In the mirror, Lin Luo saw a tall young man with short white hair, blood-red eyes, a tattered scarlet cloak draped over his back, and a greatsword slung over his shoulder nearly as tall as he was. **His exposed arms were wrapped tightly in bandages, stained deeply with blood…

Through the True Sight, Lin Luo could perceive the immense and terrifying aura of death emanating from this man—at least ten times stronger than the Dead Apostle he had encountered before. He wouldn't believe this fellow wasn't a Progenitor.

Furthermore, Lin Luo recognized some faces among the Twenty-Seven Progenitors. This figure, bearing a resemblance to Dante, was one of them. He was... the Vengeance Knight—Anhas, ranked eighteenth among the Twenty-Seven Progenitors.

Similar to Arima Mayuri, the moment he was turned into a Dead Apostle by a former Progenitor, he resurrected on the very first day. His resulting powers were capable of matching that of the original Progenitor who made him. In the entire history of the Dead Apostles, only four individuals possessed such aptitude, including him and Arima Mayuri.

He later slew the former Progenitor and took his position.

While he lacked a Mystic Eyes of Death Perception like Arima Mayuri, nor did he possess the exceptional, unique abilities common to other Progenitors, he relied more heavily on sheer willpower and sheer force of action in combat. Yet, no one could possibly question his strength as a Progenitor.

"Why is this man here?" Lin Luo's expression shifted drastically.

"Vengeance Knight Anhas? You know him?" Xiao Qi sounded slightly surprised.

"I suppose I do. That... he's your enemy too?" Lin Luo asked weakly. A Progenitor-level Dead Apostle! If this man was an enemy, there was no way his current strength could prevail. Even the Ring of East Wind couldn't guarantee killing a Progenitor, and Leí’s energy was finite; he dared not take such a monumental risk.

"Probably. Given that he maintains a certain cooperative relationship with the Church, if he appears here, he certainly won't be opposing them," Xiao Qi attempted to analyze. Though she had been quite tense upon first seeing Anhas, she seemed to have calmed down now, adopting a composed expression.

Lin Luo was momentarily speechless. Indeed, Anhas was known as the Vengeance Knight because he detested being turned into a Dead Apostle by a Progenitor, leading him to hunt other 'Progenitors' for his own purposes. This aligned with the Church's goals, hence their frequent collaborations. Put another way, Anhas was practically half of the Church's heavy-hitter contingent.

Since the Church was hunting Xiao Qi, Anhas following close behind could only mean he was after her too... Come to think of it, what exactly was Xiao Qi’s identity that she could attract not just the Church, but a Progenitor as well?

Of course, Lin Luo had no mind to ponder such things now. Even knowing Xiao Qi's true identity would offer no help to their current predicament. Instead of dwelling on useless thoughts, it would be better to focus on how to avoid conflict with Anhas.

"I think we should flee this place quickly. If the enemy includes someone of Progenitor rank, no amount of preparation will give us a chance to win," Lin Luo proposed.

"Flee? That would be pointless," Xiao Qi shook her head. "With Anhas's abilities, as long as we are in this shared space, no matter where we run, he will find us. Do you honestly think your maneuverability surpasses his?"

"Uh..." Lin Luo was left without a reply. Correct. Running was futile. The Vengeance Knight Anhas’s greatest strengths were his willpower and action capability. Unless it was a rampaging White Princess, few Progenitors could exceed his speed. Trying to escape him would only result in wasting stamina.

"Then do you have a countermeasure?" Lin Luo asked, knitting his brows. The enemy consisted of a Progenitor and a Church Executor. They only had three people, and Leí only counted as one alongside himself. Dealing with the Church Executor wouldn't be an issue, but... although he didn't know Xiao Qi’s true power, could she really defeat a Progenitor?

Lin Luo didn't sense any overwhelming power from Xiao Qi; aside from a slightly unique demeanor, she seemed no different from an ordinary person. If someone like her could defeat a Progenitor, then the Progenitors wouldn't be called Progenitors; the Twenty-Seven Progenitors should just be called the Twenty-Seven Bugs.

"No countermeasure." Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Qi shook her head decisively. "My escorts are tied up fighting the other enemies, unable to assist me, and I am temporarily unable to use my powers."

"Then you must be in grave danger. Why aren't you worried at all?" Lin Luo found it strange. Facing such peril, Xiao Qi showed no panic, maintaining an air of complete confidence.

