Chapter 158: Why Hasn't That Child, Eren... Come Back Yet? (End of Arc)
Eren's Witch Labyrinth was complete.
Here, the elements symbolizing Paradis Island were magnified and reconstructed in madness. The colossal Walls towered high, constantly weeping crimson "drops." A forest of giant trees stretched out, their leaves a sickly green, swaying eerily in the windless air. The ocean, which should have reflected the sky, had become a viscous, bloody sea, churning with silent foam.
In the distance, faint campfires flickered—symbols of the brief warmth Eren had shared with his comrades in his memories. But the flames were a cold, pale white, illuminating the "Familiars" wandering around them. These Familiars took various forms: some wore Survey Corps uniforms, some Military Police cloaks, and others civilian clothes. They repeated certain actions—training, arguing, laughing, crying—as if clumsily enacting the figures deep in Eren's memory that he could not let go of.
Within the Labyrinth, the star system where Eren originally existed was also affected by the Witch's immense power, falling into a bizarre time loop. Nebulae gathered and spun at visible speeds, compressing into blazing stars. The light of the stars ignited suddenly, ejecting streams of matter that condensed into orbiting planets. Then, the stars would suddenly expand abnormally, swallowing the inner planets before rapidly dying.
After destruction, everything would start anew. Stardust gathered again, stars reignited, planets reformed… Birth, destruction, rebirth. This grand and absurd cosmic drama played out repeatedly and endlessly within the star sector shrouded by the Witch's Labyrinth.
A small, pure white figure observed all of this calmly and indifferently within the twisted Labyrinth.
Kyubey.
The mad cycle of the star system and the chaotic flow of time within the Labyrinth had no effect on it.
[Observation Log: Target Eren Jaeger has fully transformed into the "Witch of Eternal Recurrence" (provisional name). Labyrinth characteristics: Materialization of intense obsession, distortion of physical laws, creation of localized time loops. Energy level: Extremely High.]
[Experimental Verification: The Incubator civilization's latest technological barrier against 'High-Intensity Time/Causality Resistance Interference' has performed stably in this extreme environment. Individual terminal unaffected by internal time dilation and causality distortion. Data consistent with expectations. Verification successful.]
Kyubey faithfully recorded the data, fulfilling its duty. Eren's pain, the universe's absurd drama—to it, they were merely phenomena to be recorded and analyzed.
[Non-Human Chat Group]
The final image froze. In Kyubey's livestream window, one side showed the bizarre, sorrowful imagery inside the Witch's Labyrinth, while the other displayed the grand spectacle of the star system's endless cycle of birth and death.
The livestream, which had lasted for an unknown number of "loops," finally came to an end.
Monokuma: Upupupupu! What magnificent despair! Turning oneself into a cage, the universe into a stage, endlessly repeating the tragicomedy of birth and destruction! This is truly… top-tier entertainment! Upupupupu!
The others were still in SpongeBob's livestream.
[System Notice: Based on member "Kyubey's" performance in this livestream and outstanding contribution to the current world, the special title [Cosmic Affinity] is hereby granted!]
[Cosmic Affinity: Increases the individual's affinity with the fundamental rules of the current world, reducing the probability and intensity of world rejection reactions.]
[System Notice: Detected that member "Kyubey's" behavior aligns with the Identity Cards [Observer of Order] and [Creator of Chaos]. Triggering game reward mechanism—commencing lottery…]
[Congratulations to member "Kyubey" for obtaining the special item: [Stone Mask Sample and Development Technology]!]
[Item Description: Stone Mask (Idealistic Tech · Causality Item) — When equipped, the attention of entities other than the user will be guided away on a causal level, ultimately leading to the result of being unable to actively notice, remember, or pay attention to the user.]
[System Notice: The full livestream recording and the highlight reel have been automatically backed up. An offline copy has been sent to the livestream's originator, "Kyubey."]
[System Notice: Ingesting planar information record carrier: Attack on Titan! The data has been sent to member "Kyubey" via group file sharing.]
Kyubey calmly accepted the title and rewards.
