She had to be blushing.
Could that be a… "tsundere moment"?
«Negative. It is not.»
…I figured. Hinata didn't strike me as the type.
She ignored me entirely after that, turning instead toward Shizu. The relief in her eyes broke through her usual iron composure. Hinata stepped forward—and before I knew it, tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry, sensei… I never meant to bring you trouble."
Shizu smiled and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I understand, Hinata. I should have realized sooner. I'm the one who should apologize. And thank you… You were the Hero who saved me from Leon, weren't you?"
"—Yes, sensei."
Watching Hinata, for once vulnerable, cling to Shizu… something in my chest tightened. It was a sight that could make even a king tear up.
"Hinata," Shizu whispered, "you're strong. Your 'Mathematician,' born from your willpower, is the reason you're still standing now."
She was right. Hinata was unchanged—steady, stubborn, reliable.
"But my other power… disappeared."
"Hehe, that means you don't need it anymore. You'll grow into your true self, without relying on anything else."
Hinata's voice trembled. "Can I… can I actually be revived?"
"Of course. And you believed that too, didn't you?"
"Um… maybe…"
Then both Shizu and Hinata turned toward me.
"How long do you two plan to cling to Atem?"
Hinata's sharp tone cut through the moment.
Only then did I realize—Chloe and Chronoa were still wrapped around me like vines.
"But I want to hug Atem a little longer!"
"That's right. It has been two thousand years. Let me have this."
I stood still, doing nothing, simply allowing the two identical beauties to cling to me as if I were their long-lost treasure.
Shizu sighed warmly and stepped in. "All right, all right. You two can argue about hugging later. For now… it's time for me to go."
"Where are you going?" I asked.
She looked at me with soft eyes. "You already know, Atem. I'm just an illusion your mind created."
Right. This was all inside the mental world.
"All dreams must end someday," she continued. "I'm glad I could see all of you again. The children are doing well too. And thank you, Atem… for striking Leon. I've forgiven him. It was all a misunderstanding. Knowing that makes it easier to rest."
Chloe and Hinata tried to stop her—but one look at Shizu's peaceful smile silenced them.
Shizu turned back to me. "Atem, I leave Hinata in your care."
"King Atem will definitely accomplish it!" Chloe declared.
Hinata added, "…I'm looking forward to your performance."
Even for someone like me, that was quite a bit of pressure.
Hinata was anxious. But I would not fail her.
"Trust me, Hinata," I said, voice steady and absolute. "I will bring you back."
Words carried weight—especially when spoken by a king. With that promise, I exited the mindscape.
Back in the real world, I was still in my human form, standing exactly as before. My body hadn't moved an inch.
I exhaled once, collecting myself. The last thing I saw in that mental realm was Shizu's fading smile. I wouldn't let it be in vain.
"Oh, Atem! You seem fine!"
"What happened? Chronoa just collapsed—"
"I'll explain later," I said, raising a hand. "Do not interfere."
Leon nodded. "Very well. I leave it to you."
I approached Hinata's body. Luminas's magic had healed it—soft, unchanged, peaceful. She lay beside the unconscious
Chronoa. A hole had been torn in her clothes, so I placed my spare coat over her. A small act—but one that felt right.
Resurrection magic wasn't an issue for me.
Not with Osirion: Absolute Sovereign of Eternity.
But her consciousness, restored through 'Mathematician,' still resided within Chloe's 'Spacetime King Yog-Sothoth.' Saving her required splitting their souls apart, replacing the energy binding them, and reviving Hinata at the same time.
Complex. Dangerous.
But not impossible—not for me.
"Gu… gwah… good…win, Luminas…sama…"
Granbell collapsed, blood trailing from his lips.
Struck by Luminas's full power, his life was fading fast. Yet the old Hero's eyes… were peaceful.
"You fool…" Luminas whispered, but her voice trembled. She understood. She finally understood.
Granbell had gambled everything on one belief:
If humanity couldn't overcome this crisis—
then let it fall to the Hero chosen to protect it.
He wanted Chronoa to awaken cleanly. To become hope, not destruction.
Only now, a thousand years too late, Luminas realized the weight of his burden… and the loneliness he carried.
"—My… pathetic wish… was nothing… against her power over time… But if you… Demon Lord Atem… and she… joined forces…"
In this cruel world, what was justice without power?
Even a man like Granbell could only regret what he lacked.
Luminas suddenly heard my voice echoing across the space:
"I will revive Hinata."
In other words, the awakening had succeeded. Chloe and Chronoa were whole.
Luminas's eyes softened.
He's reliable… annoyingly so.
She didn't say it aloud—but she meant it.
"You've done enough," she whispered to Granbell. "Rest now."
Her strike had been lethal, yet unnecessary—Granbell's life force was already spent. He was dying whether she wanted it or not. She could turn him into a monster to save him…
But she knew he would never accept that.
"B… before I go… Luminas-sama… one last request…"
"What is it?" she asked.
