I apologize, I am currently experiencing some difficulty with my writing flow. The third update may be quite late today. My apologies.()

Lin Luo opened his eyes to find himself deep within a thicket of trees, a place where the moonlight seemed utterly unable to penetrate. Everything before him was pitch black, yet he could still perceive the "thing" that drew his attention: the young girl standing right there. This discovery filled Lin Luo with intense excitement. At this moment, he was almost certain that the wondrous "feeling" he possessed was the Manovijnana, the seventh consciousness. This meant he could, to a certain extent, utilize the Manovijnana!

One must not underestimate this Seventh Consciousness. Although the Manovijnana is often considered an illusory thing, belonging to the realm of the subconscious, fixated on the concept of self, and the very root of all sentient suffering—yet, the "self" that the Manovijnana clings to is not something else; it is the Eighth Consciousness, the Alayavijnana!

Back in the Nasuverse world, the reason Lin Luo had fled in such disarray was the simultaneous appearance of Gaia and Alaya. They were forces he simply could not resist, compelling him to escape via the Blue Marble route. Consequently, he left many things unfinished: the tangled relationship with the Black and White Hime, the promise made to Illya, and he didn't even have a chance to bid a proper farewell to Rin, his parents, or his sister. He vanished from the Nasuverse world as quietly as a breath.

Though Lin Luo had never spoken of the feeling that departure left him with, that regret remained etched in his heart. He knew Rin likely felt the same way; after finally reuniting with family, they were still forced apart. Only her optimism kept her from ever voicing a complaint.

And now, at this moment, Lin Luo had finally found the source of power needed to overcome the might of those two Inhibitors.

One of the two Inhibitors, Alaya, embodies the collective consciousness of all humanity, achieving the Eighth Consciousness, which then manifests as a tangible entity. Lin Luo, possessing the Manovijnana, needed only to fully master it to launch an assault toward the Eighth Consciousness, Alaya. Once he reached that level, he would possess sufficient capital to contend with the two Inhibitors of the Moon World, feeling no fear whatsoever.

Although he hadn't yet found a way back to the Moon World, he believed that one day he would re-enter it. If he could attain the power to resist the Inhibitors before then—no, he must attain it!

As Lin Luo swore this oath silently, he was also taken aback by the young girl standing before him.

Even amidst the darkness, Lin Luo could see the girl clearly—her figure was delicately built, clad in a beautiful dress, featuring short, white hair falling to her shoulders, topped by a small hat. Her refined little face showed a flicker of surprise and curiosity. Most distinctively, two tendrils extended from her back down to her chest, from which hung an eye, though its pupil was tightly shut.

Lin Luo hadn't expected to meet her here, for this girl was the younger sister of the mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion—Komeiji Satori, whose closed "Love Eye" made her one of the three infamous 'Oni-sisters' on par with Flandre Scarlet.

She was a yokai, and a very special yokai of consciousness, classified as a Me ().

This type of yokai was inherently powerful, and furthermore, through the third eye on her chest, she could read minds. For the Me, whether human or yokai, there were absolutely no secrets.

The Me are now exceedingly rare; the only known instances are the pair of sisters from the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Komeiji Koishi and Komeiji Satori. Due to her mind-reading ability, nearly all yokai feared Komeiji Satori. However, the yokai of the mansion did not fear Komeiji Koishi. She sensed the deep aversion people felt towards having their innermost thoughts so easily discerned, and so, she sealed the third eye capable of reading minds.

For a Me like Koishi, perceiving the hearts of others was also a means of stabilizing her own mind. Losing this ability meant her psyche had become completely sealed off; even Komeiji Satori could not perceive her thoughts. But this sacrifice was not without reward.

Because ever since then, she had gained a far greater power… the manipulation of the unconscious.

If Komeiji Satori represented the apex of the Sixth Consciousness, then Komeiji Koishi had already reached the Seventh Consciousness.

Lin Luo was astonished, but Koishi was even more surprised than he was. Since gaining the ability to manipulate the unconscious, she had become undetectable wherever she went. Even the highly intuitive Shrine Maiden, or the sharp-eared Tengu—as long as she willed herself to think of nothing, no one could discover her.

But this time, her unconsciousness had been breached!

"Why could you find me? How did you sense me?" Komeiji Koishi stepped toward Lin Luo, asking with evident excitement.

"You tell me first, why are you here?" Lin Luo asked with a smile. Being a fellow user of the Seventh Consciousness gave him an immediate affinity for the girl before him; after all, those who could use the Manovijnana were exceedingly rare... though, he didn't yet know that this was also a form of unconsciousness.

"I came here to play," Koishi replied. With her heart sealed, Komeiji Koishi possessed no guile; she did what she wanted and said what she meant, so she hid nothing from Lin Luo’s question. "Although I don't know why I wanted to come to this place, no one can find me, no matter where I go. It's very interesting."

Then he hadn't expected the other party to invite him.

"Why?" Koishi looked distinctly disheartened.

"Because I have some trouble on my end..." Lin Luo explained. In truth, he felt a pang of regret; Koishi's mastery of the Seventh Consciousness was profound, and spending time with her might have helped him completely grasp the Manovijnana. But the matter of the curse could not be delayed. "So, I can't play with you right now."

"That’s a shame," Koishi said dejectedly, but then she seemed to recall something, tilting her head as she spoke, "The girl you’re looking for, Kayn Hina—does she have a lot of resentment swirling around her and enjoy spinning?"

"Yes, you know her?" Lin Luo asked sharply, immediately alert.

Koishi nodded. "I saw her once. She was quite interesting too."

"Where is she?" Lin Luo pressed eagerly. If Komeiji Koishi knew where Kayn Hina lived, he wouldn't have to wait until dawn to go look for her.

"I forgot," Koishi replied flatly, shaking her head.

Sigh... Lin Luo was speechless. That was as good as saying nothing, dashing his sudden burst of hope. But Koishi's next words reignited it.

"But I can find her."

"Really?"

"Mm. I just need to search using my unconsciousness." Koishi said with utter confidence.

"Then how? I'm clueless." Lin Luo knew the unconsciousness could render him undetectable to others, but he had never heard of it being used for tracking.

"Because I saw her once. My unconsciousness has already recorded her. I just have to keep walking to find her," Koishi stated matter-of-factly, though her logic sounded somewhat absurd.

"There's such a thing?" Lin Luo was greatly surprised. This sounded exactly like the search function in his perception field. Although he found it hard to imagine, the Seventh Consciousness was too bizarre and unpredictable to rule out, and she didn't seem like the type to lie... Perhaps Koishi's level in the Seventh Consciousness far surpassed his imagination.

Koishi nodded.

"Then would you be willing to help me find her?" Lin Luo immediately asked. Since Koishi could find her and seemed amenable, there was no need to trouble those two great beings.

"I can, but you have to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Accompany me to the Scarlet Devil Mansion to play."

"..."

Lin Luo was left speechless. Was this haggling and demanding a return favor? Koishi, you really have the makings of a shrewd businesswoman.

l;!--END--g;RH