Haruto Kurogane smiled.
The patriarch rested his hand on the table, his expression carrying the quiet confidence of a man who had spent decades standing at the summit of the world. Beneath the heavens, there were few things he could not investigate, and even fewer mysteries he was willing to leave unresolved.
Yet the strange phenomenon that had put the entire world to sleep for seven days remained beyond his understanding.
He tapped his index finger against the tabletop.
Tap.
Reality broke.
The walls of the main hall fractured into countless transparent fragments, but none of them fell. The floor beneath their feet dissolved into a boundless expanse, and the furniture surrounding the table remained suspended in the transition as the entire gathering was transported beyond the ordinary boundaries of space and time.
In the next instant, they were no longer inside the Kurogane Estate.
They stood within the Timeless Void.
There was no sky, no earth, and no discernible direction. Countless streams of light stretched across the endless darkness, each one representing a timeline. Some were bright and clear, allowing the events within them to be observed with extraordinary precision. Others flickered in the distance, their contents obscured by the sheer complexity of the possibilities they contained.
Every decision, every encounter, every event that had shaped the world could leave an impression here.
Past and present existed side by side, while countless possible futures extended into the distance.
Even for the strongest figures on Kael'Ar, the sight was extraordinary.
Shizuo Kurogane stared at the surrounding timelines, his initial irritation temporarily forgotten. His mastery over his Circuit had brought him to the ninth stage, but the phenomenon before him operated on a scale that made ordinary spatial techniques seem insignificant.
Reina, too, examined the countless streams of light, though her attention soon settled on one particular timeline.
It showed Arata.
Not the Arata standing beside them in the Timeless Void, but a younger-looking version of him living an entirely different life.
He was inside a restaurant in Arkion, surrounded by four children.
Rei, Asar, Mitsuki, and Nax moved through the establishment, attending to their responsibilities while Arata remained at the center of their little world. The scene was peaceful and ordinary. There were no displays of overwhelming power, no grand battles, and no indication that the young man in the timeline possessed the strength to threaten the foundations of existence.
He simply appeared to be living a quiet life.
Reina stared at the scene before slowly turning toward her youngest brother.
"Are those your kids, youngest brother?"
"No."
Arata's answer was flat and immediate.
Reina looked back at the timeline.
The children continued moving around the restaurant, their familiarity with Arata apparent even through the distant image. He had clearly spent a considerable amount of time with them, and the ease with which they occupied the same space suggested a relationship that went beyond that of a passing acquaintance.
Arata, however, offered no further explanation.
He had no intention of explaining his personal life to someone who had spent the better part of their reunion insulting him.
Besides, the restaurant was his business.
What happened there was none of Reina's concern.
The timeline continued to move forward, displaying fragments of Arata's life in Arkion. His days at the restaurant, his interactions with the children, and the quiet routine he had established appeared one after another.
Haruto observed everything without interrupting.
The patriarch had brought his family into the Timeless Void to investigate the mysterious period of universal unconsciousness. He had not expected to discover so many unfamiliar details about his youngest son in the process.
Nevertheless, he did not allow curiosity to distract him from his objective.
He shifted his attention toward another timeline.
This one was far older.
The light within it was different, carrying the unmistakable impression of an era long removed from the present. Haruto watched as several figures arrived on Kael'Ar, their appearances marking the beginning of events that would eventually reshape the world.
The First Circuit Beings.
Even without knowing every detail of their origins, their presence was enough to distinguish them from ordinary Circuit users.
They belonged to an age whose secrets had been preserved through fragments of history, scattered records, and incomplete legends. Their arrival on Kael'Ar represented a turning point in the planet's history, one whose full significance remained poorly understood.
Zakariah's expression changed as he watched the events unfold.
"We were asleep at this time."
He had spent years commanding the Bloodhound Squad, and his twelfth stage of Circuit mastery had earned him a position among the clan's most promising successors. He understood the importance of gathering information, especially when dealing with forces whose capabilities exceeded conventional understanding.
Yet the timeline offered him something no historical record could provide.
He was watching the past itself.
Eliza remained silent.