Hearing Lin Luo’s words, Xiao Qi sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes at him. "Originally, if you hadn't broken that 'lock,' even the Church Executors, let alone a Progenitor, would have had difficulty locating the door to this space. I only needed to wait out my period of weakness here, and nothing would have happened. But..."

"It's my fault?" Lin Luo immediately felt sheepish. Hearing Xiao Qi say that made it sound as if all the blame rested on him. However, if what she said was true, then that was indeed the case.

Lin Luo felt conflicted. Logically, this matter didn't involve him. Both the Church and the Progenitors were targeting Xiao Qi. If he simply walked away, nothing would happen. But the problem was... Xiao Qi possessed a characteristic closest to the true nature of the world, and the current danger seemed partly his responsibility. He truly couldn't abandon her. But...

"Lin Luo..." A gentle female voice sounded near his ear. Lin Luo turned to see Leí had awakened, rubbing her eyes with a sleepy look.

"You're awake, Leí."

"Mm..." Leí nodded softly, then her gaze shifted to Xiao Qi beside them, and a look of confusion crossed her face.

"This is Xiao Qi. I met her while you were sleeping," Lin Luo introduced.

Although Leí was quiet, she wasn't shy. She offered Xiao Qi a friendly nod, and Xiao Qi responded with polite courtesy. Leí was royalty among the Seraphim, essentially equivalent to a princess even without an official title. Xiao Qi's identity was unclear, but judging by her elegant and proper bearing, she was undoubtedly noble. The two shared a certain similarity in temperament, both possessing a calm and detached nature.

Afterward, Lin Luo found an excuse to pull Leí aside and spent two minutes, quiet enough so Xiao Qi couldn't hear, explaining their current situation.

After listening, Leí blinked. "So, you're the one who harmed Xiao Qi, right?"

"Uh..." Lin Luo flushed, wishing she wouldn't be so direct. "Well, that's more or less the situation. I wanted to get your opinion."

"My opinion? I think we should help Xiao Qi," Leí stated as a matter of course. "After all, we caused her trouble. Wouldn't it be awful if she were captured by the enemy because of it?"

"I think so too, but right now, we simply don't have the combat strength to face the enemy. Even escaping will be difficult," Lin Luo said gravely.

"But we can't just abandon her, can we?" Leí murmured.

"No," Lin Luo nodded. That was the stark reality. They couldn't advance, nor could they retreat safely. If he were alone, he wouldn't care; for the sake of his peace of mind, he could fight the Progenitor. But his survival affected the lives of many others—not to mention Mikoto and the others, but right here was Leí. How could he allow them to fall into such danger?

"Don't hesitate. If you think that's what you should do, then do it. Regardless, I will support you. Didn't you say it yourself? Power isn't everything; what truly matters is the heart." Suddenly, Leí took Lin Luo's hand and smiled gently.

Lin Luo froze, as if infected by her smile. The previously somber sky seemed to brighten, and his heart felt an instantaneous sense of clarity.

He forgot something. What was it he forgot?

...At some point, he had forgotten something. In his own world, Mikoto, driven to the brink of life and death by the recovery of her inner demon, he chose the option with only a five percent chance of success to save her: entering her spiritual world and pulling her out of the abyss of despair.

In the world of A Certain Magical Index, to save his little sisters, he resolutely challenged the ultimate fighting strength of Academy City—infiltrating research facilities, fighting the Dark Side, attacking Kihara Gensei, and finally, fighting Accelerator, the strongest Esper standing atop Academy City, with an overwhelming disadvantage in strength.

At that time, he didn't care if his life or soul was forfeit; he shouldered everything, facing unprecedentedly powerful enemies, defeating foe after foe, overcoming hurdle after hurdle as an ordinary person, protecting what was most important to him.

At that time, his heart was filled with courage. No matter who stood before him, he was fearless.

But when did he forget that courage? When did he forget that crucial fighting spirit? Despite possessing greater power now, his actions had become hesitant and overly cautious, like a hunted dog.

Although he now had too many ties and people to protect, unlike when he was alone before—still...

How could he forget that courage from before? How could he forget that unyielding spirit from before? How could he forget that conviction from before? How could he forget... that the man who said, 'I will shoulder everything,' was the true self?

He forgot. He forgot. How could he forget even these things?

As his strength increased, his heart had grown soft. That shouldn't be the case. Was the person who forgot all this still him?

Find it back. Find back all that courage, find back that conviction once more... Revert back to that strongest self.

At this moment, right now—

To the heavens, to the earth—

Prove it once more... I fear nothing.

"Leí, thank you."