The stars didn't shift.
They shuddered.
Far above the mortal realms, in the Silent Vault of the Celestial Hall, divine chains trembled.
A sarcophagus of black sunsteel, sealed with twelve soul-lock sigils, split open—steam hissing from its cracks.
Inside lay a man with no face.
Only flame.
> "He is ready," the voice echoed.
"Release Subject Θ: Flamebound God."
A pulse of godfire raced from the vault.
Downward.
Toward Jiang Han.
---
Jiang Han's Camp – Beast Flame Territory
Zhao Kai was cooking spirit mushrooms over an open flame.
"Okay," he said cheerfully, "so this is the first time in weeks we haven't been nearly exploded."
Yue leaned back, eyes closed. "Don't jinx it."
Bo Ren was meditating beside a fire rune formation. Lin Yao was refining pills. Tian Xue was sketching flame theory circles in the dirt with a stick.
Jiang Han stood apart from them, overlooking a small ridge.
He could feel it.
> Something approaching.
Something old.
A tremor shook the ground beneath them. Then another.
Not heavy like a beast's footfalls.
Rhythmic.
Like a war drum.
> BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…
Then the sky above them split open, and a streak of violet-orange flame descended from the heavens—so fast, the clouds tore in half.
Yue leapt up. "INCOMING!"
Jiang raised Sovereign Emberfang—but the pressure was overwhelming.
The streak hit the ground with the weight of a falling mountain, sending a shockwave across half the Beast Flame Territory.
When the smoke cleared…
A man stood in the crater.
---
The Flamebound God
No face.
Just a flaming helm of segmented plates. Runes drifted over his armor like living tattoos. Around his waist hung chains made of spirit-metal, each one ending in a blade.
And across his chest burned a brand:
> FLAME NULLIFICATION PROTOCOL: Θ-07.
Zhao Kai swore. "What the hell is that?"
Bo Ren's face turned white. "That's… that's a Flamebound God."
Tian Xue grabbed Jiang's arm. "You've read the scrolls. They were created to destroy Sovereigns."
> "Not destroy," Bo Ren said.
"Harvest."
The figure spoke—its voice distorted, inharmonic, like a chorus of weapons grinding against stone.
> "Target confirmed: Jiang Han.
Sovereign Integration: 3 Flames.
Classification: Containment Required."
The ground beneath it began to melt.
> "Flame absorption protocol initializing."
---
The Fight – Extinguish or Burn
Jiang didn't wait.
He charged forward, Sovereign Emberfang flashing with all three flames. A downward strike lit the earth aflame—
—only for the Flamebound God to absorb it instantly.
> System Response: Partial flame resistance neutralized. Adapting.
Jiang's eyes widened. "He's eating the flame."
Zhao Kai leapt in, throwing two spirit hammers. They struck—then disintegrated.
Yue fired an arrow directly at the enemy's core.
It stopped mid-air… and burned backward, shooting toward her.
Jiang caught it with Emberfang.
> "Nobody touch him. He's feeding off everything."
Tian Xue's eyes narrowed. "Then we change tactics."
---
Flame vs Memory
Bo Ren whispered something—then slammed his hand into the dirt.
A dome of flame-forged memories rose up.
> The moment Jiang saved Tian Xue.
Yue standing against ten assassins.
Zhao Kai laughing while bleeding.
Lin Yao crying over a broken promise.
Bo Ren collapsing after shielding them all.
The dome became a shield.
The Flamebound God stopped moving.
Then it tilted its head.
> "Emotional flame signature… non-categorized.
Incompatible with current protocols."
Jiang's eyes flared.
> "You don't understand us."
He stepped forward.
> "You don't understand what makes flame sacred."
He raised his blade—
> "But I'll teach you."
---
Break the Protocol
> Flame Lord State: Trithrone Alignment Activated.
Sovereign Emberfang ignited with Legacy, Mourning, and Beast.
Jiang moved faster than before—his strikes not just damaging, but distracting the Flamebound God's systems.
> "Flame Throne Art – Chainbreaker Flame!"
> "Flame Throne Art – Echo Shatter!"
Each blow struck not armor, but spirit interface.
Sparks flew. The God staggered.
> System strain at 27%… 43%…
Jiang leapt into the air.
> "Let me show you what it means to burn with purpose!"
> Flame Throne Art – Final Brand!
His blade descended—blazing with all three Sovereign marks—
—and struck directly into the Flamebound God's core.
---
Standoff
Smoke. Silence.
Then:
> Absorption cycle interrupted.
Flame contamination detected.
Host consciousness destabilizing.
Emergency recall activated.
The Flamebound God froze.
Then vanished in a blink of white light.
Gone.
---
Aftermath
Jiang collapsed to one knee, coughing blood.
Tian Xue was instantly at his side.
> "You okay?"
> "He was learning… faster than me."
Zhao Kai dropped beside them. "That wasn't a fight. That was a test run."
Bo Ren agreed grimly. "They're not done. That was just the first."
Jiang stood slowly, leaning on his blade.
> "Then we'll burn brighter."
> "Because now we know what we're up against."
---
Far above, in the Void Scriptorium, the Council of Flame Reapers reviewed the result.
One turned to the others.
> "Protocol Θ failed."
"Sovereign Integration has reached a tipping point."
Another answered:
> "Then it's time to call upon the one who can extinguish even the First Flame."
> "Unseal the Pale Sovereign."