Thunder rolled over the horizon like the growl of a titanic beast. The skies above Kuoh Town crackled with unstable energy, split by veins of light that flickered violet and gold. In the newly established research wing of the Grigori, deep within a cloaked dimension only accessible to high-level entities, Azazel stood before a wall of holographic projections—each one depicting shifting data, spikes in spirit resonance, and distortions in the fabric of space-time.
"Still no concrete correlation," muttered Baraqiel, his face tense. "The spiritual energy is growing exponentially, but it's not sacred, demonic, angelic, nor even dragonic."
Azazel didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on one particular projection: a sigil that didn't belong to any of the known systems in their world. It pulsed softly—flame-like, but tinged with echoes of wind, gravity, and sorrow.
"This isn't something new," Azazel finally said, voice low. "This… feels old. Older than even the Great War."
Baraqiel frowned. "Are you implying it's from outside our cosmology?"
Azazel tapped the projection. "Not implying. Confirming. This pattern—this fragment energy—it aligns with records salvaged from the Ruins of Kagutsuchi. Something... forgotten by all factions."
He turned, walking toward a table scattered with remnants of shattered crystals—samples of the First Flame's resonance captured by a probe unit that had self-destructed shortly after exposure.
"I've only seen this once before. And it was... at the edge of the dimensional gap."
Baraqiel's expression darkened. "You mean the 'EXE anomalies'?"
Azazel nodded grimly. "We called it that, yes. But this Rei… he's not just connected. He might be the bridge."
---
Back in Rei's sanctuary, the valley lay silent under the pale glow of spirit lanterns. The battle damage from the last incursion had mostly been repaired, thanks to Noira and Eirenne's combined efforts, with Mireille coordinating logistical restoration.
Rei sat alone in the central hall, meditating with a flame fragment hovering before him. It flickered erratically—resonating with something distant, far beyond the mountains.
> [System Alert: Incoming Dimensional Pulse Detected. Source—Unknown. Matching Patterns: 47%]
Karasu's voice stirred. "Azazel is watching. The old crow flaps his wings again."
Rei didn't flinch. "Let him. Let them all see. I'm not hiding anymore."
Footsteps echoed behind him. It was Eirenne, dressed in her new battle gear—robes lined with midnight runes, her silver hair tied back.
"Another pulse came," she said softly, eyes filled with anxious fire. "This one… it hurt."
Rei stood, gently touching her shoulder. "It means we're close to the next fragment. But it also means more eyes are turning toward us."
Eirenne hesitated. "And the Grigori?"
"They'll test the waters soon."
---
Meanwhile, Azazel had convened a hidden meeting with two other major faction leaders: Serafall Leviathan of the Devils and Michael of the Angels. The meeting took place within a sealed realm, protected even from the gaze of the Gods.
"We're not here to panic," Azazel began, "but to prepare. Something is unfolding. A power outside the Three Factions. And it's not hostile yet—but it's definitely… autonomous."
Michael's calm voice broke through. "You suspect it is this 'Rei'?"
Azazel nodded. "I suspect he's the result of a convergence of systems—an independent axis born of a forgotten spiritual architecture."
Serafall frowned. "You mean like Ophis or Great Red?"
"No," Azazel said, shaking his head. "They are. But Rei is… becoming."
---
That night, Rei moved alone through a spirit path only he could see—guided by echoes in the fragment. It led him to a hidden shrine buried beneath the roots of the valley's oldest tree. There, he uncovered a sealed relic: a blackened orb that shimmered with ghostly blue light.
> [System Update: Spirit Core Acquired — Classification: Azure Silence]
Karasu whispered, "This core is not a weapon. It is a witness. It remembers the betrayal."
Rei's hand trembled slightly as he took the core. Visions surged through him—of gods turned mad, of spirits hunted and dissected by mortals seeking power, of a single figure who defied both Heaven and Hell.
He saw a face. A woman's. And a name echoed from the depths.
"Arhelia…"
---
Far above, Azazel stared into the pulse chart again. His fingers twitched.
"He just activated the Azure Core," he murmured. "So… the line has been crossed."
Baraqiel narrowed his eyes. "Do we intervene?"
"No. Not yet. We watch. But send a message."
"To who?"
"To Rias Gremory. And Sona Shitori. It's time they're brought into the circle. If Rei's path converges with theirs, we might yet avoid another war."
---
Back at the shrine, Rei knelt in silence.
For the first time in many chapters, he didn't feel alone.
Karasu's voice softened. "You've touched the sorrow of the world. Now decide—will you carry it, or burn it away?"
Rei opened his eyes, determination flaring anew.
"I won't carry the past. I'll forge the future."
And as the shrine pulsed once more, the stars above shifted—aligning in a pattern unseen since the first flame fell.