The atmosphere inside the palace living room remained unbearably heavy.
Not long ago, everyone had been laughing together as though they were simply a group of friends preparing for a tournament. Now, however, every smile had disappeared.
The revelation that Catherine's very existence rested upon the stability of the timeline had silenced even the most carefree among them.
No one knew what to say.
No one wanted to imagine a future where the cheerful girl sitting before them would simply... vanish.
Jikan quietly observed everyone's expressions before releasing a long sigh. As the Crowned Dragon of Time, he had witnessed countless timelines being born and erased, yet telling people the truth about the consequences never became any easier.
After allowing everyone a moment to collect themselves, he finally spoke.
"As much as I understand everyone's feelings..."
His calm voice immediately drew every pair of eyes toward him.
"I want all of you to avoid confronting the Corrupted Elementalist."
His words echoed through the room.
Instead of easing the tension, they only deepened it.
"Your priority must remain the Grand Shōtotsu."
Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Kasai was the first to react.
"...What?"
He frowned.
"What do you mean our priority should be the tournament?"
His fiery eyes narrowed.
"There's a dangerous Corrupted Elementalist wandering around the Kingdom."
"And you're telling us to ignore him?"
Jikan remained perfectly composed.
"Yes."
His answer came without hesitation.
"The Corrupted Elementalist is our responsibility."
He placed a hand over his chest before gesturing toward Ryūshi and Catherine.
"Ryūshi, Catherine, and I will handle him."
"You all..."
His gaze shifted toward Ryūsei, Kasai, Sora, Kayosha, Shadow, Shizen and Yuki.
"...must focus solely on the Grand Shōtotsu."
Ryūsei frowned.
"...Why?"
Jikan looked toward the young Dragon Sage with a serious expression.
"Because if you become directly involved..."
"...the possibility of drastically altering history increases."
"The Grand Shōtotsu is already part of history."
"Your participation belongs within the natural flow of this timeline."
"But fighting alongside us against someone who shouldn't even exist in this era..."
He slowly shook his head.
"...could create unpredictable consequences."
The room fell silent once more.
Kasai clenched both fists.
"So we're just supposed to stand back?"
His voice carried clear frustration.
"If that Corrupted Elementalist appears in front of me..."
He stood from the sofa.
"I'll send him straight to hell."
The flames surrounding his body immediately flickered into existence, dancing violently around his arms.
His emotions were beginning to affect his Elemental Art.
Before anyone else could respond, Yuki crossed her arms.
"And if you do that..."
She fixed Kasai with an unusually stern glare.
"...what happens if Catherine disappears because history changes?"
Kasai froze.
His flames wavered.
Yuki's voice remained calm, yet every word carried undeniable weight.
"Is that really a risk you're willing to take?"
Kasai looked toward Catherine.
The young girl simply lowered her head.
The fire surrounding him slowly faded.
"...No..."
He quietly sat back down.
"No, ma'am."
Yuki gave a small nod before her expression softened.
"Good."
Sora gently smiled beside him before placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"I'll make sure he behaves."
Kasai looked at her with a mischievous grin that somehow returned despite the serious atmosphere.
"I hope you do, Princess."
Sora's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"You really never know when to stop teasing..."
she muttered while trying—and failing—to hide her smile.
That tiny exchange drew a few chuckles from the group.
Little by little...
...the suffocating tension began to fade.
Even Catherine smiled faintly.
Seeing everyone still capable of laughing despite the difficult situation made her heart feel lighter.
She had expected fear.
Instead...
...she had found a family.
Ryūshi quietly observed the room.
Good.
The atmosphere was recovering.
That would be important.
Fear clouded judgment.
Hope strengthened resolve.
Kayosha leaned forward on the sofa, resting her elbows on her knees.
"Since we're waiting for sunrise anyway..."
She smiled warmly toward Catherine.
"...would you mind telling us a little more about the future?"
Yuki immediately glanced toward Jikan.
"Is that really alright?"
"The future is a dangerous topic."
Jikan nodded calmly.
"As long as she avoids revealing major historical events..."
"...small personal stories are acceptable."
"I can stabilize minor fluctuations in the timeline."
Catherine looked between everyone before giving a small nod.
"...Alright."
"If it's something harmless..."
"...I'll answer."
