Dune stepped forward through the crowd.

His spectral form left trails of gold from his cape that softly moved behind him. His expression was complicated, a mix of lips twitching as if fighting a smile, eyes showing a mixture of exasperation and affection toward warriors who'd served under him.

"That was an interesting thank-you gift you sent me after I made you Supreme Commander." His tone carried dry humor, poorly concealing genuine appreciation.

Reinhard's smile softened. "It was a pain in the ass role to fill."

Dune laughed before shaking his head and then smiling. "I agree… But you did spectacularly, and for that I am thankful." His expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Well, since they've given you a gift and you also gave me one, let me leave you with some advice."

He paused, ensuring Reinhard's full attention before continuing.

"Seeing as how you saw my memories, you must have seen my hatred for my parents and my confusion?" The question was rhetorical, but he waited for a slight nod before proceeding. "Then also the answer I came up with on why they sacrificed their lives instead of running away and being with me..."

Another pause.

Dune's gaze became distant, looking through Reinhard toward the past visible only to him.

"In truth, I later found out the real reason. The pillar was something they could stake everything on because it represented the home where I was born, and the place they wanted me to grow up in."

Reinhard's eyes widened slightly; in truth, he didn't think that was the reason. He just felt like Dune's parents didn't want to let the place where those who came before them be snuffed out.

But to hear they did it solely because it related to Dune. It made him wonder about the places he and his siblings grew up. Before he quickly suppressed that thought, a place like the orphanage was nothing but trash.

"Does the place... Does it really matter?" Reinhard's voice emerged uncertain.

Dune chuckled before sighing as he looked down at the ground. "No, but the place itself does hold those precious memories." He stepped closer. "When they charged at the beasts, they weren't remembering the glory of Melo Settlement or those who died to protect them. But the day I was born, the day I was first fed, the day I first walked, the day I first talked, and many of my other firsts."

His voice gained intensity. "To them… The destruction of the pillar would represent that Melo Settlement at the time would be taken over by beasts, and become a stain on those precious memories."

Reinhard trembled as he began to grasp the Golden Age of Dune parents. It wasn't the legacy and belief of the Melo City warriors but the accumulated moments of joy, of love, of connection they had with their son.

Reinhard says. "Their Golden Age… Was you."

Dune smiled before nodding and saying. "It was every moment and place related to me as well. To see Melo City be destroyed? To only be able to look back at those memories but never physically visit the places again? To see the Beasts walking around and destroying the areas? To them, it was as if the beast was harming me, and they couldn't let that happen."

"That's… Amazing." Reinhard muttered with a soft smile, yet he couldn't stop the twitch of envy in his chest.

Dune chuckled before saying. "I believe everyone has their own Golden Age that is both unique to themselves and universal, which helps create unity. It's how we humans have been able to survive for so long and carve our way through the world."

His hand swept outward, a gesture encompassing a hundred thousand figures standing behind him. "Regardless of the threat we faced and obstacles that appeared in our way, we have always endured and pushed through because we have something we are willing to stake everything on."

Erza stepped forward, her soft smile appearing as she spoke. "You may face hardships, injustice, and even feel like giving up a lot." Her expression shifted, acknowledging darker possibilities. "Sometimes you may even feel yourself suffocating, and wanting to run away from it all."

Voyer joined, his scarred face showing understanding born from experience. "That's when you should look back at what you have done, at the way you pushed past previous obstacles and odds."

Mira moved forward next, her voice carrying gentle insistence. "Look at those who have helped you, what would be lost if you stepped aside, and how you would feel as a result."

Senna completed the thought, her tone mixing encouragement with challenge. "Once you think of all these, you will gain courage and willpower to continue moving forward because in the end, we all don't want to regret anything."

Dune's voice rose above the others, pulling threads together. "And with all of these, you will have something you take full pride in, something you aren't willing to compromise on, and willing to stake everything on."

He paused, allowing words to settle before delivering a conclusion. "Once you have that, then you will create your Golden Age."

Dune's expression softened. "But I also suggest you take your time in trying to figure out what your Golden Age is. There is no need to rush, I'm sure a person like you will be around for a long while."

Reinhard muttered the phrase, testing the weight on his tongue. "My Golden Age..."

The words felt heavy, significant, carrying implications he couldn't fully process. He knew what a Golden Age was, Dune explained it twice, and yet he simply couldn't imagine it. But the words did resonate somewhere deep, as if they were laying the groundwork for a time when he would be able to imagine it.

Dune nodded in satisfaction. "Once you find it..." His body was becoming fainter. "Then the next time we meet, I hope you tell us about it."

The hundred thousand figures began to gradually break down. The golden light became more translucent, edges blurring as the connection to the living world weakened.

They gave one final cheer.

The sound rose from every throat simultaneously, a celebration, farewell, blessing all compressed into a single vocalization.

Arms raised in salute, others bowed, others waved, others grinned, others sent air kisses, others gave thumbs up, others lifted their weapon, and so forth. But in the end, all of them had expressions of contentment and peace.

"Goodbye, Supreme Commander!"

"Thank you for everything!"

"Live well!"

"Make us proud!"

"See you on the other side after an extremely long while!"

The voices overlapped, creating a final symphony that echoed across the restored landscape. Each farewell carried individual gratitude but blended into a unified message of love and approval.

Reinhard continued staring at them in a daze. His consciousness struggled to process sight, a hundred thousand souls departing simultaneously, each one having contributed to a beautiful future.

He slowly raised his hand and also waved back at them, right before they shattered. All at once, the golden figures exploded into particles of light. It was a gentle dispersal as their souls were returning to the place they belonged, leaving behind blessings rather than grief.

The lights began fading from the world as they rose upward like inverse rain, climbing toward the sky. Golden particles mixed with blue atmosphere, creating a temporary aurora that painted everything in warm radiance.

Reinhard stood alone in the restored landscape. The spectral army had vanished completely, leaving only evidence of their passage, grass where corruption had spread, water where malevolence had flowed, and a blue sky.

He stared at the beautiful blue ponds stretching before him.

The clear water reflected the evening sky, and the sun, having emerged from behind clouds, cast golden light across the surface. Streams connected ponds in a gentle network, flowing with quiet burbling that suggested peace rather than threat.

The forest beyond showed new growth. Trees that hadn't existed hours before now stood tall, leaves rustling in the breeze that carried no corruption. Flowers dotted clearings in colors suggesting life reclaiming land that death had dominated.

Evening light shone down, and the illumination was warm and gentle.

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