The underground prison was silent — almost as if it were holding its breath.
Kaizen sat motionless on the cold metal bench, his body still aching from the restraints and mental bombardment he had endured. His arms were still trembling, not from pain, but from the revelation. The words still echoed in his head like an endless loop:
"You are not just Veinborn, Kaizen... you were created to end them all."
Outside his cell, shadows moved. Squad Umbra members kept their eyes on the monitors, watching every flicker of movement. The air had changed ever since Kaizen's partial transformation in the last battle. Some guards refused to enter the hallway altogether — their eyes full of silent fear.
Meanwhile, Ayaka sat in a different chamber, still wearing the binding cuffs. She looked battered, but unshaken. An interrogator tried to break her resolve.
"You saw what he became... he is dangerous."
Ayaka's response was calm and unwavering.
"You're afraid of him. But I trust him more than any of you."
---
In the Control Room – HQ
Commander Naira of Squad Umbra stared at the recorded footage again — Kaizen's glowing veins, his monstrous voice as he tore through the Bist general like a force of nature.
"What the hell have we awakened…?" she whispered.
A sudden tremor shook the ground. Lights flickered. A siren blared across the compound.
Red Alert. Perimeter Breach. Multiple Bist Signatures Detected.
"Again?!" Naira turned to her team. "Squad Umbra, deploy! Protect the south gate!"
---
Outside – Chaos Erupts Again
Hundreds of Bists were charging toward the compound — but not just any Bists. These were armored, organized, and at the center of the stampede was a terrifying figure in crimson armor with skeletal wings:
General Krovar.
He wasn't just here to attack — he had come to reclaim something.
"Find the boy," he growled. "Retrieve the Forgotten Flame."
Explosions rocked the walls. Soldiers screamed. Blood splattered against the concrete as several defenders were torn apart. Ayaka's chamber was hit first. She screamed as the ceiling collapsed, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
---
Kaizen's Cell
The wall behind Kaizen cracked and then blasted open. Dust filled the chamber. A monstrous Bist entered — tall, twisted, with glowing green veins.
Kaizen stood, still cuffed, but his eyes glowed dimly.
"You again?" he muttered.
The Bist lunged.
Kaizen leapt to the side, breaking his cuffs mid-air, and unleashed a wave of raw Veinborn energy. It wasn't fully controlled — chaotic and devastating — tearing the monster in half.
He didn't stop.
He walked out of the debris, bloodied and burning.
Ayaka, crawling out of her ruins, saw him rise like a phoenix from hell. Their eyes met.
"We have to get out of here!" she yelled.
But Kaizen didn't move.
He turned toward the battlefield.
"This isn't just an attack," he said. "They're here for me."
As Kaizen and Ayaka reach the warzone, a voice echoes in Kaizen's mind. Ancient. Familiar.
"Kaizen Ryouma… you were never meant to protect humanity."
"You were created by the Bists… to lead them."
Kaizen freezes. His veins pulse.
Ayaka grabs his hand. "Don't listen to it… it's not true."
But his eyes betray conflict — fear, confusion, rage.
As the chapter ends…
General Krovar kneels before Kaizen.
"My King… welcome home."