Kayosha's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"You mentioned earlier that your father is always busy."
She tilted her head.
"He must have an incredibly important position."
"What does he actually do?"
For a brief moment...
Pride replaced the sadness in Catherine's eyes.
A gentle smile spread across her face.
"My father..."
She spoke with obvious admiration.
"...is the Protector of the Elemental World."
Silence.
Everyone blinked.
Ryūsei scratched his cheek.
"...Protector?"
Shizen frowned thoughtfully.
"You mean..."
"...the Grand Elementalist?"
Catherine immediately shook her head.
"No."
"He isn't the Grand Elementalist."
"The Protector is a different position."
Everyone listened carefully.
"When the Grand Elementalist..."
"...or even the Twilight Faith..."
"...are unavailable to respond..."
"My father is the one who protects the entire Elemental World."
Her words left everyone speechless.
Kasai slowly lowered his chopsticks.
"...That sounds..."
"...ridiculously important."
"It is."
Catherine nodded.
"He carries countless responsibilities."
"He protects cities."
"He responds to catastrophes."
"He defeats powerful enemies."
"And..."
"...he saves people."
There wasn't even the slightest hesitation in her voice.
The admiration she held for her father was impossible to hide.
Yuki smiled.
"He sounds incredibly dependable."
Catherine giggled.
"He really is."
Ryūsei couldn't help smiling.
Even without knowing who this future man actually was...
...he already respected him.
Shizen folded his arms.
"If he's protecting the entire world..."
"...he must be unbelievably powerful."
Catherine nodded.
"There are stories..."
"...that his Elemental Art rivaled even the powers of the Crowned Dragons."
The room froze.
Even Ryūshi raised an eyebrow.
Jikan quietly smiled.
He already knew exactly who Catherine was talking about.
Kasai nearly fell backward.
"...WHAT?!"
"You mean..."
"...someone who's not a Crowned Dragon..."
"...could fight on their level?"
Catherine smiled proudly.
"That's what people say."
Ryūshi chuckled.
"...Interesting."
There weren't many Elementalists capable of earning such praise.
Whoever Catherine's father became...
...he must truly have been extraordinary.
Ryūsei leaned forward excitedly.
"So..."
"...did he teach you all those amazing spells?"
Catherine nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes."
"He taught me a spell based on yours."
Ryūsei blinked.
"...Mine?"
"You remember Meteor Dragon Impact?"
Ryūsei nodded.
"Of course."
"My father studied it..."
"...improved its principles..."
"...and helped me create my own version."
She smiled brightly.
"Eclipse Dragon Melodious Impact."
"It releases Eclipse Dragon energy..."
"...and continuously pursues its target until impact."
Kasai immediately groaned.
"...That's annoying."
Shadow nodded.
"I already hate fighting it..."
"...and I've never even seen it outside the spar."
Everyone laughed.
Ryūsei, however, looked incredibly proud.
"So my spell..."
"...continued into the future."
Catherine nodded.
"It became one of the foundations for mine."
Ryūsei rubbed the back of his head while smiling sheepishly.
"...That's honestly..."
"...pretty cool."
Yuki suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"...Wait."
Everyone looked toward her.
"Catherine."
The young girl tilted her head innocently.
"Yes?"
"You're a Dragon Sage."
"I am."
Yuki's smile slowly widened.
"And Dragon Sage Elemental Arts..."
"...are adaptations."
Catherine nodded again.
"Usually."
Yuki leaned closer.
"So..."
"...whose Elemental Art did you inherit?"
The room instantly became interested.
Even Kasai leaned over the table.
Catherine hesitated.
"My Elemental Art..."
"...is adapted..."
"...from both my father's..."
"...and my mother's."
Silence.
Everyone processed that answer.
Then—
Yuki's eyes suddenly sparkled.
"...I knew it."
Ryūsei looked nervous.
"You knew... what?"
Yuki crossed her arms confidently.
"I was trying to figure out..."
"...who my future sister-in-law might be."
Ryūsei's face instantly turned bright red.
"Y-Yuki!"
"What?!"
She laughed.
"I'm curious!"
"If Catherine inherited two Dragon Sage Elemental Arts..."
"...then your future wife must have an incredible Elemental Art too."
Kayosha burst into laughter.
"So that's what you were planning."
