The Church of Order
Aria was still unconscious, her breathing shallow. I slung her over my shoulder, nearly stumbling from her weight and the throbbing in my ribs. Blood soaked through the wrappings on her hand, trailing behind us like a warning.
Then the alarm hit.
Not from my system—but from the air itself.
The sigils carved into the walls of the safehouse shattered like glass. Candles flickered out in unison. And a cold, robotic voice echoed from the shadows:
> "Unauthorized entity detected. Termination initiated under Divine Code: Purge Protocol 7."
I spun, nearly slipping on the blood-slick floor.
Three figures stood at the tunnel's mouth—tall, hooded, armored in white and gold. Their masks were porcelain, featureless, and humming with light.
> [New Faction Identified: The Church of Order]
[Status: Hostile – Immediate Lethal Intent]
I tightened my grip on Aria.
They raised their hands.
Not weapons. Scepters—inscribed with divine runes and humming like engines. The center figure's voice rang like chimes forged from ice:
> "Unregistered system bearer. Consorting with a Fallen. Prepare for absolution."
"Yeah? How about you absolve THIS!"
I slammed my foot down, cracking open a mana charge Aria had rigged beneath the floor.
Boom.
The tunnel exploded into flame and dust. I bolted through the smoke, Aria on my back, system blaring in my mind.
> [System Alert: Combat Mode Engaged]
[Borrowed Trait: Aria's Reflex — +40% Reaction Speed for 30 seconds]
I barely dodged the incoming blast of holy fire. It carved a line through the stone, molten and glowing.
I ducked into a maintenance shaft, heart thundering, lungs burning. Aria groaned faintly on my shoulder.
"Hang on," I muttered. "I'm not dying for a contract I didn't sign."
---
I found a temporary shelter beneath the city—a collapsed parking structure riddled with echo chambers and pitch-darkness. The perfect place to hide.
But I didn't have time to rest.
Aria was burning up.
Her body shimmered with unstable energy—like the system was fighting itself inside her. Her blood had gone black around the wound from the backlash. And her pulse was faltering.
> [System Alert: Bond Partner Critical]
[Auto-Stabilization Suggested: Use Devil's Blood Catalyst]
What the hell was that?
A menu opened in my mind.
> [One-Time Option: Inject Devil's Blood into bonded partner. Will stabilize her temporarily. WARNING: May trigger latent traits.]
I hesitated.
Then pressed Confirm.
A needle formed in my hand, conjured from the system—a swirling red liquid inside, glowing like liquid rubies.
I injected it into her arm.
She screamed—and then her body arched off the ground, eyes glowing with fiery red light. Her hair flared outward, and for a moment, her voice layered with something else.
> "The Devil is watching."
Then she collapsed again—unconscious, but breathing easier.
> [System Update: Latent Bond Trait Unlocked — "Soul Mirage"]
[Effect: Shared mental projection during dream-state. Accessing sealed memories of Subject Aria Vayne.]
I sat back, wiping blood from my forehead.
We were being hunted by divine executioners, bonded by a cursed contract, and now my partner was mutating into something half-Devil.
I laughed because I couldn't scream.