The Academy City hummed in the early morning with students rushing to classes, Security Officers preparing for patrol, teachers driving toward their schools, staff bustling in final preparations for the soon-to-arrive Daihaisei Festival, and the idlers wandering aimlessly.

Lin Luo, for instance, was one of those idlers.

Strolling down the street, Lin Luo watched the passing pedestrians and soaked in the morning vibrancy. In this city, both peaceful and frantic, he experienced an unprecedented leisure; all the former tension and unease vanished, granting him a unique clarity.

Academy City was not truly peaceful. Leaving aside the inherent darkness, the Third World War had only just concluded, and though the city itself wasn't a direct combat zone, the aftershocks of the conflict still subtly flowed beneath the surface. Beyond that were the mysterious Deep Abyss Demons and lurking enemies.

Logically, Lin Luo shouldn't have felt leisurely, yet he did, perhaps even more relaxed than when he was in the Bright World.

Lin Luo knew this ease stemmed from his own power. It was like a lion dropped into a flock of rabbits; no matter how chaotically the rabbits fought amongst themselves, the lion would never feel nervous.

"Hey, you there! That young man, so handsome!"

A voice suddenly rang out from not far behind him. Unsure who it was directed at, Lin Luo paused for a beat before consciously ignoring it and continuing his walk.

"You there, young man! This way, this way!"

"Hey, young man, wait up."

"That young man... Damn it, stop right there, you little bastard!"

The owner of the voice, seeing that her words had failed to halt Lin Luo—and in fact, made him walk faster—finally snapped. She sprinted forward, positioning herself directly in front of Lin Luo, spreading her arms wide to block his path. It was Misuzu Misaka.

Lin Luo had known it was her all along. She had been trailing him since he left the hotel, and those few calls were definitely meant for him. However, the first line, "That young man, so handsome," had instinctively reminded him of Kelly, the one who had bankrupted him back then, which was why he deliberately feigned ignorance.

Seeing that evasion was no longer possible, Lin Luo put on an act of confusion. "Auntie..."

"Hehehehe," Misuzu Misaka chuckled sinisterly before Lin Luo could finish.

A chill ran down Lin Luo's spine. Suddenly inspired, he quickly waved toward a strange young woman with a child walking near the street corner not far away. "Auntie Sanae, be careful walking! Make sure little Nagisa doesn't get hurt!"

Then, he turned his gaze back, acting as if nothing had happened, looking at Misuzu Misaka with feigned shock and confusion. "Excuse me, beautiful big sister, were you calling me just now?"

"Of course I was calling you, and by the way, I am Mikoto's mother," Misuzu Misaka replied.

"Eh! Mother? Impossible?!" Lin Luo gaped, his mouth wide open, looking as if he’d just met Misuzu Misaka for the first time, his face a mask of disbelief. "Mikoto has such a young mother? I've never heard! If you hadn't said so, I would have thought you were her older sister!"

His acting skills were so potent that even an Oscar winner would feel ashamed.

Misuzu Misaka seemed quite pleased, yet she smiled modestly. "This kid certainly knows how to talk. Didn't we already meet yesterday? Mikoto even called me 'Mom' herself."

"That’s because big sister looks incredibly young and beautiful. Such a dazzling light made me overlook that you are Mikoto's mother. If I saw you again tomorrow, I would still assume you were her older sister," Lin Luo said, completely shameless as he told his elaborate lies.

Misuzu Misaka grew a bit embarrassed. "Actually, I'm just a university student."

A university student, my foot! Even if you married and gave birth at eighteen, Mikoto is fifteen now, so you must be at least thirty-three. You have the nerve to say you’re still studying in university!

Lin Luo couldn't help but grumble internally, but what he said aloud was, "Big sister is a university student? That’s truly amazing!"

They bantered like this for a few minutes—a flurry of modesty and flattery—before finally getting to the main point.

Misuzu Misaka stated, "I came to find you today because I want to talk about Mikoto. Let's go to that shop over there and have some beer while we chat."

"Alright." Lin Luo had initially planned to pay a visit to the upside-down man, Aleister, but since Misuzu Misaka invited him, he had no choice but to postpone. His mother-in-law was certainly more important than the upside-down man.

Entering the nearby shop, they sat opposite each other. Before the beer arrived, Lin Luo asked first, "What is it you wanted to discuss with me, big sister?" Misuzu Misaka chuckled, waited for the waiter to deliver a round of beer, took a large gulp from her mug, and then said suggestively, "You slept in Mikoto's room last night, didn't you? Don't lie to me; I sleep right next door to Mikoto, and I saw you walk out of her room this morning."

Lin Luo immediately broke out in a cold sweat, but he had no intention of hiding anything; it wasn't something shameful. He nodded honestly. "Yes, I slept with Mikoto last night."

"If you slept together, then why didn't I hear a single sound?" Misuzu Misaka frowned. "Don't tell me you're... incapable, are you?"

