SSS Class Mythic Beast Master

They pushed off the platform, leaping to higher roots. The pathways became steeper, requiring more acrobatic movement. Reinhard grabbed a protruding branch, using momentum to swing himself to a root thirty feet higher.

The others followed his path, but once they all landed on the roots, they heard the noise they had looked forward to seeing. Crimson Night Terrors appear and rush towards them with their faces opening up.

Marie raised Longinus high, magic gathering along the spear's length.

Purging Lance.

A pillar of golden-white light erupted from the spear before Marie hurled it forward, causing the spear to rush forward. The spear swiftly appeared and smashed through two Crimson Terrors before they could dodge.

The light element didn't just destroy but break down their crimson, shadowy forms.

Joseph's Arondight shifted, fire disappearing as darkness surged around the lance. The darkness swirled around the lance as Joseph rushed forward in terror. Then he thrust toward a Crimson Terror, and the darkness extended with tendrils.

They wrapped around the creature's form, and it shrieked. Not from pain but from mental assault, its consciousness fragmenting under the attack.

Reinhard switched to Fenrir again before Azure portals formed behind him, a dozen small circles swirling with light mixed with darker currents. The beams shot forward, striking the remaining Crimson Terrors and making them tremble.

Ice spread across their forms, slowing movements. The golden Melo warriors descended on the frozen targets immediately, weapons shattering them before they could break free.

They continued upward, rushing on roots that grew progressively thinner. Some pathways required running along surfaces barely three feet wide, with deadly drops on either side.

But they maintained speed, trusting their enhanced balance and coordination.

The whisper returned, persistent now:

Stop! Stop, please don't-

Reinhard grimaced, the voice creating pressure in his skull. It felt more real than before, carrying weight that suggested actual presence rather than illusion.

But the words still cut off, still left him unable to hear the complete message.

He forced it aside, focusing on the next jump. A root spiraling to the right, another branching left, a third shooting straight up through a gap in the intersecting pathways. He chose the third, leaping with enough force to carry him twenty feet vertically.

They landed on the roots before seeing more enemies. This time, the Phantasm Beast was made out of roots. Reinhard saw Bear-Terrors with wooden spike-covered backs, Werefangs with three-tail whips, and Tetans wielding spears.

Joseph's lance burst with lightning now, electricity crackling along its length. He spun Arondight before thrusting out in different patterns, and the lightning arced outward.

It struck multiple enemies, the electricity jumping between their wooden bodies. They convulsed, their movements disrupted long enough for follow-up attacks to finish them.

Marie gathered magic, her hands clasped together as she activated Gather. But instead of requesting permission from allies, she drew from her own reserves, concentrating her power into a single point.

Golden light swirled around her palms, forming a spear of pure light magic.

She hurled it forward.

The energy spear rushed forward, striking a cluster of Phantasm Beasts. The explosion cleared an entire section of the pathway, wood fragments scattering into the darkness below.

The others continued passing the scattering fragments as they pushed higher. The interior's top became visible with a ceiling of interwoven roots with light filtering through gaps. They were close now, and perhaps another hundred feet of vertical climbing before reaching whatever waited above.

Reinhard switched between Odin and Fenrir rapidly, using whichever skillset better suited each immediate threat. Drasil Step to freeze time and eliminate ranged attackers, while Shadow Striker to pin advancing enemies.

Gravity Step to pull scattered foes together or scatter tight formations. Azure Beam Strike to freeze elite targets with Sinner Reflect and Ursa Suppression to disrupt coordinated assaults.

His hand stayed on Zenuken constantly, the black-blue blade never stopping. Each swing produced results of enemies being destroyed, pathways cleared, and advancement maintained.

Marie's wings swept continuously, Edge Blades cutting through anything attempting to reach them. Joseph's elemental manipulation seized every attack their enemies produced, redirecting fire, water, wind, and earth against their creators.

The golden Melo warriors fought with undiminished enthusiasm, their laughter echoing through the hollow trunk.

Honor's banner created zones of deterioration that enemies had to navigate around. Veryn's barriers blocked attacks that would have reached Amiya while Janus's claws tore through constructs attempting to block their path.

They covered each other perfectly.

The whisper came one final time, desperately loud.

Stop! Can't you-, Reinhard, this isn't the time- Wake up-

The words cut off again, leaving Reinhard with a fragmented warning he couldn't fully comprehend. But they were too close now, so he ignored it once more and continued pushing upwards.

The ceiling approached rapidly.

Fifty feet became thirty feet, and that became twenty feet.

Reinhard gathered himself, preparing for the final push, with the others also preparing. They burst through the root ceiling into brilliant light, leaving darkness behind as they entered the pale tree's crown.

Reinhard's boots hit another root pathway, his momentum carrying him forward. Zenuken carved through a root-humanoid attempting to block his advance, the black-blue blade leaving trails of energy in its wake.

Marie's wings sweeping through enemies, Joseph's lightning-coated lance striking with devastating precision, the golden Melo warriors laughing as they destroyed construct after construct.

A new voice echoed through his mind that made his skull throb.

Will you still continue to play along? How pitiful.

Reinhard furrowed his brows mid-strike, the tone familiar in a way that made his Beast Symbol pulse with recognition. Not the fragmented whispers from before, but something connected directly to his power.

The voice rang out again, louder this time. Normally, I would ignore it, but this is a good opportunity.

Time froze.

Everything stopped simultaneously, not slowed like Drasil Step, but completely frozen. Marie remained suspended mid-leap, her wings extended and Edge Blades caught in the middle of a cutting arc.

Joseph's lance was frozen with lightning crackling motionlessly along its length. The golden Melo warriors hung in impossible positions, weapons raised but unmoving. Root-humanoids were caught mid-strike, their wooden bodies locked in place.

Even falling debris from destroyed enemies floated stationary in the air.

Only Reinhard could move.

He turned his head slowly, confusion and alarm mixing in equal measure. His hand went to his Beast Symbol instinctively, fingers brushing the mark through his glove.

Then he saw them.

Sleipnir appeared first, an eight-legged horse that defied natural laws. Its mane resembled faint blue flames that didn't consume, flickering with inner light. Sparks of radiance trailed from its hooves despite standing still, the particles hanging in the frozen air. The legs showed streaks of blue at the top transitioning to gold at the bottom, the color gradient suggesting divine craftsmanship.

The creature's eyes shine with intelligence that transcends animal awareness.

Upon Sleipnir sat a figure that dominated Reinhard's attention completely.

Odin wore dark, jagged armor covered in lines of glowing blue. The patterns shifted constantly, forming runes and symbols that Reinhard recognized from his Beast Symbol but couldn't fully read. Gold accents traced through the blue, creating designs that suggested both elegance and brutal efficiency. A horned helmet hid their face, the design intimidating yet practical. The small opening where eyes should be was masked by shadows so deep that even Reinhard's enhanced vision couldn't penetrate them.

Behind Odin, a long, tattered cloak trailed from their shoulders. The fabric moved slightly despite time being frozen, as if existing partially outside the effect's reach. Blue wisps similar to those trailing from Zenuken drifted from the cloak's edges.

In Odin's right hand rested a massive spear. The spear was black-blue and jagged, covered in streaks and engravings that pulsed with power.

Blue wisps of energy trailed off continuously, the particles fading into nothingness before reaching the ground. The weapon's tip looked sharp enough to pierce reality itself.

Reinhard furrowed his brows as he muttered. "Odin... What are you doing here?"