---
THREE YEARS LATER – CHRONOS MAIN PALACE
---
Three years passed since the day the boy was beaten into the dirt.
For mortals, three years could change an entire lifetime.
But for beings with long lifespans and overwhelming strength, three years were nothing—merely a grain of dust drifting across the endless river of time.
Nothing dramatic shook Celestia in those quiet years.
The world remained peaceful.
But today…
Today was different.
Within one of the mighty Overlord families—the Chronos—a once-in-a-century event was about to begin:
The Spirit Marking Ceremony.
An ordinary ceremony for most families…
But this year's Chronos ceremony became the hottest topic in all of Celestia.
Because the pride of Chronos—
the SSS-ranked prodigy,
the daughter of the Family Head,
the mythical genius born once in a thousand eras—
Zera Chronos
would be participating.
---
CHRONOS MAIN PALACE – CEREMONY HALL
---
The main palace, usually silent and oppressive, was unrecognizable today.
Whispers filled the air.
Powerful auras pressed down from above.
Even the walls seemed to tremble as countless mighty figures gathered—proof of how important this event was.
At the center of the hall sat dozens of ten-year-old children, arranged neatly in rows with legs crossed.
They waited for their turn, excitement and nervousness flickering in their young eyes.
Before them floated a massive wormhole-like pool.
Space twisted, cracked, stitched itself back together.
The very air distorted around it.
Most children instinctively kept their distance, fear evident on their faces.
But four children sat completely unfazed.
Three of them were Cyril, Argon, and Noah—monsters with SS-rank talent.
The fourth…
Stood alone, apart from the trio—
A stunning young girl with flowing grey hair and cold grey eyes, exuding an empress-like aura.
Every breath she took carried a sense of detachment.
Every movement radiated divinity.
She did not look down on anyone—
Not because she was humble,
but because she simply did not see anyone as worthy of being looked down upon.
Her eyes were those of a monarch gazing over billions from a throne no one else could ever reach.
Zera Chronos.
The child of space.
The future ruler of Chronos.
A living myth.
Even the strongest guests couldn't bring themselves to look directly into her eyes for long. Her presence alone was enough to crush lesser beings.
---
As whispers grew louder and the moment of the ceremony drew near…
Zera, who sat in the front, suddenly shifted her gaze.
She looked toward the back of the hall.
Her eyes landed on a boy her age—
A boy with the same grey hair,
the same eyes,
the same facial features.
A boy whose aura was weak, dull, almost nonexistent.
A boy who carried a wooden sword scarred with years of training.
A boy who looked like a ghost in the presence of giants.
Ah…
So that's the "brother" the maids whispered about.
Even though Zera normally never concerned herself with the other children, this one she had heard about—though only in hushed, accidental mentions.
She examined him with an apathetic gaze.
To think someone looks this similar to me… he really is that 'twin brother.'
Her thoughts remained calm, unaffected.
True to the rumors, he hasn't formed even a single star at this age.
Pathetic. Not that it matters to me.
Her parents never spoke of him.
Not even once.
They behaved as if he didn't exist.
Perhaps because of that, Zera too felt no desire to acknowledge him.
He was simply… irrelevant.
A forgotten stain.
---
Just as these fleeting thoughts crossed her mind, the heavens suddenly split open.
The sky tore apart as space bent to an overwhelming will.
Four colossal figures stepped out of the void, descending into the palace like gods returning from war.
A suffocating pressure swept across the hall.
Whispers died instantly.
All children froze.
Because standing before them were:
Zenox Chronos – the Family Head
and the
Three Faction Heads of Chronos.
---