After Atem placed the ancient mask upon Chronoa's face, the world around him shifted. His body did not move—but his spirit was drawn inward, as if pulled through the fabric of reality itself.
He did not resist.
He allowed the pull to guide him, knowing Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom had orchestrated the transition perfectly.
What Atem expected was a void, a realm soaked in despair and darkness. Instead, he stepped into a radiant mental world—vast, bright, and strangely serene. A place without a sun, yet full of light. An illusion crafted by the soul.
He moved forward with calm purpose, each step ringing with the confidence of a king.
Then—
A figure approached from the light.
"Atem… it's been a long time," she said softly, smiling with gentle warmth. "I should probably call you by your highness now."
It was Shizu.
Her appearance was unscarred. Her spirit form was whole. Atem gave a small nod, his expression respectful yet steady.
"You may call me Atem," he said. "That is the name my friends call me."
Shizu laughed softly. "You haven't changed. Even as a king, you're still humble."
Atem allowed a faint smile. Having Shizu beside him strengthened his stride. Together they walked, the bright world shifting as they moved.
Ahead stood another figure—one with beauty sharp enough to cut, eyes gleaming like weapons forged of pure hatred.
Chronoa.
Her aura was cold, unstable, trembling with the intent to erase the world.
Atem stepped toward her with the unwavering composure of a Pharaoh facing destiny.
He prepared to speak—
But she froze.
"You… are you truly Atem? The real Atem?" Her voice shook, not with fear, but with desperate emotion.
"Yes," he answered. "I stand before you."
Chronoa suddenly rushed forward and embraced him tightly.
The feared embodiment of destruction… clinging to him like a lost child.
Shizu chuckled behind him. "You've worked so hard, Chronoa. I'm glad you could finally meet him."
Atem placed a hand gently on Chronoa's back. He was aware battles raged in the physical world—but here, in this space, he remained composed. Grounded. Unshaken.
After a moment, he asked:
"Chronoa… tell me who you truly are."
She nodded.
"I am Chronoa… the embodiment of malice sealed within Chloe. I'm also her alternate self—an identity born from her suffering and power. If Hinata had never named me, I would never have awakened as my own consciousness."
Atem's expression sharpened. "Then your purpose—do you intend to destroy this world?"
"No," Chronoa whispered. "Not anymore. Because… Atem, you're alive. You survived."
Atem's brows narrowed. "I am always prepared to face danger."
Chronoa's eyes flashed with anger.
"No—you died for me. You sacrificed yourself to save me!"
Atem glanced at Shizu. He had sacrificed himself? In another timeline? In a future Chronoa remembered?
Solarys whispered within his mind:
«Her information holds weight. The probability that your future self risked everything for her is extremely high.»
Atem exhaled steadily.
"Then I promise you this," he said quietly, "I will not throw my life away carelessly."
"Pinky promise," Chronoa insisted.
Atem raised an eyebrow—but extended his little finger anyway. A king's vow was absolute. She relaxed.
Now Atem advanced to the next question—one heavy with urgency.
"Chronoa. Where is Chloe now?"
"In the Infinite Prison inside my heart. I was trapped there in the past… but when time fractured and two versions of me existed, Chloe took my place."
Atem's gaze sharpened like a blade.
"And Hinata?"
Chronoa hesitated.
"Hinata… Hinata is already dead."
Atem froze.
"That is impossible. Luminas said she traveled back in time with Chloe."
Chronoa shook her head.
"You misunderstand, Atem. Granbell's attack did not just kill her. It destroyed her soul. The only reason she could time-leap with Chloe was because Chloe absorbed what remained of Hinata's soul. But Hinata alone could never endure a Time Leap."
Atem's jaw tightened.
Shizu watched silently.
Chronoa continued:
"Hinata named me. But only her residual consciousness survived—stored within the remnants of her Unique Skill. I couldn't absorb her 'Mathematician,' or her consciousness would be lost forever."
Atem understood—and hated the answer.
But another conclusion formed.
"If her Skill still exists… then her consciousness endures. If I return it to her body—she may still live."
Chronoa's voice trembled.
"Chloe tried that. It didn't work. The Infinite Prison swallows everything. Hinata's soul is mixed into its chaos. Humans cannot survive in that kind of void."
