WARRIOR OF LIBERATION

"Some chains aren't forged in iron.

They're made of moments. Of names. Of grief."

— Archive Fragment, Forbidden Memory Temple

📍 Location: Sector D, The Scorched Plaza (2 hours later)

Smoke still lingered where the false banners had burned.

The Pretender was gone—carried away for healing by the same people he'd once terrified.

Sei didn't stop him.

He knew the enemy wasn't that boy.

It was the system that used his face.

But the victory… didn't feel clean.

Soulflame Output: Stable

Liberation Level: 12 (46%)

Status: Torchbearer – Belief Influence Radius: 200 meters

Sei stood at the center of the plaza, watching a child re-light a broken lamp.

Mina sat nearby, quietly wrapping her knuckles in fresh bandage flame-cloth.

Then the air changed.

A breeze.

Cool. Too cool.

Flame around nearby torches dimmed. Not out—but nervous.

Sei stood, instantly alert.

ALERT: Unknown Soulfield Detected

Origin Type: Inverse Flame | Oppression Class: Psychological | Combat Type: Memory Manipulation

Entity Name: VIREN, THE UNBURNABLE CHAIN

Level: 35 — Soulbinder Assassin

Affiliation: Empire's Silent Order

A figure in black stepped from a mirrored alley.

Cloaked in silence.

No aura. No heat. Just gravity — like the air itself was bowing.

Chains didn't hang from his robes.

They flowed—like water made of thoughts, wrapped around his fingers.

"Sei."

His voice was soft. Not menacing.

Just… final.

"You are not flame. You are ash."

Mina stood immediately. "Who the hell are you?"

He looked at her. Blinked.

Chains around his hand shimmered.

"She forgets."

Suddenly—Mina stumbled.

Her eyes unfocused. She gasped.

WARNING: Memory Distortion Field Detected!

Target: MINA – Partial Lock: Emotional Core / Combat Reflex

Sei rushed to catch her.

"Mina—Mina, look at me!"

Her voice cracked.

"Who… are… you…?"

Sei's heart snapped.

That's his power.

He chains the soul through memory.

The assassin raised one hand.

"You think you've unchained others… but you never unchained yourself."

A chain of shimmering memory lashed out.

WHIP—!!

Sei barely dodged.

It struck a wall—and instead of breaking stone… it showed a vision.

A younger Sei. Chained. Screaming. Alone.

Soul Integrity Test: PASS/FAIL?

Opponent attempting to overwrite self-image.

Trait "Soul-Sovereign" resisting at 68%…

Sei gritted his teeth.

The chain lashed again.

This time, he caught it.

His hands burned.

Not from heat—but remorse.

He looked the assassin in the eye.

"You want my pain?"

He pulled the chain closer.

"Then choke on all of it."

🔥 ASHBOUND VAGRANT — SOULFLAME IGNITION! 🔥

NEW SKILL TRIGGERED: Memory Flare (Unique)

Turn emotional memory into flame. Empower next attack with truth-force.

Effect: Bypasses illusion, deals bonus damage based on belief.

Sei's body erupted in blue-gold fire, but this time it wasn't wild.

It was shaped like his past.

Chains melted off his limbs, glowing with heat and history.

He charged.

Viren's chains lashed out—

Sei punched through them.

"CHAINLESS STRIKE!"

BOOOOM!!!

Viren stumbled—his hood burned away, eyes wide with actual fear.

"Impossible… you resisted direct soul tether…"

Sei stood over him.

His voice calm.

Sharp as flame through paper.

"Because I'm not just a flame."

"I'm every soul you tried to erase."

Critical Hit!

Opponent's Chainweb collapsing.

Status: Soulbinder Retreat — Escape Skill Triggered

Chains swirled—Viren vanished into shadow and fog.

But not before whispering:

"This isn't over. You carry too much… and I only need to break one memory."

Silence.

Then—

Mina stirred.

Her eyes cleared.

"…Sei?"

He caught her hand.

Smiled.

"I'm still here."

Skill Acquired: Memory Flare

Trait Strengthened: Torchbearer – You now resist all tier-1 psychological chains.

Liberation Count: 12 (Core Reinforced)

Class Mythic Tier – Solidified

But far away, in the Sky Empire…

A table of judges received a flame-signed report.

Target: Sei the Ashbound

Status: Unkillable by conventional systems.

Suggested Action: Send the God-Killer.

TO BE CONTINUED…