Marie stood at the crater's edge where the pale tree had once dominated Helios's skyline. Her light-gold eyes tracked the barriers forming overhead as she saw the golden cages spreading across the sky, and sealing Eastern Hesod from the rest of the continent.

Around her were the others who were frowning. Vlad, Brunhilde, Joseph, Amiya, Janus, and Veryn all stared at the sky.

"We need to hurry and begin Reinhard's plan." Marie said after a couple of seconds.

She took a deep breath as she began preparing body and spirit for what came next. Her boots found a stable position on the ground while her hands rose to chest height, arms extending slightly.

Then her hands came together.

Not a simple clasp but deliberate interlocking, fingers weaving through each other. Then instantly, two wings of pure gold unfurled behind her, and the wings spread to full span, each feather individually visible despite being composed of light.

They shimmered with soft, trembling radiance that pulsed in rhythm. Then a pulse rippled under her boots like water, and then a gentle tide of golden light swept out. The radiance expanded in a perfect circle, washing over Beast Masters first.

It touched skin without burning, passed through armor without resistance.

The light rolled outward beyond the immediate group. It spread across shattered plains where Helios's ruins lay scattered before, then a golden stream of light began to form around the others.

"Grab the light." Marie says softly, reaching every person touched by golden radiance. "And... Send me your magic."

Silence fell before everyone began moving.

Amiya reached first with her fingers extended as she approached the golden light floating at chest height. Her fingertips grazed the radiance; it felt so warm, and she fully gripped the stream and felt a connection. Her magic began flowing upward, carried by light like water following a stream.

Joseph placed his whole palm against the light before his own magic began flowing out into the stream. Janus followed with both hands resting upon golden radiance, fingers spread wide to maximize contact. His curly black hair stirred despite the lack of wind, responding to energy currents invisible to normal sight.

Veryn gently grasped the light and closed her eyes before her magic also began rushing out into the golden light.

Vlad placed a steady, resolute hand on radiance. His crimson eyes remained open, watching Marie. His weathered fingers didn't tremble despite the magnitude of power being channeled, and he rushed into the golden light.

Brunhilde stepped forward last as she gripped the light with both hands, and she felt her magic rushing out.

The stream of glow grew bigger with various colors flowing through the golden streams. Each contribution created a visible current, flowing upward from the Inquisitors toward Marie's position.

The streams twisted around each other in spiral patterns, braiding together as they rose. Some currents were thin wisps, others thick beams, all converging on a single point.

Marie's hands remained interlocked before then, between her palms, a sphere was forming. It started small, a marble-sized orb of concentrated radiance barely visible between fingers. But it expanded steadily as magic flowed inward.

It grew to fist-sized, then melon-sized, and boulder-sized. Its glow intensified with growth as Marie opened her hands, letting it illuminate the area around. The edges blurred as if too bright to maintain coherent shape.

Marie's expression shifted, her brows furrowed, jaw clenching with effort. Sweat appeared on her forehead despite spiritual armor regulating temperature.

Her voice cracked with strain, bleeding through control. "This... isn't enough. I can feel it, I need more to even come close to dealing with the tide."

Her head turned toward Brunhilde, and she quickly said. "The method that you mentioned before, let's do it."

Brunhilde nodded once before her hand rose, fingers positioning, and then she snapped.

Rings of symbols flared into existence beneath everyone's feet. Ancient designs glowing pale-gold materialized on the ground, spreading outward like unfolding petals. The patterns raced across the landscape, diving into valleys, climbing mountainsides, dispersing through villages and ravaged ruins throughout Eastern Hesod.

The symbols embedded themselves across various areas of Eastern Hesod. In collapsed buildings where survivors huddled, on forest paths where refugees fled the crimson-black tide. A

cross battlements where warriors maintained defensive positions. Every location showing signs of life received a glowing sigil beneath its feet.

Before the barrier closed, Brunhilde had sent these words across the land in preparation for this and also to find others.

Brunhilde's gaze shifted to Vlad. "Your turn."

Vlad inhaled deeply before opening his mouth to speak.

"All survivors." His voice wasn't loud in the immediate vicinity but reached far, carried on currents of magic and memory, transmitted through symbols Brunhilde had placed. "I am the Ancestor Vlad, leader of the Seekers."

The words spread across Eastern Hesod.

Throughout the continent, people paused as voices resonated through symbols beneath their feet.

"The Dark Silence is gone, it's finally destroyed." It was a simple statement without any embellishment or dramatic flourish. "But now we face an additional threat, which is this time a crimson-black tide that I am sure you're all wondering where it came from. This tide is the Dark Silence's last trick after we destroyed its main body."

Silence crackled across the land.

Thousands of people process information simultaneously, comprehension spreading like a ripple through collective consciousness.

"If we do nothing." Vlad continued, each word said carefully. "The entire Eastern Hesod will drown. Not just our people or the forest around, but everything inside of here. It will burn away the places we call home, it will destroy the areas where our ancestors once walked, and erase any of those we cared about."

Vlad then paused, letting them understand the implication and allowing the gravity of the situation to register fully.

"Many of you dislike us, Seekers." His voice softened, carrying admission rarely voiced by leadership. "Some of you hate us. I understand."

The symbols across land flickered in response, as if listening, processing, conveying reactions back toward the source.

"But I ask you..." Vlad's voice gained intensity despite remaining soft. "Is hatred more important than our home?"

A second of silence passed.

"Is our grudge greater than our survival?"

Another pause.

"Is our division more precious than the land that raised us?"

Another pause.

"Is all of that more important than the efforts and sacrifices those in the past made to allow us to be here today?"

Vlad closed his eyes as he clenched his fist before saying. "I refuse to believe that… I believe all of us want to protect this part of the continent that others have abandoned. That we want to preserve it even when others tell us it's a lost cause… I believe that we all love this place more than any grudge or issues between each other."

He bowed his head, which was visible only to those nearby but felt through symbols by everyone connected.

"So please, place your hand on the words beneath you, and let them take only what you can give. Help us save this land, and let us finish this nightmare that took so much from us and has plagued us for centuries… Let's end it all together."

He waited.

Marie waited, sphere pulsing between her palms.

Joseph, Janus, Veryn, Amiya, and Veryn were barely breathing.

The entire continent seemed to hold its breath.

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