Her crimson eyes followed the figures moving through the ancient timeline. Unlike Zakariah, she made no attempt to comment on what they were seeing. She simply observed, allowing each detail to settle into her mind.
Haruto continued searching.
The timelines flowed around him, responding to his attention as he examined the events surrounding the mysterious sleep. He witnessed battles, movements of power, and encounters involving individuals whose names had become known throughout Kael'Ar.
Then he saw several recognizable faces.
The rising heroes of Kael'Ar appeared within one timeline, their paths intersecting with events that had occurred during the recent conflict. Other figures followed, each revealing another fragment of the immense sequence of events that had unfolded while the world remained unconscious.
Haruto's gaze settled on two particular individuals.
John Merciless. Tessandra Liones.
Their appearances were brief, but their significance was unmistakable. Haruto had heard enough about the forces moving behind the scenes to understand that these two were not ordinary participants in the world's affairs.
He studied their timeline carefully, searching for the point at which their actions might connect to the mysterious phenomenon.
But before he could pursue that possibility, another timeline caught his attention.
Three figures stood within it. Their presence was clear. Their actions could be perceived. Yet their appearances could not be seen.
The timeline itself concealed their identities, obscuring their features whenever Haruto attempted to examine them. It was not an ordinary distortion caused by distance or insufficient mastery. The obstruction existed within the timeline itself, as though reality had deliberately decided that certain details were not meant to be observed.
Haruto narrowed his eyes. He attempted to follow the sequence of events surrounding the three figures, but the timeline refused to reveal anything more about their identities. No matter how he adjusted his focus, the result remained the same.
The information was inaccessible. Haruto said nothing. Beside him, Eliza finally noticed the strange phenomenon. She studied the obscured figures for several seconds before a smile gradually appeared on her face.
"For the timeline to even censor a person…" Her crimson eyes gleamed with interest. "Something fun took place without everyone else knowing."
The possibility clearly amused her.
A mystery that could resist the observation of the Timeless Void was not something one encountered every day. Whatever had happened, it had left an impression profound enough to interfere with the very process through which the past could be examined.
For someone like Eliza, who had spent much of her life pursuing strength and challenging difficult opponents, the existence of such a mystery was more intriguing than frustrating.
Haruto, however, was less entertained.
He had searched through countless timelines, examining the past from different angles. He had witnessed the arrival of the First Circuit Beings, the movements of the rising heroes, and the appearances of individuals who had operated beyond the public eye.
But the cause of humanity's seven-day sleep remained elusive.
The patriarch slowly exhaled.
"So, will this be an unsolvable mystery?"
He snapped his fingers.
The Timeless Void disappeared.
The countless timelines vanished into the darkness, and the familiar walls of the Kurogane main hall reassembled around them. The table and chairs returned to their original positions, leaving the family standing in the same chamber they had occupied moments earlier.
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
Haruto rose from his seat and turned toward the exit.
His expression remained composed, but the slight tension in his movements suggested that the investigation had not produced the answer he wanted.
Arata watched him prepare to leave.
So even the man holding the title of the strongest under the heavens finds this frustrating.
He sighed quietly. For someone who preferred a peaceful life, returning to his family had already become more complicated than anticipated.
Shizuo glanced at him, his irritation returning now that the extraordinary display was over.
"You brought bad luck with you."
Arata barely reacted to the remark.
Instead, he turned his attention toward his father.
"Father, if I showed you what happened, what will you do?"
Haruto stopped.
The patriarch did not immediately turn around, but the change in his posture was enough to draw everyone's attention.
Zakariah opened his eyes fully, his interest sharpening.
Eliza glanced toward Arata, while Reina and Shizuo regarded their youngest brother with renewed irritation.
Arata remained seated, one hand resting casually beside his teacup. "How will you react if someone you deemed useless could make something possible while you couldn't?"
He had no desire to humiliate his father. Haruto was still the head of the Kurogane clan, and Arata had not returned to challenge his authority but the opportunity was too convenient to ignore.
Haruto had searched through the Timeless Void and reached the limits of what his abilities could reveal.
