Pain.
That was the first thing Hayate felt as he clawed his way back to consciousness.
His body burned — not with fire, but with something deeper. Something alive.
He gasped, opening his eyes — and instead of the void, he saw stone.
Cracked stone walls lined with glowing runes. Chains hung loosely from the ceiling, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in the distance.
He was lying in a pool of faint crimson light — blood-red sigils glowing beneath him, forming a strange circular pattern. His arm — the same one that had once burned with the Blood of the Fallen — now pulsed with veins of gold and black.
[System Reboot: 64% Complete]
[Warning: Unknown Energy Source Detected]
[Merging with External Soul Fragment…]
Hayate groaned. "You again…"
The System's voice flickered in and out, glitching like static.
[Host Condition: Critical – Stable]
[Soul Fusion Incomplete: 78%]
He tried to sit up, but his muscles screamed in protest.
As he looked around, he realized — this wasn't any dungeon or battlefield he recognized.
He was inside a vast underground chamber, the walls inscribed with ancient marks. Faint torches burned with golden flame, and broken statues of winged figures littered the floor.
It was like a tomb… or a temple long abandoned.
Then he heard footsteps.
Soft. Careful. Familiar.
From the shadows, a figure approached — a woman, her white veil torn, revealing long silver hair and crimson eyes that glowed faintly even in the dark.
"Selith…" Hayate rasped.
She stopped before him, her expression unreadable. "You're awake."
He blinked. "Where… are we?"
"A sanctuary," she said quietly. "One of the last untouched by the goddess's corruption. You nearly died in the Drift Zone."
Hayate frowned, sitting up with effort. "You saved me."
"I did," she said simply. "But it wasn't free."
Her gaze flicked to his glowing arm. "That light in your veins — that's not entirely yours anymore."
He looked down at his arm. The black-and-red energy he'd known before was now mixed with faint golden threads, pulsing together like two hearts beating as one.
"What did you do?" he asked, suspicion and awe mingling in his voice.
"I gave you part of my essence," Selith said, kneeling beside him. "It was the only way to keep your soul from collapsing."
Hayate stared at her, realization dawning. "That voice in the void — it really was you."
She nodded slowly. "You were too close to being absorbed. The goddess's chains were about to claim you as another fragment for her heart."
He clenched his fists. "She called me her vessel."
"That's what you are," Selith said, eyes darkening. "But not anymore."
Her hand hovered over his chest. The faint light in his veins pulsed stronger.
"The moment I intervened, the connection between you and her began to fracture. The System's divine code is unraveling. You are no longer bound as her puppet… but the System itself now sees you as an error."
[System Alert: Host Signature Unrecognized]
[Reclassification: Rogue Entity]
[All Divine Functions Locked]
Hayate's eyes widened. "You mean… I'm cut off?"
Selith gave a faint smile. "Yes. And no."
She stood and walked toward a nearby altar. On it lay several cracked crystals, glowing faintly. "The System can no longer control you, but its fragments still linger inside you. You can harness them — at a cost."
Hayate followed her with his eyes, then asked, "Why help me, Selith? You called her your goddess once."
Her movements stilled. The golden light of the torches flickered across her face, showing the pain behind her calm expression.
"I was her priestess," she said quietly. "Her chosen. I led sacrifices in her name, believing it brought salvation."
She turned to him, tears shining in her eyes. "Until I realized… she never wanted salvation. She wanted ownership. Dominion over every soul that entered her world."
Hayate felt a chill run through him. "So you betrayed her."
"No," she said bitterly. "I woke up."
She walked closer, her gaze locking onto his. "When I saw you — the System's newest vessel — I saw a chance to destroy her from within. That's why I interfered. You carry her power, but also the one thing she can't control."
"My will," Hayate said quietly.
Selith smiled faintly. "Exactly."
[System Fragment Detected: "Rebellion Protocol"]
[New Path Unlocked – "Blood of the Rogue"]
[Skill Evolution Possible: Activate?]
Hayate glanced at the flickering window. "If I activate it…?"
Selith hesitated. "You'll gain power unlike anything you've ever felt — but it will bind you further to your rage. Once you awaken it, there's no going back."
