As the Sovereign Forge thrummed with awakening power, the Rebirth choice triggered a cascade across every plane Rei had ever touched.
Flame. Spirit. Memory. Code.
They intertwined into a lattice of potential, reforming laws that had governed worlds since before gods had names.
> [Rebirth Protocol Initiated — Sovereign-Spirit Epoch: Synchronization in Progress. All system anchors under recalibration. Estimated Time to Full Integration: 48 Hours.]
But the Forge did not remain silent.
Instead, it projected a countdown into the skies of every realm. A beacon.
A warning.
And to many, a challenge.
---
Location: Underworld — Throne of Hades
The dark king sat unmoving as projections formed above his skeletal hand.
Akeno stood beside him, watching the interface twist into spiraling flame and light.
"So… the Sovereign-Spirit merger is real."
Hades nodded once. "That boy. He touches boundaries not meant to cross. And now all realms listen."
Rias approached from behind, crimson eyes glowing. "Then the question is, Lord Hades—do we stop him, support him, or prepare for what follows?"
Hades's eyes glowed faintly. "We test him."
---
Location: Heaven — Seraphim Council
Michael and Gabriel stood at the edge of the Celestial Map, now distorted by the Forge's light.
"He's rewriting creation's spine," Gabriel whispered. "Without Divine Permission."
Michael shook his head. "He's not rewriting. He's reweaving. There's a difference."
Gabriel looked at him. "And do we allow it?"
Michael closed his eyes.
"We've allowed worse."
---
Meanwhile — Rei's Spirit Forge Interface
Rei floated in a suspended state inside the Forge's nucleus. Here, time fractured and folded, bending around choices like petals.
Spirits from the past, including the original Seven Spirits of the Old Era, appeared before him.
They bowed.
"You've opened a path even our creators feared," said a voice—calm, ancient.
"Who are you?" Rei asked.
The spirit stepped forward. Her hair was made of stardust, her eyes the color of collapsed suns.
"I am Velis, the First Spirit. I was once the prototype before the system you now shape."
Mireille's voice echoed in his memory. "These constellations—Silver Court markings... pre-Velstra…"
Velis smiled. "The Silver Court fell, but not their hope. You've become that hope's echo."
Rei's body began glowing, his system threads morphing into interlocking layers of Sovereign and Spirit sigils.
Karasu's voice rang through his mind. "The Forge is becoming you. You are becoming the code."
> [Trait Gained: Living Epoch — All Flamebound and Spirit Resonance abilities now exist in unified state. Sovereign interaction protocols unlocked.]
---
Back in the Physical Realm — Kyoto Shudoin
Eirenne and Mireille stood at the shrine gates, now surrounded by unfamiliar symbols.
Spirits flickered across realms, some fleeing, others kneeling in recognition.
Noira stood watch with blade unsheathed.
"Anyone else feel like this is more than a system merge?"
Eirenne nodded. "It's world-soul resonance. We're feeling the new timeline threading into the old."
Mireille pointed to the sky.
"The stars are realigning."
> [System Ping: Sovereign-Spirit Epoch Alignment Phase — 36% Complete. Interference Detected. Incoming Intrusion.]
---
Intrusion Detected — Hostile Sovereign Entity: Amon-Veil
A rift tore through the sky.
Out emerged a form made of void-light and betrayal: Sovereign Amon-Veil, one of the Sovereigns who defied Alpha and carved his own realm within forgotten code.
He laughed, voice laced with contempt. "The boy thinks he can fix us. How quaint."
Noira stepped forward. "We've killed better than you."
Amon-Veil raised a hand, summoning a thousand ghosted systems—failed attempts at ascension.
"You will burn not by failure—but by precedent."
Eirenne raised her halberd, radiant. "Then we'll make a new precedent."
> [Combat Initiated — Special Condition: Forge Nexus Anchor Defense. Rei Unavailable. Flamebound Protocols Active.]
The girls fought as spirits surged.
Each attack they made didn't just damage Amon-Veil—it reshaped the land around him. The Forge fought with them, rewriting physics moment to moment.
Mireille's voice rang out. "We're not alone. Rei's presence is stitched into the core now. Every move we make is part of him."
Amon-Veil reeled.
"You've already become more than spirit. You've become witnesses."
---
Within the Forge — Final Phase
Rei hovered within a sea of converging flame.
Velis approached with a solemn look.
"You must stabilize the epoch. To do so, you must leave behind the Flame as it was."
Rei nodded.
"I'm not abandoning it. I'm evolving it."
> [Core Stabilization Complete — Rebirth Epoch Activated. Worldlines Synchronized. Fragmented Realms Sealed. Sovereign-Class Threats Exposed.]
> [System Broadcast: Kazenari Rei Recognized as Epoch Catalyst. Title Granted: Emberlord of the Spiral Code.]
---
Aftermath — Sovereigns React
Alpha's control faltered.
Other Sovereigns began to stir. Some in anger. Some in awe.
The Forge was no longer just a place.
It was a movement.
And Rei was no longer just its bearer.
He was its future.