"..." Lin Luo felt a surge of the urge to vomit blood. Among all the mothers-in-law he had met, only Touko Aozaki, the mother of Rin-sama, was somewhat normal. The others were a collection of the utterly shameless, and Misuzu Misaka likely ranked first among them.

He and Mikoto had shared a room last night, so of course, things had happened—in fact, they had been quite vigorous, creating significant noise. However, he had isolated all sound, so ordinary people naturally wouldn't have heard.

But Lin Luo found it difficult to explain this to his mother-in-law, as he was still somewhat reserved. He could only manage, "I was just a bit too tired last night, so there was no... that."

"What! So young and you don't do it?" Misuzu Misaka’s expression shifted, and she lectured him sternly. "You should be doing this sort of thing while you're young! When you get older, you won't have the energy. Take me, for example. When I first got serious with Mikoto’s dad, we did it every day. Alas, I truly worry about Mikoto's future happiness."

Hey, hey, you’ve completely lost your sense of propriety!

Lin Luo was utterly speechless.

For the next while, Misuzu Misaka continued with many equally improper statements, such as: Are you dating Mikoto for marriage or just messing around? If it’s marriage, why not register for the license now? If it’s messing around, why not come have a drink with me? Are you planning to have both Mikoto and Misaki? In short, in terms of shamelessness, even Reimu would be put to shame.

Even with his quasi-Heavenly Rank strength, Lin Luo could barely endure it and finally fled the scene.

"All these mothers-in-law are like hungry wolves, sigh."

Lin Luo sighed heavily. He had chatted with Misuzu Misaka for half an hour, but he couldn't fathom why he had stayed. Was it to salvage Misuzu Misaka's moral integrity?

Forget it, no point thinking about it!

Lin Luo shook his head. To prevent any further unexpected encounters, he immediately activated Instant Transmission and entered the building that seemed to lack doors or windows.

As usual, the interior of this building was filled with starlight-like illumination from countless monitoring devices. In the large central tank, Aleister remained with his eyes closed, still in his upside-down, submerged state.

"I have been waiting for you for a long time," Aleister opened his eyes, his gaze passing through the water tank to meet Lin Luo's.

"Waiting for me for what?" Lin Luo wasn't surprised. Since arriving in Academy City, except when engaged in specific activities requiring isolation barriers, he had rarely concealed his aura. It was normal for Aleister to know he was in the city.

"I need your help with a favor," Aleister said. "During the Daihaisei Festival, there will be a competition between the magic side and the science side. Although it appears to be a friendly match on the surface, you must have seen that it is not that simple. This match concerns the distribution of benefits between the two factions. The science side can only deploy espers, while the magic side might deploy Saints. In terms of combat power, our side has a very small chance of winning. Therefore, I hope you can help me train the espers."

"Setting aside whether I help or not, are you out of your mind? You want espers to fight Saints?" Lin Luo thought the upside-down man must have spent too long in the water and muddled his brain.

What is a Saint? They are powerful beings who can borrow divine power, capable of rivaling Angels. Among the espers of Academy City, excluding Misaki, only Accelerator could perhaps put up a fight against a Saint; the others are just cannon fodder.

"During the Third World War, Misaka Meirei single-handedly defeated two Saints," Aleister stated calmly.

"...So that's how it is." Lin Luo understood. Although Meirei’s power was immense, her documented status in this world remained that of an L5 esper. Since she could defeat two Saints alone, the magic side reasonably assumed other L5s might achieve the same, making the deployment of Saints in the competition logical—even Aleister couldn't argue against it.

Aleister continued, "Kakine Teitoku contacted you last night. I didn't see what transpired, but when I saw him again, his gender had changed. Misaka Meirei cannot perform such an act, so the one who changed his gender must be you. With your strength, perhaps you can significantly boost the espers' power, giving us a chance at victory."

"Why don't you just ask me to fight directly? And what about Mikoto, Mugino, and Misaki? They are all espers of Academy City," Lin Luo said with a smile. Of course, he wouldn't fight, and Mikoto and the others were too busy for such trivial games. He only said this to gauge Aleister's response.

"Your powers are too far beyond the required level, and you won't participate," Aleister replied flatly. "Furthermore, only espers who are permanent residents of Academy City can participate in this competition."

"Fine," Lin Luo nodded. "I understand the situation, but why should I help you?"

Hearing the clear tone of reluctance, Aleister remained unruffled. "Because you are idle."

"Just because I'm idle doesn't mean I have to help you?"

"Helping or not is entirely up to your own will. If you are willing to assist, you can go to Tokiwadai. The participating contestants and reserves, aside from Sakibayashi Gunpachi and Kakine Teitoku, are all there. After the competition, I will pay you a suitable reward. If you are unwilling, then forget it."

Aleister spoke calmly, his tone suggesting indifference, but only he knew this was born of necessity. Whether by wit or by force, he could not compel Lin Luo to do anything; doing so might even invite mortal danger. Thus, this was the only approach. Everything hinged on Lin Luo's subjective decision.

