In the Bright Realm, the City of the Sky. Amidst the most magnificent city in this entire world, Yao Yao gathered the clouds overhead, fashioning them into a chaise lounge set in the courtyard, upon which she reclined. Her eyes were closed, her lips moving soundlessly; it was unclear what she was muttering to herself.

A moment later, footsteps sounded behind her, and Misaka Mikoto slowly approached.

“You’ve finished your seclusion much earlier than usual this time, and yet you failed... Is something the matter?” Yao Yao did not open her eyes but already knew who was there.

Mikoto nodded. “It was close, failure was inevitable. So, I came to borrow someone from you.”

“Who?”

“Fate.”

Yao Yao opened her eyes, observing Mikoto’s serious expression, and a teasing smile touched her lips. “Oh? Finally couldn't stand the solitude and looking to stray from the path?”

Mikoto’s serious expression immediately vanished. She couldn't help but blush, twitching the corner of her mouth as she retorted, “Stop talking nonsense! I’m not straying, nor am I leaving the path!”

Seeing she looked ready to explode, Yao Yao stopped teasing her, her own expression growing solemn. “Since you want to borrow Fate, I presume you’ve already found the reason for your failure.”

Returning to serious matters, Mikoto’s demeanor quickly recovered, and she nodded. “Yes. Currently, in both power and realm, I am ready to challenge the Celestial Tier. But I still feel something is missing. After these days of contemplation, I finally understand... I lack the Great Perfection of the Celestial Intent!”

“The Celestial Intents I grasped before were all acquired externally. Although I truly possessed them, in reality, they weren't truly mine yet—they remained the external Celestial Intents. To break through to the Celestial Tier, I must first fully assimilate all these Intents, transforming them into something that is intrinsically mine. Therefore...”

Before Mikoto could finish, Yao Yao interjected, “So, the best way to fulfill that condition is to battle a true Celestial Tier expert. Although Fate has fallen from the Celestial Tier, as a former expert of the Ninth Heaven of the Celestial Tier, even without his Celestial strength, his Celestial Intents remain at Great Perfection. Therefore, there is no one more suitable than him, correct?”

“Exactly,” Mikoto affirmed.

Yao Yao nodded, then shook her head. “While your idea is excellent, and I admit it’s the fastest path to the Celestial Tier, the reality is that this path is extremely perilous. Your current strength is already beyond Quasi-Celestial. If you fight Fate, he will only be stronger than you, not weaker. At that level, he can utilize Celestial Tier power to a certain extent, and it’s not impossible for him to reach the Celestial Tier in an instant. Under that power, your death would be certain!”

“So, give up. You cannot defeat Fate right now.”

Mikoto didn't show fear at Yao Yao’s words. Her eyes flickered, and she asked, “Does that mean if I defeat Fate, I will become Celestial Tier?”

Yao Yao smiled helplessly. “Little girl, your mind works quickly... It seems you already made up your mind before this. Since that is the case, I won't say anything more.”

As she spoke, Yao Yao tossed a plaque over. “The pass is yours. Whether you ascend to the Celestial Tier alive or die as a Quasi-Celestial depends on your own fortune.”

“Thank you!” Mikoto took the token, overjoyed. With this item, she could complete the final step of her cultivation. Though the danger was immense, she had confidence!

Mikoto was about to leave, but before her foot crossed the threshold, she suddenly saw Yao Yao’s expression shift dramatically, as if witnessing something terrifying.

Mikoto immediately shelved her departure plans and asked with puzzled unease, “What is it?”

Yao Yao did not answer, but instead reached out into the void, pulling forth fragments made of some unknown material that scattered across the ground. Then, Yao Yao stepped down from the cloud lounge, crouching down to examine the shards as if they were rare treasures, her gaze grave.

Mikoto had never seen Yao Yao wear such an expression—not even when Lin Luo died previously. Though she didn’t know what had happened, a primal sense of dread took hold. She refrained from disturbing the other, waiting silently by the side.

For a full two hours, Yao Yao stared intently at the fragments. Then she rose, looking as if she had just endured a fierce battle, and sank heavily back onto the cloud lounge, appearing utterly exhausted. “This is bad.”

“What?” Mikoto asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

Yao Yao looked up at her, brow deeply furrowed. “I ran a simulation battle earlier. I originally calculated a sixty percent chance of victory in my mind, but as you can see...” She gestured to the fragments littering the ground, “...the result was a complete rout. Tracing back the simulation, the actual win probability turned out to be zero.”

“What simulation?”

“The impending Reverse Causality!”

“Reverse Causality?!” Mikoto’s expression instantly changed. As a Quasi-Celestial expert, she certainly knew of the terrifying existence known as Reverse Causality.

Yao Yao nodded. “You should know who I ran this simulation for. The Reverse Causality lurking near him right now is unimaginably dangerous. Once he unravels it, the catastrophic destructive power unleashed will annihilate everything!”

