The faint scent of sulfur still hung in the night air. It blended with the charred wood and scorched stone of the ruined training ground, where Karasu had nearly lost herself to Inversion. Now, only flickers of unstable energy remained, ghostly fragments of a storm subdued.
Rei stood at the edge of the crater, eyes half-lidded, hands in his pockets. Hoshino leaned lazily against a scorched tree, flipping a coin she stole from a drunk human two nights ago. Yoru had once again vanished into shadow.
Karasu stood a short distance behind Rei, eyes fixated on the moon. It was full tonight—fat, glowing, and ominously watchful. Something was stirring in the spiritual aether.
[System Scan: Unknown Spirit Signature Detected. Proximity: Kuoh District, Sector Eight. Emotional Field Detected: Lust/Obsession. Class: High-tier Spirit. Type: Unknown. Authority Status: Dormant.]
Hoshino's coin stopped mid-spin. Her eyes narrowed. "You feel that?"
Rei nodded. "Another spirit. Recent descent."
Karasu whispered, "It's not like me… It doesn't feel Inverse. It feels… feral."
Without a word, Rei began walking. The streetlights buzzed as they passed, flickering with unstable electricity. As they neared Sector Eight, the atmosphere thickened. Rei's honed senses picked up the scent of perfume, roses laced with iron.
Then she stepped out.
A woman with flowing crimson hair tied in a messy side bun, her maid uniform torn at the sleeves and stained with streaks of battle soot. She stood atop the church bell tower, eyes glowing a soft rose hue. Her presence exuded raw sexual energy—and overwhelming Authority.
"Hostile or neutral?" Hoshino asked, cracking her knuckles.
Rei raised a hand to halt her. "Neither. She's… calling."
[System Warning: Spirit Signature Identified. Codename: Laeva. Emotional Domain: Obsession. Authority Type: Seduction + Entropy. Status: Partially Synced. Containment Recommended.]
Laeva vanished and reappeared behind Rei in a blink, arms wrapping around his neck from behind. "You're different," she whispered, breath warm against his ear. "You smell of death and purpose. I like that."
Hoshino's fist ignited. "Try that again, and I'll fry your pretty face."
Karasu's eyes widened. "She's… unbalanced."
Rei remained motionless. "What do you want?"
Laeva giggled, twirling a strand of hair. "Oh, nothing grand. Just salvation. I've wandered this world for too long… the pleasure turned to poison, the love into rot. But you… you carry something beautiful in your soul. A void that doesn't devour, but reshapes."
She dropped to her knees before him.
"Take me with you. Or kill me. Either way… I want to feel alive again."
[System Prompt: Spirit Sync Request - Laeva. Emotional Domain: Obsession. Sync Initiation: Pending Host Approval. Estimated Corruption Level: 18%. Risk Factor: Elevated. Recommended Action: Cautious Link.]
Rei sighed. "You're a mess."
"So are your companions," she smirked. "Isn't that your type?"
He turned his gaze toward Karasu, then to Hoshino. "Fine. But you follow my rules. One wrong move—Yoru will erase you."
From the shadows, a whisper: "Gladly."
Laeva grinned and leaned forward, placing her hand in his.
[System Sync Initiated. Authority Unlocking: Lustful Decay. Secondary Ability Unveiled – Crimson Chains of Compulsion. Spirit Classification: Offensive/Sensory Hybrid. Emotional Balance: Unstable. Corruption Sealing in Progress.]
As their hands connected, a surge of violet and crimson light surged upward into the night sky. Devils from afar would sense it. Angels would mark it. Fallen would whisper of it.
A new player had emerged.