Rain fell on the obsidian tiles of the hidden valley, a slow, unyielding drizzle that clung to skin and stone. The mountain's shadow stretched far across the land, concealing the entrance to Rei's sanctuary. Within its ancient corridors, a new rhythm pulsed—a growing resonance of spirits, of power, and of impending conflict.
Rei stood alone in the training chamber, shirtless, his body marked by fresh scars and old ones alike. The crimson fragment he had taken from the Crimson Vault hovered before him, locked within a sphere of protective energy. Its light flickered like a heartbeat—steady, waiting.
[System Notice: First Flame Fragment — Stabilized. Compatibility Index: 41%]
His eyes narrowed. "Only 41%?"
Karasu's voice spoke within him. "The First Flame resists. It is not merely power—it is memory, rage, and will. It will not bow easily."
He reached out. The moment his fingers touched the sphere, flames exploded outward. A thousand visions cascaded into his mind—battles long forgotten, gods slain by their own creations, a woman weeping over a burning world. Rei staggered, gripping his head.
"Remember," a voice whispered. "Remember what you once were."
The vision ended as abruptly as it began.
He exhaled.
"I wasn't anyone," he muttered. "I'm becoming someone now."
Outside, in the garden lined with ethereal sakura trees, Eirenne stood with Noira. The two spirits—chaos incarnate and obsidian flame—regarded each other with a wary camaraderie. Neither spoke much, but something like understanding had begun to bloom between them.
Eirenne broke the silence. "Do you regret it?"
Noira tilted her head. "Becoming a Spirit?"
"No. Following him."
Noira's obsidian eyes shimmered faintly. "He didn't ask me to follow. He asked me to choose. That was more than anyone else ever did."
Eirenne looked to the training chamber's sealed door. "He scares me."
"He should."
Mireille approached from behind, carrying a tray of tea. Despite the elegance of her maid uniform, her steps made no sound. "And yet, you stay."
Eirenne accepted the cup. "I stay because I don't know what else I'm supposed to do."
Mireille smiled, soft and enigmatic. "Then let that be your reason. Spirits don't need grand purposes. Sometimes, it's enough to choose a direction."
That night, the base was attacked.
The alarms were silent—not triggered by tech, but by Rei's instinct. He was awake before the shadows moved.
Three figures cloaked in silver flame breached the outer barrier. They moved as one, their weapons humming with power not born of this world. They were not Fallen. Not angels. Not devils.
They were something else.
[System Alert: Unknown Entities Detected. Analyzing...]
Karasu whispered, "They're not aligned. They're like you."
Rei stepped into the corridor, bare feet on cold stone. "Then they'll understand why I won't kneel."
He raised his hand, spirit energy flaring.
Elsewhere, Noira and Eirenne met the invaders head-on. Their synchronization surged.
[Synchronization Noira: 68%. Eirenne: 47%. Passive Override Engaged.]
Blades clashed in the dark. One of the intruders laughed—an older woman with platinum hair and a jagged scar across her cheek.
"I see you've trained them well, Kazenari Rei."
He appeared behind her in a blink. "Who sent you?"
"Do you even know what you're gathering?" she asked.
He answered with silence—and then flame.
The battle was short but violent. Rei struck down two; the third vanished in a storm of void light, leaving behind a whisper.
"Gather the fragments, and you'll gather their ghosts."
The aftermath was quiet.
Mireille treated wounds in the infirmary. Noira sat stoic, while Eirenne shook slightly, cradling a glowing cut on her arm.
Rei watched them from the doorway. "We're being hunted."
"We always were," Mireille said.
"No," he replied. "This is different. They're not trying to kill us. They're trying to steer us."
He stepped to the center of the chamber. The First Flame fragment pulsed within its sphere.
"If they want to see what I become," Rei said, "then I'll make sure they regret it."
Karasu hummed with approval. "And so the world begins to burn again."