"…Hope… Please… give my hope… to that girl…"
She froze. It could be a trick. A trap.
But Granbell's eyes were clear. Human. Honest.
Luminas sighed softly. Her heart, despite everything, was not cold.
"…Fine."
"Th… thank you…"
He grasped her hand weakly. Gratitude filled his fading gaze as his body broke apart into gentle light.
"Pass on peacefully," Luminas said. "Your long fight is over."
The former Hero, burdened for centuries, was finally freed—
guided by the voice of the woman he had once sworn to serve.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
I didn't need to turn to know who it was. That proud, icy voice belonged to Luminas. Despite the brutal fight she'd just finished, her clothes were immaculate, every step radiating elegance and confidence.
"What is it? Do you have a problem with me?" she challenged.
I met her eyes calmly. "If I had a problem with you, Luminas… you wouldn't be standing here."
She froze for a second—my tone left no room for argument. But this wasn't the time to exchange verbal blows.
We had to bring Hinata back.
"I'm going to interfere with Chloe's 'Infinite Prison' and extract Hinata's soul," I declared, stepping forward.
I raised my hand over Chronoa's still form. My Pharaoh Authority surged out like a golden tide, scanning the tangled knot of souls. Within me, Solarys, Sovereign of Wisdom, moved in perfect sync. His voice echoed sharply:
«Interference initialized. Locating target soul. Proceed, Atem.»
Unlike magic, Skills—especially divine ones—cut through any barrier.
"—Revive!"
Hinata's fragmented soul clung desperately to Chloe's. Solarys and I tore the pieces apart, isolating and gathering every last fragment with absolute precision. In exchange, I poured a massive amount of energy into the gap—more than triple what I extracted. A dangerous amount, but necessary.
Then I placed my hand over Hinata's silent body.
Her soul slipped back into its rightful vessel.
Her hair regained color.
Her skin regained warmth.
Her heart… beat again.
Hinata gasped and opened her eyes.
Revived—cleanly, perfectly.
Chronoa reacted at the same time, freed from the distorted presence inside her. Without Hinata's soul lodged inside, Chloe's true essence emerged—no longer shadowed, but shining with a divine radiance that felt ancient, holy, and overwhelming.
Her eyes opened.
Would she be Chloe… or Chronoa?
"Atem!"
It was Chloe's voice. She rushed at me and wrapped her arms around me. I caught her gently—she felt lighter than before.
Much lighter.
Looking closer, she'd shifted back into a child's body, her black Holy Spirit Armor covering her like a second skin. At least she was fully dressed.
Still, a part of me wondered why she shrank again.
And then I felt it—
Every pair of eyes watching us.
Hinata's glare could cut steel.
Leon looked—annoyed? Furious? Both.
"What the hell is this, Atem?" Leon snapped.
"You better have an explanation," Hinata added.
I raised a brow. "Calm yourselves. If I intended something improper, none of you could stop me anyway."
A silence fell—because they knew it was true.
The crisis was over. Hinata revived. Chronoa calmed. The battlefield still hummed with fading magic, but peace had returned.
"Everyone," I commanded, "this is not the place to talk. We will reconvene later."
No one argued. The vote was unanimous.
As the tension eased, I noticed something strange.
"Chloe's power… it's stronger than before," I said aloud.
"You're imagining things," Hinata muttered.
"No," Leon insisted, "Atem is right. Her strength exceeds even her Chronoa state."
Leon's admiration for her was becoming embarrassing. He stared at Chloe as if she were the most precious existence in the world.
"Leon-oniichan, you're doing it again!" Chloe scolded, cheeks puffed. "Stop clinging to me! You'll never get a girlfriend like this!"
Leon froze. Poor man. Born to be Chloe's servant, it seemed.
Then Chloe looked at us with a more mature expression—far more mature than her childlike body suggested.
"Actually," she began, "this is a good time to say it. I finally awakened as a real Hero. Hinata's Egg and my Egg merged inside me. But shh, it's a secret."
I froze.
"Chloe… something that important—"
"It's fine!" She smiled. "No one is watching us."
She looked far older than her small form—wise, powerful, unshakable. A true Hero reborn through endless struggle.
In that moment, I understood.
This wasn't luck.
This wasn't chance.
This was Chloe's unstoppable will.
The will that shattered fate itself.
"You worked hard," I told her, voice steady and honest. "I swear I will never give up on anything. Not after seeing your resolve."
"Mmhm!"
Chloe glowed with happiness.
But that realization also sharpened something in my chest.
There are forces moving in the shadows—forces trying to erase me, erase Eterna, erase everything.
If I fall, the world falls with me.
«Correct.» Solarys echoed. «A full strategic response is required.»
I smiled at Chloe… but inside, my resolve hardened like obsidian.
No mercy for my enemies.
No hesitation.
I am Atem, King of Games, Pharaoh of Eternity.
And I will crush anyone who tries to take what is mine.