Arata, meanwhile, knew exactly what had happened.
And unlike his father, he could show it to him. Reina apparently interpreted his question as another provocation.
She rose from her seat and walked toward him, the atmosphere around her changing as her Circuit activated. Flames erupted around her right fist, illuminating the space between them with a fierce orange glow.
Her eighth stage of mastery gave her more than enough confidence to confront her younger brother.
In her eyes, Arata had always been the disappointing member of the family. His casual manner, apparent lack of ambition, and refusal to establish himself had only reinforced that judgment.
His return had already tested her patience.
Now he was questioning their father as though he possessed knowledge the rest of them lacked.
Reina disappeared from her original position. In the next instant, she appeared directly in front of Arata, her flaming fist driving toward him but the attack never landed.
Arata's left eye glowed crimson. Koketsu activated. The world around Reina seemed to stop.
Her body froze in the middle of the attack, the flames covering her right fist flickering before vanishing completely. Her muscles refused to respond, and the power she had gathered could no longer be directed.
Arata had not moved from his chair.
He simply looked at her.
A faint crimson light lingered in his left eye, revealing the source of the invisible force holding her in place.
Then he gave her a slight tap.
Reina remained suspended in the same position, unable to move.
Shizuo's expression changed instantly.
He rose so abruptly that his chair scraped against the floor, staring at Arata as though he were looking at a completely different person.
"Impossible… how can this be? I didn't sense any Circuit energy from you!"
"I didn't allow you to see it."
Arata's response was calm.
There was no need to explain further.
He had concealed his power throughout the entire visit. The guards in the courtyard had failed to recognize anything unusual, his siblings had mistaken his relaxed demeanor for weakness, and even their father had been unable to identify the full extent of his abilities.
Koketsu was only one part of what Arata possessed but it was sufficient to demonstrate the difference between their assumptions and reality.
Haruto suddenly laughed. The sound echoed through the main hall, drawing the attention of everyone present. It was not the restrained chuckle of a patriarch amused by his youngest son's behavior. It was a genuine, booming laugh from a man who had just realized how thoroughly his own judgment had failed him.
"It seems I was blind."
Haruto raised one hand.
The invisible restraint surrounding Reina disappeared immediately.
She stumbled forward before regaining her balance, her crimson eyes widening as she looked between her father and Arata. The flames around her fist were gone, and she made no immediate attempt to attack again.
Haruto returned to his seat at the head of the table.
His expression had changed. The irritation that had accompanied his failed investigation was gone, replaced by an unmistakable interest in his youngest son.
"Since you have the Koketsu, I guess it's possible for you. If you are able to show me, I'll take you to the battles of the upper realm."
Arata smiled.
That was precisely the response he had expected.
He snapped his fingers. The world disappeared. This time, however, they did not enter the Timeless Void. They were transported into the past itself. The difference was immediate.
Instead of watching distant events through streams of light, Haruto and his children found themselves within the battlefield where the conflict against the First Circuit Beings had taken place.
The sky stretched above them, filled with the traces of overwhelming power. The surrounding space carried the scars of a war whose scale had surpassed anything the inhabitants of Kael'Ar could ordinarily imagine.
They could see everything.
The movements of the combatants were no longer distant images confined to a timeline. Every shift in position, every technique, and every release of energy unfolded directly before their eyes.
Even more astonishingly, they could feel the impact of the battle.
The ground trembled beneath their feet as immense forces collided. Waves of energy swept across the battlefield, and the pressure produced by the combatants reached them with such clarity that the experience seemed almost indistinguishable from standing in the original event.
Yet none of the attacks harmed them.
They were witnesses to the past, granted a perspective that ordinary observation could never provide.
Haruto stared across the battlefield.
For the first time since entering the Timeless Void, he appeared genuinely speechless.
Arata had not merely located a timeline.
He had brought them to witness the event itself.
Zakariah was the first to recognize one of the combatants.
His attention fixed on a figure whose presence dominated an entire section of the battlefield.
John Merciless.
The masked man moved through the conflict with an unsettling calm, his movements precise and economical. There was no wasted effort in his attacks, no unnecessary flourish, and no indication that the surrounding destruction had any bearing on his concentration.
