Chapter 58: The Convergence of Fates

The hum of the aircraft engines echoed through the cabin as Future Kanata and the blue-haired elf, Elyana, prepared for their jump. The red light above the bay door blinked steadily, painting their faces in a rhythmic pulse of warning.

Elyana adjusted her harness, her golden eyes glancing at Kanata.
“Are you sure this plan of yours will work?”

Kanata tightened the strap of his armor, his expression unreadable beneath the flickering cabin light.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “Let’s just hope we came at the right time. I’m not planning to see him again.”

Elyana frowned. “You mean Caine?”

Kanata’s jaw clenched as his cybernetic fingers gripped the hilt of his sword.
“Obviously. If I ever face him again… this blade will meet his neck before he utters another word.”

His tone was cold—burning with restrained fury. The metallic edge of vengeance filled the air.

Moments earlier, he had already struck down Igor, the self-proclaimed prophet of war. His decapitated body had been left as a warning to the rest of the so-called “elders.”

Then—
“AAARGH!”

Elyana suddenly cried out, clutching her head in pain.

Kanata grabbed her shoulders immediately. “Elyana! What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

She gasped, her breath trembling. “I don’t know… but something big is coming. Something massive!”

Kanata’s eyes narrowed. “Damn it. Did we alter the timeline?”

“No—worse!” Elyana struggled to speak through the pain.
“I can feel… others. They’re not from this world—not from this time. Someone else from another timeline has crossed over… and it’s not just us!”

Kanata froze. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
“You’re saying… multiple timelines are colliding?”

Elyana nodded weakly. “And each of them carries a different purpose—some to stop Caine, others… to stop you.”

Kanata’s eyes widened.
“So I’ve unintentionally dragged other versions of them here too…”

Meanwhile, the Academy cruise ship finally arrived at the misty island.
From the deck, the students stared in awe—and a hint of fear—as the dense fog parted, revealing an ancient coastline.

Nagisa, Aine, and Itsuha gathered the groups for their mission assignments.

“Alright, everyone! We’ll divide the teams as planned,” Nagisa announced.
“Team Rose will take the upper ridge, Team Hunter near the caves, Team Eagle will cover the beach, and Team Black Dragon—” she looked directly at Celestine, “—will camp near the ruins.”

A male student, Akechi, raised his trembling hand.
“Uh, excuse me! Are you sure it’s safe near those ruins? I heard people go missing there!”

A girl beside him smirked. “What’s wrong, Akechi? Scared already?”

“W-who said I was scared?!”
His voice cracked, sending his friends into laughter.

Celestine clapped her hands to calm them. “Alright, alright, enough teasing! Let’s move out before sunset!”

The teams dispersed, laughter echoing briefly before fading into the thick mist.

Deep within the heart of the island, Kanata stepped through the entrance of a forgotten dungeon.
The stone corridors breathed ancient air, and his boots echoed softly against the floor.

A voice came from behind.
“Going alone again? You’re hopeless.”

Kanata turned instantly. “Asuna?! What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with the others!”

She shrugged, her silver hair swaying as she walked up beside him.
“Please. Spending time with humans is boring. They scare too easily, they complain too much… it’s exhausting.”

Kanata sighed, defeated. “You’re impossible.”

As they walked deeper, Asuna began explaining in her usual calm tone.
“You know, for centuries, humans have been coming to this island seeking the Fountain of Eternity. Most of them never return.”

“Because they weren’t worthy, right?”

Asuna nodded. “The Fountain only reveals itself to those with Purity of Heart. The rest vanish into the holy fog—consumed by their own greed.”

Kanata raised an eyebrow. “So… are you the one who made them disappear?”

Asuna scoffed. “Of course not. The island itself chooses who stays and who fades. Think of it as divine self-defense.”

Kanata muttered, “Comforting…”
Then he froze, raising his hand. His eyes sharpened.
“Wait. We’re being followed.”

They exchanged a glance, and in a blink, Asuna vanished—reappearing behind the shadow trailing them.

Her blade was already at the stalker’s throat. “Who are you?”

The figure hesitated, then slowly lifted the hood.
Kanata’s heart skipped.

“C–Celestine…?”

Asuna’s eyes narrowed. “No. That’s not our Celestine.”

Indeed—it wasn’t.
Standing before them was Celestine from another timeline, her expression weary and her armor scarred from countless battles.

Kanata’s breath trembled. “Impossible… Why are you here?”

Future Celestine smiled sadly. “In my world, you died, Kanata. You sacrificed yourself to destroy this island… and fought Caine alone.”

Kanata took a step back, disbelief twisting his face. “I… died?”

“Yes. Everyone did.” Her voice cracked. “Aine, Nagisa, Itsuha… all gone. I came here to stop that fate—and destroy the Fountain before it happens again.”

Asuna’s usual smirk faded into a rare silence.
“So even in another timeline… it all ends the same way.”

Kanata clenched his fists. “You came here alone?”

“Yes.” Celestine’s eyes dimmed. “Because there’s no one left to follow me.”

For a moment, none of them spoke. The sound of dripping water filled the ancient hall.

Finally, Celestine continued.
“And it’s not just me. Others have come too—from alternate worlds. Different versions of Nagisa, Aine, Itsuha… and even Caine himself.”

Kanata’s face hardened. “Then the war for the Fountain isn’t just between nations anymore…”

“Right.” Celestine nodded grimly.
“It’s between timelines. And every version of us has their own reason to fight.”

Kanata exhaled heavily, the weight of countless realities pressing on his shoulders.
Then he gave a dry chuckle. “Great. Just what I needed—more versions of my friends trying to kill me.”

Asuna smirked faintly. “Look on the bright side. At least you’re still popular, even across timelines.”

Kanata sighed. “Yeah. Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel better.”

Their laughter echoed briefly through the dark corridors before fading into the distance—
as the air around them began to shift, thick with the scent of time itself.

Something ancient had awoken beneath the island.
And every version of fate was now on a collision course.