The feel was seamless, the visuals untroubled. The Evil King’s body had been burned to ash, utterly and undeniably dead—his very existence erased. Unless death itself had no dominion, he couldn't possibly survive this… Lin Luo’s eyes, even supported by his Seventh Sense, guaranteed it: the Evil King was dead!

But the one who died was merely the Evil King before him; the true Evil King lived on!

Why say this?

Because there was no Heart Codex!

It was common knowledge that when Walkers were killed, their Heart Codex and World Heart would drop, much like a boss in a game. But the Evil King had nothing. Not having a World Heart could be explained away—perhaps he was like the Dark King, relying on his own power rather than the World Heart to advance. But the absence of the Heart Codex? If that still didn't prove anything, then he was willfully deceiving himself.

“Damn it, that was a clone!”

Lin Luo instantly understood the source of that earlier dissonance: the one fighting him wasn't the Evil King himself, but merely a clone—a disposable tool with Earth-Tier Intermediate combat strength, abandoned by the Evil King to restrict Lin Luo’s movements.

Trapping him in the Fifth Dimension and using a clone to fight him—if the clone could kill him, perfect; if not, it served to stall long enough for the Evil King to deal with the Hosts. It was, admittedly, an exquisite scheme. More importantly…

“If even a clone possesses this much strength, how powerful must the Evil King’s true body be?”

The thought made Lin Luo increasingly uneasy. Reimu was relatively safe; she was invincible in Gensokyo, accompanied by Yukari Yakumo and Suika Ibuki. No matter how strong the Evil King was, he would have to weigh his chances carefully before touching her. Kaguya was protected by the Yamata no Kagami and Eirin Yagokoro; the Evil King wouldn't breach that defense easily. But the Scarlet Devil Mansion was in grave danger. Although Iva was approaching Earth-Tier Intermediate, she was still far outmatched by the Evil King.

“Blast it, why can't I leave this Fifth Dimensional space?!” Lin Luo could no longer remain calm. He repeatedly attempted to use "Dimensional Teleportation," but the Fifth Dimension surpassed his current capabilities... the skill wouldn't activate!

The Evil King had played his hand perfectly: trap Lin Luo here, kill one Host, deal a devastating blow to Lin Luo’s core strength, and then return to the Fifth Dimension at leisure to finish him off.

Boom! Boom! Boom…

Lin Luo gathered all his might and unleashed the Strongest Spear against the space, but all that resulted were earth-shattering sounds with no visible effect. Even the Destruction Black Flame proved useless… Mystery lost its efficacy before a higher-grade Mystery. His incomplete Destruction Black Flame was clearly inferior to the Fifth Dimensional space.

“Damn it!” Lin Luo grit his teeth in frustration. The Evil King’s move had successfully trapped him—possessing immense power yet being utterly helpless. Nothing was more despair-inducing. But he wouldn't give up. He stomped his right foot on the sea surface, and a spiral force erupted beneath him. Instantly, the water formed a colossal vortex, spinning faster and faster, seemingly intent on gathering all the ocean’s mass. This was not Rule Force, nor the Law of Illusions; it was something entirely new!

“Limits are made to be surpassed. I’ll shatter this wall of despair for you to see!” Lin Luo half-crouched, pressing both hands onto the sea surface, forcefully coiling the massive water vortex upward. The giant spiral became his plaything. But just as he prepared to hurl it away…

“You idiot, are you planning to destroy Gensokyo?!”

The voice from behind made Lin Luo freeze. He whipped his head around instinctively. There, amidst a rift in the nearby space, sat a familiar young girl perched atop the tear.

“Yukari-san!” Lin Luo blurted out, immediately regretting the title.

Whoosh!

With a flick of her fan, Yukari Yakumo instantly disintegrated the gigantic water vortex. Countless tons of seawater cascaded down, drenching Lin Luo completely.

Yukari Yakumo gave him a knowing smirk. “Calling a seventeen-year-old girl a figure from the mother generation—do you think I’m that old? Well, if you truly wish to be my godson, I might consider it.”

