Back during the Third World War, the sudden appearance of the Monster race had thrown the entire battlefield into absolute chaos. Their terrifying combat prowess inflicted devastating casualties on both the science side and the magic side. Although those monsters were eventually repelled, very few were actually killed, and the memory of them still sent shivers down their spines.

It was precisely because of the existence of such inexplicable enemies that the magic side agreed to a peace accord with the science side. After all, those monsters were enemies to everyone. If they continued to fight amongst themselves instead of uniting, they would all only face certain death in the end.

On the other hand, when Lin Luo handed over some of the materials he found in the Antarctic underground base to them, it finally allowed them to realize just how little they truly knew about the monsters. The monsters' power far exceeded their imagination.

Especially the combat strength of one of the Four Heavenly Kings—a mere cannon fodder—which made their hearts tremble with fear. They had every reason to believe that, besides Aiwass, no one else in this world stood a chance against that minor character. As for Lin Luo, who could instantly obliterate that cannon fodder with a single blow, they no longer knew what expression to wear when facing him.

In reality, Lin Luo really wanted to just say, "A simple smile will suffice," but while that might be fine to say to a cute girl like Laura, he definitely couldn't say it to a few grown men—his surname wasn't Lucifer, after all.

The rest of the process became even easier. Lin Luo barely needed to prompt them; these prominent figures of the magic side began consulting him for countermeasures on their own initiative. Although the video suggested Lin Luo’s combat power far surpassed most of the Abyss Demons he mentioned, and his threat to this world was no less, if not greater, than the Abyss Demons, as the saying goes—those who are not of our kind must have different hearts!

No matter how far outside the norm Lin Luo was, he was at least human. And judging by his past conduct, he wasn't the type to wipe out a world at the slightest disagreement.

Since he openly presented the data on the Abyss Demons, it was clear he intended to cooperate.

Whether it was the Puritan Church, the Autonomist Church, the Roman Orthodox Church, or indeed all the major and minor churches on the magic side, those who held the rank of Bishop were never fools. When faced with an enemy of all humanity, an enemy of the entire world, personal interests could certainly be set aside... and that included the science side.

Consequently, the conference reached a decision with virtually no opposition: the spearhead would be aimed squarely at the Abyss Demons!

After a series of discussions, on the evening of the next day—the very day the Daihaisei Festival concluded—the great figures of the magic side all returned to their respective territories. Firstly, they needed to organize their resistance forces during this period. Secondly, they had to inform their respective nations to deploy adequate combat power... because this was not a battle for an individual or an organization, but a war for all of humanity and the entire world!

"Is it really necessary to use their power? Even just the few of us shouldn't have much trouble dealing with the Abyss Demons. Besides, since you said it would take at least ten days for the Abyss race to attack, the connection between this world and the Spirit World will be nearly complete by then. We won't need such superfluous strength," said Mugino Shizuri while nibbling on a spoon in a magnificent room. She was somewhat puzzled by Lin Luo's decision to elevate the magic side. If it was just about having Laura serve as a Bishop in the Demon City, it shouldn't require such elaborate arrangements.

Lin Luo shook his head while feeding Yuyuko, saying, "The Abyss Demons are not just our enemies; they are enemies of this world too. We shouldn't have to bear the burden alone, nor should we let the people of this world think that the world is as small as they imagine. That might stop them from squabbling incessantly over this tiny patch of ground."

"A tiny patch of ground... hehe." On the other side, Kinuhata Saiai didn't know what expression to wear. The only person who could refer to the entire Earth as a 'tiny patch of ground' was probably Lin Luo.

Lin Luo didn't feel there was anything wrong with his phrasing. Compared to the Spirit World, Earth's area was pitifully small. To give a relevant example, it was like the difference between the rusty needle Ryugu Rena hid in a rice ball and the chopping cleaver Ryugu Rena used to attack people.

Lin Luo gently withdrew his finger from Yuyuko's mouth and said seriously, "Moreover, underestimating the enemy is your flaw, Mugino. Admittedly, with the strength of us here, as long as there are no Heaven-rank powerhouses among the enemy, we can basically guarantee victory. However, the Abyss Demons are not opponents that can be deduced by common sense. To prevent any unforeseen accidents during the battle, we need to secure even the smallest amount of strength."

Mugino Shizuri's biggest flaw was her tendency to underestimate her opponents. Even now, despite many changes, this weakness in her character had not been entirely discarded.

"Then what if there are Heaven-rank powerhouses?" Yuyuko, perhaps annoyed that her food had been "taken," interjected at the first opportunity.

Lin Luo glanced at her and replied, "If a Heaven-rank opponent arrives, before I die, I feel it's my obligation to turn you into a complete woman... oh, wait, a complete female ghost."

Yuyuko frowned, looking conflicted. "I am an undead spirit; Sui-tan is the ghost."

Is that the only thing you’re conflicted about?

...

The power of the magic side and the science side was immense. The Roman Orthodox Church alone was rumored to have two billion followers. While that number might be exaggerated, the Roman Orthodox Church was undoubtedly the largest organization in this world. Following them were the Puritan Church, the Autonomist Church, the science side, and various other denominations... when combined, their influence spanned the entire globe.