His opponent was Sinai.
The battle between them unfolded at a pace that made ordinary combat appear painfully slow. The forces they wielded were beyond the ninth or twelfth stages of Circuit mastery that the Kurogane siblings had worked so hard to achieve.
Zakariah followed every movement, attempting to understand the underlying principles of their techniques.
Then John swung his weapon.
It looked almost casual.
There was no elaborate preparation, no dramatic accumulation of energy, and no obvious indication that the attack was intended to accomplish anything extraordinary.
A moment later, the planet split in half.
A black line extended through the world, cutting across its surface and continuing through the planetary structure with terrifying precision. The division spread through the crust and the deeper layers, separating the planet into two enormous sections.
The impact was so overwhelming that Zakariah momentarily forgot to breathe.
He had seen powerful Circuit users destroy mountains, devastate cities, and alter the terrain through the force of their techniques.
This was different. John had divided an entire planet with a single swing and from the manner in which he had executed the attack, it was difficult to believe that he had needed to exert himself fully.
Zakariah's expression tightened as he continued watching.
The timeline showed what happened afterward as well. The planet was eventually repaired, its divided structure restored. But the act of reconstruction did little to diminish the significance of what they had witnessed.
The battle had already demonstrated that the beings involved were operating on a scale far removed from the ordinary understanding of power.
Haruto watched in silence.
He had spent years believing that the title of the strongest under the heavens reflected the limits of what could be achieved on Kael'Ar.
The battlefield before him suggested otherwise.
And then they saw something even more unexpected.
A second battle unfolded in another part of the conflict.
Arata Kurogane was fighting Kitakim, the leader of the First Circuit Beings.
For several seconds, nobody in the Kurogane family spoke.
The youngest son they had regarded as unremarkable stood before an opponent whose power threatened the very structure of the world.
Arata's expression was calm, but the force behind his actions was unmistakable. His movements carried a precision that surpassed ordinary combat, while the power he wielded seemed to operate according to principles that the other combatants could scarcely comprehend.
Kitakim responded with overwhelming force.
The confrontation intensified, each exchange revealing another layer of the gap between the battle they had witnessed against John and the one taking place before them.
John Merciless was terrifying but the Arata fighting Kitakim was something else entirely.
Haruto's attention sharpened as he watched his youngest son confront the leader of the First Circuit Beings.
Then he felt it.
A sensation that struck him with such absolute certainty that the surrounding battlefield seemed to disappear for a moment.
Death.
Not the ordinary awareness that a powerful opponent could kill him, nor the instinctive fear that accompanied an overwhelming attack.
It was the certainty of an ending.
For an instant, Haruto remembered the period during which he and the rest of humanity had fallen into a deep sleep. He remembered the strange emptiness, the absence of awareness, and the sensation that something beyond his understanding had passed over the world.
Now, standing within the past, he finally understood the source of that feeling.
It had occurred when Arata's intent to destroy Kitakim emerged.
The battlefield seemed to bend beneath that intention. The possibility of total destruction had spread through the surrounding existence, reaching far beyond the immediate conflict.
Even the Kurogane patriarch, a man who had spent his life confronting powerful opponents, could understand what that moment meant.
His youngest son had briefly considered an outcome so absolute that its consequences threatened everything.
And then Arata had rejected it.
The intention disappeared.
The possibility of destruction was abandoned, and the battle continued without the final outcome that had nearly become reality.
Haruto remained motionless.
He had felt the phenomenon while asleep, but he had never understood why it had happened. He had searched through the Timeless Void hoping to discover the source, only to find himself blocked by the very limits of his own abilities.
Now the answer stood before him.
His youngest son had been involved in the battle.
More than that, Arata had been the one whose decision had prevented the worst possible outcome.
The timeline suddenly shattered.
The battlefield fragmented into countless pieces of light, and the overwhelming pressure vanished. In the next instant, the family returned to the Kurogane main hall.
The table stood before them, the chairs remained in their original positions, and the tea in their cups had barely moved.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Haruto slowly turned toward Arata.
