They arrived in Rome under storm-black skies.
Lightning streaked the heavens—not random, but in patterns. Sigils of faith twisted into something older. More primal. The air buzzed with prayers left unfinished.
"Welcome to the center of belief," Noira whispered, her voice tight.
The Vatican loomed ahead—not the touristic wonder most knew, but the hidden complex buried beneath it: the Vault of Saint XIII. A place where truths were entombed.
Rei adjusted his coat. "Time to knock on the Pope's forbidden door."
System Prompt:
[Destination: Sanctum Obscura – Vault of Saint XIII]
[Fragment Arc Node #5 – Sovereign Detected]
[Caution: Doctrinal Collapse Field Active]
Sanctum Obscura – Descent into Heresy
They bypassed the visible catacombs, following Karasu through a veiled sigil beneath the Sistine Chapel. Spiraling downward, they entered a space where scripture and sorcery clashed. Books bound in skin. Candles that burned blood-red.
"Is this faith?" Eirenne muttered.
Mireille touched a wall. "No. This is control."
A door opened without touch. A woman stood beyond it.
Clad in white. Crowned in thorns.
"I am Seraphiel," she said. "Sovereign of Doctrine. Keeper of the Sanctified Lie."
Noira stepped forward. "You're not real."
Seraphiel smiled. "Real enough to damn. Real enough to protect what must not be known."
Trial of the Doctrine Sovereign – The Book of Lies
They were cast into scripture.
Mireille became a Saint, burned alive for false miracles she never performed. Her spirit rejected martyrdom.
Eirenne stood as a Prophet whose prophecies were forged—words put in her mouth, souls sent to war in her name.
Noira relived her youth: training as a paladin, taught to slay in the name of peace.
Rei was rewritten as a Messiah, worshipped, caged by expectation, his every act dictated by verses never his.
The system screamed.
[Integrity Breach Detected – Identity Core Strained]
[Override Required – Source Flame Engagement Authorized]
Rei shouted into the storm, "You built faith on fear!"
Seraphiel appeared before him, whispering: "Better a beautiful lie… than a chaotic truth."
"No," he said. "Better the fire that burns falsehood clean."
His spirit flared.
And from his hands, truth ignited.
Vault Collapse
Seraphiel staggered, light bleeding from her robes.
"You choose madness over order," she said.
"I choose freedom," Rei answered.
The cathedral split in two.
Pages flew like dying wings.
System Prompt:
[Fragment Acquired: Codex of the Unbound Flame]
[Effect: Allows Rewriting of Bound Realities – System Doctrine Lock Removed]
Seraphiel faded—but not before touching Rei's chest.
"Then write carefully, Sovereign of Flame. The world is paper now."
They emerged under morning light—sunrise over Rome.
Karasu landed on Rei's shoulder. "One fragment remains. The origin."
Rei nodded. "Let's go home. To where I died. To Kyoto."