If this weren't the case, the confrontation between the science side and the magic side would never have escalated into a world war.

Similarly, when these forces united now, the effect was exceptionally obvious. In just a few days, they had organized an enormous allied force... Within this joint army were not only ordinary combat personnel but also Archmages, espers, Saints, Bishops, the Royal Knights, and even figures like Demon Gods—anyone whose name was renowned was a superpower capable of holding off a thousand men alone.

Once everything was arranged, all that remained was to wait for the inevitable.

To use an old saying: When magic and science converge, the story begins!

...

Just as Lin Luo had initially predicted, ten days later—the twenty-seventh day since their arrival in this Toaru Majutsu no Index world—the Abyss Demons finally showed their presence.

Inside a barrier over Academy City, Lin Luo, Aleister, Laura, the Pope of Rome, and the Archbishop of the Autonomist Church gathered. Lin Luo pointed forward, and above them, a starry sky instantly materialized, showing countless dense crowds of Abyss Demons within it.

They were flying toward Earth from the star field.

"Th-this, how many are there?" Seeing this scene, Laura couldn't help but frown.

"Roughly, I estimate their numbers to be around ten million, and the weakest among them are at the Saint level. Even a single grunt could contend with Kanzaki Kaori," Lin Luo stated calmly.

"What! Ten million?!" Hearing this number, the other four instantly changed color, sucking in a sharp breath. Even figures of their caliber felt a surge of terror.

Although the Roman Orthodox Church boasted of two billion followers, far exceeding the number of Abyss Demons, the actual combat personnel they could command were less than one percent of the attacking Abyss Demons. More importantly, the combat strength of these Abyss Demons... the weakest among them were already Saint-level!

Ten million Saints!

Good heavens, it was enough to scare them to death.

If it weren't for Lin Luo’s expression remaining as calm as ever, they would have likely collapsed.

"God, this is simply... W-what should we do now?" The old Pope of Rome was already trembling with fear, and the others immediately turned their gaze toward Lin Luo. At this moment, Lin Luo was their only hope.

"Don't worry. This number is actually a little less than I anticipated, so the situation is still within my control," Lin Luo said, raising his hand with a tone full of confidence that temporarily soothed their nerves, yet their eyes remained filled with boundless worry. If they lost this battle, this world would be finished!

"The Abyss Demons are currently still in the star field. At their current speed, they will enter Earth's atmosphere in five minutes. At that point, they will step into my Game Field. So, I want to ask..." Here, Lin Luo turned to face the other four, speaking seriously, "Have all the combat personnel from your respective factions been fully assembled and positioned within my magic teleportation array?"

"I already instructed everyone to take their positions as you said when I arrived," Laura immediately replied, not daring to waste a single moment now.

The other three nodded quickly as well.

"Good. Then we wait five more minutes. That will be the moment of our decisive battle with the Abyss Demons."

Five minutes is short—at most, enough time to smoke a cigarette or brew a cup of tea; it passes in the blink of an eye. But for Laura and the other three, these five minutes felt as long as an eternity. Watching the countless Abyss Demons projected in the star field by Lin Luo, the fear in their hearts could not be erased. If it weren't for Lin Luo's confident expression affecting them, they would likely have fallen into despair long ago.

Time passed slowly in that state of silence. Finally, five minutes elapsed. All the Abyss Demons had entered Earth's atmosphere. Laura and the others could almost feel the entire world trembling at that moment.

And just then, Lin Luo spoke again: "Misaka Network Super-Connection, activate World Game Field!"

The moment Lin Luo gave the command, the Misaka Sisters within nearly five thousand magic circles across the globe received the information and activated their circles simultaneously. Instantly, those nearly five thousand magic circles flashed with brilliant light, and an invisible line connected all the circles.

And then...

"World Game Field Activated. Misaka 10030 entering Administrator Mode..."

"Administrator Mode Activated. Misaka 10031 activating GM Function..."

"GM Program Authentication Passed. Misaka 10032 accepting GM Command. Continue activating other functions..."

"The 128th command activated. World Game Field coverage complete. Misaka 10777 GM function engaged for Ultra-Teleportation..."

"Misaka 10840 accepted GM authorization. Ultra-Teleportation commencing..."

"Misaka 13072 utilizing GM function. Ultra-Teleportation commencing..."

"Misaka 19090 inputting GM command for Ultra-Teleportation..."

"Misaka 20000 exercising GM authority. Ultra-Teleportation coordinates shifting..."

Nearly ten thousand commands were executed almost simultaneously. Then, Laura and the others were shocked to find that all the Abyss Demons that had just entered the atmosphere had vanished. Simultaneously, countless projection screens suddenly appeared within the barrier. The most conspicuous among these screens showed two Misaka Sisters standing inside a massive magic circle, followed by wave after wave of Abyss Demons arriving right behind them.

"They..."

"Exactly." Facing the shocked expressions of Laura and the others, Lin Luo smiled. "The World Game Field is simply an online game—turning the world into a game. The nearly ten thousand Misaka Sisters standing in the center of the magic circles are the GMs of this game. Just now, they used their GM authority to transport the Abyss Demons one by one to different locations."

