Frostbound Flame: Legacy of the Forbidden Clans

Above the shattered Sanctuary, two titans clashed.

Kaien Ryugami—newly awakened, wings of golden flame, eyes blazing like twin suns.

And Seirath—now Wrath Incarnate, mutated by the corrupted dragon fragment, cloaked in burning shadows, his form twisted by hatred.

Below, the sanctuary shook violently as the other heirs held off the remaining Ashborn cultists. Time was running out. If Kaien fell, Seirath would claim the true flame and unleash war upon the world.

Kaien vs. Seirath — The Final Duel Begins

Seirath struck first—diving down with a snarl, his claws trailing darkfire.

Kaien blocked with his flameblade, but the shockwave cracked the air itself. Their auras collided like exploding stars.

"Your flame is borrowed!" Seirath spat. "Mine is earned in suffering!"

"You carry hate," Kaien replied, pushing back, "but I carry hope!"

He unleashed a Dragon Fang Strike — Final Form: Celestial Flame Spiral!

A cyclone of holy fire erupted around him, burning away the shadow mist. The very sky split open—but Seirath barely staggered, grinning like a demon.

He raised his hand—and summoned dozens of corrupted dragon spirits, screaming in pain.

"This is what your ancestors left behind!" he roared. "Forgotten souls! Betrayed warriors! You wear their power like a crown!"

Kaien's chest tightened.

The souls twisted in agony.

Yuki's voice rang in his mind: "Flame needs balance, Kaien. Purpose."

Kaien closed his eyes.

Then did something no one expected.

He absorbed the spirits into his own aura.

Not to destroy them—but to redeem them.

His flame flared white-hot—forgiving flame, not consuming. One by one, the dragon souls stopped screaming… and whispered his name.

"Flamebearer…"

On the Ground — A Hero Falls

While Kaien fought in the skies, the battle on the ground turned grim.

Baran had taken five wounds shielding Reizo, who had collapsed beside Akari. Cultists surged from all sides.

One aimed directly for Yuki—whose strength was draining fast from channeling protective frost barriers around Kaien's link to the altar.

Then—Reizo moved.

He stood, bleeding, laughing.

"Damn… no rest for the cool guys."

He raised his wind fans—then slammed them together.

"Tempest Art: Soul Gale—Final Release!"

A massive wave of wind energy surged out, flinging cultists away.

But the recoil—

It took everything he had.

Yuki turned, horrified. "Reizo, no!"

He fell to one knee.

"I told you someone should write a song," he said weakly. "Guess I'll hum it myself… on the way out."

Akari caught him as he collapsed. His fan clattered beside him—broken.

The Sanctuary mourned.

The Final Blow

In the sky, Kaien rose above Seirath, both now glowing like twin suns—one gold, one black-red.

Kaien held both hands outward, his wings stretched wide. The power of three seals spiraled around him, forming a blazing construct of a dragon—a celestial spirit formed from his will.

"I am not the king reborn," Kaien declared. "I am his redemption!"

He dove, merging with the construct.

Seirath raised his claws, shrieking. "I'll tear your world apart!"

Kaien struck.

A silent explosion of light rippled across the sky.

The dark fire shattered.

Seirath screamed—and was unmade.

The corrupted fragment of the Dragon King's wrath shattered, fading into silver ash.

Kaien landed hard—knees trembling—but alive.

It was over.

Aftermath — Flame Reforged

The altar pulsed once… then stabilized.

The Sanctuary began to rebuild itself, as if responding to Kaien's flame.

The remaining heirs stood—wounded, mourning, but alive.

Yuki helped Kaien to his feet, her expression unreadable.

"You did it."

"No," Kaien said softly. "We did."

She looked at him, a million words unspoken—but finally, she nodded.

The Keeper's voice returned one final time.

"You have completed the Trial of Origins.The Flame has chosen.And with it… a new era begins."

A Flamebearer Crowned

Later, Kaien stood before the altar, now transformed into a throne of dragonbone and light. The surviving heirs stood beside him—Yuki, Akari, Baran.

Reizo's broken fan lay at the foot of the throne, wrapped in cloth, honored as a relic.

Kaien looked to the horizon, then raised his flame.

"This flame is not mine alone.It belongs to the forgotten, the fallen, the betrayed.And to those who still dream of a world worth protecting."

Golden flame spread from the altar—carving new ley lines through the shattered world.

Peace would not come easily.

But the first light had been lit.