Reinhard and the golden army rushed upward, racing through the pale root path as they closed in on the center. Zenuken carved through grey humanoids attempting to block their path.

The warriors fought with undiminished fervor, their weapons creating cascades of golden light that illuminated the interior.

The root's voice echoed through the hollow space, carrying something that might have been desperation. Do you think this ends with a beautiful victory for you all?

They continued moving, smashing through enemies. A warrior's spear thrust through a construct's torso. Another axe followed, splitting the wooden body before a third warrior's hammer pulverized the remains.

The pattern repeated seamlessly as they climbed higher.

Do you even understand what happens if you destroy us!

One of the golden warriors, a woman with auburn hair, laughed while deflecting a root strike with her shield. "A peaceful future for the people of Eastern Hesod!"

Another warrior, stocky with a banner, shouted while crushing a grey humanoid. "A world where none of them will fear the night anymore!"

A third voice joined, belonging to a lean warrior wielding twin daggers. "A life where those from the outside can come enjoy our wonderful cities!"

Another man grinned wildly, his sword carving through multiple roots simultaneously. "A future where our descendants can continue our beautiful Golden Age!"

Reinhard chuckled despite the intensity of combat, his golden cape blazing as he ascended. The warriors' enthusiasm was infectious, their absolute certainty making the impossible seem inevitable.

The root's voice returned, colder now. Foolish! If you destroy us, then all of the people inside here will also die!

The golden warriors' eyes widened. Their movements faltered slightly, not stopping but hesitating, uncertainty creeping into previously absolute determination.

Reinhard's eyes narrowed before his head turned toward his shoulder, where Mimir perched. "Is it true?"

Mimir's eyes narrowed, the crow's gaze distant as if perceiving things beyond physical sight. Then slowly, reluctantly, he nodded. "If I am correct, then various roots in this place are controlled by humans trapped here, which is why most of them aren't attacking us. But following this line of thinking, it does mean they are extremely connected to the roots."

The crow's voice grew heavier. "Meaning there is a high chance of destroying the flower... Would also mean killing them as well."

Reinhard's eyes widened slightly, his grip on Zenuken tightening until his knuckles whitened. "What about Marie-"

Mimir shook his head immediately. "They're not fully connected yet because the process seems to take a while."

Relief flooded through Reinhard, visible in how his shoulders relaxed slightly. But then he frowned, the implications settling with crushing weight. "So to end the Dark Silence, we would need to..."

"Sacrifice the people inside here," Mimir finished quietly.

Reinhard and the golden warriors paused mid-combat. The enemies they'd been fighting suddenly seemed irrelevant compared to the terrible truth rushing over them.

Each warrior's expression showed the same conflict, duty warring with conscience, necessity battling against horror.

They grimaced, uncertainty paralyzing them. Hands that had swung weapons without hesitation now trembled, and eyes that had shined with determination now reflected doubt.

Then the Star Jewel shined.

Golden light erupted from Reinhard's pocket, washing across the interior with intensity that made everything else dim by comparison.

All of the victims appeared once more throughout the hollow space.

Tens of thousands of golden figures appeared around Reinhard and the others, their translucent bodies glowing with the same radiance as the Melo warriors.

He saw men, women, the elderly, young adults, all of them visible now, and smiling down at them.

A man with burn scars covering half his face stepped forward from where he'd been restraining three massive roots. His spectral form blazed brighter as he shouted. "Do It!"

Another golden figure appeared, the woman who'd been ostracized for looking different. She laughed, the sound carrying joy despite everything. "The end is in sight, so how can we be the reason you hesitate?"

The nameless warrior who'd died forgotten. His spectral form stood tall, proud despite having been forgotten by everyone. "If our end can mean the end of this crappy nightmare, then of course we'll take it!"

Reinhard saw some faces he recognized from Dune memories, others from the memories the roots showed him. All of them are shouting towards him and the Golden Melo Warriors.

"We've been dreaming for decades! Let us finally wake up properly!"

"Don't you dare stop now because of us!"

"Our families are out there! Protect them!"

"This is our choice! Honor it!"

"We're Forerunners! We don't fear sacrifice!"

The cries overlapped and amplified into an unstoppable tide of collective will.

Where once the sleeping victims had exerted their energy in restraining the roots, now their spirits burned brighter than any living warrior, each one demanding that Reinhard and his team go on, finish it, regardless of the cost.

The roots around them began to shake. More spectral figures appeared, filling every balcony and hollow, standing on the arms of the roots themselves.

An elderly man's spirit appeared, his translucent form showing armor from centuries past. "I fought the Dark Silence when it first appeared. Let me finally see it end!"

A young woman materialized, her spectral body showing she'd been beautiful before being captured. "My daughter is out there somewhere, I want to make sure she can live without fear!"

An young man voice joined, carrying determination beyond his apparent years. "Mom and Dad must still be around, I don't want them to suffer like us!"

The voices multiplied, overlapping, creating a symphony of encouragement and acceptance.

"This is your time! We'll hold them off as long as we can!"

"Don't let our centuries here be wasted!"

"We are here to support you all, now and forever!"

They weren't begging or pleading but ordering Reinhard and his warriors to complete the mission regardless of cost.

"Make our deaths mean something!"

"Don't let this thing win by using us as hostages!"

"We're already gone! Our bodies are just shells now!"

"Eastern Hesod will not die with us!"

Reinhard and the golden Melo warriors trembled. Some warriors openly cried, golden tears streaming down spectral faces. Their hands clench and unclench around their weapons.

For every warrior present, there was a corresponding spirit urging them to move forward, to finish the fight, to not waste the chance.

One warrior's voice emerged and choked with emotion. "These are our people... These guys..."

Another added, his tone carrying awe. "Even after being captured, they still carried our legacy and our will."

The roots, sensing something in the balance, tried to break the moment, slamming into the platforms and shaking loose warriors and spirits alike. A massive fissure opened above, raining down splinters and a sickly green resin.

Through it, a new wave of constructs tumbled out, hundreds at once, desperate to crush the resistance before it reached the top.

But the spirits did not yield.

Instead, they appeared in midair, hugging and grappling with the Kaba as if made of real flesh, restraining them even as they themselves flickered and faded in the process.

"Go!" Shouted the scarred man, still holding three roots. "We can handle things here for a little longer!"

"Move, we believe in you guys!" Shouted the old general as his armor glowed so brightly it left afterimages in Reinhard's vision.

Bargest stepped forward, his wild grin transformed into something more solemn before he looked at Reinhard directly. "Supreme Commander... Let's listen to them and fulfill their wish."

Reinhard fell silent as his gaze swept across the manifested spirits.

Tens of thousands of them, all blazing with golden light, all holding back roots and constructs despite knowing it meant their deaths.

His voice failed him at first, but then the Star Jewel in his pocket shone again, and Reinhard felt the touch of every Forerunner who had ever lived, they were all marching with him now.

His throat tightened, making speech difficult.

"What a beautiful community the Forerunners are..." Reinhard whispered. "Even I..."

He shook his head violently, clearing emotion that threatened to overwhelm him, and his voice erupted with renewed determination. "Let's go! We shall end this no matter what!"

The golden warriors roared in response, weapons rising again. The hesitation vanished, replaced by conviction born from honoring their people's final wish.

They rushed upward with renewed fury while the manifested spirits continued holding back roots, their voices never ceasing.

"Keep going!"

"Don't slow down!"

"We're right behind you!"

"For our Golden Age!"

The interior brightened as they climbed, suggesting proximity to the top. Light filtered through gaps overhead, painting everything in ethereal radiance.

They broke through a final root ceiling and emerged into the open air.

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