“No, just a slip of the tongue…” Lin Luo felt a flicker of embarrassment, but the moment calmed him, pushing aside his urgency. Since Yukari could appear here, bringing him out should be simple enough. That nascent, immature new power could be shelved for now. He turned serious. “Can you take me out of here?”

“Isn't that precisely why I came?” With a snap of a Boundary, Yukari Yakumo materialized before Lin Luo and pulled him into the gap. “You brat, if I let you run rampant here, the entirety of Gensokyo would suffer a cataclysmic disaster from the spatial turbulence. If that happened, I certainly wouldn’t let you off the hook.”

“I couldn't help it; it’s a Fifth Dimensional space, after all,” Lin Luo countered, shrugging innocently.

Yukari didn't dwell on the matter. Just before the Boundary sealed shut, she asked, “What was that power you were using? I felt its might was no less than Creation or Destruction.”

Lin Luo smiled faintly. “The power of the Circle…”

Before he could finish, the Boundary closed.

…

Splash!

Mid-air, several hundred meters from the Hakurei Shrine, space shimmered and four young women were ejected. They were the caged birds previously confined within the shrine grounds—the three Gensokyo City Patrols and the tiny Hundred Demons Night Parade.

“It’s a familiar feeling,” Sanae murmured with a smile. Though they were only trapped for a little over ten minutes, the feeling of regained freedom felt long overdue, as if eons had passed.

“Indeed nostalgic. I now somewhat understand the emotion of Great Demon Lords when they finally break their seals. But now isn't the time for reflection. First… let’s go thoroughly punish the source of this anomaly!” Reimu declared resolutely. Though usually lacking in principle, she always took anomalies seriously… mostly.

“No problem,” Marisa chimed in, thumping her chest confidently. “Once my Magic Cannon fires, forget Youkai; not even humans will be left.”

“…Now that is the bigger problem,” the other three grumbled in unison.

“Putting Marisa aside for a moment, where do we head now?” Suika suddenly pointed towards the surrounding smoke and asked. Peaceful Gensokyo had fully turned into a battlefield, and the atmosphere of combat was palpable everywhere. As a warlike Oni, Suika felt a little excited.

“Hmm…” Reimu tapped her chin in contemplation for a moment before speaking. “Suika, you head to the Scarlet Devil Mansion first. Sanae and Marisa, you follow me in another direction. Let’s quell this rising conflict first.”

Her suggestion wasn't random. According to Lin Luo, the enemy’s main targets were the Hosts. She felt safe enough, and the Space Aliens protecting Kaguya were formidable. Only the Scarlet Devil Mansion felt precarious; they had sensed something deeply wrong the moment they were sealed, suggesting they needed reinforcements.

“Alright, I’m off then. Shrine Maiden, Shrine Maiden Suika… Battle time!” Suika didn't object, charging toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion with an excited cry, gulping down sake as if trying to drown her senses.

“Then let’s move out as well,” Reimu said, exchanging glances with the other two before flying off in the same direction.

…

As Reimu and her group mobilized, fighting continued in other sectors.

Inside the Scarlet Devil Mansion, although the crisis of destruction was averted thanks to Evangeline’s timely rescue, the enemy had not ceased their assault; instead, they had regrouped and launched a second wave. Since the Mansion housed Hosts, the enemy’s firepower configuration was naturally high-tier: four Earth-Tier experts backed by several peak Spirit-Tier powerhouses.

Evangeline fought four Earth-Tier Beginners alone, utilizing her Immortality, Ice Magic, Dark Magic, Puppet Mastery, and Aikido—all her abilities were deployed without reservation. Though she was still at a disadvantage, she managed to completely tie down the quartet, preventing them from targeting anyone else.

Remilia and Sakuya, their powers not yet fully recovered, could only join forces against the peak Spirit-Tier enemies. Despite being outnumbered, the suppression provided by Remilia, an Earth-Tier presence, kept the fighting fierce and deadlocked… Ordinarily, with Remilia’s current strength, one or two more berserk bursts would be enough to annihilate a couple of peak Spirit-Tiers. But doing so would render her combat ineffective, and while she might survive a mutual annihilation, Sakuya and the two injured individuals behind them would be in grave danger.

