[Scene opens – Rekikan Council Tower, two days later]
The Soul War hadn't stopped. But everything had paused.
After Jin's battle with Raikou, word spread like wildfire.
Now he stood before the High Council of the Twelve, at the heart of the Rekikan.
Twelve captains sat in a circular chamber above him, cloaked in spirit flame, masks, and judgment.
Captain Aria stood beside him, arms crossed.
The eldest council member—Captain Genroku, The Flame of Final Judgment—leaned forward, one eye missing, robes scorched from past wars.
"Jin Kuroya," he said.
"Bearer of Renzai. Survivor of Kuragami encounter. Confirmed resonance with Crimson Core. You stand before us under suspicion… and invitation."
Jin blinked.
"Suspicion and invitation? What kind of weird soul court is this?"
Aria elbowed him.
"Shut up."
---
[Scene shift – Council deliberation begins]
Captain Genroku slammed his staff.
"Do we elevate Jin Kuroya to a Rank 3 Soulblade Initiate? Or do we seal his power until we can confirm he is not… corrupted by his brother?"
Some captains nodded.
Others scoffed.
Then one captain stood—Captain Kurohana, Head of Division 8.
Tall, pristine, sharp eyes. She was elegance wrapped in death.
"I oppose the promotion," she said. "The boy's blade is too wild. His ties to a traitor too recent. And I refuse to hand more power to a child wrapped in prophecy."
Jin looked up.
"…Prophecy?"
Captain Genroku sighed.
"You weren't told yet, were you?"
---
[REVEAL: The Crimson Eclipse Prophecy]
Long ago, it was said:
> When the Forsaken Flame rises again in mortal form, the Veil will crack.
Brother shall fight brother.
The soul with two flames shall either save the realms… or reduce them to ash.
And the bearer of Renzai was always the key.
Jin Kuroya—the Crimson Soul.
---
[Scene shift – Squad Six Barracks, that night]
Marin sat beside Jin, bandaging his arm.
"So now you're the center of some doomsday script," she said.
"Congrats."
"Not helping," Jin muttered.
"You're still the same idiot who snores in the barracks," Sora added, tossing a soul candy into his mouth.
The squad laughed. Tension eased… a little.
But Aria stood in the doorway, silent.
She could feel it.
The next storm was coming.
---
[Meanwhile – Introduction of New Squad: Division Eleven, The Iron Rings]
Cut to a new team entering the Rekikan gates—armored, perfectly in sync, clean white cloaks trimmed in blue. Cold eyes. No emotion.
Their captain? Kain Masurao, a former hero-turned-enforcer known as the Soul Warden.
He eyed Jin's profile on a floating scroll.
"The Crimson Boy," he said coldly.
"Let's see if your flame is just noise… or a threat to the realm."
His squad followed silently.
---
[Final Scene – A Message from the Abyss]
Deep in the Kuragami ruins, Raikou stood in front of Lord Nureha.
"He's grown," he said.
"Good," Nureha whispered, fangs showing beneath his cowl.
"Then he'll break more beautifully when it's time."
A scroll hovered between them—glowing blood-red.
It read:
"Phase II: Breach the Soulcore. Let the Crimson Eclipse begin."