"The time for hiding is over. Let them see what judgment truly looks like."
The wind was still, and the silence was heavy—too heavy.
Jiwoon stood alone at the edge of the broken plaza, shadows crawling beneath his feet. His once subtle presence now blazed like a black sun. The air distorted with the weight of sins unrepented.
No more concealment. No more moderation.
The System buzzed.
[System Update Complete.]
[Sinbound Covenant Unlocked.]
[New Function: Subordinate Selection Enabled.]
[Warning: Only those who have accepted their guilt may be bound.]
Jiwoon's eyes gleamed.
He no longer needed to fight alone.
— Birth of the Covenant
From the darkness, a path of writhing shadows bloomed—a trail left behind by ancient regrets.
He raised his hand.
[Summoning Initiated: "Kang Yu-Min" – Grade B Sinbearer – Wrath/Despair]
[Status: Guilt Accepted | Redemption Ratio: 18%]
A man emerged—hollow eyes, trembling limbs. Not undead. Not controlled. Alive, burdened.
"You…" Yu-Min whispered. "You're the one they call the Sin Judge."
"I'm not here to forgive you," Jiwoon said. "I'm here to use your guilt."
Dark sigils wrapped around Yu-Min like chains of lightless flame.
[Sinbound Form Initiated: Apostle of Repentance – Class: Wrathbound]
[Ability: Rage Conversion, Martyr's Burn]
Yu-Min screamed once, then fell silent. When he stood, his eyes were clear.
— Why He No Longer Hides
Behind Jiwoon, Mira asked quietly, "Why now? Why show everything?"
Jiwoon turned to her slowly. His voice carried no weight of uncertainty.
"Because mercy is no longer enough."
"The world doesn't need balance—it needs correction."
He raised his hand once more—and the shadow coiled like a beast.
— The Distant Stirring
Far beyond the battlefield, in a forgotten prison of stone and flame, something stirred.
Four silhouettes, ancient and still, opened their eyes at once.
One growled, "He walks the path…"
Another whispered, "Will he survive what we couldn't?"
The third chuckled, "Or will he end like us—broken by our own sins?"
The fourth, silent, simply looked upward—toward the growing storm.
[System Notice: The City of Sin observes.]
[The Queen has stirred.]