Rain whispered against the cliffside as Kael and Lira walked through the ruins of the old Sector Gate. The scent of rust and ozone hung thick in the air. Above them, lightning painted the sky in streaks of silver.
Neither spoke for a long time. The silence between them was a battlefield of its own.
The Heaven Breaker System pulsed faintly in Kael's chest, its voice soft — almost human now.
> [Directive Updated: Target — SORN-01 Located in Omega District.]
[Warning: Power readings exceed current user capacity.]
Kael stopped. "Omega District…" he muttered. "That's where my father died."
Lira's gaze dropped. "That's where all of it began."
The wind howled, scattering the ashes of the forgotten city.
Kael turned to her, his eyes burning faintly with golden threads of Qi. "You knew," he said quietly. "All this time."
Lira didn't deny it. "I knew Sorn wanted to create a perfect System user. But I didn't know he'd use your family to do it."
Kael's jaw clenched. "You were there."
Her voice broke. "I was. I thought we were changing the world. I didn't realize we were destroying one."
He took a step closer, his aura flaring. The Heaven Breaker System reacted instantly — a halo of light forming around him.
> [Warning: Emotional Surge Detected.]
[Activating: Heaven's Judgment Protocol.]
Golden arcs of energy rippled across the ground, shattering debris and warping the air. Lira shielded her face, shouting over the storm.
"Kael! Stop! You'll kill yourself!"
But the System's voice thundered louder than her words:
> [Heaven Breaker Stage 2 — Ascension Veil Unlocked.]
[Warning: Core Overload — 60%.]
Kael's scream cut through the night. His hair lifted in the energy surge, eyes glowing white. The rain evaporated before touching him.
And then — silence.
He stood motionless, the storm frozen in time around him. Slowly, the light faded, revealing markings along his arms — ancient runes pulsing faintly like living veins.
Lira stared, breathless. "What… did you just do?"
Kael looked at his hands, still trembling. "I didn't do it."
He looked toward the horizon, where distant towers flickered with red warning lights — the Omega District.
"The System did."
---
Deep beneath the earth, inside an abandoned research core, Sorn watched through a holographic feed. His lips curved into a thin smile.
"So the Heaven Breaker lives," he said softly. "Good. Let's see how far you've evolved, Kael."
He turned to the figure beside him — a tall woman wrapped in black steel armor, her eyes glowing crimson.
"Send Unit 03," Sorn ordered. "Let him meet what perfection truly looks like."
The woman bowed. "As you command."
---
Back on the surface, Kael's system flickered again.
> [Incoming Transmission: Unknown Signal.]
Kael frowned. "What is it now?"
The interface shimmered — and for the first time, another voice came through. Not Sorn's. Not Lira's. Not human.
> "Kael Vire… if you can hear this… I am the First Heaven Breaker."
The air froze.
> "And you're not fighting the System…"
"You're fighting Heaven itself."