Greg's breathing starts to get out of control, but at least it was all worth it. "Fuck yeah... I did it, and this time it's something worth forging for the greater good."

"I don't care if I die today... as long as I made something right in this second life... of mine."

Greg collapsed, and Marina rushed to catch him. His body went completely limp in her arms. He was still alive, though his breathing was shallow and his skin felt pale and clammy.

"Greg!" she yelled, her voice shaking with fear. "Greg, please stay with me!"

But he was completely out of it because his body had given everything it had to bring the Guardian back to life. Marina held him close and felt his weak heartbeat against her chest. For a scary moment, she thought she might lose him right then and there.

"Marina, we have to go!" Kael yelled from behind her. "That thing is still—"

He stopped talking when the Guardian Reborn took another step forward, its giant body moving with impossible grace. The protection field it made was now visible. It looked like a dome of shimmering amber light that spread out from its center, covering the whole village square and everyone in it.

The shadowy figure looked at the Guardian with either respect or caution. It wasn't moving forward with complete confidence for the first time since it showed up.

"Fascinating," the shadow said, its voice layered and thoughtful. "A creation that came about not because it wanted to destroy, but because it strongly refused to let others be destroyed."

"This one is very different from the other reincarnators I have encountered."

"And it seems like you're still trying to prove that you've changed in this second life of yours. I'm impressed, Greg Greyson!"

It made a gesture, and the three Berserk Titans roared in unison, shaking the ground as they charged forward. The smaller monsters followed closely behind, displaying their teeth, claws, and murderous intent.

The Guardian didn't attack. Instead, it stood with both feet on the ground and raised its hands in front of it to protect itself. The amber field got brighter and turned into what looked like walls of solid light between the charging monsters and the villagers.

The first Titan hit the barrier with the force of an avalanche, and the whole field shook but stayed strong. The impact should have broken through any normal defense, but the Guardian's protection didn't even crack. The Titan roared in anger and hit again and again, each blow strong enough to knock down buildings but completely useless against the barrier.

"Get ready, everyone who can fight!" Denna yelled and lifted her axe, even though she was clearly worn out. "We can't let Greg's sacrifice be for nothing!"

"What can we do against those things?" one of the guards in the village asked, his voice shaking. "We're totally outmatched!"

Kael said, "We don't have to win," and he was already nocking arrows, even though he knew they hadn't worked before.

"We just have to stay alive long enough for help to come or for that shadow thing to stop."

Ryn said, "That's a terrible plan," but she was already getting ready to use the little mana she had left for barrier spells.

The second and third Titans joined the attack on the Guardian's field. Their combined attacks made shockwaves that shook teeth and broke the ground. The barrier remained intact, and the Guardian remained motionless in its center, akin to an immovable pillar.

The smaller monsters tried to get around the sides in search of weak spots in the defense, but no matter where they went, the field changed shape to keep full coverage. It was like the Guardian could sense that someone was going to attack and moved to stop it before it even happened.

"It's not attacking back," Marina thought as she held Greg, who was still unconscious. "It's just protecting."

"That's what Greg made it to do," Denna said, and she understood. "He made something that can't hurt anyone, only keep them safe."

"But how long can it last?" Kael asked, watching as the Titans kept attacking without stopping. "Even legendary things can't do everything."

The Guardian's chest piece began to glow brighter, and the core of the wagon wheel began to spin faster, as if in response. You could see waves of energy moving through its shape, and the protection field got even stronger, pushing the Titans back a few feet.

The shadow figure laughed, and it was a joyful sound. "Oh, this is great!"

"A defense so strong that it makes aggression pointless! But let's see how it deals with this."

The shadow raised both hands, and the purple light in the Titans' eyes got so bright that it hurt to look at it. The three giant animals started to change, and their bodies grew with strange strength. As the shadow pushed more and more energy into them, their roars turned into deafening screams of pain and rage.

"You're overcharging them!" Ryn yelled. "They're going to blow up!"

"Everyone behind the Guardian!" Marina screamed and pulled Greg closer.

The Crimson Falcons and the other defenders rushed behind the giant protector just as the first Titan went off. The explosion was so terrible that it sent a wave of raw mana and flesh that would have destroyed everything within a hundred feet.

But the Guardian's field took it all in, with the amber barrier rippling and bending but never breaking. The second Titan blew up, then the third. Each blast added to the end-of-the-world rage that Greg's creation was holding back.

The village was still there when the light went out and the smoke cleared. Yes, it was damaged, with frost and burned earth on it, but it was still standing. The Guardian hadn't moved an inch because its field of protection was still strong.

The shadow figure looked at this impossible sight, and, for the first time, something other than amusement or disappointment showed up.

"Yes... yes... yes...!!!"

It said quietly, "Remarkable."

"This is really amazing. I thought I would find another arrogant fool who was drunk on stolen power or a coward who was hiding from his fate, but I find this instead." It pointed at the Guardian, Greg's unconscious body, and the villagers who had lived through impossible odds.

"A reincarnator who won't kill, who makes shields instead of swords, and who would die to protect people he doesn't know well." The voice of the shadow became serious.

"Maybe there is still hope for this world, and I fucking love it!!!"

"What do you mean?" Marina yelled, her voice shaking with fear and exhaustion.

"What's going on?"

"The stampede, the monsters you can control, are they testing us?"

"Why?"

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