Atem looked down for a moment.
Then—
"No," said Shizu softly. "Hinata is stronger than anyone gives her credit for. She has endured the impossible again and again. She won't fade so easily."
She smiled at Atem.
"So let's call for her—together."
Atem's eyes lit with renewed resolve, burning with a king's divine fire.
"Very well," he said. "Let's bring her back."
The heavy, unsettling pressure that had been weighing on my mind finally faded.
There was no point grieving until the truth was known.
"Very well," I said calmly. My voice carried strength without effort. "Chronoa, I intend to rescue Chloe and Hinata from the 'Infinite Prison.' Tell me—what must be done?"
Chronoa, now composed, placed a hand on her chest and closed her eyes. "Now that I've calmed down, I can sense the aura of the other me—Chloe. But deactivating 'Infinite Prison' won't be easy. Still…"
A grin tugged at her lips. "…with my power, nothing is impossible."
Of course it was difficult. She had sealed her own enormous energy inside the prison. Chloe's power—if unleashed carelessly—could rival the destructive force of a dragon
god. Her body wouldn't survive it. And Hinata's soul… we still didn't know whether it remained intact inside.
But Shizu's words were on my mind. I wanted to trust them.
If we needed to control the power sealed inside the 'Infinite Prison' to save them… then I had an answer.
"Solarys," I said to the sovereign intelligence within my soul. "Can you interfere with the structure of the 'Infinite Prison'? At least analyze its contents."
«Affirmative. With current access, interference with the smallest physical units—'information particles'—is possible.»
Solarys could unlock the prison, but it lacked the authority to manipulate the sealed information itself. That alone made this path incomplete.
Veldora only revived because he was a special case. A loophole. This prison had no loopholes.
As I considered the next move, Chronoa spoke suddenly, her voice bright and reckless:
"I'll transfer the authority to you! The other Chloe agreed too. Atem will do it his way!"
I raised a brow. "You're giving me full access?"
She nodded eagerly.
Information particles—smaller than spiritrons, nearly massless, embedded in all matter. Only the two spaces—my inner "Stomach" and her "Infinite Prison"—contained them. And Solarys could manipulate them to fuse or erase Skills.
With the authority that Chronoa granted, Solarys gained full access.
«Report. Access granted. Interference will begin.»
Solarys sounded… excited. Strangely so. Like a scholar finally allowed to dismantle a forbidden relic.
And then everything happened in an instant.
Before I could speak, Solarys took command.
«Complete. Unique Skills 'Infinite Prison,' 'Absolute Severance,' and 'Usurper' have been fused—with substantial energy expenditure—into an Ultimate Skill.»
No "YES or NO."
No pause.
It acted on its own because this was not my Skill. Permission was irrelevant.
Before I could question anything, Chloe—Chronoa—their combined existence surged and evolved. They gained the Ultimate Skill Spacetime King Yog-Sothoth. And the discarnate Chronoa, Chloe's alternate personality, transformed into a Manas—an entity made of information particles—now able to manage Skills and switch with Chloe at will.
"Bold," I muttered. "But acceptable."
Chronoa spun toward me, beaming.
"Atem, you always push forward like a king who fears nothing! I love that about you!"
She threw her arms around me and kissed my right cheek.
Before I could react—
"Hey! Chronoa, don't cut ahead of me!"
Another soft warmth pressed against my left cheek. Chloe, in her adult form, wrapped her arms around me. She and Chronoa looked identical—twin beauties with overwhelming presence.
Even a king can appreciate beauty.
I allowed the moment—just briefly—to play out. My mind wandered for a second, imagining a harem in Eterna—
But Shizu was watching me. And I was not alone.
A calm voice entered the scene.
"So," a familiar woman said. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, Atem."
Hinata stepped forward, arms crossed.
"You didn't even check whether I had revived."
She was right. I had let myself get distracted. Even kings misstep.
I straightened, clearing my throat once. My expression shifted from flustered to composed authority in an instant.
Her beauty had not changed.
"It is good to see you unharmed, Hinata," I said. "Truly."
She glanced away, the slightest red tint on her cheeks. "Thank you."
Her voice was quiet—but genuine.