Another warrior was pierced by multiple wooden spears simultaneously.

His form destabilized, fragmenting into separated pieces. But the fragments pulled back together, reconstituting his body as if the damage had never occurred. His counterattack obliterated all three constructs that had struck him.

Bird-like Night Terrors came rushing over with heavy footsteps that made the ground shake. Their presence created immediate mental pressure, headaches forming as their faces prepared to flash in their minds.

Reinhard's eyes shifted fully into gold as he felt Fenrir's power surge through him, golden-black markings appearing briefly before being suppressed again.

Then he opened his mouth.

Sinner Reflect.

The attack erupted outward, the screams of terror, roars of bestial rage, crying pleas for mercy, desperate begging for release. All the voices from Mensis Town's amalgamation carried forward to strike the Night Terrors. The birds froze mid-step, their mental assault disrupted by the overwhelming voices.

Ursa Suppression followed immediately.

Reinhard's roar produced visible sound waves that swept across the battlefield. When they struck the Night Terrors, the creatures froze completely.

The Melo warriors descended on the frozen targets. Weapons struck from every angle, shattering the Night Terrors before they could recover. One warrior with a massive warhammer pulverized a bird-variant's head with a single overhead strike.

Another's spear pierced through a frozen Terror's torso, the ice preventing regeneration long enough for complete destruction.

Reinhard switched back to Odin immediately, his eyes returning to normal light blue.

Shadow Striker.

Countless black spears erupted from every shadow around their position, skewering root-constructs attempting to attack. The spears pinned enemies in place, buying precious seconds for warriors to finish them.

Crimson Night Terrors radiating Second Class rushed over, while Towering Night Terror with four arms and shadow-forged weapons stomped over. Alongside root-humanoids with glowing mushrooms, preparing to explode.

Reinhard swiftly shifted back to Fenrir and waved his hand, a dozen small azure portals forming behind him. The beams shot forward, smashing into the Crimson Terrors, leading the Crimson Terrors to move to evade them.

Sinner Reflect.

But then they froze as countless voices appeared in their mind, and then the beams crashed into them. Ice spread across their forms, slowing their movements and making them vulnerable.

The golden warriors with Second Class Beast Master aura rushed over. Those with fire-based Beast Spirits unleashed waves of flames that crashed into the Crimson Terror while the others struck frozen figures, shattering limbs and vital areas.

The Crimson Terrors fell despite their strength as Second Class Beast Master, overwhelmed by a coordinated assault.

They pressed forward relentlessly. Amiya maintained their heading, her voice cutting through chaos with directional updates.

The golden Melo warriors protected the formation, their attacks never stopping. Their gazes remained fixed on Reinhard's golden cape, using it as Dune had instructed, following the beacon through darkness.

When the root barricades reformed ahead, the warriors smashed through them without slowing. When Phantasm Beast constructs charged, they were met with overwhelming force. When Night Terrors attempted mental assaults, Reinhard's Fenrir abilities disrupted their attacks before they could take hold.

The forest shook around them, explosions from the three-pronged assault still raging in the distance. But here, at the eastern pathway, an unstoppable force carved through every obstacle. Living and dead fighting together, past and future unified, all of them pushing toward the same goal.

They reached another root; barricades rose higher here, denser, reinforced by centuries of growth. But the Golden Warrior simply hacked out, smashing and blasting through the barricades as they continued.

But then the forest began changing the deeper they went.

Roots didn't just spread over the ground anymore, they formed walls that rose and fell with disturbing fluidity. Barriers that had existed seconds before vanished, replaced by new obstacles emerging from the earth with liquid grace.

Pathways opened and closed, making the question of whether they were still running in the same forest as before.

Amiya stopped, her eyes darting between the map and their surroundings. Her brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her face. "This section should open to the left, but..."

The left pathway she'd been tracking sealed itself. Roots wove together rapidly, creating a solid wall where passage had existed moments before. To the right, a new opening appeared, one not marked on Saint Lucian's map.

Joseph moved beside her, Arondight held ready, while his free hand extended. Wind gathered around his palm, swirling in tight patterns. "Let me check."

The wind expanded outward, spreading through the forest like invisible fingers. It touched roots, traced pathways, and felt the contours of the shifting environment. Joseph's eyes closed, and Reinhard knew it was him using the wind spirits to help talk to him.

Joseph's eyes opened. "The path curves northeast, then doubles back west. There's a gap in the root density about thirty meters ahead."

Amiya nodded, adjusting their heading before the group followed, as root-humanoids continued emerging. The golden Melo warriors engaged immediately, their spectral forms blazing as they carved through constructs. Reinhard's Zenuken swept through clusters, attempting to block their advance, Gravity Step pulling enemies together before reversing to scatter them against trees.

They pressed forward, following Joseph's directions. The wind continued guiding him, elements providing information that eyes couldn't perceive through the constantly shifting maze.

Minutes stretched as they navigated, each turn requiring consultation between Joseph's elemental sense and Amiya's map.

But the forest adapted.

The wind patterns Joseph relied on began distorting. Roots moved faster, shifting before his elemental sense could fully map their positions. What the wind told him existed thirty seconds ago no longer matched the current reality. He frowned, concentrating harder, pushing more magic into his connection with the elements.

"Left here." Joseph said, though his voice carried less certainty than before.

They turned left.

The pathway opened briefly, then began closing behind them. Roots erupted from both sides, forcing them to move faster or be trapped.

The golden warriors protected their backs and sides, weapons destroying pursuing enemies, while the group navigated the narrowing space.

Joseph's connection to the elements is strained. The roots shifted too rapidly now, their movements creating turbulence that disrupted air currents.

Earth vibrations became unreliable as constant motion made everything tremble. Even moisture patterns fluctuated wildly as roots absorbed and released water in chaotic cycles.

"I..." Joseph paused, wind swirling around his hand but providing contradictory information. "I can't track it anymore. The shifts are too fast."

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