"What did you say? Let go of... Gensokyo?" Yakumo Yukari stared at Lin Luo, her face etched with utter disbelief. She could never have imagined that Lin Luo would utter such a thing.

"Do you know... what you are saying? Telling me to abandon Gensokyo? Do you know... how utterly outrageous your words are?" Yukari lowered her head again, but the fury from before had vanished, replaced by a deep-seated heartache and disappointment.

Why did she want to build Gensokyo in the first place?

Long ago, while striving to create Gensokyo, Yukari had pondered this very question. Yet, she could never find the answer, and over time, the query was sealed away in distant memories, only deepening her longing for Gensokyo.

Then, on that occasion, when her sealed memories finally awoke, the question resurfaced. Simultaneously, she found the answer.

Because Lin Luo had once told her that Gensokyo was a paradise where everyone could live in peace, happiness, and joy. Thus, the still-young Yukari yearned for such a paradise. Because Lin Luo told her Gensokyo was real, the hopeful girl within her desired to dwell there; if she couldn't find it, she would create one herself.

This was the greatest dream of her younger self.

Even though her memories were sealed, this dream never vanished from her heart.

To fulfill this dream, she strove ceaselessly—effort after effort, countless hours, immense sacrifice, even bearing a heavy and devastating cost. Finally, Gensokyo was born. For decades, centuries, she continuously paid the price and gathered the sorrow necessary to maintain Gensokyo's essential character.

And now, Lin Luo was asking her to abandon Gensokyo—the very thing conceived by the person who gave her the goal and the ideal of Gensokyo!

"Stop joking! It's not funny at all!"

Yukari tightened her grip on Lin Luo’s hand, drawing forth crimson blood that seeped from his chest, staining her fingertips. It felt as if she wanted to tear his flesh away, but in truth, she was oblivious to the physical pain. Her focus was solely on one thing: abandoning Gensokyo? If she truly did that, what would all her countless efforts over the years amount to? What would be the sacrifices of the eleven Shrine Maidens who gave their lives? What would be the sorrow of losing cherished friends again and again over five hundred years?!

"This is no joke." Lin Luo gently lifted her head, meeting her eyes. "You should know better than anyone the price required to sustain the existence of this Gensokyo. You understand more than I the pain of bearing such a cost. So, why continue?"

"Because there have already been sacrifices," Yukari replied through tears. "Some gave their lives, some gave their emotions, some gave their souls. Where will you put their contributions?"

"I told you, to free the souls of the Shrine Maidens, to let them return."

"Even if their souls are freed, will they still be the ones they were? Now, though they are dead, so long as Gensokyo exists, they exist. If Gensokyo vanishes, they cease to exist!"

~~ShuShu Net

"Impossible!"

"Trust me."

"I don't trust you!"

"Welcome back those lost Shrine Maidens, let the joy of reunion erase the five centuries of sorrow in your heart, and end this Gensokyo that demands life and soul. Rebuild a Gensokyo where everyone can truly be happy... Trust me, if we all work together, we can succeed."

"Empty words. I am no longer that naive, ignorant little girl."

Clearly, Yakumo Yukari did not believe Lin Luo, and she had ample reason to dismiss his words. As Lin Luo stated, she understood the predicament of the Shrine Maidens better than anyone, and naturally, she wished for their resurrection more than anyone. However, she could not achieve it; with her current power, there wasn't even a sliver of hope. Therefore, she refused to believe Lin Luo could do it, as he wasn't significantly stronger than her.

While his creation rules seemed omnipotent—Shenqi could replicate his creation to manifest countless lives or even an entire world—it couldn't save the Shrine Maidens.

Creating new life was far more difficult than resurrecting old ones.

It was like a chef making dishes. A brilliant chef could concoct endless new recipes, but recreating a dish whose very recipe had been lost for decades, even centuries, and matching the flavor exactly—that was almost impossible!

"So, stop pushing me, please. I beg you, just stop now. If you stop now, I can still help you bring back the souls of the two girls. I... I don't want to lose anyone else." Yukari's tone had shifted into supplication; this was her final, desperate plea.

