Above the ruined Mehko Research Center, Fenrir roared toward the sky.

Its six eyes blazed golden like the cold gold of stars burning in the void. Its massive jaws opened impossibly wide, revealing rows of teeth.

Fenrir roar spread outward in visible black waves with the air itself rippling.

Then from Fenrir's body, a wave of crimson-black energy emerged. It rushed out in a thick wave and spread across the sky like dirt in water.

They moved across the sky from above Fenrir and slowly began spreading over Phane city, moving over all five districts of the city.

Once the waves reached the edges of Phane City, they began to descend down and curving themselves over towards the city's borders. Before then, the crimson-black energy formed a massive sphere that enclosed the entire city within its boundaries.

A crimson-black dome was formed, one that looked solid and impenetrable.

Then cracks appeared, thin lines of golden light spread across the crimson-black surface. They multiplied rapidly into thousands of cracks that raced across the dome's interior.

And then the dome shattered.

It broke like glass with the fragments dissolving into nothing as they fell. But what lay beyond wasn't sky but a crimson-black void that surrounded them.

It pressed against the edges where the dome had been, held back by nothing, revealing that Phane City now existed in a bubble carved from nothingness itself.

Fenrir stopped roaring as it glanced around to the void and nodded.

Then its six eyes glowed brighter, and golden light poured from each, streaming downward in visible beams that touched the city below.

Throughout Phane City, every Phantasm Beast froze mid-movement.

Werefangs stopped their movement as they tried to run. Bumbodusk halted their charges, Tonothus' hooves were frozen in mid-motion, while Cheronos ceased their running away.

Autumn Deer paused mid-leap, Bear-Terrors' claws stopped running, and the Bone Wyvern stayed motionless in the air.

Then their eyes changed.

One by one, the crimson eyes, yellow eyes, green eyes all shifted to burning gold. The same cold, star-like gold that blazed from Fenrir's gaze and the same gaze that shone with fury and anger.

Then they moved.

The Werefang that had been running away turned instead toward another Phantasm Beast, which was a Cheronos. It lunged towards it with its claws out and crashed into the other beasts with fury.

They tumbled across cobblestones, tearing at each other with mindless violence.

A Bumbodusk stopped fleeing and instead charged directly into a line of Phane City Guards. Its tusks caught shields and sent men flying. It didn't stop to finish them as it simply continued, smashing through the line toward where Beast Master Guards had formed defensive positions.

Two Tonothus bulls that had been stampeding together suddenly turned on each other. Horns clashed with sounds like breaking bells. They pushed against each other, hooves smashing into the stone as they fought with fury and rage.

The Autumn Deer leaped from its rooftop perch directly onto a group of Beast Masters helping evacuate civilians. Its antlers swung like clubs, leaves burning with golden fire as it struck without discrimination.

Everywhere, the pattern repeated, and Phantasm Beasts attacked everything.

Whether it be each other, guards, Beast Masters, or civilians. There was no strategy or reason behind it, it was simply mindless rage and anger driven by Fenrir's golden gaze.

A City Guard raised his bronze shield covered in scales that wrapped around his arms as well. Just as a Bear-Terror came charging at him and crashed into him, its spikes pierced through the shield, through his arm, and through his chest.

He fell, and the beast didn't pause as it continued toward the next target, leaving a trail of blood.

Two Beast Master Guards fought back-to-back against fifteen Werefangs. One had summoned a spear that crackled with blue lightning, while the other's hands glowed with frost, with ice forming around her fingers.

They struck out, lightning and ice meeting fur and claws. One Werefang fell, but the other thirteen pressed forward, golden eyes shining and uncaring about their fallen pack member.

A Hunter's Guild Beast Master, holding a wind bow, fired arrow after arrow into a Bumbodusk's hide. Each arrow rushed through the air and pierced into the flesh of the Bumbodush. But instead of it falling, the beast just roared out with its flesh bulging as it turned to him and charged over.

The sounds of combat, roars, and screams echoed through the streets. Buildings were collapsing under the battle raging everywhere, and fire was spreading as attacks missed their marks.

Above it all, Fenrir settled onto the black flower. Its massive form lowered, legs folding beneath it, and its six golden eyes dimmed slightly as they closed.

Around the Phantasm Beast, energy began gathering in a swirl of black and crimson that formed a sphere. It started small before it began expanding, growing larger and larger before it encompassed Fenrir's entire form.

The flower's petals closed slowly, curling inward around the sphere like protective hands.

The cocoon sealed completely with the black petals wrapping tightly around swirling black-crimson energy. Then the entire black petal roots began to shine as some of the roots were shining with a gold light that rushed up from below.

Inside, barely visible through the darkness, Fenrir's form rested.

And below, Phane City was filled with chaos.

…

The roar's effects faded slowly.

Reinhard's trembling eased first, and then soon the tears stopped flowing. He pushed himself up onto his knees and then his feet while rubbing his forehead. Around him, the others recovered, also standing on shaky legs, wiping faces with sleeves, and steadying themselves against walls.

Vanna's words echoed in Reinhard's mind after he could think again. Remove the Star Jewel. The summoner held a golden light. After it stopped, the summoner lay on the ground with the light away from them.

Gran cursed, his fist slamming against a broken beam. "We forgot to ask her if removing the Star Jewel is all it takes!"

Nikki's brows furrowed as she steadied herself against Marie's shoulder. "It should be, right? Based on what Levi told them?"

Scath shook her head, purple hair whipping with the motion. "There might be more, but that skip really is screwing us over."

Roana nodded as she narrowed her eyes. "We need more information. This isn't something we can run blindly into."

Reinhard's frown deepened as his mind worked through possibilities, searching for answers they didn't have.

Marie snapped her fingers suddenly before she spun toward him. "Rein! Quickly summon Mimir! It might have an idea on this!"

The others raised their brows, except Joseph, who chuckled and nodded at Reinhard in understanding.

Reinhard's hand moved to the back of his right hand, and the dot above his Beast Symbol flared bright. A streak of black shot upward, materializing into a crow that settled onto his shoulder, his crimson eyes surveying the chaos around them.

"This is..." Mimir's voice rang out softly. "Fenrir really did get summoned."

"Do you know how to fully break it?" Reinhard's question came urgently.

Mimir sighed. "First, tell me what happened, quickly."

Marie relayed everything, her words tumbling out rapid-fire. From the Star Jewel, Martha's sacrifice, the golden light, the summoning, and Levi's vision of Salem Town.

Mimir nodded slowly as he spoke. "So this is an incomplete one."

Roana's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by incomplete?"

"Martha herself became the source of the summoning, most specifically, she became the Node."

Scath's wine-colored eyes narrowed. "And she wasn't supposed to be?"

"Normally, the source isn't a person because the souls would be sacrificed to fill the requirement." Mimir's head tilted. "As originally, the souls would rush toward Fenrir for him to devour, making it so he can stay in Paradise. But the way Martha did it, she made herself the ultimate node where all souls move through her before going toward Fenrir."

Mimir paused as his crimson eyes shined in slight amusement. "I'm guessing she most likely did this to create her own fantasy in the node. It's the only other feature one could do with this other."

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