A faint drizzle fell upon the sanctuary once more, soaking the stone walkways in a cold sheen as if the heavens themselves mourned something yet to be lost. The mood was somber, but charged—like the calm between two storms. Within the heart of the mountain, Rei stood in meditation before a newly revealed chamber beneath the spirit sanctum. The fragmented remains of the Second Flame now pulsed within its crystalline prism, vibrating with immense but unstable energy.
[System Notice: Second Flame Fragment — Acquired. Compatibility Index: 67%]
His hands trembled, not from fear, but the raw intensity of the fragment's will. If the First Flame was wrath, then this was remembrance—of ages past, of choices never undone.
Karasu whispered within his mind, as calm and relentless as always. "This one is older. Its soul lingers in the ruins of gods. Be wary, Rei."
He opened his eyes, breath slow but measured. "No spirit has ever consumed more than one Flame."
"Because none had to."
The glow around him dimmed as Rei released the fragment back into its containment. His footsteps echoed as he exited the chamber, his resolve even stronger than before.
In the surface chambers, Eirenne and Mireille stood before a wall-length map of interlocking leylines, each pulse indicating a realm disturbance.
"This one," Eirenne said, pointing to a flicker near the far eastern corner of the continent, "corresponds with a Fallen temple. Abandoned. But the fragment resonates with it."
Mireille nodded. "And the Council's influence threads through it. They're watching the locations now, not just the fragments."
From the doorway, Noira entered, her armor gleaming with dark sheen. Her voice, always low and firm, was grim. "There's movement in the Underworld. Sirzechs hasn't acted yet, but Azazel is beginning to piece it together. About the fragments. About Rei."
Eirenne raised an eyebrow. "Will they interfere?"
Noira didn't blink. "Not yet. But they will. Eventually."
Rei's presence announced itself with the stir of spirit wind. "Then we'll meet them when they do."
Two days later, they departed—this time, not to explore or test their strength, but to reclaim. The ruins of the Eastern Temple rose before them in scorched marble and shattered divine wards. As the sun dipped below the clouds, a massive sigil ignited on the temple gates.
[System Alert: Defensive Mechanism Active. Entity Type: Spiritborn — Corrupted.]
The ground cracked.
From the depths of the ruined sanctuary, a monstrous form clawed its way into the twilight. It was once a Spirit—its shape still bore the remnants of beauty and divinity—but now, its body twisted in pain, tendrils of madness swirling from its face.
Karasu hissed. "It was a Spirit sacrificed by the Old Gods… This is what happens when one fragments without purpose."
Rei stepped forward, summoning Noira and Eirenne to his sides.
"Synchronize," he commanded.
[Synchronization Engaged. Noira: 72%. Eirenne: 64%. Passive Override Triggered. Flame Surge Activated.]
Noira's blade sang as it met the corrupted Spirit's claws, Eirenne's chaos-wrath swirled and carved arcane runes into the air, and Rei stood at the center—his spirit energy forming a seal of purification with the Flame's resonance as its core.
As the battle intensified, the Spirit howled in agony. It spoke—half-lost language, half-memories.
"—why… you… burn… us… again…?"
Rei didn't respond with words. He raised his palm, and with the dual resonance of the two fragments, unleashed a burst of pure white flame.
The Spirit screamed.
And then, it was silent.
After the battle, the group sat among the ruins.
Mireille tended to Rei's arm, now bearing a burn from channeling too much resonance at once. Her touch was gentle, her brow furrowed in worry.
"You'll burn yourself out," she said.
"I won't," Rei answered. "I can't. Not yet."
Noira stood, arms crossed. "They'll come faster now. The Council, the Factions. Even the stray gods."
Rei's eyes gleamed with light from the fragments. "Then let them."
Eirenne reached into the air and pulled out a scroll—the old map had updated. A new mark shone at the center of the continent.
"The third fragment calls," she said.
Mireille sighed, then smiled. "Then we walk toward it. As always."
Far away, within a silent observatory overlooking dimensions, Azazel read through the ancient report delivered by a hooded informant. He stared at the name written in glowing ink.
Kazenari Rei.
He looked up, voice grim. "We might be watching the birth of something older than the war itself."
A shadow beside him stirred. "Should we interfere?"
Azazel's wings twitched. "Not yet. But when the sky turns black and the Spirits start singing again, we'll know it's time."