Hinata and Chloe began their search with the only person they knew who still existed in this era—Luminas.
Chloe led the way with a calm confidence.
‹Do you know exactly where she is though?›
Hinata asked.
"Yeah. There was a huge battle there once. I checked it out myself."
‹Because of Veldora?›
"Uh-huh. Even if he's friends with Atem now, he used to be an enemy. It looked like he was fighting someone back then, so I tried to help."
"Is that right? And that someone was Luminas?"
"Yeah. I want to arrive earlier this time—before Veldora causes trouble—and tell everyone to evacuate. I want Luminas to trust me again and help me."
Chloe's determination never wavered.
She also had a good sense of direction—unlike Atem's predecessor, Rimuru, who would wander everywhere. Chloe didn't need Hinata's guidance at all. They reached Night Rose Castle without getting lost even once.
And so, they arrived before Luminas's home.
‹So this is Night Rose… no wonder Luminas-sama cherished it.›
It was beautiful—an elegant fortress carved like a rose frozen in moonlight. Though man-made, it felt alive. Its sharp, thorn-like ridges served as guard towers.
Their approach was quickly noticed. A wave of vampire soldiers rushed out to surround them.
Chloe stepped forward.
"I am here to see Luminas. Please take me to her."
Hinata froze in disbelief.
‹H-Hey! You really think they'll let you walk out of here alive after casually dropping her name like that?!›
But Chloe stayed calm.
‹It's fine. I'm friends with Luminas!›
‹Only after you save her from Veldora in the future! Right now you're a stranger!›
Chloe blinked, suddenly remembering.
‹Ah… right. I've done this so many times I thought that already happened. And I always get scolded for this too…›
Hinata groaned inside.
Of course you get scolded. Your "habit" can literally collapse the timeline.
Hinata took a breath and forced herself to think clearly.
Any tiny mistake can change history… We already have a huge shift—Atem instead of Rimuru. No more careless moves.
And so she stepped forward.
‹Chloe. Listen. Let me advise you before you speak. Do not answer right away.›
‹Okay… I get it. If I mess up, the entire future changes.›
Her quick agreement eased Hinata's nerves—until the weight of Chloe's words hit her again.
If we slip up… the future we fought for might disappear.
Eventually, the guards escorted them—though Chloe had to force her way in, which nearly gave Hinata a stroke.
‹Did you really forget everything I said JUST now?!›
Hinata snapped.
‹It's fine! I did this before. I barged in so I could warn her about Veldora!›
Hinata couldn't even argue because—technically—Chloe was right.
After layers of security and suspicious glances, they were finally brought before Luminas.
Luminas listened with narrowed eyes as Chloe explained Veldora's coming attack.
"The evil dragon will be here soon, you say?"
"Yes. I know you're strong, Luminas. But you can't defeat Veldora. He'll destroy the castle. Please evacuate everyone early."
Hinata's skill–Mathematician confirmed Luminas's psychology:
It is safe to tell her this much.
Even so, Hinata felt uneasy.
"Hmm… I do not know you, so trusting you so easily is impossible. Do you have proof?"
Her voice softened—but Hinata understood.
This "gentle tone" was Luminas's way of baiting fools.
Hinata quickly calculated the timeline Chloe told her—the exact moment Veldora would attack Night Rose.
"At the earliest, Veldora will reach here in two weeks. At the latest? In 2 weeks."
Luminas was no fool.
Chloe could have been lying—but the way she overwhelmed the guards earlier proved she wasn't ordinary.
There was no reason for her to trick them.
So Luminas delayed judgement—and allowed Chloe to remain in the castle.
Days later, Veldora arrived.
Luminas fought fiercely.
Chloe tried to rush in, but Hinata grabbed her arm.
"You didn't fight Veldora here in the previous timeline, right?"
"Umm… no, but—"
"Then forget your future memories. Your job is to repeat what happened before. Warn Luminas, earn her trust, but do NOT change major events."
Hinata repeated herself.
"Follow the same road as last time. That is how we link this past to the future we came from."
Chloe finally nodded.
If Chloe revealed the future—like Granbell's betrayal—Luminas would kill him early.
Then Chloe and Hinata could never return to the timeline they knew.
That could not happen.
With Chloe's help, casualties stayed low.
And because her warning proved true, Luminas accepted her.
They became friends.
Later, in Luminas's secret chamber…
Luminas sat elegantly and asked,
"So, you've leapt through time several times, Chloe?"
"Yes. I have about two thousand years of memories. Want to hear them?"
"Very much so. Tell me everything."
Chloe did—carefully, checking with Hinata through mental conversation.
She explained how she became a Hero for two millennia.
Then she explained this:
"There was supposed to be a small slime… named Rimuru. He was supposed to become important. But something changed."
Luminas listened closely.
"Instead of Rimuru being reincarnated… we now have Atem."
Chloe nodded firmly.
"Yes. Atem is living the same life Rimuru should have lived—but he is far more powerful, far more commanding… and the world responds to him differently. Something changed the timeline."
Luminas's eyes gleamed.
"A king reborn in the wrong world, perhaps."
Chloe continued.
"He founded Eterna. He gained powers beyond anything Rimuru ever had. And Atem… carries an aura that shifts fate around him."
She also explained that Luminas would later become friends with Hinata…
and that Hinata would one day die.
