Cycles of Eternity

The group silently observed the portal that had appeared in the middle of the hall. The rabbit's disappearance had left them with more questions than answers. The creature had spoken of truths that would change the world, but its message was as enigmatic as the place itself. 

When the portal began to glow with a faint yet mesmerizing light, a sense of caution washed over them. 

"Do we go in?" Eriri asked, her voice reflecting both distrust and exhaustion. Her clothes, torn and stained with dried blood, bore the marks of their struggle. 

Shirogami, his expression blank yet resolute, took the first step. Though his attire was just as battered, with cuts and scorch marks, his steps were steady. 

"If this is our way out, we have no choice," he replied in his monotone yet confident voice. 

Kaori looked at the portal apprehensively, her hair now streaked with a white strand that stood out from the rest. Meanwhile, Raku, leaning on Shizuku for support, remained silent, his eyes filled with both hope and pain. 

With a slight nod from Shirogami, they all stepped through the portal, feeling their vision distort as the walls and ceiling of the dungeon dissolved into a whirlwind of light. 

When their feet finally touched solid ground, the fresh air of the forest near the hotel enveloped them. Their eyes took a few moments to adjust, but what they saw filled them with relief: their parents were there, their faces reflecting a mix of anxiety and hope. 

"Eriri! Shirogami!" Sayuri cried out at the sight of her children. 

Without hesitation, she ran toward them, tears streaming down her face as she hugged them tightly. Adam was quick to join, wrapping his arms around them as he murmured in a trembling voice: 

"You're safe... thank heaven." 

Eriri couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She had tried to stay strong, but the warmth of her parents completely disarmed her. 

Though it didn't show on his face, a faint smile appeared on Shirogami's lips. In his heart, a warm sensation began to break through his usual coldness. 

Off to the side, Tomoichi rushed toward Kaori, his eyes scanning the white streak in her hair with a mix of concern and guilt. 

"Kaori... are you okay?" he asked, placing both hands on her shoulders as he looked her over. 

"I'm fine, Dad..." Kaori replied, forcing a smile as exhaustion overwhelmed her attempt to appear strong. 

Issei embraced Raku, inspecting the improvised bandages covering his stump. 

"Son... I'm so sorry," he muttered in a deep voice, the weight of guilt evident in his tone. 

"I'm alive, Dad. That's what matters now," Raku replied, trying to lighten the mood. 

Koichi, meanwhile, held Shizuku firmly. Though not usually an emotional man, he let his feelings show in that moment. 

"Thank you for coming back alive," he said quietly, stroking her hair as she nodded, burying her face in his chest. 

The emotional reunion was interrupted by a deep voice that resonated behind them. 

"Sorry to interrupt this heartfelt moment, but this is serious." 

Gojo Satoru, now without his signature blindfold, was gazing at the portal they had emerged from. His face, usually carefree, was marked by an uncommon intensity. His uncovered eyes gleamed as if they could see beyond reality itself.

In front of everyone, the portal had begun to transform. The faint glow they had seen before had become a vortex of white energy, an imposing force that seemed to expand with each passing second.

"This isn't an ordinary portal," said Gojo, stepping toward the vortex as the others instinctively backed away.

His eyes could discern what no one else could. Every beam of light emerging from the vortex carried extremely complex magical matrices, inscribed with runes and symbols that defied comprehension.

"I need you to tell me exactly what happened inside that dungeon," he said, his voice filled with unmistakable seriousness.

The group, still recovering from the shock of being back in the open air, quickly recounted their experience: the rabbit, its cryptic message, and the transformations they had witnessed within the dungeon.

Gojo listened silently, processing every word. When they finished, he let out a sigh and said:

"Well... if what that rabbit said is true, it explains a lot about what's happening in this world."

Before anyone could ask what he meant, the vortex erupted in a torrent of energy. A dazzling beam of light shot skyward so fast they barely had time to react.

From space, the phenomenon was both terrifying and breathtaking. In Japan, a massive pillar of light rose from the location where the portal had been, piercing through the atmosphere and extending beyond the planet. Its intensity illuminated the night like daylight.

But it wasn't the only one.

Thousands of kilometers away, in Korea, a similar event was unfolding.

Inside a dungeon, a boy with messy black hair and a worn hoodie surveyed his surroundings. Around him, the corpses of dark knights were piled like mountains, each defeated with lethal precision.

Before him, a floating screen appeared, displaying words that would change his fate forever:

"Due to your extended survival until the final stage and defeating all enemies, the Necromancer class has been upgraded to Shadow Monarch."

The boy looked at his hands, feeling power coursing through him like never before.

In another dungeon, a dark and oppressive place, a massive statue sat upon a throne. Its sadistic smile was enough to freeze the blood of anyone who dared to look. Its red eyes glowed intensely, and its black sclera gave it a demonic appearance.

The statue watched a vortex of energy forming within its dungeon. Its smile widened as it spoke chilling words:

"The time has come."

At that moment, the vortex transformed into a pillar that tore through space-time, stretching into the outer reaches of the universe.

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On the terrace of a café, a handsome teenager with white hair and gray eyes was enjoying a piece of cake and coffee while reading a book about heroes, adventurers, and "gods." Though the book's content could inspire or excite anyone, his expression remained apathetic. In his mind, there was only profound boredom.

"How can anyone live with so many limitations?" he thought. To him, those heroic ideals were absurd. "Such thoughts will only lead them to death."

He shifted his gaze from the book to an imposing tower that stretched beyond the clouds, dominating the urban skyline with its sheer magnitude. As he stared at it, a thought crossed his mind:

"No matter how strong they become, they'll always be bound to the one who granted them their power."

Lost in his musings, a sudden earthquake shook the city. Cups and plates on nearby tables clinked together, and some people screamed in alarm. In that instant, a massive pillar of light emerged from the tower's peak, piercing the sky and tearing through the clouds with blinding intensity.

The sound of chains clashing echoed in his mind, a reverberation seemingly coming from the depths of his being.

Back on Earth

The pillars of light erupting from different parts of the planet converged in space, drawn together as if by magnetic force. They merged in an explosive burst of energy. Then, a third pillar of light appeared from nowhere, joining the others. In an instant, an immense light engulfed the universe, momentarily blinding even those on Earth who gazed upon the phenomenon.

When the light faded, the world was no longer the same.

Planet Earth had changed drastically. It was now much larger. Where familiar continents, islands, and seas had once existed, there was now a massive new continent accompanied by unfamiliar islands and terrains.

However, the change wasn't merely physical. In the minds of every person on Earth echoed a peculiar sound: the clattering of breaking chains. It was a sound none would forget, laden with a significance that few could understand.

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A strange, deep voice resonated, as though speaking from everywhere and nowhere at once:

"The time has come. The pieces have been placed. The board has been leveled. The limits are beginning to crumble. The countdown has begun. A new era is dawning... and with it, the end."

End of Arc One.