The Gate of Instinct (Ren & Haru)
Stone groans. The gate beneath the ancient forge splits open, revealing a tunnel spiraling into darkness. Kairo stays behind, leaning against a wall, eyes narrowed.
"Remember," he calls out, "what you see in there isn't fake—but it's not now, either."
Ren grips Jinrai, his soulbound blade humming as if sensing tension in the air. Haru rolls his shoulders, crimson aura flickering around him.
As they descend, their breath fogs—despite the heat.
The trial is alive.
They enter a wide chamber. The walls shift like mirages, memories flickering in and out of view.
Suddenly, Ren finds himself alone.
A clone of himself stands before him—cold, precise, and merciless. His worst instincts. No words are exchanged—only movement.
Wind howls as Jinrai clashes against itself, testing whether the Ren of now has outgrown the Ren of rage.
Meanwhile, Haru faces his own demon—a version of himself during the night he almost lost control and burned a village.
That Haru smiles with teeth like fire.
"Still scared of yourself?" it hisses.
Haru doesn't answer. He roars and charges.
The Echo of Velar (Yuki, Aiko, Himari)
The crowd kneels before the boy-statue, still unmoving. But the air is not still.
Velar's presence pulses.
Yuki's eyes narrow. "This… shouldn't be possible."
Aiko steps forward, barely holding herself together. She sees the smoke around the statue, shaping eyes that look back. "He's awake. Somehow. He's feeding off them."
Yuki clenches his fist—but before he steps forward, a chant rises from the villagers' lips. A single word:
"Return…"
Aiko grabs his hand. "Don't. If you touch it, he might use you."
Yuki's aura flares for a moment. Himari appears behind him, drawing her blade. "We need to break the trance… fast."
But before they can act—the statue blinks.
The Village Square – Before the Statue...
The villagers continue chanting, eyes glowing faintly with pale fire. The name echoes through the air—not a word, but a command.
"Return..."
Yuki feels something slipping inside him, like a thought that doesn't belong—something ancient trying to nest in his mind.
He clenches his teeth. "He's not sealed... not completely."
The statue begins to fracture—spiderweb cracks running across the boy's stone form. Smoke hisses from beneath the surface, and then...
It exhales.
A cold breath that brushes against everyone's soul.
Aiko steps back, eyes wide in terror. "He's... he's remembering who he is."
Yuki steps forward instinctively.
Himari: "Yuki—wait! That's not Velar."
The smoke peels away as the stone shell crumbles, revealing a 12-year-old boy with silver hair and black eyes—eyes that look both lost and omniscient. His voice comes like the end of a storm.
"You kept me... inside you," he says, voice calm, eerily familiar. "Was it protection... or fear?"
Yuki blinks. "Velar?"
The boy tilts his head. "That's the name they gave me. But I'm more than that."
Yuki asks, quietly, "Then what should I call you?"
The boy looks up, eyes flickering. "...Call me Null."
Meanwhile – Deep in the Trial Gate...
Ren stares down at the memory of himself, both blades crossed, locked midair. Wind bursts out, flattening the chamber, stone splitting like paper.
He's bleeding, panting—but grinning.
"I'm not afraid of you anymore," he growls.
"I am you. Just sharper."
The clone shatters into light, and Jinrai hums quietly. Ren's aura settles—stronger, more balanced. Wind and thunder spiral calmly around him.
Haru's trial is still burning.
His clone, fire-mad and wild, crashes down on him with a screaming fist. Haru catches it, knuckles glowing with spiritual light.
"I thought I was a monster," he breathes, "but maybe... I was just hurt."
He drives his palm into his double's chest—and the fire dims. It doesn't scream. It just vanishes.
Haru drops to his knees, letting his aura calm, sweat dripping from his jaw.
Then he hears a voice.
"You passed."
They both look up—Ashir, standing at the far end of the trial gate, leaning on a massive forge hammer.
"You're both ready," he says. "Time to reforge your bond… with your true blades."
Back To The Village Square — Yuki & Null...
Yuki doesn't blink. He watches the boy—Null—as he steps barefoot off the broken statue, leaving behind fragments of old divinity.
The villagers are silent, kneeling.
Aiko clutches her robe tightly. "Yuki... is he dangerous?"
Himari's eyes glow faintly. "He was. Now? I'm not sure."
Null looks around, expression unreadable. "You all feared Velar... but he was just the wrath. I'm the memory."
Yuki walks closer. "And the difference?"
Null smiles. It's small, almost sad.
"The wrath screamed. The memory never forgets."
Yuki breathes slowly. "Then remember with me. But don't lose control again."
Null nods once. "Then don't seal me again."
The Trial Forge — Ren & Haru with Ashir...
The forge blazes alive. Ancient gears groan and turn. Ashir steps toward the anvil, thick gloves on, his eyes glowing under the sparks.
Ren steps forward. Jinrai hums with wind and crackling thunder in his hand.
Ashir holds out a reinforced crystal shard. "You've tamed the storm, but now it's time to wield it."
He slams the shard into the blade—BOOM—and Jinrai evolves, its blade now longer, laced with streaks of lightning that flicker with each breath Ren takes. It hums in response to his balanced spirit.
"This is Jinrai — Arashi Form," Ashir says. "A blade that cuts through time by riding the edge of the wind itself."
Ren bows respectfully, silent pride in his eyes.
Then Haru approaches.
His weapon—a thick spiritual gauntlet—rests on his arm. Ashir stares at him.
"You are fire incarnate, but not because you burn. You refuse to go out."
Ashir places an obsidian core into the center of the gauntlet.
It ignites. Spiritual flame bursts out, wrapping around Haru like a second skin.
"This is Kagutsuchi's Embrace. Use it to protect your brother. Or break your enemies."
Haru clenches his fist, aura roaring. "I'll do both."
Back to Yuki...
Null sits under a tree, quietly watching the clouds.
Yuki joins him.
"You really don't remember where you came from?"
"I do. I just haven't told you yet."
Aiko watches from a distance, hugging her knees, a soft tear rolling down her cheek. Himari gently places a hand on her shoulder.
Kai, nearby, stares off toward the horizon.
"We're not done yet," he says softly. "We've just started forging gods."