"So that was you…"
"Yes."
Arata smiled.
There was no attempt to deny it, nor did he offer an elaborate explanation. He had shown his father the truth, and that was enough.
Haruto studied him for several seconds.
The youngest son he had watched leave the estate two and a half years earlier had returned with a level of power that challenged everything Haruto thought he understood about the world.
Yet Arata had not come back to claim the patriarch's seat, demand recognition, or establish himself above his siblings.
He had simply returned for a visit.
Somehow, that made the revelation even more difficult to process.
Haruto eventually smiled.
"Very well, then. I will take you to the upper realm."
Zakariah's earlier astonishment gradually gave way to a genuine smile.
"Congratulations, youngest."
The words carried none of the condescension that had accompanied some of the family's earlier remarks. Zakariah had witnessed the battle firsthand, and he understood that whatever assumptions he had held about Arata were no longer worth defending.
Eliza laughed.
"I knew it. Even when you concealed your energy, I could see a bit of it."
Arata glanced toward his eldest sister.
He had noticed that she was more observant than Reina and Shizuo. While the others had judged him almost entirely through his apparent lack of accomplishments, Eliza had at least recognized that something about him did not fit the image they had constructed.
She had not understood the truth but she had noticed enough to remain curious.
Arata leaned back slightly. "I'm bringing someone else along, too." He raised one hand and grasped the space beside him.
Then he pulled. Space tore open. A narrow fracture appeared in the air, revealing another location beyond the boundaries of the room. Through the opening came a glimpse of a figure with long white hair.
Sirius Augustus Vos stepped through the breach.
Her golden eyes moved across the gathering before settling on Arata.
"I didn't want to intrude."
"She's coming along, too."
Arata spoke as though the matter had already been settled.
Sirius looked at him for a moment, then glanced toward the Kurogane family. Her expression remained composed, though the faint curiosity in her eyes suggested that she was interested in seeing how the situation would develop.
Haruto studied the newcomer.
His gaze moved from her long white hair to her golden eyes, then returned to Arata.
The patriarch had only just discovered that his youngest son possessed power far beyond the limits he had imagined. Now Arata had casually opened a passage through space and brought an unfamiliar woman into the main hall as though this were an ordinary occurrence.
Haruto's expression gradually shifted into one of amusement.
"What's this… is she your wife?" Reina immediately looked toward Sirius, then turned her gaze back to Arata. "I knew it. Those kids at the restaurant are definitely yours."
Arata's expression soured.
He had spent the past several minutes demonstrating powers that could have fundamentally changed his family's understanding of him, yet somehow the conversation had returned to the children at his restaurant.
He looked directly at Reina. "Mute." Her mouth closed.
Reina's eyes widened as she attempted to speak, only to discover that no sound could escape her lips. She immediately glared at Arata, her expression promising that she would remember this humiliation.
Arata ignored her. "She's not my wife." Sirius turned toward him, visibly taken aback. "Hey, don't say it like that?"
Arata looked at her.
He had already spent enough time dealing with the assumptions of his siblings. He had no intention of allowing the conversation to spiral into an argument over a relationship that had never been properly defined.
"All right, all right. She's my fiancée."
Sirius froze.
Her golden eyes widened, and she turned toward him so quickly that her long white hair shifted over her shoulders. "W-who's your fiancée?" Arata said nothing further.
He had decided that the simplest way to end the conversation was to give everyone an answer that would prevent them from asking additional questions.
Whether that plan would work remained to be seen.
Haruto, meanwhile, watched the two of them with a growing smile.
For a brief moment, the sight reminded him of someone he had not seen in far too long: his wife, Rebecca Celestial, Arata's mother.
The memory softened his expression.
His youngest son had returned after two and a half years, carrying secrets that could overturn the family's understanding of the world. He had brought an unfamiliar woman with him, announced that she would accompany them to the upper realm, and casually called her his fiancée.
For all the extraordinary things Haruto had witnessed that day, this was perhaps the most unexpected development of all. The patriarch settled back into his seat, still smiling. "We will leave in two days."