Part I: Into the Trial
The Trial of Nobles was not a tournament.
It was a crucible.
Yui stood alone at the center of a vast obsidian arena as golden flames circled above. The crowd roared. Nobles, soldiers, mages—and somewhere far above, the Empress watched from her balcony like a spider on silk.
> [Trial Initiated: Flameborn's Judgment]
Stage 1: Illusion Realm – "Face the Past You Abandoned"
A white flame engulfed her vision.
Suddenly, she stood at the crosswalk again.
Rain poured.
And the boy—Elion—was beside her once more.
"You weren't meant to die," he said softly.
Yui trembled. "I never asked for this power."
"You were chosen."
> "But can you bear the weight of the world again?"
The truck came—
This time, she was the one pushing him.
A shift.
A flame.
She screamed, and the illusion shattered.
She dropped to her knees in the arena, gasping.
The nobles murmured.
The Empress frowned.
Azazel rose slightly from his seat—but held still.
> [Stage 1 Complete. Emotional Resilience: Passed]
Bonus: Fragment of Forgotten Flame (1/5)
---
Part II: The Truth About Death
Later, in a garden of silver roses, Elion found her.
"You saw it again… didn't you?"
Yui nodded.
Elion hesitated—then looked her in the eyes. "Yui… after I died, I didn't wake up in this world."
She turned to him.
"I was pulled into something. A place of wheels and fire. I heard voices speaking in tongues—like the system itself was debating my soul."
Yui froze.
> "They argued… whether to erase me, or send me to protect you."
> [New Lore Unlocked: The Judgment Circuit]
Theory: System-bound reincarnation is not random. It is assigned.
He took her hand.
"I remembered everything because I wasn't reincarnated. I was sent."
---
Part III: The Prophecy of Ends
That night, Azazel met a seer in the catacombs below the court. The flames from her torch flickered unnaturally.
"She's changing," the seer rasped. "The First Flame isn't just waking. It's merging."
Azazel's eyes narrowed.
"She will soon become a vessel of two thrones. If she ascends…"
The seer dropped a scroll covered in ancient demon script.
> Prophecy: The Twin-Flamed Queen shall rise.
And the realms of men and demon shall fall.
> "You love her," the seer whispered.
Azazel didn't answer.
But the shadows around him trembled.
---
System Update
> [Flame Sync: 42%]
Class Evolution: Approaching Critical Threshold
Next Trial: Duel of Inheritance (In 2 Days)