He stared at the light, then clenched his fist. "I've already gone too far to turn back."
[Confirm Activation – "Blood of the Rogue"]
[Yes / No]
He chose Yes.
The chamber erupted in light.
The sigils on the ground flared crimson, the air vibrating with raw energy. Hayate screamed as the markings spread up his arms, burning through his veins. His vision went white — then black — then red.
He saw visions.A battlefield of gods.A woman in black chains crying as the heavens burned.A crimson throne surrounded by shattered halos.
When his vision cleared, he stood — and the chamber trembled.
His right arm now bore a mark like a dragon made of blood and flame. His eyes glowed faint gold, flickering with power. His presence was suffocating.
Selith stared, astonished. "You… merged with it completely."
Hayate took a slow breath. "No," he said, voice low. "I mastered it."
[Skill Unlocked – Blood of the Rogue (Tier S)]
[Effect: Nullifies Divine Suppression. Enhances Power Under Rage or Pain.]
The flames around him died down slowly, leaving only faint wisps of red mist.
He looked at Selith. "What now?"
She turned toward the sealed doorway at the edge of the temple. "Now, you prepare. The goddess knows you've broken free. Her agents — the Divine Hunters — will come for you."
Hayate smirked faintly. "Then let them come."
Selith didn't smile back. Her eyes darkened. "No, Hayate. You don't understand. These aren't mortals. Each of them carries a fragment of her divinity. If they find us before your fusion is complete…"
Hayate's expression hardened. "Then we'll fight."
She studied him for a moment, then said softly, "You remind me of someone."
"Who?"
Selith hesitated — then turned away. "The man who created the System."
Hayate froze. "What did you say?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she walked toward the altar and placed her hand on a cracked crystal. It lit up, projecting a faint image — a man with long dark hair, standing before a gate of light, his body chained and bleeding.
"The first Rebellion," she whispered. "He tried to destroy her once. He failed. But before he fell, he left behind fragments of his code — the Sigils you've been collecting."
Hayate's heart pounded. "Then the Crimson Sigils…"
"Yes," she said, looking at him. "They're his legacy — the keys to the divine heart. If you gather them all, you can finish what he started."
Hayate clenched his fist. "Then that's my path."
Selith nodded slowly. "Then be warned — the next Sigil lies within the ruins of Valenor…guarded by the First Divine Hunter."
The ground trembled slightly, as if in response to her words.
Hayate's System flickered.
[New Quest: Hunt the Divine]
Objective: Locate and defeat the First Divine Hunter – "Lucien, the Wingless Seraph."
The name sent a chill down his spine.
Selith looked toward the ancient doorway, her tone grim. "If you face him unprepared, you'll die."
Hayate smirked slightly. "Then I'll just have to get stronger."
Selith's eyes softened. "You've changed."
He met her gaze. "So have you."
For a moment, the tension in the air faded. Then a distant echo — like thunder — rolled through the chamber.
Selith froze. "They've found us."
Hayate turned toward the entrance. The torches flickered violently, and a shadow began to spread across the stone.
"Already?" he asked.
Selith's hand went to her weapon. "She's sending them faster than I expected. Hayate… remember this. If I fall—"
"You're not dying here," he said coldly. "We're ending this together."
She smiled faintly. "Then prove it."
From the darkness of the passage, golden wings unfolded — massive, jagged, and burning with holy fire. A tall figure stepped into the light, armored in gold and black, eyes gleaming like molten glass.
"Lucien," Selith whispered. "The Wingless Seraph."
The air grew heavy. Hayate's blood burned in response — his new power roaring awake.
Lucien's voice was calm, but it cut like steel.
"So the goddess's vessel has turned rogue. How amusing."
Hayate raised his blade, its crimson glow filling the chamber.
"Then come and see," he said, voice low and steady, "what happens when the goddess loses her pawn."
[Quest Updated: Battle Commencing – Divine Hunter Detected]
The torches flared out.
Only the light of Hayate's crimson aura and Lucien's golden wings remained — two opposing forces, standing on the edge of war.