The vote begins.
Mercer.Ghost walks into the room.
No illusions. No mirrors. No hiding.
He offers Elias a solution — not conquest, but fusion.
Bit makes the final call…
And Elias becomes the Anchor — at the cost of....
-----
The lights were dimmed in the operations hub.
The kind of dim that made eyes strain, made thoughts louder.
The kind of silence that felt religious.
Volst stood at the head of the table.
Not seated.
Not informal.
She was a commander tonight.
"Under Code Black-7 of Internal Charter, we are allowed to vote on internal leadership in the event of a suspected psychic compromise," she said.
No one interrupted.
"Tonight we vote on whether Elias Mercer remains part of the command structure."
Her voice never wavered.
"But let me be clear—this is not about guilt.
This is about faith."
Elias stood beside the table, arms folded.
He didn't protest.
Didn't argue.
Didn't defend himself.
He just waited.
Let them speak.
Lirae spoke first.
One arm in a sling, face bruised, voice soft.
"He saved me. And he almost killed me.
I vote abstain."
She didn't meet his eyes.
Malk went next.
"He's not the same thing that woke up in that medicae bay."
"We follow the Emperor's light. Not whatever that fire is."
"I vote no."
Silence stretched.
Then Bit stepped forward.
Hands in pockets. Hair messy. Boots dirty.
"He's not the same.
That's true."
"He's stronger.
Because he's still here. After everything."
He looked straight at Elias.
"He's not the fire. He's the one holding it back."
"I vote yes."
All eyes turned to Volst.
She didn't move.
Then — slowly — she reached for her sidearm.
And placed it on the table.
"I don't vote," she said.
"I decide."
And that's when he walked in.
Not Elias.
But exactly him.
Same height. Same eyes. Same coat.
But the coat shimmered gold at the edges.
And the air around him hummed like memory.
Volst raised her weapon immediately.
So did Malk.
Lirae froze.
Bit… didn't move.
Mercer.Ghost held up a hand.
No flame.
No threat.
"I'm not here to take anything," he said.
"I'm here to end this."
He looked at Elias.
"Let me carry the weight. You keep the face. I'll handle the cost.
You get to live without fracture."
Elias didn't respond.
But the System did.
> Request: Fusion Protocol
> User Roles: MERCER.ONE & MERCER.GHOST
> Outcome: ANCHOR ABSORPTION
> Warning: 1 Anchor Must Burn
Elias took one breath.
Stepped forward.
"No," he said.
"I don't want fusion.
I am me...
I don't care what breaks."
Mercer.Ghost blinked.
Then smiled.
Not cruel.
But sad.
"Then one of us burns."
The gold flame ignited.
The orange answered.
Elias surged forward.
So did the Ghost.
The clash didn't happen in light.
It happened in will.
The System screamed.
The team backed away as the air fractured.
A corridor of light and memory spiraled behind Elias — all the choices he hadn't made, all the futures Mercer.Ghost wanted to become.
"You need me," the Ghost shouted.
"You'll shatter without me!"
"Then I'll shatter," Elias roared, "on my own terms!"
They fought, no chakra, no fancy ninjutsu. Pure violence, punch smashed faces, head banged.... swollen face, broken ribs....
And that's when Bit moved.
He didn't shout.
He didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the journal from Elias's belt— when the two were busy..
And slammed it shut.
The flame snapped closed with it. Like a candle pinched out by a hand.
Mercer.Ghost staggered. His form flickered.
Elias screamed "Ghaaa..." as the feedback slammed into his spine.
The flame inside him surged—
And pulled.
One anchor must burn.
Bit didn't wait.
He opened the journal to a blank page.
Wrote one word:
"Me."
Then dropped it.
"This is for the best, I can finally return to his side.. God bles...." were his final thoughts.
And stepped into Elias's flame.
There was no scream.
Just light.
Shadow Elise sighed to himself, "Still couldn't prevent it...."
He decided to end this farce, too tired.. too broken to keep going forward. He readily submitted himself to the orange flame. "Its upto you then... I shall tak..."
The flames burned
Blinding.
Whole.
Final.
When it cleared—
Only Elias remained.
Mercer.Ghost was gone.
So was Bit.
The System pinged once.
Calm.
Silent.
Final.
> USER MERCER.ONE: PRIMARY ANCHOR
> SECONDARY THREAD: CLOSED
> FLAME STABILITY: RESTORED
> > In memory of BIT:
> Role: Shield.
> Outcome: Fulfilled.
Elias fell to his knees.
Volst caught him.
Didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
Lirae picked up the journal.
It burned gold at the edges.
She opened it.
Blank.
Except for the last entry.
Bit's writing:
"You'll be fine.
Just don't stop being you.
One fire. One name.
Burn right, Elias."
[END OF CHAPTER 10: END OF ARC 2 – THE ECHO OF THE SELF]