Yuki grinned proudly.
"Exactly."
Ryūsei covered his face with both hands.
"I swear..."
"...you'll embarrass me until the day I die."
Catherine couldn't hold back anymore.
She laughed.
A genuine...
carefree...
heartfelt laugh.
For a brief moment...
The worries of disappearing...
The burden of changing history...
The danger waiting beyond the Grand Shōtotsu...
All of it disappeared beneath the warmth of the family gathered around her.
And although no one realized it...
That single moment of laughter...
...became one of the memories Catherine would treasure most throughout her entire life.
The warm laughter that had filled the palace living room gradually settled into a peaceful silence.
The heavy discussion about the future had finally come to an end, replaced by casual conversation among friends and family. The anxiety lingering inside everyone's hearts had not completely disappeared, but the atmosphere had become far lighter than before.
Even Catherine, whose future existence depended upon the stability of the timeline, now wore a gentle smile instead of the sorrowful expression she had carried only moments ago.
Shizen leaned comfortably against the armrest of the large sofa and folded his arms across his chest before letting out a satisfied nod.
"Well," he said with a grin, "as long as Ryūsei takes good care of her, then everything should be fine."
His casual remark immediately earned several chuckles throughout the room.
Ryūsei rubbed the back of his head awkwardly while Catherine lowered hers in embarrassment.
"I-I'll certainly do my best..." Ryūsei replied with an uneasy smile.
Catherine giggled quietly.
"I already know you would, Grandpa."
The room once again filled with gentle laughter.
After the cheerful moment settled, Sora suddenly raised her hand ever so slightly.
"There was actually something I've been wondering about."
Everyone turned toward her.
She looked directly at Catherine with genuine curiosity shining in her emerald eyes.
"I've been meaning to ask..."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Can you use that teleportation spell Ryūsei used during your spar?"
Catherine blinked.
"You mean..." she asked thoughtfully.
"...Meteor Dragon Photon Switch?"
Sora nodded.
"Yes."
"The spell where he suddenly switched places with his sword."
"It happened so quickly I could barely follow it."
"It looked almost like instant teleportation."
Catherine smiled apologetically before slowly shaking her head.
"Unfortunately..."
"...I can't."
That answer surprised everyone.
"Really?" Yuki asked.
"I thought your father would have taught you every spell Ryusei knows."
Catherine let out a small sigh before laughing sheepishly.
"My father actually refuses to teach me that spell."
"...He refuses?" Kasai repeated in disbelief.
"Seriously?"
"Why?"
Ryūsei himself looked equally surprised.
"My future son refuses to teach his own daughter one of my spells?"
"I wasn't expecting that."
Catherine nodded.
"He says I'm not responsible enough."
The room fell silent.
Then...
"What?"
Kasai burst into laughter.
"You?"
"You seem like the responsible one!"
Even Shadow couldn't hide his grin.
"I honestly expected the opposite."
Catherine scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
"It's because of what the spell can actually do."
Everyone immediately became interested.
Ryūsei leaned forward.
"Go on."
Catherine nodded.
"Meteor Dragon Photon Switch is a spell Grandpa developed during his teenage years."
Her eyes shifted toward Ryūsei.
"It allows Grandpa to place special Photon Marks onto objects or people."
She raised one finger.
"Once something is marked..."
"He can instantly switch the positions of any two marked targets."
She raised another finger.
"He can also switch his own position with any marked target."
"And finally..."
She smiled.
"...he can instantly teleport directly to a marked location."
The room immediately became quiet.
Everyone slowly turned toward Ryūsei.
Kasai pointed at him.
"...That's completely broken."
Shadow nodded in agreement.
"I've heard of powerful support spells..."
"...but that one is absurd."
Shizen laughed.
"So all those flashy movements during your spar weren't simply because you were fast."
Ryūsei shrugged modestly.
"There are limitations."
"The target has to be marked first."
"I can't simply teleport anywhere I want."
"But even with that restriction..."
Kasai interrupted.
"...it's still ridiculously overpowered."
Ryūsei could only laugh awkwardly.
"I suppose..."
"Maybe."
Kasai suddenly looked back toward Catherine.
"But why won't your father teach you?"
"I mean..."
"You'd become even stronger."
Catherine smiled nervously.
"...That's exactly what he's worried about."