“This...” Mikoto understood who Yao Yao meant. Hearing this, her heart leaped in alarm. She immediately put aside her own cultivation matters and quickly said, “Then let me go there!”

“It’s useless,” Yao Yao shook her head. “This danger is beyond the level your current selves can handle. Forget you; even a thousand of you would only find a dead end. Don't go there to sacrifice yourself.”

“But...” Mikoto hadn't anticipated such danger. Yet, she couldn't stand idly by. A thought flashed in her mind, and she proposed, “If unraveling the Reverse Causality causes a disaster, then can't we just prevent it from being unraveled?”

Yao Yao shook her head again. “That thinking is too naive. Do you think Reverse Causality is that forgiving? Even if it erupts once and then goes dormant, that is only temporary. The dormant state will grow larger like a snowball, and when it erupts next time, its power will be ten or even a hundred times greater. Therefore, to minimize harm, Reverse Causality must be immediately unraveled. But this time... even if unraveled immediately, the power unleashed by the Reverse Causality is something your current selves cannot withstand!”

“Then...” Mikoto opened her mouth but found herself unable to speak.

Yao Yao sighed and stood up from the cloud lounge. “It seems I have to make a trip myself.”

Mikoto instantly showed surprise and delight. Though she had never seen Yao Yao fight at full strength, based on past events, she knew that even Reverse Causality couldn't threaten Yao Yao.

Seeing her expectant look, Yao Yao smiled bitterly. “It’s good that you have confidence in me, but it’s best not to celebrate too soon. If I were at my peak, I could naturally ignore Reverse Causality. However, after the last battle against the Agent God, where I fought twenty experts of the Ninth Heaven of the Celestial Tier single-handedly—though I annihilated the enemy, I myself fell from the Outer Heaven realm. Even after a period of recuperation, I am only now at the Seventh Heaven of the Celestial Tier... While this strength might suffice to handle this Reverse Causality, there is another problem.”

This was the first time Mikoto had heard Yao Yao express a lack of confidence in her own strength. She quickly asked, “What other problem is there?”

Yao Yao explained, “You must understand, Reverse Causality is a chain reaction. If a powerful Reverse Causality erupts near him, this world will likely be attacked too. The highest probability is that the Agent God will take advantage of the weakness to invade. With your current strength, you couldn't withstand even a single Celestial Tier Agent God. Therefore, a Celestial Tier expert must remain here to stabilize the situation, and that person can only be me.”

“...What should we do then?” Facing this situation, Mikoto was stunned.

“So, I must split myself in two—and not in the sense of an avatar, but literally dividing myself into two beings. However, doing this will halve my strength, reducing it to the Fourth Heaven of the Celestial Tier. More importantly, I am inherently not skilled at dealing with Reverse Causality. Although countless abilities converge toward the same goal, that's only true once one reaches the Ninth Heaven of the Celestial Tier. Using my abilities against Reverse Causality is like trying to melt ice with wind—it’s not entirely ineffective, but it’s certainly not as fast as using fire... Do you understand now?”

Mikoto understood. Yao Yao was not the most suitable person to resolve the Reverse Causality, but currently, no one else was qualified, so she had to reluctantly take on the task.

“Then, can we seek external help? Perhaps an Agent God who stands on your side, or someone skilled at dealing with Reverse Causality?”

Yao Yao shook her head again. “In that great war, three Agent Gods from our side survived, but they were more severely injured. Besides, you must remember there is only one World Sovereign. To prevent infiltration by hostile Agent Gods, they absolutely cannot leave their posts casually.”

It was clear the other three Agent Gods were guarding the worlds of Evil King, Dark King, and Demon King Lin Xiaoke. As the saying goes, touching one string moves the whole instrument. If Yao Yao summoned them, the other three worlds would inevitably become vulnerable, an opportunity hostile Agent Gods would certainly seize.

Originally, with Yao Yao's current strength at the Seventh Heaven of the Celestial Tier, she ranked above all other Agent Gods, so even if the opposing Agent Gods outnumbered them, they dared not attack, instead gathering strength. But if Yao Yao split herself in two, she would no longer be the strongest, and the resulting chain reaction was self-evident.

“As for those skilled with Reverse Causality, they exist, but that person died long ago, so they are no help. In short, the situation this time is extremely grim, but we cannot afford to abandon either side. No matter how dangerous it is, I must go,” Yao Yao sighed, then looked seriously at Mikoto. “Don't worry about this matter anymore. Focus on your cultivation. If you can reach the Celestial Tier sooner, you can lend me a hand.”

Mikoto was instantly speechless. How could she possibly cultivate peacefully in this state? But she also knew that with her current power, she would be utterly useless against an Agent God.

“...Little Yao... Can you hear my voice?”

Just then, Mikoto faintly heard a woman's voice resonate in the air. She initially thought it was an illusion, but instinctively glanced over, only to see Yao Yao's expression instantly become incredibly strange—a complex mix of shock, joy, and confusion.

“Whose voice is that?” Mikoto quickly asked. She knew this wasn't an illusion; Yao Yao had clearly heard the voice too, or she wouldn't have reacted that way.

