The sound of falling water echoed through the chamber carved deep within the floating island of Arcanus Dirthal, a sanctuary that hung in limbo between the mortal realm and the Spirit Veil. Within its center, a mirrored dome reflected both sky and soul—this was the Accord Chamber, once used by the Tri-Faction leaders for ancient negotiations that predated the Great War.
Now, it held a different gathering.
Rei stood at the head of a luminous ring of crystalline pillars, each bearing an emblem of one of the major forces now converging on his path. Behind him stood Noira, Eirenne, and Mireille—each bearing signs of their growing resonance, each changed by the weight of the journey.
The room buzzed with tension as figures began to arrive.
From the Gremory side came Rias and Akeno, flanked by Sona Shitori and Tsubaki. From Heaven descended Gabriel and Xenovia. Azazel represented the Grigori alone but carried with him a sealed core of EXE origin—still blinking, still dangerous.
From the East arrived a guest none had expected: Suzaku Himejima.
Rei welcomed her with a nod, and she returned it with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"So," Azazel began, placing the EXE core at the table's center, "we're not here to negotiate peace. We're here because peace is already collapsing."
Gabriel spoke softly, "There have been disruptions across multiple sacred grounds. Seals weakening. Lost spirits returning."
Sona narrowed her eyes. "And each occurrence is tied to your resonance field, Rei Kazenari."
Rei remained silent.
Karasu whispered, "They do not know whether to fear you… or follow you."
Rias stood, stepping to the front. "We've seen what you carry. You're gathering fragments of the Spirit System and altering its core logic. That's not just dangerous—it's divine subversion."
Mireille stepped forward. "So is sitting on broken thrones while the world cracks. He's changing the rules because the old ones are failing."
Noira added, "If we don't adapt, we die."
Gabriel looked pained. "But how many will you sacrifice to change what was meant to be eternal?"
Eirenne's voice was quiet. "You already sacrificed them. Rei is remembering them."
Silence.
Then Suzaku stepped forward.
"There is another reason I came," she said. "The Phoenix Bloodline remembers what the gods tried to erase. The Eighth Flame has awakened."
Rei's eyes narrowed. "Where?"
She reached into her robes and withdrew a feather. It burned with golden resonance, screaming with unclaimed pain.
"In Kyoto. Beneath the Imperial Shrine. But the gate is sealed by twin trials: the Heart and the Oath."
Rei turned to his allies. "Then that's our next path."
Azazel stepped between them. "No. It's not that simple."
He gestured to the EXE core. "This thing pinged a signal the moment that feather ignited. That means they're watching. And worse—reactivating."
Akeno asked, "You think they'll intervene?"
Azazel grimaced. "They already have. EXE isn't just data. It's judgment given code. And right now? It's rewriting the parameters of this world."
Rei touched the feather.
The chamber trembled.
[Warning: Flame Synchronization Detected. Dual-Origin Resonance Activated. Protocol Layer 5 — Unlocked.]
Karasu gasped. "You've crossed into hybrid territory. This is beyond Spirit or Flame—it's recursion of reality."
Rias stepped forward. "Then you'll need help. Kyoto is within our jurisdiction. I'll guide you through."
Gabriel added, "We will send Irina and Dulio. Not to stop you. But to witness."
Azazel smiled faintly. "And I'll keep cleaning up the data trails you leave behind."
Rei nodded. "Then the Accord is made. Not in unity. But in necessity."
As the chamber dimmed, everyone knew the truth:
This wasn't an alliance.
It was a reckoning.
And beyond the veil, deep beneath Kyoto, the Eighth Flame stirred—hungry, broken, and waiting for someone bold enough to remember why it had burned the world once before.