The twilight sky above Kuoh was stained with hues of blood-red and smog-purple. The fading sun cast fractured light across the ancient trees that guarded the outskirts of the city—places Rei had once deemed irrelevant. But now, with Azzazel's sudden arrival and the EXE Arc's subtle creep into reality, the land itself whispered of tension.
Rei stood on the edge of an overlooking ridge, arms folded. His black cloak danced in the highland breeze, trimmed now with burning crimson embroidery—the mark of synchronization with the Second Flame Fragment.
Behind him, footsteps approached.
Mireille's presence, though silent as always, brought with it a coolness that pushed back the heat of anticipation. "The factions have begun to stir. Azzazel's influence isn't subtle."
Rei nodded. "No. But it's not meant to be."
She looked toward the town. "This isn't like the first threat. This... this feels like a convergence. Plans older than us all finally aligning."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "The Council of Ash is moving. And they've chosen Kuoh as a proving ground."
---
Within the Dimensional Gap
Azzazel paced inside the projection chamber of the Grigori mobile base, the flickering screen before him displaying seismic, magical, and dimensional data points. Kuoh lit up like a beacon—reverberating not just spirit energy but something deeper.
Behind him, Azrael leaned on the console. "You sure this Kazenari kid isn't just another mutated Sacred Gear holder?"
Azzazel shook his head. "This isn't a Sacred Gear. I've seen enough of them in my time. This is older—possibly bordering on pre-creation mythos. He's building a spirit resonance web unlike anything we've seen."
Azrael scoffed. "And the Three Factions?"
"They're watching," Azzazel replied, "but not moving yet. Sirzechs is hesitant. Serafall's distracted by otherworldly politics. And Michael..." He sighed. "Michael senses something beyond even Heaven's scripture."
Azrael turned to the screen. "Then we watch too?"
Azzazel smirked. "For now. But I'll visit him personally. Something tells me Kazenari Rei isn't someone we can afford to leave unmonitored."
---
Back in Rei's Sanctuary
The council chamber had been reshaped. Ethereal torches flickered along the walls, casting warm light over the gathered spirits. Noira stood beside Rei, her eyes burning like twin obsidians. Eirenne leaned casually against a marble pillar, her new battle-wound healed by Mireille's care. Three new spirits had awakened since the last battle.
One was male—Luceris, a pale-eyed warrior of shadow and light. The other two, twin sisters—Avela and Ysna—were flame-bound spirits who resonated with the First Fragment's core. Together, they now represented an embryonic pantheon.
"Another flame stirs," Karasu murmured through Rei's thoughts. "Far north. Beneath the drowned city."
Rei turned to the gathered. "Prepare yourselves. Our next destination isn't just another ruin. It's a memory sealed in salt and abyss."
Noira stepped forward. "What's the risk?"
Rei's eyes darkened. "The risk is remembering who we were—before we became what we are now."
Eirenne smirked. "Cryptic. I like it."
Mireille approached, holding a file—paper and spirit-forged. "While you were preparing for departure, Azzazel requested parley. He's arriving within the hour."
Silence fell.
Rei finally nodded. "Then let's meet the man who thinks he can read fate like scripture."
---
One Hour Later – The Valley Entrance
Azzazel's descent was marked by a shimmer in the air. He walked calmly through the veil of concealment that had shielded Rei's sanctuary for months. Behind him hovered a light glyph—a Grigori sigil modified to allow safe entry without disrupting leyline harmonics.
"Fancy front door," he muttered as Rei approached, flanked by Noira and Mireille.
"Fancy guest," Rei replied. "To what do I owe the honor?"
Azzazel studied Rei—eyes scanning for weakness but finding only silent fire. "Straight to it, huh? Alright. You're stirring things far beyond Kuoh. The energy you're channeling... the spirits... the fragments—they're waking other things."
Rei folded his arms. "Good. I want them awake."
"You don't understand what you're aligning," Azzazel warned. "Some of those echoes belonged to entities that once devoured stars. The EXE entities—what you've begun to tap—aren't just sleeping. They're trapped."
Rei said nothing. The wind stirred his hair.
"You're not the only one with vision," Azzazel added. "But you might be the only one reckless enough to try rebuilding something like the Spirit Gate."
Mireille stepped forward. "If you came to threaten him—"
"I came to warn him," Azzazel interrupted. "Because I don't want to kill him. But others? They will."
Rei stepped closer. "Then tell them to come. I've rebuilt more than a gate—I've started a war, whether I wanted to or not."
The two stared at each other for a long moment.
Then Azzazel smiled. "Alright, Kazenari Rei. I'll be watching. But I won't be cleaning up your mess."
Rei turned away. "You won't get the chance."
---
Later That Night – Private Quarters
The moonlight was silver as it flowed over the terrace. Rei sat alone, a fragment spinning between his hands. It pulsed slowly—alive with intention.
Noira entered, her robe clinging to her form in a way that suggested she hadn't come to speak about missions. She sat beside him without asking.
"Are you afraid?" she asked.
"Every moment," Rei answered. "That's how I know I'm still sane."
She rested her head against his shoulder. "Good. Because you won't face it alone."
He glanced at her. "You mean the others?"
"No. I mean me."
They sat in silence as the stars bled overhead.