"Alright, I accept this mission." Lin Luo considered it for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. He might as well find something to do since he was free anyway.

Aleister's reward was secondary to him, but he knew many of those participating in the competition, and since the opponents might be Saints, he naturally wanted to lend them a hand. Moreover, seizing this opportunity to engage with the magic side was a triple win.

"There is one thing I need to ask: Where are Aihwas and Kazakiri Hyoka?" Lin Luo inquired. He had come to visit Aleister precisely because of this question, dimly suspecting it might be related to the Deep Abyss Demons.

Aleister shook his head. "I don't know. The only certainty is that Kazakiri Hyoka was taken away by Aihwas."

Lin Luo stared intently at him, as if trying to see through everything. After a dozen seconds, he finally withdrew his gaze. Aleister was not lying; he truly did not know.

Immediately after, Lin Luo departed for Tokiwadai.

Gensokyo.

The intense battle between Yukari Yakumo and Haruhi Suzumiya, while resulting in no injuries, had been incredibly draining. After two days of rest, both had mostly recovered. Remembering her promise to Lin Luo to teleport someone to his side, Yukari made her way to the Sun Flower Field without hesitation.

In that golden field, Yukari saw a familiar figure standing in the center, holding a parasol: Yuuka Kazami.

"Long time no see, Yuuka," Yukari approached and said softly.

"Yukari." Yuuka did not turn around, her back to Yukari, but she spoke her name. "I have thought a lot these past few days, but I still cannot find a reason to forgive you, because I am Yuuka Kazami."

Yukari nodded. "I know. That's why I came to find you."

"Why seek me out? Our paths diverge," Yuuka scoffed. "We were born at the same time. You are a natural genius nurtured by the heavens; I am a solitary weed surviving through wind and rain. You have always been far ahead of me, and you still are. We both obtained a piece of the World's Heart; you are now a quasi-Heavenly Rank being, half-transcended, while I still stagnate. We are different." Yukari fell silent, then spoke after a moment. "But you always manage to catch up and surpass the genius, you did then, and you will continue to do so."

"Surpass the genius? Heh." Yuuka laughed, perhaps self-mockingly, and finally turned around, growing serious. "Yukari, you won't understand. Because a solitary weed also has its pride, and a solitary weed also has its dignity."

"I understand, which is why I seek your assistance," Yukari looked at her steadily.

Yuuka remained silent.

Yukari continued, "In a few days, my power will be restored. I wish to teleport you over." Yuuka shook her head. "I said, I will not borrow any of your power. That vow is still valid."

"This time, it's not for you, nor for me, but for him."

"If he remembers, he will come on his own. If he doesn't remember, going would be useless," Yuuka said lightly, turning and slowly walking toward the sea of flowers. As her figure vanished, only a faint voice drifted on the air: "The golden ocean and the green earth, meeting where the sky touches the water, only once, and only once. Miss it, and it's missed forever."

Yukari stood in the flower field, silent for a long time.

"It seems your relationship isn't ordinary," a girl's voice sounded nearby. Yukari looked over to see a blonde girl emerging from the ground, only her head visible, showing a toothy smile.

"Eirin, you heard what was said?" Yukari asked.

This girl was Evangelin.

"More or less," Evangelin jumped up from the ground, casually tossing her golden hair behind her back, exuding effortless dominance. "After spending so long with that fellow, I didn't realize she was a philosopher. But what she said isn't without merit; some things, once missed, are gone forever."

"You are right. A long life means missing out on many things," Yukari agreed.

"Well, I’m in no position to comment on others' affairs. Instead of philosophizing here, it's better to go fight that guy." As she spoke, Eirin's figure flickered and then vanished from the spot.

A moment later, Yukari also left the Sun Flower Field. Her next stop was the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Unfortunately, Hourai was in seclusion. Although Youyou hadn't personally crossed over to this world, the method of cultivation had been transmitted, benefiting both the host and others greatly.

"Never mind, I need to find someone else." Yukari left the Scarlet Devil Mansion and headed to the Hakurei Shrine, where she saw Mumei chasing butterflies, bringing a tender smile to her face.

However, Yukari did not reveal herself. Although she had considered teleporting someone from the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu could not leave Gensokyo, and Mumei was still too young.

"I refuse. The five major problems have not yet been solved; I will not interfere in any matters," within Eientei, Kaguya flatly rejected Yukari's request.

"Sigh, you people are all so stubborn," Yukari felt exasperated, but then she smiled again. After all, in terms of stubbornness, she was no less than anyone else; otherwise, she wouldn't have returned to Gensokyo that day.

Shaking her head, Yukari left Eientei.

"It seems only that person can offer help. I hope she doesn't disappoint me."

Saying this, a gap opened, and amid the place filled with fluttering cherry blossoms, Yukari arrived at the Netherworld, the White Jade Pavilion.