Reborn with the Devil's system
Chapter 29: Embers of Betrayal

Chapter 29: Embers of Betrayal

[System Alert]

New Location Unlocked: "Crimson Alley – Sector H Borderline"

Danger Level: Moderate to High

Hidden Signal Detected... Scanning...

Elias tightened the grip on his cloak as he passed through the rusted gates of Sector H. Crimson Alley wasn’t marked on any official map, but the System had pinged it moments after unlocking the Face the Past quest.

This place reeked of rot—blood, oil, and something older. Something dead.

His steps echoed through the alley, broken buildings leaning like drunks, neon lights flickering overhead like stars on their last breath.

> "If Vex was here, he didn’t stay long..." Elias muttered.

But he wasn’t alone.

---

From the far end of the alley, boots clanged on metal. Slow. Rhythmic. Deliberate.

Elias tensed, flames coiling around his palms.

Then he saw him.

Luka Vale.

Once a friend.

Once a brother in arms.

Now cloaked in obsidian armor and marked with a crimson rune across his chest—a telltale sign of a System user... but not just any System.

The Rune of Judgment.

> [System Detected: "The Arbiter Protocol" – Hostile Type]

"Elias Black," Luka said, stepping into view, his hair longer than before, eyes colder. "Still alive after all this time."

"You look like you sold your soul for power," Elias shot back.

"I did." Luka smiled. "But at least I got results."

> [New Character: Luka Vale – Class: Arbiter – Threat Level: 4.5/5]

Passive: Soul Mirror – Reflects magic-type damage

Active: Verdict Blade – Judgment strike, ignores defense

Special: Codebreaker – Can scan and corrupt other Systems (limited)

Elias moved first.

He had no time for sentiment.

> [Skill Activated: Devil’s Grasp]

[Skill Activated: Infernal Wings]

In a burst of flame, he launched forward, his claw reaching for Luka’s face—only for it to slam against a reflective barrier.

> CRACK!

> [Warning: Soul Mirror Reflected Damage – HP -15]

Elias grunted, skidding back.

Luka drew his blade.

It wasn’t metal.

It was forged from light—twisting like a chain of truth and lies.

"You never understood, Elias," Luka said. "We were born to be weapons. You just kept pretending to be a man."

---

The alley became a battlefield.

Elias dodged a verdict strike that sliced a building in half.

He launched a Hellfire Bolt that exploded across Luka’s shoulder—but Luka didn’t even flinch.

The ground shook with every clash, their Systems screaming through the air like ancient war gods battling for a throne no one could see.

---

> [System Update]

– Infernal Core Charge: 73%

– Passive Skill Progressing: "Soulfire Resilience"

– Unknown Code Interference Detected

Elias’s thoughts spun—if Luka had Codebreaker, he could eventually tamper with Elias’s system. He needed to end this.

Now.

He summoned everything he had—flames danced like serpents around his arms as he took to the air, wings ablaze.

> "I’m not a weapon."

> "I’m your reckoning."

He dropped from the sky like a meteor.

> [Ultimate Skill: Infernal Judgment – Tier I Unlocked]

System Overload: 3 seconds – Use with caution.

The ground shattered on impact.

A crater exploded beneath them as flames devoured the alley. Buildings collapsed. Metal twisted. Heat warped time for a moment.

And Luka?

He lay beneath rubble, coughing blood, judgment blade cracked.

But still alive.

"Vex... was right about you," he spat. "You’re not just a rogue. You’re a cataclysm."

> [Quest Progress: "Face the Past" – 50% Complete]

Optional Objective Unlocked: Spare or Kill Luka Vale.

Elias stepped forward, eyes glowing.

"You betrayed us. Chose them over your own. That’s unforgivable."

Luka smiled weakly. "Then be the Devil they fear."

---

> [Choice Prompt: Spare or Kill]

Time Remaining: 20 seconds

Note: This decision affects Soul Path and Unlock Tier II Core.

Crimson Alley stank of rust, ash, and something darker. Elias moved like a ghost, shadows trailing his boots as he stepped over fractured concrete and twisted pipes. The deeper he went, the more distant Whitehaven felt. No civilians. No patrol drones. Just silence.

He had followed the System’s trail here—the moment it had pinged a hidden signature from the past, he hadn’t hesitated.

But he hadn’t expected this.

"You’re late, Elias," a voice called out, distorted by the alley’s echo.

Elias froze. His flames flickered to life, curling up his arms like protective serpents. He turned.

From the shadows, stepped Luka Vale.

Elias almost didn’t recognize him. Gone was the reckless grin and loyal smirk. In its place was a cold, grim face and the crimson rune of the Arbiter System burned across his chestplate.

Luka had changed.

No, evolved.

"You joined them," Elias said bitterly.

Luka’s smirk returned. "I chose power. The same thing you wanted. But unlike you, I didn’t run from it."

> [System Warning: Hostile System Detected – Arbiter Protocol] Class: High-Level Combat Specialist Abilities: Soul Mirror, Verdict Blade, Codebreaker (Limited Interference)

Elias didn’t wait. He moved.

Infernal Wings.

He burst forward with speed, slashing down with hellfire-infused claws. But as his attack landed—

CRACK!

A mirror-like barrier exploded outward, flinging him backward.

> [Reflective Damage Taken: -15 HP]

Elias gritted his teeth. Luka’s System had counters.

"This ends now," Luka whispered, drawing a blade forged from pure light—a weapon of judgment, humming with energy.

The alley became war.

Elias unleashed bolts of fire, walls erupting around them. Luka dodged with brutal precision, swinging his Verdict Blade with near-religious conviction. Every strike from the blade distorted air, slicing through metal and brick like butter.

Elias twisted midair, launching Hellburst. Luka deflected most of it, but a trailing ember hit his shoulder—burning through armor. Luka staggered.

> [Infernal Core Charge: 73%] [New Passive Progressing: Soulfire Resilience] [Alert: Codebreaker Attempt Detected!]

Elias growled. He couldn’t let Luka hack into his system. Not now.

He summoned every ounce of energy, flames spinning into a vortex.

He launched skyward.

Then dove.

> [Ultimate Skill Unlocked: Infernal Judgment - Tier I] Warning: System Overload in 3... 2... 1...

The explosion turned night into day.

Buildings shattered. The ground cracked into a burning crater. Luka screamed, buried under debris.

When the smoke cleared, only Elias stood.

Charred. Breathing hard.

But victorious.

> [Quest Update: "Face the Past" - 50% Complete] Optional Decision Unlocked: Spare or Kill Luka Vale

Elias walked over. Luka, barely breathing, looked up with blood in his mouth.

"Vex... was right," Luka coughed. "You’re not just a rogue... you’re the storm."

Elias hesitated.

The flames in his hands flickered.

Could he kill a former friend?

Should he?

> [Decision Countdown: 20 Seconds Remaining]

The alley pulsed with tension. The weight of destiny pressed down. Whispers from the System urged judgment, but something else—something human—stirred in Elias’s chest.

He looked down at Luka and whispered:

"You chose your path. Now I choose mine."

The screen blinked.

> [Decision Locked. Outcome Pending...]

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