Veran’s willing body rose above the ward center as white-gold armor joined his council robes to the missing foundation key. His human face remained visible beneath a ceremonial crown, leaving the mouth free when Dominion spoke through it.
"Three unlawful holdings have been identified," the Hunting Avatar announced, directing every capital monument toward the intersection, "the stolen divine asset, the false royal claimant, and the demonic core withheld from proper use."
Hajin opened two Rings around his right wrist before the first ward beam reached them. Aegis caught the strike above the retreating route guards, turning it toward an empty palace roof instead of sending pressure back through occupied streets.
"Call people by their names," he said, holding the barrier while Didi cleared the guards behind him, "I am Hajin, she is Didi, and the child belongs to herself."
The avatar examined his rotating Rings without answering the correction; Veran’s soul remained inside Collector’s Grasp, fused willingly to an incarnation structure spreading from his open core through nine ward districts.
[ Hunting Avatar ]
[ Mortal vessel: living / willingly fused ]
[ Dominion authority: distributed through royal ward network ]
[ Effective assessment: incomplete ]
"Your refusal confirms defective ownership," it said, lifting one armored hand toward Hajin, "the Fragment was made to preserve ordered souls, yet you use it to place lesser blood beyond assigned rank."
"You still need a councilor’s body and a stolen key to issue that lecture," Hajin replied, tightening Aegis as another monument joined the strike, "the order does not look natural from here."
Veran’s mouth twisted before Dominion settled it into a controlled expression; the mortal collaborator retained enough awareness to hear Hajin, while his open soul fed the avatar permission to remain.
"I invited correction after years spent beneath inherited power," Veran said through his own voice, gripping the foundation key inside one armored fist, "Dominion offered rank that service and restraint never returned."
"You renewed evidence holds while people died protecting your comfort," Didi replied, drawing her sword as Crowned Frost gathered beneath ordinary blue, "do not rename collaboration as patience after choosing a god over your city."
The avatar turned toward her when silver entered the frost; every inverted ward recognized Didi’s royal blood, then reclassified her from local commander to unlawful claimant beneath the First Prince’s authorization.
White-gold lines closed around her feet before forming a route toward the hidden undercroft. Didi severed the first physical strand with her sword, although the blood command beneath it remained attached to the foundation.
"Your dormant channel belongs to the lower throne," Dominion said, forcing Veran’s hand toward her position, "returning it will repair the human branch before false sovereignty spreads."
"My blood is not a road you inherit," she replied, placing one Shard behind Crowned Frost without freezing the complete command, "and my brother does not decide where I return."
Hajin cut the remaining lines with Aegis before they could close around her sword. The avatar accepted the interruption without attacking harder, instead directing ward constructs toward three separate routes across the capital.
One formation moved toward Hajin’s commission quarters where the sealed blood sample had been removed. Another turned after Didi’s silver-gold frequency, while the largest group descended toward the western undercroft through the First Prince’s authorized corridors.
"The third target remains beneath the palace," Aria said, marking every route in Hajin’s sight, "the constructs are not searching randomly; the avatar received her current position through the inverted foundation."
The child had not moved since Vella’s sample entered commission custody, because the same lattice preserving her life prevented ordinary relocation. Dominion could therefore hunt her without learning anything from Cessy or Lucan.
Cessy and Lucan remained inside the sealed evidence wing under Eirwen’s arrow, preventing their crossing route from becoming another path toward the blood. A black pressure had entered Cessy’s ownership mark when Dominion named the child, proving the declaration reached beyond the palace infrastructure.
"It is issuing a collection order through divine authority instead of the Underworld cycle," Cessy reported through Vella’s contact line, "the commands are different, but the child’s damaged core may obey whichever one reaches her first."
"Can your route carry the order below?" Hajin asked, keeping his attention upon the constructs dividing across the roads.
"Lucan has closed our return beyond physical retreat," she replied, irritation covering the fear inside her voice, "we are trapped in your palace until the pressure withdraws, which remains preferable to delivering a god into my main body."
"Juna, take the room route and destroy anything that reaches the evidence wing," he ordered, keeping both Rings active while the avatar measured his command, "Eirwen stays with the sample, while Ferra completes the grounded districts."
Juna left the intersection through an evacuated roof line with one Wing carrying her first jump. She did not pursue the constructs aimed underground, leaving the child’s route to fighters who understood its prison.
"Loccy remains on the canal bridge until every patient clears," he continued, directing the second order through a route plate, "Didi keeps district command, and no captain follows us into an unknown divine transfer line."
"You are assuming I remain behind while the avatar names me for removal," Didi said, placing her route plate inside one pocket, "the western captains know their counts, so I am following the royal command line to its source."
"You are also maintaining the only Crown authority evacuating people without the King’s direct voice," Hajin replied, blocking another beam without expanding his barrier across the road, "finish the district transfer, then follow after the last captain signs."
Didi looked toward the three ward roads before accepting the delay as an operation rather than protection. She sent two route officers toward each active district, then ordered the palace guard to recognize evacuation marks above noble property seals.
"Ten minutes," she said, directing her sword toward Veran’s armored chest, "if he moves before then, keep the mortal voice alive so he can answer me again."
"He accepted the descent," he replied, watching Collector’s Grasp confirm the willing fusion, "I will distinguish him from every host the wards force into it, but consent does not make him untouchable."
The Hunting Avatar lowered its hand after hearing the exchange; Nine white-gold circles appeared behind Veran, each connected to a different occupied ward district beneath the foundation.
"Command exposes attachment," Dominion said, while the first circle filled with healer signatures, "the asset will choose between resistance and the lives incorrectly placed beneath his protection."
Pain entered the intersection through the ward line before any physical strike followed. Vella’s warning reached Hajin from the western infirmary, where patients had begun receiving wounds taken by Veran’s avatar body.
Hajin closed his attack before the Chain left inventory; Killing the vessel through nine occupied anchors would obey Dominion’s offered choice, spending civilians to prove he could resist ownership.
"Aria, map every living branch before we touch him," he said, keeping Aegis between Veran and the road, "the hunt wants three targets, so we remove the roads connecting them before giving it another body."
The avatar stepped backward into the ward center and disappeared across all nine circles. Veran’s willing soul remained present inside each route, while constructs carrying the new hunt spread toward the capital’s occupied districts.
Three red target marks entered Hajin’s system after the divine pressure withdrew. His name came first, Didi’s second, while the third remained a blood frequency without any name the child had chosen.