The campfire crackled, casting long shadows across the broken remnants of stone pillars and torn banners. Kaizen sat away from the rest, staring into the flames as if hoping they would whisper answers. His skin was still faintly glowing from the aftershock of the memory shard he had absorbed. Every nerve in his body buzzed. Every breath he took felt… foreign.
Ayaka sat nearby, silent, her eyes heavy but unyielding. They hadn't spoken much since Kaizen's outburst and the revelation about his potential connection to the First Flame. The air between them was heavy—not with resentment, but with something unspoken… something sacred.
"Do you feel it?" Ayaka finally asked, her voice soft.
Kaizen looked up, startled by her words.
"Feel what?"
"That… presence. Like something ancient is watching."
He hesitated. "Yeah. It's been with me since I touched that shard. Like there's something buried deep inside me that's... waking up."
Just then, a loud thrum rippled through the air—subtle, but unnatural. Everyone on Squad Umbra rose, weapons drawn instinctively. A strange humming echoed in the wind, like voices whispering through a metallic forest.
"It's coming from beneath," muttered Gale, kneeling and pressing his palm to the ground. "There's movement below us. Massive."
Suddenly, the earth rumbled and cracked open. From beneath the ruins, a giant mechanical vine-like structure burst forth, spraying debris. At the core of the vine was a massive glowing orb, pulsing with veins of crimson and violet.
"What the hell is that?" barked Commander Rune.
But Kaizen already knew. His body reacted before his mind did. He felt pulled—like the shard inside him recognized the thing that had just awakened.
"It's a Vein Core," Kaizen whispered. "But... older. Ancient. Forgotten."
Ayaka stepped beside him. "Is it connected to the First Flame?"
He nodded. "It's a fragment. Like the shard I absorbed. This one's been dormant... but it's awake now."
The orb pulsed violently—and from its core, a humanoid figure slowly emerged. Not a Bist. Not a human. Something in between. Clad in layered black armor, its face was hidden by a bone-like mask etched with sigils.
"Veinborn detected," it said in a voice both mechanical and organic.
The creature raised its arm and pointed directly at Kaizen.
"Subject 001… you are out of alignment."
Kaizen's heart stopped. "What did you just call me?"
"Subject 001," it repeated. "Origin model. First of the Unshackled. Current threat level: unstable."
Gale blinked. "Origin model?"
Before Kaizen could respond, the figure dashed forward—far faster than any of them expected. Rune leapt between it and Kaizen, deflecting the blow, but was thrown back with terrifying force.
"Squad Umbra! Formation Delta!" barked Rune.
Ayaka drew both her twin blades, sliding into position beside Kaizen. "Kaizen, don't freeze up. We need you."
He clenched his fists. But his body wasn't listening to him. Inside his chest, the shard pulsed in rhythm with the enemy.
Subject 001... Origin model… Unshackled…
Were those memories real? Was he really the first?
The armored enemy raised its hand again, and this time, it released a shockwave—blasting half the squad off their feet. Dust and light exploded outward.
Kaizen stood firm. For the first time, he wasn't just fighting to survive. He needed to know. He stepped forward and shouted, "Who created me?!"
The enemy paused.
"You were not created, Kaizen Ryouma," it said, its voice softening. "You were released."
A cold silence fell across the battlefield.
"What the hell does that mean?" Ayaka growled.
But the figure didn't answer. Instead, it slammed its fist into the ground. The Vein Core glowed again, and strange root-like tendrils began to sprout around them—each one tipped with glowing symbols. A barrier was forming.
"Squad Umbra, get out of the circle!" Rune shouted.
But it was too late. Kaizen and the enemy were trapped inside.
Ayaka screamed his name and slammed her blade into the barrier—but it bounced off harmlessly.
Inside the dome, the figure's mask retracted, revealing a face that was… too smooth. Artificial. Yet his eyes were glowing with the same fire that Kaizen had seen in his own reflection.
"You were meant to become the Shard King," the being whispered. "Not yet. But soon."
Kaizen's heart thundered in his ears.
"I didn't ask for any of this!"
"You were not meant to ask. You were meant to remember."
And with that, the figure charged again.
Kaizen raised his hand instinctively—and for the first time, without rage or fury—pure flame erupted around his body. Controlled. Balanced. Veins of fire streaked across his arms, burning the ground beneath his feet.
Their fists collided.
A shockwave shattered the dome.
The figure was sent flying back—but it grinned.
"You're not ready. But you're close."
And then, just like that—it vanished into smoke.
Rune and Ayaka rushed forward.
Kaizen dropped to his knees, panting. His body felt heavy, but his mind was racing.
"What did he mean, 'released'? And why call you the First?" Ayaka asked.
"I don't know," Kaizen whispered. "But I think... I was never meant to live an ordinary life. I was locked away—because someone feared what I could become."
Ayaka touched his shoulder gently. "And now?"
He stood, gazing at the burnt sky.
"Now I find the truth. Even if it burns the world down."
End of Chapter 52