"You're amazing too, you know."
Hinata gave a gentle smile as she finally withdrew her fair, slender finger from Lint's mouth.
Today had been an extraordinary day for her.
Even though she had reincarnated, Hinata had always believed that without any cheats, the best she could do was max out her potential and barely reach the level of an elite like Hyūga Tennin.
—But to reach the Six Paths tier? Impossible.
Then Lint appeared. A truly special existence—a different version of herself, a humanoid cheat. Just by staying near him, her power grew rapidly.
It was simply too incredible.
That was why she had proposed living with Lint—being together for life.
If only that old fossil hadn't gotten in the way.
What a shame!
Hinata was feeling a little regretful when suddenly, Lint spoke beside her.
"Hinata, do you feel like… there's something in our heads?"
"…Something?"
"Yeah. Like a mysterious hall wrapped in chaotic fog."
Hinata tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
She closed her eyes and focused her senses—and sure enough, deep within her spiritual consciousness, she detected a dark, hazy temple. Just as Lint had described.
???
Why is there a mysterious temple in my mind?
Wait… Could this be our cheat ability, only activated through our contact?
The moment that thought crossed her mind, Hinata felt her consciousness being pulled—sucked into the mysterious hall.
When her awareness returned, she found herself inside a vast, foggy temple. In the center stood a giant round table surrounded by ninety-nine empty seats. Dim candlelight flickered, warding off the surrounding darkness and casting an air of eerie grandeur.
What… is this place?
Hinata stared at her surreal surroundings, an unease creeping up inside her.
Then she felt someone grasp her hand. Turning, she saw Lint standing beside her. He flashed a carefree smile.
"Knew it—you got pulled in too."
His presence calmed her. The unease vanished.
Hinata whispered, "Do you have any idea what this place is?"
Lint gently shook his head. "Not really. But I'm guessing it's some kind of cheat ability. If it meant us harm, it would've acted already."
Hinata considered it—true enough.
Lint continued, "Let's head over and sit down. Maybe we'll figure out what this whole place is about."
"Mm."
They held hands and approached the table. The moment they sat down, a flood of unfamiliar information surged into their minds:
This was the Hall of Chaos, resting above the Black Fog.
The table before them was none other than the Round Table of Destiny.
The purpose of this hall and table was to welcome the scattered soul fragments of Lint.
And with time, more and more of those fragments—reincarnated across myriad worlds after the accident with the Dayun Truck—would begin arriving.
Every seven days, the Hall would open once again...
When the flow of information ended, Lint and Hinata exchanged a glance.
"So, we were right. This hall is linked to me—to us. It's our cheat, no doubt," Lint said. "It must've existed since we reincarnated… just dormant until now."
"Only when the two of us reunited did this Hall of Chaos begin to take shape above the black fog," Hinata added softly. "We might be the first reincarnated Lint fragments to awaken."
"Either way, this is a good thing." Hinata smiled. "Soon, more Lint fragments will probably arrive. I just wonder… what forms they've taken in their reincarnations?"
Lint nodded slightly, then glanced around at the many empty chairs.
"This place is meant to gather all the reincarnated fragments of the original me—the one who got smashed by the Dayun truck. And judging by the number of seats… looks like there were ninety-nine of them."
"Ninety-nine," Hinata murmured. "So that truck didn't just kill you—it shattered your soul into 99 parts?"
"Seriously terrifying."
Just then, a sound echoed through the fog—footsteps.
!?
Lint and Hinata turned toward the black mist.
A shadowy figure emerged, gradually becoming clearer.
It was a girl with exquisitely delicate features and silver-blue short hair. On her head sat a lavish, noble-style hat, and her clothing was equally ornate—like she had stepped out of a royal court.
The moment Lint and Hinata saw her, fragments of their pre-reincarnation memories surfaced.
They recognized her instantly:
The Queen of All Water, People, and Laws.
Furina, Hydro Archon of Fontaine.
If she had arrived here… that meant she too was a reincarnated fragment of Lint's shattered soul.
Lint was shocked. He'd already thought it a miracle that one fragment became Hinata. But another fragment… had reincarnated as an actual deity?
The Hydro Archon of Fontaine!
…
Unlike Lint and Hinata, who were simply stunned, Furina herself was downright terrified.
She may have been the Hydro Archon in name, but she was not the divine body, not Focalors herself. She was merely the split-off human persona, Furina. She possessed no Vision, no godly power.
One moment she had been sleeping peacefully in the Mermelade Palace. The next, she was dragged into this mysterious black fog.
Naturally, she was terrified.
Where… am I?
Furina crept forward, her heart pounding, until she stepped out of the darkness into the temple. She saw the massive round table—and the two people seated at it, hands folded beneath their chins.
Hinata Hyūga?
A young Hinata, not even fully grown?!
And the other person—that was… me? From my past life?!
What is going on?
Are they illusions?
Or… are they real?
Furina's mind was plunged into chaos.