The combat strength on both sides was nearly equal; at this juncture, an additional Earth-Tier expert on either side would grant an overwhelming advantage.

Though the troops brought by the Evil King were numerous, most were currently pinned down by Gensokyo’s various forces, making reinforcements unlikely. As for the Scarlet Devil Mansion…

Boom boom boom…

Just as both sides secretly hoped for aid, a tremendous sound of running suddenly echoed from outside the Mansion—deafening, as if a giant were stomping the ground.

Hearing the noise, everyone froze. Remilia and Sakuya exchanged looks of familiarity; the sound seemed strangely recognizable.

“Hic, hic, what a lively place…” As the voice sounded, the source appeared. It was a giant, ten meters tall, with horns sprouting from its head—it was Suika Ibuki after colossal growth. However, she appeared completely inebriated, her face flushed red, letting out loud burps, staggering precariously as if ready to collapse at any second.

“I am Suika, the Shrine Maiden of Hakurei… Hic, can’t see. Where’s the anomaly?” Suika squinted, her vision blurred, perceiving only a few small figures flitting before her.

“Enemy reinforcements? Damn it!” The four Earth-Tier experts fighting Evangeline instantly changed expression. One of them hastily disengaged from the fight and lunged toward Suika, delivering a killing blow immediately.

Their actions were decisive. The immense aura emanating from Suika alarmed them. If they could kill her now while she was distracted, they might stand a chance; if they waited until she sobered up, the tide would turn completely.

“Tsk!” Evangeline clicked her tongue, frowning deeply. Although Suika felt powerful, how much strength could she muster while utterly drunk? She instinctively wanted to rush to aid, but the enemy gave her no opportunity. The other three Earth-Tier experts unleashed 120% of their power in a fierce onslaught against Evangeline, solely to buy a sliver of time for their comrade. Evangeline was finally overwhelmed, facing superior numbers.

“You’re asking for death!” But upon seeing this, Remilia and Sakuya smiled, showing no concern whatsoever.

Because Suika was a drinker, if a normal Suika was strong, a drunk Suika was extraordinarily strong, and one as profoundly inebriated as this was… a supreme powerhouse!

A Suika completely wasted from drink was certainly qualified to challenge Gensokyo's strongest combat echelon.

“Ah, found the anomaly!” Suika, still squinting while pouring more wine into her mouth, suddenly sensed the burst of energy rushing toward her. She burst into laughter. Too late to put down her gourd, her left hand shot out a punch.

It appeared to be a casual punch, but its speed was lightning-fast, and its power immense, capable of splitting the air and shattering space. The resulting sonic boom from the punch made everyone wince. The Earth-Tier expert attacking Suika took the brunt of it, his body forced to halt.

And just as he paused, his eyes, wide with terror, registered an enormous fist…

BOOM!!!

Upon contact, there was no suspense. An Earth-Tier expert was violently pulverized.

“Drunk watermelons are unrivaled in the world,” Sakuya remarked with a smile.

The Forest of Magic.

“These guys just don’t quit… coming here to die.” Yuuka Kazami held her parasol, standing guard before Alice Margatroid’s mansion. No, 'guarding' was less accurate than 'enjoying the moonlight.'

Although enemies came in waves—cannon fodder, grunts, elites, and Earth-Tiers—as long as she stood there, no one could cross the line. The Dual-Barreled Magic Cannon unleashed incinerated gods and demons alike, turning countless enemies into dust.

In stark contrast to the enemy’s desperate struggles and screams, Yuuka remained serene and composed. She barely needed to move; the sheer release of her aura was enough to crush most foes.

However, Yuuka felt a touch of strangeness. The enemies clearly knew their fighting strength was insufficient to breach her defenses, yet they persisted. Even the fearless had limits. Was there some hidden agenda, or a mandated reason for the continued attack?

“I don’t know what your plan is, but… it’s all useless.”

Yuuka snorted. Just as she prepared to attack again, she sensed a faint anomaly in the space behind her. Her eyes sharpened instantly, and with a wave of her slender hand, she snatched a small girl with black wings from the concealed space.

“You are… a puppet?” Yuuka started to crush it but paused upon closer inspection.