Their Beast Spirits appeared in waves of light, wielding weapons that transformed, their power radiating outward to push back against the approaching darkness.

Dune laughed wildly and joyously. "Then charge forward and pull one of those Night Terrors down! Even if you fall, your conviction will continue on to the next person who is alive! Until finally we clear away the Night Terrors and protect our home!"

The Beast Masters roared again, the sound echoing across the area before Dune rushed forward, his great sword already glowing with golden light.

The warriors followed, none of them hesitating or faltering, only determination could be seen on their faces.

They crashed into the Night Terror wave like a golden avalanche meeting a shadow tide.

Dune's sword swept through the first black Night Terror, a shockwave obliterating three more behind it. A woman to his left thrust her spear through a Crimson Terror's torso, her follow-up strike severing tendrils attempting to wrap her weapon.

Another warrior wielding dual axes carved through a cluster of black variants, his movements synchronized with a partner covering his blind spots.

The Night Centipede variant lunged, its segmented body moving, rushing towards Dune. But five warriors converged on it, weapons striking from multiple angles. The creature's armor-like segments resisted initial attacks, but the quick strikes found gaps. It shrieked, the sound making the air vibrate painfully, before collapsing as its various parts were severed.

A Towering Night Terror swung its shadow-forged hammer down, the weapon creating a crater where a warrior had stood moments before. The warrior rolled aside, her momentum carrying her back to her feet before she thrust upward, her spear puncturing through the Terror's lower arm.

It didn't sever the limb but created an opening. Three more warriors exploited it immediately, their combined assault destroying the arm entirely.

One warrior fell, a man with grey streaks in his beard, his chest pierced by a shadow-spear. He collapsed without a sound, his Beast Spirit fading away as the light faded from his eyes.

But the warriors around him didn't pause to mourn or tremble in pain. Instead, they became more aggressive, fighting with increased ferocity.

Their strikes came faster, harder, fueled by anger at witnessing their comrade's death. A woman screamed her rage, her sword carving through two Crimson Terrors in a single devastating arc.

A younger warrior threw himself at a Towering Terror with reckless abandon, his weapon finding the creature's eye before it could recover.

Another warrior fell, and then another.

Bodies littered the battlefield, golden armor stained with blood and shadow stains. But those still standing fought with surging intensity, each death adding fuel to their determination rather than breaking their resolve.

Dune moved through the chaos like a force of nature, his great sword never stopping. A Towering Terror rushed him, all four weapons attacking simultaneously.

He parried the sword, ducked the axe, sidestepped the spear, and caught the hammer on his blade. The impact drove him back three steps, boots digging trenches in the earth, and then he pushed forward, his counter-strike severing two of the Terror's arms.

His follow-up destroyed its head, white eyes dimming as the creature collapsed.

The crow-like Night Terrors descended from above, trying to overwhelm through aerial assault. Warriors raised shields, forming protective walls. Warriors with long-range Beast Spirits launched beams of ice, lightning, death, and magic orbs, which rushed through the sky and blasted through the Night Terrors above.

More warriors continue falling, such as the woman with short-cropped hair, a man wielding a massive crystal warhammer, and another with mantis arms.

The three warriors fighting back-to-back were overwhelmed when a Towering Terror caught them in an assault with multiple Crimson variants.

But those remaining fought harder.

Their battle cries never diminished despite losses mounting, and they moved past fallen comrades without pausing. Even stepping over bodies to engage the next threat, the next enemy, refusing to stop until victory or death claimed them.

Dune's voice cut through the carnage. "Follow my golden cloak if you feel lost!"

His golden cape shined with a beautiful light, whether from magic or moonlight or pure will, Reinhard couldn't determine. But it served as a beacon, visible even through the chaos that the warriors followed, using Dune's position to maintain formation despite the overwhelming assault.

"Yes, Supreme Commander!" They shouted in unison.

The battle continued, minutes stretching into hours as warriors and the Night Terrors were falling one by one. The Night Terrors seemed endless, each destroyed creature replaced by two more emerging from darkness.

But the Melo City Guards never broke, never retreated, fighting until magic depleted and bodies failed.

The vision compressed again, time jumping forward.

And it's then that Reinhard saw Dune standing alone.

Bodies surrounded him, all wearing golden and iron armor, and all of them were dead. His own armor was shattered, plates torn away to reveal wounds bleeding freely. His great sword remained in his grip, the blade's tip resting against the ground because he no longer possessed the strength to hold it raised.

Night Terrors surrounded him, black, crimson, and towering variants forming a circle. But they didn't attack immediately, as if puzzled by his continued defiance.

Dune laughed. "It seems this time wasn't it. But I guess it's fine. Sooner or later, we will overcome it."

The Night Terrors paused.

A Crimson variant spoke. "Why do you believe this? Your once-strong city was no match for us. As we speak, the other cities and even the capital will fall."

Dune chuckled. "You guys talked? Who would have thought… Regardless, I figured that, considering the lack of support from the other cities."

"Then why?" The Terror drifted closer. "Why don't you give up? You aren't needed anymore. The place you wanted to protect is gone and destroyed. Is it because of the people who escaped? Is that why you continue to struggle?"

"Even without Melo City's people." Dune said softly, "I would still not give up."

Silence fell for a couple of seconds.

The Night Terror's eyes shone brighter, as if processing information beyond its understanding. "…Why?"

Dune grinned again with blood staining his teeth, but the expression carried absolute conviction. "Because it's my home. It's the place where my parents had me. It's the place where they raised me, and it's the place they sacrificed to protect."

He shifted his grip on the great sword, muscles trembling with effort to keep the weapon steady. "It's the place I met my eternal comrades and friends, and it's the place where I lost them. It's the place where we defended against terrifying threats and the place that was rebuilt after overcoming those threats. It's the place where people came together and created a unified community…"

His glare intensified, golden light flickering weakly around his broken form. "But above all else, it's the place where I found my Golden Age, and I will never give up on it."

The Night Terrors said nothing, and they simply charged.

All of them leaped simultaneously, shadows descended on a single target, weapons raised, tendrils extending. Dune gripped his sword despite his broken body, swinging upward to meet them.

The blade rose, golden light gathering along its edge despite his depleted magic.

But it's then light shined and consumed everything.

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