“This is no longer your concern. You should leave,” Yao Yao replied, waving her away with a stern expression.

Seeing her demeanor, Mikoto knew this was beyond her scope and regretfully departed, though her mind buzzed with questions... That voice called her 'Little Yao,' clearly a nickname for Yao Yao. But who could it be? Moreover, given the flicker of surprise on Yao Yao’s face, was there truly reinforcement coming?

Setting aside Mikoto’s complex feelings and worries, once she left, Yao Yao's expression instantly relaxed. She gazed in the direction the sound came from, seeming scarcely able to believe it. “Is that really you?”

“Yes... Although still a bit weak... but enough to hold a... conversation with you.” Perhaps due to the extreme weakness of the speaker, the voice sounded fragmented, like an old radio. If Lin Luo were present, he would have been shocked to find this voice identical to the one he heard in his dreams.

Yao Yao stood frozen for a moment, seemingly lost, before finally speaking, “I always knew there was a soul inside that object. I thought it might be Hong Ling, or Yi Ren, or perhaps even Xue Yin. But I never imagined the person would be you... Qiqi!”

“Because... I’ve long since... died, haven't I?”

Hearing this, Yao Yao's expression darkened; she seemed to recall something, murmuring mournfully, “You shouldn't have died, not so early. If you had lived when the Holy War broke out, perhaps our ending would have been completely different, and everyone might have survived. You... died too soon.”

“There is no 'shouldn't'... Everyone dies when their day comes.”

“But everyone else died...” Yao Yao, usually so dominant, appeared incredibly fragile before this mysterious voice, tears welling up. “When the battle began, we lost two people right away—Outer Heaven experts, nothing left but ash. Then he led the eight of us to charge out without hesitation, but there were casualties all along the way. Hong Ling died clearing the traps of the myriad Heavenly Daos. Yi Ren died breaking the Outer Heaven seal. Xue Yin... Xue Yin died saving me. And him, although he stopped the great catastrophe, he died in the end. Why?”

“I know everyone died, but our deaths were not meaningless... At least we carved out the Outer Heaven, and at least we utterly ended that era of catastrophe, allowing life in the infinite worlds to continue, were we not?”

“Then why am I the only one left alive?” Yao Yao demanded through her tears. “I was clearly the weakest, so why am I the one who survived? I don’t understand!”

“Little Yao,” the voice sounded softly, like a comfort and an explanation. “I have always believed that no one can be eternally immortal, no one can forever be the protagonist of an era. Even you and I have a day when we pass on. Eons ago, I was the protagonist of the era. After several eons, he became the protagonist. Then the protagonist was Hong Ling, followed by Yi Ren, and then Xue Yin became the protagonist... When you joined us, you became the protagonist of that age. You were destined to lead the tide of the era in the future, so you survived, while we who were outdated perished.”

“Just because I am the protagonist?” Yao Yao gave a bitter laugh.

“Of course not. Because everyone treated you like a younger sister. As your elder siblings, wasn't it our duty to protect our sister?”

“But through these countless years, I don’t know how I’ve managed to live. The entire world felt as if it were only me,” Yao Yao spoke mournfully.

The voice fell silent for a moment, then sounded again. “Little Yao, there is one thing I firmly believe: no one ever truly vanishes forever. Take me, for example. I disappeared for countless eras, yet here I am, returned, am I not? So, you are not alone. One day, we will all gather again.”

“Why do you appear in this form?” Yao Yao suddenly asked.

“Because he calculated everything long ago—not just the deaths of everyone, but also the actions of the traitors. That is why, before the Holy War began, he started making arrangements, leading to my return now... Since I have awakened, Little Yao, you should know what I must do.”

“...” Yao Yao immediately fell silent.

“Master sacrificed himself and everything for all the worlds, earning countless eras of peace. Those traitors intend to bring back the era of catastrophe. Under no circumstances can I forgive them. Now that I have returned, then... no matter who it is, they are doomed to death!”

The previously gentle voice was suddenly filled with murderous intent. Even Yao Yao’s heart trembled upon hearing it. In this world, she had only ever feared two people: him, and the owner of this voice!

Yet, she still stated, “You cannot. In your current state, having just awakened, to confront that entity now risks your annihilation once more. Since you have returned, my mission is complete. I can sacrifice myself, but you cannot vanish again. It’s my turn now, so... I will go!”

“Little Yao, your ability is Fate Reversal and Life Alteration. Mine is Reverse Causality and Equivalent Exchange. No one is more suitable than me.”

“But...”

“Little Yao, are you still a member of the Time Pilgrims?”

“Of course,” Yao Yao answered without hesitation. “At any time!”

“Do you remember the rules of the Time Pilgrims?”

“...I remember.”

“Then, in my capacity as Vice-Captain, I order you that this incident is my responsibility. And now... what is your answer?” The gentle voice carried an undeniable authority.

“I... understand.”

Yao Yao hesitated for a moment, finally bowing her head.