"Wh-what kind of..." The four of Laura were too stunned to speak. Even if they rarely played games, even the most grounded among them knew just how powerful a GM's authority in a game could be!

"It's too early to be shocked now; the main part is coming next," Lin Luo said with a slight smile.

When all the Abyss Demons had been teleported around the various magic circles, Last Order stood within the one magic circle in Academy City that had not received a teleported Abyss Demon.

"Misaka Misaka activating Highest Command: Network Connection Interruption... Yay!"

As the single 'Yay' fell, all nearly five thousand magic circles ceased operation. Except for the Misaka Sisters holding GM status, everyone and everything affected by the magic circles was frozen in place. Even the Misaka Sisters themselves lost the ability to move physically, able to issue commands only through brainwaves.

Of course, this network interruption was specifically for the subsequent commands.

"Misaka 10030 activating GM Function: Map Alteration..."

As this command descended, the magic circles, which originally had a diameter of only fifty meters, instantly began to expand outward while detaching from their original environments... In an instant, these magic circles transformed into various types of battlegrounds, each vast enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people. All the transported Abyss Demons were entirely covered by these "battlefields."

"Misaka 10031 activating GM Function: Ultra-Teleportation for All Friendly Forces..."

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang...

The moment the teleportation began, the magicians, espers, and all combat personnel who had been positioned in the Puritan Church in Britain, the Autonomist Church in Russia, the Roman Orthodox Church, Academy City, and all other locations marked with teleportation arrays, were transported simultaneously onto the magic circles, coming face-to-face with the Abyss Demons.

Among these transported individuals were Laura and Aleister, along with the other two.

Naturally, since the network connection was interrupted, these individuals were also rendered immobile.

"Teleportation complete. Misaka 20000 reporting to Highest Command Tower."

"Report received successfully. Misaka Misaka re-enabling network connection... Misaka Misaka exercising Supreme GM Authority: All battlefields converted to Safe, Impassable Zones."

As the command was issued, when the network came back online, this was the scene that appeared... Both the Abyss Demons and the allied fighters could move, but it was as if an invisible wall separated the two forces. Neither side could cross it, and no attack could reach the other side of the wall.

The state of combat was revoked.

This extremely bizarre situation was not only incomprehensible to the Abyss Demons but also baffling to the allied fighters. However, they felt a sense of relief simultaneously, because the Abyss Demons were far too numerous. Even when ten million were divided into nearly five thousand groups, each group still held over two thousand individuals, every single one of whom was at least Saint-level strength.

In contrast, their side, already small in number, was split into five thousand groups. It was a miracle if any group reached triple digits; some groups only had a dozen individuals.

This was clearly a one-sided situation.

But!

"Misaka 10032 analyzing combat power of both sides... Initiating Data Adjustment... Enemy Abyss Demon combat power reduced by a maximum of 90%... Friendly combat power increased by a maximum of 200%... Data adjustment successful. Entering Combat State."

Boom!

As the combat state was engaged, the Abyss Demons immediately charged forward, but after being heavily weakened, they were no longer as imposing as they were initially. The previously uneasy magicians and espers, after a brief exchange of blows, discovered that the opponents were not strong at all, and their courage and confidence immediately swelled.

However, winning was still not easy. After all, the Saint-level Abyss Demons were only the rank-and-file grunts; the majority of the Abyss Demons were monstrously strong. Even after a 90% reduction, they still possessed Saint-level combat strength, and numerically, the allied forces were still severely lacking.

And at this point, the GMs were needed most!

"Misaka 12083 activating GM Function... Triggering Skill: Absolute Defense, granting friendly forces a maximum of thirty seconds of invulnerability..."

Invulnerability—this was true invincibility!

Even the strongest attacks from the Abyss Demons had absolutely no effect when they struck the allied personnel.

But, it was still not enough!

"Misaka 13258 activating GM Function... All friendly forces enter Team State, ignoring friendly fire."

As this command was issued, the situation changed again. The best example was: Misaka Meirei used Hundred Times Gravity Binding against the entire field; only the enemy suffered damage, while friendly units remained unharmed.

"Misaka 14458 activating GM Function... All friendly forces gain One-Hit Kill attribute, maximum duration five seconds..."

Those skilled in area-of-effect attacks became monstrous. With the One-Hit Kill attribute enabled, any attack by a friendly unit could instantly reduce an Abyss Demon’s HP to zero, even if it was just a light touch.

Of course, some exceptionally powerful Abyss Demons could be immune to this skill.

But the GM authority extended far beyond this. No matter how strong the enemy was, they could be infinitely weakened, and no matter how weak the friendly forces were, they could be infinitely strengthened... although this infinity still had its limits.

"Misaka 19090 activating GM Function. Friendly luck value set to 100..."

"Misaka 19888 activating GM Function. Enemy hit rate reduced by 90%..."

"Misaka 20000 activating GM Function. When the enemy uses a finishing move, there is a 50% chance of entering the Network Connection Interruption state..."

With the GMs unleashing endless cheating mechanisms, the tide of battle had turned completely one-sided.