[Contract System — Incubator Platform]
[Detected special data packet from auxiliary interface (Non-Human Chat Group): Title [Cosmic Affinity] information, Item [Stone Mask Sample] and development technology. Recording and uploading sample and related technical data.]
[Based on uploaded data characteristics (High-intensity time/causality interference phenomena, special Witchification sample), automatically increasing priority of associated research project [Timeline Stability and Intervention Technology Research Group]. Priority: High.]
[Research Objective: Focus on analyzing the "Witch of Recurrence" sample's energy signature, Labyrinth mechanism, and time loop principles. Evaluate potential applications in temporal weaponization and causality defense. Combine with [Stone Mask] sample to explore concealment and information shielding technology on a causal level. Research findings will be synchronized to all individuals.]
[Pre-development Project: Shielding Field — Utilizing causality technology to isolate the observation interaction process, eliminating third-party interference to achieve effective observation of target civilizations, while in principle not directly affecting the interaction between the observer and the observed.]
[Contract System - Interdimensional Voyage Log]
[Initiating next-phase interdimensional transport… Target world coordinates locked…]
[Naruto—]
[Transport preparation…]
[Transport beginning…]
Kyubey's figure vanished completely from the edge of Eren's Witch Labyrinth, heading to the next world requiring "observation" and "collection."
…
Paradis Island.
The golden light of dusk fell on the rooftops and streets. The day-long celebration was drawing to a close. The noisy crowds were dispersing, leaving behind litter and the lingering scent of food.
In the Jaeger family's wooden house, the lights were already on. Carla sat at the table, hands folded in her lap, her eyes drifting to the door every so often, her brow furrowed with unconcealable worry.
"That child, Eren… why hasn't he come back yet?"
"The festival is almost over, he should be back by now…"
Grisha stood by the window, his back to Carla, gazing out at the quiet twilight. "Let's wait a bit longer. Eren has been through so much along the way. Maybe he just wants to be alone for a while."
"Alone?" Carla stood up and walked over to Grisha. "Don't you think… Eren was acting a little strange today? What he said this morning…"
Grisha was silent for a moment, then gently patted his wife's shoulder. "Don't overthink it. Children grow up, they have things on their minds."
But they both knew that some worries could not be easily dispelled.
In the next room, Armin sat at his desk, unconsciously gnawing on his thumbnail. A strong sense of unease spread through his heart. From Eren's inexplicable words this morning that sounded like a farewell, to the complex look in his eyes when he left, to his abnormal absence now…
Armin's intuition told him that things were not simple. The sense of "temporal dislocation" around Eren surfaced in Armin's mind again. He had long guessed that Eren might be from the future, or could see the future.
The words he said before leaving: "And soon… I won't be tired anymore."
What did that mean? Did it mean a price? Did it mean his disappearance?
No, impossible! Armin shook his head violently, trying to banish the absurd and terrifying thought. I must be overthinking it. Eren will be back soon. He will definitely come back!
Armin stared at the door, praying over and over in his heart. He hoped that in the next second, he would see that familiar figure push the door open, shattering his baseless, worrisome thoughts.
Meanwhile, Mikasa sat quietly, her fingertips gently touching the red scarf around her neck. The twilight cast a soft shadow on her tranquil profile. Her thoughts drifted far away.
Eren hadn't come back yet.
Worry, longing, and an emotion called "love" quietly grew and intertwined in her heart. It wasn't just family. She had understood that long ago. Her feelings for Eren had long surpassed the bounds of family. She wanted to protect him, to stay by his side, to become the most special existence in his life.
When Eren comes back. Mikasa made up her mind. When he comes back, this time, I will gather my courage and tell him how I feel. tell him thank you for wrapping this scarf around me. Tell him that as long as he is here, I can do anything. Tell him… I love him.
The girl looked up, her clear eyes gazing at the distant horizon dyed gold and red by the setting sun. It was as if, by looking through the layers of clouds, she could see the direction from which the figure she dreamed of would return.
Her eyes were filled with a young girl's hopeful anticipation. And a… waiting, that she herself didn't realize.
But this was a return date that was destined never to come.
It was a love that had quietly ended in the river of time before it had even begun.