Everyone stared.
"My father thinks..."
She looked away while scratching her cheek.
"...I'd use the spell irresponsibly."
Ryūsei blinked.
"Irresponsibly?"
Catherine nodded.
"He says that if I learned Photon Switch..."
"I'd probably use it to sneak outside whenever I wanted."
Silence.
Then...
Yuki nodded seriously.
"That's actually a perfectly reasonable concern."
Shadow laughed.
"I can already picture it."
Kasai burst into laughter.
"So your dad knows you that well?"
Catherine covered her face with both hands.
"...Unfortunately."
Everyone laughed together.
Ryūsei couldn't help smiling.
"So that's what kind of father he becomes..."
Despite never having met the future version of his son, he could already imagine the exhausted expression that man probably wore whenever Catherine caused trouble.
The image somehow felt strangely familiar.
Kasai suddenly turned toward Ryūsei again.
"So."
"Exactly how many ridiculous spells are you hiding?"
Ryūsei immediately pointed accusingly at him.
"Hey!"
"Stop trying to inspect my arsenal!"
"I worked hard developing those!"
Kasai laughed loudly.
"Which means there are even more!"
"There are not!"
"There definitely are."
"There aren't!"
The friendly argument quickly filled the room once again, drawing laughter from everyone present.
Even Ryūshi quietly chuckled.
"They really are just children."
Jikan smiled faintly beside him.
"They're exactly what this world needs."
Time quietly flowed onward.
The conversations gradually shifted from spellcraft to tournament strategies, favorite foods, and old stories from Ryūsei's academy days.
Eventually—
Jikan glanced toward the large antique clock mounted upon the palace wall.
Its elegant pendulum continued its steady rhythm.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
His blue eyes narrowed slightly.
"We've been talking longer than I realized."
Everyone looked toward him.
Jikan smiled.
"The Grand Shōtotsu begins in approximately one hour."
Instantly...
The atmosphere changed.
The warmth remained.
But excitement slowly replaced relaxation.
The long-awaited tournament had finally arrived.
Yuki stood first.
"Then I'd better start getting ready."
She stretched before smiling confidently.
"I refuse to lose before the finals."
Kayosha stood beside her.
"Same here."
"I should change into something more comfortable."
Shadow folded his arms before grinning mischievously.
"Try not to lose too early."
He looked directly at Yuki.
"I'm the one who's going to eliminate you."
Before Yuki could answer, Shizen casually grabbed Shadow by the collar.
"You mean we."
He sighed.
"We're teammates, remember?"
Shadow scratched the back of his head.
"Oh."
"Right."
Yuki laughed confidently.
"Dream on."
She pointed proudly toward both of them.
"We're the ones knocking both of you out."
Kayosha looked toward her.
"...We?"
Yuki froze.
"..."
She coughed awkwardly.
"I-I mean..."
"...yes."
"We."
She glanced toward Kayosha with an embarrassed smile.
Kayosha burst into laughter.
"There we go."
"That's better."
The two girls walked toward the hallway together, still chatting excitedly about possible opponents they might encounter during the tournament.
Meanwhile—
Kasai stood before Sora with an exaggerated smile.
"Good luck, Princess."
Sora smiled gently.
"Thank you."
"I just hope we don't get eliminated immediately."
Kasai confidently folded his arms.
"Not happening."
"We're making it far."
His confidence made Sora smile even brighter.
"I'll believe in us then."
The two quietly left together, their footsteps gradually disappearing down the corridor.
Before long...
Shizen and Shadow had already disappeared.
Yuki and Kayosha were preparing upstairs.
Kasai and Sora headed toward their rooms.
One after another...
Everyone left the living room.
Soon only Ryūshi, Jikan, Catherine, and Ryūsei remained.
Sunlight slowly began filtering through the palace windows.
Beyond the glass...
The Kingdom of Ryūgū had already begun to awaken.
The streets outside were becoming crowded.
Flags fluttered proudly in the morning breeze.
Merchants opened their stalls.
Citizens laughed excitedly as they made their way toward the enormous arena.
Everyone knew what day it was.
Today...
The Grand Shōtotsu would finally begin.
And hidden somewhere among the countless spectators...
A Corrupted Elementalist from the future waited silently for the perfect opportunity to alter history.