The two girls she spoke of were, of course, Merlyn and Renko. Her expression made it clear she understood their current state and knew the consequences if she were forced to intervene. That was the reason she hadn't acted sooner, but her patience had reached its limit; if Lin Luo did not cease, she would act recklessly.

"It seems I cannot persuade you..." Lin Luo gave a wry smile.

Yukari’s voice was not forceful; it was almost a gentle plea, yet Lin Luo perceived the unyielding resolve beneath it. He knew that nothing more he said would alter her decision, and he understood what action she would take if he refused.

"Have you decided to give up?" Hearing the shift in his attitude, Yukari's eyes brightened slightly. If Lin Luo stopped then and there, she would forget today's events as if they never happened.

Lin Luo nodded, using his finger to wipe the tears from her face. "Yes. I brought these two girls here without permission; I must be responsible for their safety. They have bright futures ahead and cannot perish because of our argument. Since I cannot persuade you, then..."

Here, Lin Luo finished drying her tears, then offered a slight smile.

"Then I'll have to switch players on my end."

"Eh?" Lin Luo's words made Yukari momentarily pause.

Lin Luo seized the instant of her distraction, lightning-fast, grasping her wrist. He swiftly pulled her aside, and before Yukari could react, a figure of pure white flashed out from behind him, drifting toward her like fine gauze.

"Yukari, long time no see. I think... I'm back again."

An incredibly familiar voice sounded beside her ear. Looking at the approaching figure, Yakumo Yukari froze completely, unable to trust her own eyes, her face filled with shock and disbelief.

"The... First Generation???"

At this moment, time did not stop, but seemed to slow down millions of times over. A young girl in a white Shrine Maiden outfit approached as if treading on the wind.

Her toes barely touched the air, and ripples spread outward as if she were stepping on water. Her descending body drifted slowly in the air, seemingly never destined to land. Her snow-white sleeves fluttered in the breeze, immaculate as if untouched by dust. Her straight black hair flew wildly, as deep and profound as the dark night.

She possessed none of that peerless, unparalleled beauty, nor a face that could overthrow nations, nor a captivatingly seductive aura. Yet, the stars and moon in the heavens dimmed in comparison to her presence—she was unmatched.

In that instant, the world changed. It was no longer the lonely darkness, but a sacred garden overgrown with countless white flower buds, solely because of her existence.

Just gazing at her banished despair; infinite hope was born from her.

The First Generation Shrine Maiden—her arrival was like an angel descending to the mortal realm.

With the gentlest of smiles, the First Generation Maiden's snow-white hands rested upon Yukari’s shoulders. Her entire body leaned slightly forward, as if weightless, and the pure white instantly enveloped Yukari.

"First Generation? Is that the name you gave me?" the Maiden asked softly.

"Is... is it really you?" Hearing that familiar voice once more, Yukari finally believed that the original Hakurei Shrine Maiden truly stood before her. But this realization made it even harder to accept. "Why? Why is this happening?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it seems someone pulled me out," the First Generation Maiden’s temperament was as placid as lake water; even in this situation, her demeanor remained perfectly still.

Yukari abruptly turned to Lin Luo. "What is going on?"

"As you see, freeing the souls of the Shrine Maidens, letting them descend again," Lin Luo chuckled calmly.

"Impossible, this kind of thing..." Yukari shook her head repeatedly. "Dead Shrine Maidens cannot resurrect. A hallucination... No, this isn't a hallucination."

As she spoke, Yukari's comprehension completely broke down.

"Of course, dead Shrine Maidens do not resurrect. At least, I cannot do that now. The Maiden before you, strictly speaking, is an embodied projection of a soul," Lin Luo offered an explanation in time.

"An embodied projection of a soul..." Yukari murmured to herself. When she finally grasped the meaning, a frantic feeling welled up inside her.

She had been tricked!

Lin Luo's earlier talk of giving up was merely a deliberate deception to confuse her, seizing the opportunity to project the First Generation's soul. Was this what he meant by switching players? Damn it!

"Such trickery!"

Yukari exploded in fury, preparing to strike. This time, she wouldn't hesitate.

BUT!

Before Yukari could attack, the white figure flashed, and the First Generation Maiden stood before her, smiling slightly. "Yukari, I am not an illusion. I won't let you pass."