[Location: Glass Garden of Verdicts – Divine Combat Arena][Time Remaining: 17 Minutes][Duel Conditions: Soul Clash – Winner Claims Flame Authority]
A forest of crystalline trees shimmered beneath a glass sky.
Each tree hummed with divine tension, leaves made of translucent memory fragments, blooming in colors no mortal had ever named. The arena shimmered, caught between realms, untouched by time — and known only as a place where vows were broken or fulfilled.
Ren stood in the center, adjusting the gloves around his wrists, each lined with soul thread from his pact bonds.
Across from him stood Hymos.
Tall. Elegant. Deadly.
His ivory robe glowed faintly with divine blessing, and his voice was smooth like marble.
"You brought her here," he said without looking at Lyra. "How quaint."
Ren didn't reply. But the air shifted slightly — Lyra had entered the outer ring of the arena, her presence like the heat of a hearth behind him. He didn't need to look to feel her fire.
"She chose to stand beside me," Ren finally said. "Which is more than you ever deserved."
Hymos smiled.
"I gave her purpose. Power. Status. What do you offer, Ren Zian? Defiance and chaos?"
"No," Ren said. "I offer her choice."
[System Alert: Duel Initiated – All Skills Legal][Ren Zian vs. Hymos of the Ivory Crown][Victory Condition: First to Break Soul Defense]
Hymos raised his hand.
The sky fractured.
Dozens of crystal spears formed midair — not weapons, but memories sharpened into projectiles. Echoes of Lyra's past pain: betrayal, abandonment, the cold voice of her father as she was traded for political gain.
Ren's eyes widened as the memories spiraled toward him.
[Incoming Soul Damage – 78% Emotional Fragmentation Risk]
[Auto-Defense Triggered: Twin Flame Invocation – Lyra Resonance Boost][Effect: Resistance Increased + Pact Burn Activated]
Flames burst from Ren's feet and swirled upward — not consuming, but cleansing.
The crystal shards struck the fire... and melted into steam.
Hymos narrowed his eyes. "You've merged your soul with hers."
Ren exhaled, voice steady. "Not merged. Aligned."
He dashed forward — fast.
Too fast.
[Skill Activated: Phantom Dash – Blink Movement][Cooldown: 3 minutes]
Hymos barely blocked the incoming punch, his feet sliding across the polished crystal floor.
Ren followed up — spinning low, then striking with an uppercut laced with Arin's wind-based pact energy. A vortex of air cracked upward through the arena, tearing a line through one of the memory trees.
Hymos reeled back, then lifted both arms.
A dome of ivory light descended, and his body shimmered with the Divine Crown's blessing.
[Skill Activated: Judgment Bloom – Reflects 30% of received damage]
A risky move.
Ren lunged anyway — a deliberate strike across Hymos' shoulder.
Pain lanced through Ren's own ribs as the damage reflected.
But he smiled.
Because in that instant — he planted something.
[Micro-pact Thread Embedded – Target's Soul Now Traceable][Effect: Shadow Link – Reveals One Hidden Memory]
Suddenly, Ren saw it:
Lyra.
At sixteen.
Chained to a throne. Crown on her head. Eyes wide with betrayal.
Hymos stood beside her — not in love, but with cold pride. Behind him, a priest read the Pact Binding Rite aloud, forcing her flame core into submission.
Ren's fists trembled.
He stepped back, voice low.
"You didn't lose her. You broke her."
Hymos flinched.
And in that moment — Ren struck again.
[Skill Activated: Pact Fission Strike – All active pact threads converge for 1 hit][Cooldown: 24 hours][Warning: Causes system fatigue. Use sparingly.]
Five soul threads ignited around Ren.
Eira's light.
Nyelle's shadow.
Arin's wind.
The chrono girl's echo.
And Lyra's fire — pulsing stronger than all.
The strike landed.
Hymos flew backward, crashing into the crystalline trees, which shattered like glass.
Silence.
Then:
[Victory Achieved – Hymos' Soul Defense Broken][Ren Zian Wins the Duel][Rewards Pending: Authority Choice Unlocked]
The arena dimmed. The trees faded.
Hymos groaned from the ground, blood trailing from his mouth. His robes were torn, pride shattered.
Ren walked to him — calm, but burning inside.
"You won't come for her again," he said.
Hymos coughed. "She was... never yours to claim."
"She isn't mine," Ren replied. "She belongs only to herself."
Lyra stepped forward.
Her hair drifted on the heat of her aura, eyes glowing like a phoenix reborn.
She knelt beside Hymos — not out of mercy, but closure.
"You had the chance to love me," she said quietly. "Instead, you tried to own me."
She stood again.
"And now... I burn brighter than your crown ever could."
[New Pact Rank: Lyra – Tier A+][Skill Evolved: Flame Sovereign's Blessing – Grants Fire Immunity + Emotional Stability Boost to All Pact Members][Passive Aura: Inspires Loyalty in Allies, Insecurity in Enemies]
Ren turned to her. "Are you okay?"
"I am now," Lyra said, offering a faint smile.
For once, the fire in her didn't rage.
It glowed — steady. Pure.
That night, back at camp, Ren checked his system panel.
[Pact Evolution Event Imminent – 48 Hours Countdown][System Message: If 1 More Pact is Formed, Host Will Enter "Mythic Tier"]
And then came another message.
[Private Message Received – From: Unknown]["We are watching, Auction Thief. Let's see how many souls you save before one breaks."][— Signed, The Council of Bound Thrones]
Ren closed the panel slowly.
He stared into the fire.
And whispered, "Then let them come."