Luminas frowned.
"To think that someone kills a friend I have not even met yet… I do not like that."
Hinata felt her chest tighten.
Luminas… thank you.
Despite her cold exterior, Luminas was one of the kindest people she knew.
Luminas smiled softly.
"Very well. I shall support you. Roy might be difficult to handle, but the others will listen. You are my friend now."
Then she asked:
"So, what is your plan for the future?"
Chloe declared without hesitation:
"I want to become a Hero again and help anyone in need!"
Luminas's smile widened.
"Then you must choose a name. What shall the world call you?"
Chloe and Hinata froze.
‹The name Chloe might cause problems.›
‹Leon-oniichan will definitely track me down.›
They had to hide her identity.
Hinata thought quickly—Solarys accelerating her mind.
And then she remembered Atem's struggle naming monsters…
so she simply picked something that sounded symbolic.
‹Your Skill is Time Travel. Your name is Chloe. Combine it with the god of time, Chronos… and we get "Chronoa."›
‹Why not Chronoa?›
‹Too obvious. Use "Chronoa."›
‹Got it! Then I'll be Chronoa!›
The decision took less than a heartbeat.
Chloe raised her chin proudly.
"—Call me Chronoa. The world must not know my true name.
From today on, I am Chronoa the Hero."
And so, the name Chronoa entered history—
in a world where Atem, not Rimuru, changed the fate of nations.
Leaving behind the shattered ruins of Night Rose Castle, Luminas and her followers began the long march toward a new home.
Naturally, Chloe walked beside them.
Hinata's voice echoed inside Chloe's mind.
‹Now that I think about it… why did my Unique Skill "Usurper" disappear too?›
"I'm not sure," Chloe said softly. "But I think… Hinata's power was always meant to merge with mine in the end."
She stopped speaking. Her mood dipped suddenly.
Hinata understood.
Chloe remembered the part where Hinata died.
‹Don't worry about it. It's fine. It was only a matter of time anyway. By the way… you stealing my Skill after taking the name "Chronoa" from me feels a lot like naming a monster.›
Chloe spun around, offended.
"Oi! Isn't that rude?!"
‹Ah—sorry. No harm meant.›
"You're so mean sometimes! What a waste of your beauty. If you talk like that, nobody's gonna fall for you!"
‹Shut up. Doesn't matter—I'm already dead anyway.›
Despite the dark joke, the two shared a light laugh as they continued following Luminas and her escort.
The air between them was warm—almost nostalgic.
After they parted ways with Luminas temporarily, Chloe embraced her new role as a Hero, acting exactly as she had vowed.
Time moved forward.
Three hundred years before the moment Atem would be reincarnated—
the era when Veldora was still unsealed.
During this long stretch of years, Chloe grew stronger and stronger.
She mastered Absolute Severance.
She learned Infinite Prison.
She fought and trained endlessly.
Meanwhile, Hinata supported her from inside, using her Unique Skill Mathematician to calculate every outcome and refine every move.
It matched the very timeline Chloe remembered.
One day, Chloe casually declared:
"I'm going to seal Veldora now."
She said this right after reuniting with Luminas.
Luminas blinked.
"I see. You did mention this would happen. But… are you really sure about it, Chloe?"
Now that they were close friends, Luminas's voice held real concern.
"There won't be any problem. I have Hinata with me."
Chloe had revealed Hinata's existence to Luminas alone.
Luminas accepted the idea of a second soul inside Chloe with surprising ease.
"That's reassuring. Still… don't overdo it."
‹I'll deal with Veldora myself,› Hinata said confidently.
"Eh?"
Chloe almost tripped.
It was the first time she had ever heard Luminas genuinely confused.
Hinata didn't bother sugarcoating anything.
‹I've actually fought Veldora once. Back then—›
Her memory hit like a hammer.
KUA-HAHAHAHA! How weak! Is this the guardian of humanity?!
Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic!
Phew—kususkusu… what's wrong? Can't get up?
How boring. The price I'd pay to know defeat…
Fine. I'll end this now. I don't have all day to waste.
Hinata winced at the memory.
‹…Things happened. I'm going to give that lizard a beating. It's long overdue.›
Chloe could tell from Hinata's tone—
she was dead serious.
Luminas nodded with a strangely elegant fury.
"I understand your rage completely. I'd love to see him flattened for once."
‹I forced him to show me every Skill he has. We can use that.›
The two women—one angelic, one demonic—began planning how to punish a Storm Dragon.
Their smiles were downright terrifying.
Chloe, remembering how playful the future Veldora was, sighed.
"I… don't know what Veldora did to you both, but maybe hold back a tiny bit? He's actually nice in the future…"
Hinata ignored her.
Luminas ignored her harder.
And so Chloe gave up.
The battle came.
Hinata took full control of Chloe's body—
her presence sharp and merciless.
With Chloe's support, they unleashed Absolute Severance, Infinite Prison, and prefect coordination.
Veldora roared.
"GUWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The storm dragon's furious screams echoed through the sky as the spell wrapped around him like divine chains.
Hinata's expression—hidden behind the mask—twisted into a satisfied smile.
‹That's for the humiliation, you overgrown lizard.›
The seal locked.
The world fell silent.
And then Hinata breathed out and slowly returned the body to Chloe.