Chapter 428

April 14 – May 18.

Another full cycle passed.

When Kanzaki Rei opened his eyes again, he was already back inside his room in Atlant City.

March 31.

Tomorrow would be the Month of Chaos.

At this moment, Ansu was no longer within his sea of consciousness.

April 1.

Kanzaki Rei once again replayed the same course of events as before—but this time, he conserved his uses of "Future Simulation."

Minor deviations in detail didn’t seem to affect his eventual return to the Secret Sea.

Within the simulated future—

he witnessed entirely new outcomes.

Ending One:

If he made no intervention whatsoever, then at a predetermined moment, the Lord of the Ocean would awaken.

Summoned by that call, Kumironi would become Sophia’s perfect vessel.

The Primordial Sea would become a part of Sophia.

At the same time, the entire Secret Sea would transform into a vast emerald ocean—

becoming a Sea of Life.

Ending Two:

If he reached the abyss ahead of time, causing the summoning ritual of the Lord of the Ocean to begin early—and prevented Kumironi from seeking out Sophia—

then although the Lord of the Ocean would still be summoned, it would awaken as an empty shell.

Afterward, it would be devoured by the Primordial Sea.

Then—

the Primordial Sea would begin to glow.

One by one, angels would be born from its surface... descending into the world.

Ending Three:

If he followed the same path as his first return to the Secret Sea—going back to Earth, returning to his hometown—but ultimately did not summon Shiro when the Primordial Sea descended—

then the Secret Sea would not be destroyed by the Primordial Sea.

Instead, the crimson legion would arrive.

They would suppress the all-consuming Primordial Sea.

A great war would erupt.

And in the end—

darkness would pour out from the nests.

The Secret Sea would still be transformed into a black ocean—

a breeding ground for swarming insects.

...

No matter the path—

the destruction of the Secret Sea was inevitable.

April 14.

Kanzaki Rei arrived at the Ancient Library once again.

He greeted Beatrice with practiced familiarity...

And as expected—

The Solitary Curse of Time had changed again.

It now recorded the events of yet another life.

As for the book he himself had left behind in the previous cycle—

it was nowhere to be found in the room.

"No response."

"Did they not find it? Or was my assumption wrong?"

"...I should leave more records."

Casually, Kanzaki Rei wrote down portions of his experiences, compiling them into books.

Then he scattered those books throughout Atlant City.

To ordinary people—

they would seem like nothing more than novels. Fiction. Stories.

It would be nearly impossible to believe that such events had truly happened.

Time passed once more.

And once again—

it reset.

March 30.March 27.March 25.March 24.

Time continued to reverse, day by day—

until it gradually returned to the day before his arrival at the Moon Sea.

Through these cycles—

his perception of time grew ever deeper.

"Time continues to change... yet I remain the same."

"Everything... began from that door."

"Why does time reset—yet I do not change?"

He had already witnessed dozens of possible endings for the Secret Sea.

Every single one—

was a dead end.

The destruction of the Secret Sea was an unalterable fate.

Chronoa.

At this point in time, Loren Continent had not yet undergone its transfer.

Iz and the others had not yet begun their assault on Ainz.

Kanzaki Rei glanced toward Ainz’s distant residence.

Finally...

he had returned to this day.

He sat up from his bed and looked around the familiar room.

His palace in Chronoa—

just as it had always been.

—Shh!

With a single thought—

Kanzaki Rei vanished from where he stood.

When he reappeared—

he was already inside a far more grand and imposing palace.

Iz Palt’s palace.

At that moment, Iz stood facing the royal court.

Between his hands floated a complete model of the Loren Continent—its terrain and geography meticulously constructed through magic.

At the same time, an intricate array formation had already been deployed across the entire continent.

"Iz."

Kanzaki Rei spoke.

It really had been a long time.

Though in truth—even after reaching the Moon Sea, traces of Iz seemed to be everywhere.

"Kanzaki Rei?"

"...Hmm. That should be you, right?"

Iz didn’t turn around, but there was a trace of uncertainty in his voice.

"Yeah. It’s me."

Iz Palt replied, "Did something happen?"

"You’re far stronger than when we last met."

As expected—

his perception was sharp.

"Iz, let me show you a spell."

Iz turned his head, his expression tinged with curiosity.

—Crack—

A ripple spread outward like a wave.

The instant Iz looked toward Kanzaki Rei—

a time prison formed, centered on Kanzaki Rei, encompassing a radius of one hundred thousand kilometers.

"The Second Forbidden Magic—Time."

Kanzaki Rei spoke calmly.

Within this frozen domain—

Iz Palt’s movements were slowed by a factor of ten thousand.

—Buzz—

In the next instant, time resumed its normal flow for both of them.

This was under Kanzaki Rei’s control.

As Iz regained full awareness—

his pupils contracted sharply.

"The Primordial Forbidden Magic..."

"Where did you obtain it?"

"Time..."

"And not just any time magic—this is that level."

Kanzaki Rei gave a faint, helpless smile.

"This magic... comes from the future."

"Iz—I’ve been cursed."

"A curse of time."

"Two months from now, I encounter a ruin connected to time..."

He recounted everything—his entire experience—to Iz Palt.

Iz’s comprehension far surpassed that of ordinary people.

He understood Kanzaki Rei’s situation almost instantly.

"So... this Primordial Forbidden Magic..."

"was given to you by me—from the future."

Kanzaki Rei nodded. "Yeah."

"I was thinking... maybe you already anticipated this. Maybe you’d have a way to solve it."

Iz stroked his chin, deep in thought.

After a short pause, he spoke:

"The method to free you from the reset... might lie within this time magic itself."

"But the cost of activating it is enormous."

"I can’t use it freely."

"How did you avoid the activation cost?"

Kanzaki Rei blinked. "Iz... you already learned it?"

Iz Palt nodded.

"It’s actually quite difficult—but still within a manageable range."

"I should have mastered it."

"However, I can’t casually test it."

The cost of "Initiation—Time Prison" was steep:

Activating it for even one second consumed an entire year of lifespan.

And it required a minimum duration of one second.

Kanzaki Rei looked toward Iz Palt’s body.

Through the perspective of "Lighthouse of All Laws," he could see it—

a cluster of light within Iz, representing the Second Forbidden Magic—Time.

He had comprehended it.

Just by watching it once—

he had already learned it.

Iz... your affinity for magic is absurdly monstrous.

But...

that was exactly what he needed.

"The method I use to avoid the cost comes from my own talent," Kanzaki Rei said.

"I can’t help you with that, Iz."

Iz fell into thought.

"...Then we’ll need another approach. I’ll have to study this magic carefully—maybe that’s the only way to find a solution for you."

Kanzaki Rei nodded, then added:

"Oh, right, Iz."

"I think with my current strength... I should be able to help you now."

"There’s no need to send me away anymore."

"I’ll join you in killing Ainz."

"After we deal with him, I’ll go with you to the Boundless Mountain."

Iz looked at Kanzaki Rei.

The person before him—

felt different from before.

Unfamiliar, even.

"...Alright."

"If you’re confident—then come with us."