, and the impact sent shockwaves through the wood. The root split down its length, halves falling to either side of the two women, missing them by inches.

"Keep moving!" Honor's voice resonated through his helm.

His banner swept in a wide arc, and black orbs materialized. They rushed forward, swirling as they moved, as they struck a cluster of root-constructs ahead. The orbs touched them, and breakdown began immediately, the wood weathered, aged rapidly, and crumbled to powder.

The constructs tried resisting, but magic in the roots wasn't enough to contend with Honor's own attack.

Amiya's eyes darted between the map and their surroundings. The constant root barricades shifted the landscape, making navigation treacherous, while the attacks disrupted her concentration. The oppressive feeling of the forest pressed against her senses, making it difficult to maintain bearings.

Amiya stopped, hand raised, and everyone halted immediately. "This way." Amiya said, pointing left at an angle. "The path curves, but the map shows-"

Roots exploded from three directions simultaneously.

Janus thrust his hands down, leading to his Beast Sigil being activated, Roots Control.

His own roots erupted from the ground, thinner but faster than the attacking tendrils. They wrapped around the incoming roots, binding them, stunning their advance for precious seconds. The enemy forces struggled against his control, but the momentary delay was enough.

Marie raised the Star Jewel high, leading to the golden light shining brighter than before. It swept outward in a dome, washing over the attacking roots. Where the light touched, the aggressive tendrils stopped, trembling before parting away from their position.

"Move!" Amiya rushed in the direction she'd indicated, boots pounding against the earth.

The group followed, formation maintained. Reinhard and Joseph took point with Amiya and Marie. Casseo and Veryn covered the flanks. Janus and Honor brought up the rear, watching for attacks from behind.

More root-constructs emerged from the forest. They attacked in waves, testing defenses, searching for weaknesses.

Honor waved his banner, leading to more Black orbs forming and rushing toward the constructs. The orbs swirled, pulling at the wooden figures, dragging them closer to the spheres' centers. When contact occurred, breakdown began as the wood weathered to dust, constructs crumbling as their magic was drained, resisting the effect.

A root-Tetan appeared ahead, wielding a wooden spear. Its moss-covered body glowed with white eyes before it thrust the spear toward Marie's exposed back.

Janus gauntlet shot forward, his crimson claws caught the spear mid-thrust, closing around the wooden shaft. Then the claws expanded, shattering the spear from within, and the Tetan stumbled.

Janus follow-up strike punched through its chest, claws bursting out the back before expanding again.

The construct exploded before he continued rushing forward.

Roots continued attacking from above, with thick tendrils trying to crush or bind.

Reinhard leaped, Zenuken sweeping in wide arcs. The black-blue blade cut through descending roots, severing them before they could reach the ground. While Joseph waved his hand, leading to a gale of wind cutting and severing the roots, trying to pierce them from the side.

Casseo's sword moved in constantly, as each strike sent shockwaves through attacking roots, splitting them apart or forcing them to retreat. His black scales absorbed impacts when roots managed glancing blows, the armor holding against the assault.

Veryn created purple barriers around vulnerable points. When roots struck the barriers, they held, blocking the attacks before shattering. She timed the barriers perfectly, creating them just before impacts and dismissing them immediately after to conserve magic.

But they continued moving forward.

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