The pale silver light spilling from the cracked monument slowly spread across the ancient sanctuary. Dust drifted through the motionless air while the chains wrapped around the colossal stone monuments trembled louder with every heartbeat echoing beneath Stonefang Highlands.
Raizen stood silently at the entrance, his grin fading into something more serious. Beside him, Hiroshi folded his arms, while Yurota watched the chamber with unreadable eyes. Haruto remained a few steps behind, quietly observing the ancient ruins surrounding them.
For the first time in centuries...
The sanctuary felt alive.
Thump.
Another heartbeat echoed.
The first monument shattered.
Ancient chains exploded into thousands of glowing fragments, scattering across the chamber before fading into dust. A powerful pressure flooded the sanctuary as a tall man stepped forward from the silver light. His long black hair rested over his shoulders, and his dark cloak swayed gently despite the complete absence of wind. His crimson eyes slowly opened.
"...How many years?"
His voice was calm.
Almost emotionless.
Raizen laughed.
"Thousands."
The man closed his eyes for a brief moment before exhaling.
"...So the world survived."
"Unfortunately."
A faint smile crossed the man's face.
Raizen stepped forward.
"Welcome back... Kronos."
Kronos glanced around the chamber before his gaze settled on the cracked monuments beside him.
"They're waking too."
"They've been waiting for you."
Without another word, Kronos calmly walked to one side of the sanctuary and rested against a pillar, patiently waiting.
Another monument shook violently.
Cracks raced across its surface before the entire stone shell collapsed outward.
From within the dust emerged a woman dressed in elegant black robes embroidered with silver patterns resembling shattered mirrors. Her long silver hair reached her waist, and despite having just awakened after thousands of years, her expression remained gentle.
She looked around quietly.
"...This place hasn't changed."
Raizen smiled.
"It has now."
She looked at him.
"...Still loud, I see."
Hiroshi chuckled.
"She's exactly how I remember."
The woman smiled faintly.
"My name isn't something you've forgotten, is it?"
Raizen crossed his arms.
"Impossible."
"...Welcome back, Ayame."
Ayame simply nodded before brushing the dust from her sleeve as though waking from an ordinary nap.
The sanctuary shook once more.
The final sealed monument cracked from top to bottom.
Unlike the others...
Dark blue light poured through every fracture.
The pressure that followed became so overwhelming that even Haruto instinctively stepped back.
The chains burst apart.
A young man slowly walked forward, stretching his arms as though he had only slept for a single night.
"...Finally."
He smiled lazily.
"I was getting tired of sleeping."
Raizen laughed loudly.
"You're still the same."
The young man smirked.
"And you're still ugly."
Hiroshi covered his face with one hand.
"...You two started already."
Raizen pointed at him.
"You've got a lot of confidence after sleeping for thousands of years."
"I've always had confidence."
He looked around the sanctuary.
"...Where's my chair?"
"There isn't one."
"...Disappointing."
Raizen shook his head while laughing.
"Welcome back... Kaizen."
The ancient sanctuary finally became quiet once more.
Seven figures now stood beneath the endless ceiling of carved stone.
Raizen.
Hiroshi.
Yurota.
Haruto.
Kronos.
Ayame.
Kaizen.
The Seven Dimensional Clan.
Complete.
Silence lingered for several moments until Raizen slowly stepped into the center of the chamber.
"Our clan has slept for thousands of years."
He looked at each of them.
"The world above has changed."
"Civilizations rose."
"Civilizations disappeared."
"Heroes were born."
"And now..."
His grin slowly returned.
"...it's our turn."
Kronos remained expressionless.
"I sensed something while awakening."
Everyone looked toward him.
"There are powerful warriors."
Raizen laughed.
"Of course there are."
Kronos slowly turned toward the distant west, his crimson eyes narrowing.
"...One academy."
"Many promising souls."
Yurota quietly smiled.
"Reikosha."
Kronos nodded once.
"I'll see it."
Raizen raised an eyebrow.
"You're leaving already?"
"I won't fight."
"I'll only observe."
Before anyone could answer...
The space around Kronos suddenly became unnaturally still.
The drifting dust froze.
The falling fragments of stone stopped in midair.
Even the flickering light remained motionless.
Only Kronos continued walking.
Ayame smiled softly.
"...Chrono Dominion."
Everything returned to normal as Kronos vanished without leaving a single trace.
Haruto watched the empty space.
"...His control became even greater."
Yurota folded his arms.
"He was always terrifying."
Raizen simply laughed.
"Let him go."
"He'll come back."
Far away...
Beyond forests and mountains...
A lone figure appeared atop a cliff overlooking Reikosha Academy.
Kronos stood silently with his hands behind his back.
Below him, students continued training, laughing, and talking, completely unaware that one of the oldest beings in existence was watching them.
His eyes slowly moved across the academy.
Past Griffin.
Past Judas.
Past Lady Chõko...
His gaze paused for the briefest moment.
Lady Chõko quietly continued eating another bowl of ramen.
She never looked up.
She never stopped smiling.
Yet...
She spoke softly enough that no one around her could hear.
"...So."
"...One of you came personally."
On the distant cliff...
Kronos' eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"...She noticed."
For several seconds...
Neither moved.
Neither revealed themselves.
Then Kronos turned away.
"...Interesting."
With a single step...
He disappeared into empty space.
Lady Chõko calmly swallowed another bite before reaching for another plate.
"Hehe..."
"...The food's getting cold."
No one in the cafeteria understood why she suddenly giggled to herself.
No one realized...
That two ancient monsters had just acknowledged each other's existence...
Without exchanging a single blow.