[Scene opens – Central Training Grounds, midday]
Rekikan was tense.
Whispers passed between squads like wildfire."Division Eleven's in town.""The Iron Rings.""They're here for the Crimson Soul."
Jin Kuroya stepped onto the training field, chewing on a soulstick and pretending he didn't care.
Behind him, Marin, Sora, and Ketsu followed, equally cautious.
Across the field stood Division Eleven. Their armor was pristine. Their formation, flawless. They didn't breathe unless permitted.
In the center stood their captain—Kain Masurao, the Soul Warden. Known for executing two captains and three Kuragami defectors without touching his blade.
He stepped forward.
"Jin Kuroya.""You've been summoned for evaluation. Your strength… and your soul stability… must be tested."
Jin raised an eyebrow."You want to fight me?"
"I want to break you."
[Crowd gathers – Squad Leaders, Trainees, even Captains watching]
Aria appeared at Jin's side."He's not going to hold back. He wants you to falter. To prove you're unstable."
Jin smirked. "Then I'll make him choke on control."
Renzai shimmered at his side, already humming.
[The Duel – Jin Kuroya vs. Kain Masurao]
Masurao didn't draw his sword.
Instead, he activated a strange technique—Soul Binding Rings.
From the air, glowing iron rings appeared around Jin's limbs and chest, restricting movement and dampening spiritual pressure.
"You think flame wins fights?" Kain said."Let's see how you burn when your soul is choked."
Jin struggled to breathe. The rings burned into him—not physically, but into the very core of his soul.
Crowd murmured.
Aria's hands twitched near her blade.
Ketsu whispered, "This isn't an evaluation… It's an execution."
[Jin's Breaking Point]
Jin dropped to his knees. Renzai flickered. His eyes dimmed.
Raikou's voice echoed in his head."You're just a pretender, little brother.""Powerless without your flame."
Jin grit his teeth.Blood ran from his mouth.
"You want to test my soul?"
He stood. Shaking. Drenched in sweat and fire.
"Then I'll show you how a cracked soul burns brighter."
[New Ability Awakens – Crimson Veil: Soul Detonation Phase I]
Renzai shattered the rings in a single pulse.
Jin's entire aura erupted. Not just crimson—but streaked with white, black, and gold. His flame didn't just burn. It devoured.
The air bent. The ground cracked.
Even Kain blinked.
"What… is that pressure…?"
Jin stepped forward, eyes glowing.
"Soul Detonation. My flame… without limit."
[He didn't attack. He didn't need to.]
Kain stepped back.The first time anyone had seen the Soul Warden move defensively.
Jin didn't press forward.
He simply said,"I don't need to prove anything to people waiting for me to fail."
He turned his back—and walked away.
[Aftermath – The Rekikan, shaken]
Council members whispered.Captains murmured.Even the oldest among them felt the shift.
Aria stood on a rooftop, watching the smoke curl from the ground where Jin once stood.
"He's becoming more than a flame."
"He's becoming a reckoning."
[Final Scene – Kuragami War Table]
Raikou slammed his fist into the map."He unlocked Detonation. Too early."
Lord Nureha smiled."Perfect. Then let him burn out before the prophecy even begins."
He tapped the next target.
"Send the Hollow Choir. Let's burn the Rekikan down to silence."