**CHAPTER 25: **
The Ironheart puppets lunged—just as the vault ceiling exploded downward in a rain of shattered concrete. A figure clad in obsidian battle armor landed between Seun and his attackers, the shockwave alone sending the puppeteered Hunters crashing into the walls like broken dolls.
"Enough."
The single word carried the weight of a monarch's decree. The remaining lights shattered, plunging the vault into darkness save for the crimson glow of Seun's new sword and the intruder's burning violet eyes.
Elena gasped, scrambling backward. "G-Guildmaster Veynard—"
Kael Veynard didn't glance her way. His gaze remained locked on Seun, studying him like a sculptor evaluating raw marble. "You move like someone who's fought battles beyond his rank," he observed, crushing a still-twitching puppet underfoot. "Yet you're no guild operative."
Seun kept Crimson Eidolon raised, his own shadow veins pulsing in response to the guildmaster's aura. "State your business."
Kael's laugh shook the vault. "Direct. I appreciate that." He flicked his wrist, and the remaining puppets disintegrated into black ash. "These vermin were tracking you through Oblivion's incompetence. My offer is simpler—join Ascendant Legion as a solo operative. No chains. No interrogations. Just resources and... discretion."
A holographic contract materialized between them, its clauses glowing gold in the darkness.
Seun's shadow reacted before he could speak—tendrils of darkness snaking out to analyze the document without his conscious command.
Kael's eyes gleamed. "Ah. So it's true. The Old Monarch's legacy lives in you."
Seun's grip tightened on his sword. "I don't—"
"Care? Good." Kael waved a hand, and the contract simplified to three bullet points:
1. Total operational autonomy
2. Access to Ascendant's intelligence network
3. Mandatory quarterly team mission (squad of your choice)
"The rest is details," the guildmaster said. "Sign or don't."
Seun's personal system—the one truly his, not the foreign voice that sometimes whispered in his mind—remained silent. No analysis. No warnings. The choice was his alone.
He slashed his thumb across the hologram, leaving a bloody signature.
---
### **THE ASCENDANT'S BOON**
Legion Headquarters occupied forty floors of Neo-Tokyo's central spire. Seun's new quarters—more a secured bunker than living space—featured:
- A training room lined with reactive alloy dummies
- An armory stocked with unregistered weapons
- A medical pod programmed for shadow-taint filtration
Kael tossed him a black credit chit. "Five million starter funds. Spend it on gear, intel, or hookers—I don't care." He paused at the door. "Your first solo assignment arrives tomorrow. Rest while you can."
When the guildmaster left, Seun's personal system finally pinged:
**[ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS COMPLETE]**
**[ASCENDANT HQ: 98% SECURE]**
**[DETECTED NO SURVEILLANCE DEVICES]**
**[GUILDMASTER'S AURA: SOVEREIGN-CLASS (NO HOSTILE INTENT)]**
Seun exhaled, rolling the tension from his shoulders. For the first time since arriving in this world, he could breathe.
---
### **FIRST MISSION: PHANTOM OPERATION**
The assignment came via physical dossier—no digital trail:
**TARGET:** Rogue Bloodmoon researcher Dr. Ilsa Vorn
**LOCATION:** Abandoned subway sector 7-G
**PAYOUT:** 3,000,000G (bonus for intact research)
Seun memorized the details, then burned the file. His personal system cross-referenced the location:
**[SUBWAY SECTOR 7-G]**
**[LAZARUS AFFILIATION: 87% MATCH]**
**[WARNING: DETECTS PSIONIC RESIDUE MATCHING HOST'S CONTAMINATION]**
A lead. Finally.
As he geared up, his shadow moved independently—testing weapon edges, adjusting armor straps. Kael had been right about one thing: the Old Monarch's power lived within him.
Now to weaponize it.
---