"What are you doing? Do you intend to stop me too?" Yukari Yakumo, the Great Sage of Gensokyo, exclaimed in disbelief, finding herself blocked by the First Shrine Maiden standing directly in front of her. She, above all others, should have remained calm. No matter the time or the impending danger, she was always poised and resourceful. But now... in these past ten minutes, the turmoil within her heart had surged like ocean waves, completely shattering the composure expected of a sage.

Of course, her agitation was not without cause. Lin Luo, who had set his sights on Gensokyo, was now attempting to destroy the Great Barrier, to bring an end to the very realm she protected. And the First Shrine Maiden—one who shared her ideals and was even willing to sacrifice her life for them—was now allied with Lin Luo to stop her. This was something she had never imagined. Her closest comrade had become an enemy. What should have been an impossibility was now unfolding before her like a nightmare. How could this fail to move her?

The First Shrine Maiden shook her head. "I apologize, Yukari. I am merely a materialized projection of the soul, brought into existence through that person's power. Though I possess subjective thought, I lack independent stance. My consciousness is entirely dictated by the projector's will. Therefore... stopping you is the sole reason for my current existence."

Yukari fell silent. She understood. The Maiden before her possessed the First's appearance, memories, and emotions—even her soul was that of the original. But because she was projected by Lin Luo, her consciousness was completely skewed toward him. She was like a marionette; the puppet has no autonomy, every action dictated by the controller's intent.

However, the First Shrine Maiden's state was far beyond that of a mere puppet. She still possessed her own subjectivity, capable of discerning right from wrong. But under the influence of Lin Luo’s consciousness, her alignment could never waver. Whatever Lin Luo wished to do, she would execute. To put it more precisely, the First Shrine Maiden at this moment was akin to an obsessive, rabid fan, unconditionally supporting her idol.

How despicable, Yukari thought, grinding her teeth. She knew Lin Luo had no bottom line, but she never expected him to sink this low—to bind the First Maiden to his chariot using such a despicable method.

"Thank you, because I am a hero," Lin Luo replied with a smile, accepting the unspoken accusation. "I won't flatter you; I'll take it as a compliment..."

Yukari was so frustrated she felt like spitting blood. This guy... this guy... this guy! She desperately wanted to rail against Lin Luo, but after searching her vast mind, she could find no words adequate to describe his depravity. What a sky-shattering lack of decency!

However, Yukari finally calmed herself. Since Lin Luo could project the First Maiden's soul, it meant he held her entire soul in his grasp. Once he obtained the souls of the other ten Maidens, she would have no recourse.

"I will not yield, even if the enemy is you two," Yukari declared firmly, signaling her resolve. Before the words had fully left her mouth, a Gap opened, and she lunged toward Lin Luo.

"Ah, a Gap. How nostalgic," the First Shrine Maiden murmured wistfully. A white figure flashed, intercepting Yukari's attack even as she spoke. She immediately counter-attacked. During her life, she had fought Yukari many times, neither yielding an inch. She understood Yukari's Gap technique better than almost anyone.

Naturally, Yukari knew how difficult the First Maiden was to deal with, so she avoided a direct confrontation. She slipped into the Gap and reappeared from the exact opposite direction, striking at Lin Luo again. The First Maiden was merely a chess piece Lin Luo used to stall her; there was no need to fight her directly. In Yukari's mind, only Lin Luo needed to be defeated.

However, though Yukari intended to avoid prolonged combat, the First Maiden would not allow it. She followed closely, her attacks never lagging, even against the Gap's unpredictable nature. Five hundred years ago, the First Maiden's power was equal to Yukari's. Now, as a mere soul projection, she was only weaker than her living self, while Yukari had continued to improve. In a pure contest of strength, Yukari should have vastly surpassed the First.

Yet, in this not-so-large space, the two fought to a virtual standstill. They moved like lightning, leaving behind streaks of afterimages that blurred the eye. As a soul projection, Lin Luo's consciousness provided significant aid to the First Maiden, preventing her from being overwhelmed by Yukari's superior strength. Furthermore, the First Maiden's innate combat instinct was unparalleled—her sheer battle intuition left Reimu looking like a novice. Thus, in the short term, the First Maiden managed to hold Yukari to a draw.

The larger reason, however, was that Yukari was holding back. Though resolved to stop them, certain emotions were impossible to suppress. No matter how resolute she tried to be, she couldn't strike Lin Luo or the First Maiden with fatal intent. Even as she mentally urged herself to attack, she unconsciously spared them, holding back. Moreover, engaging at full power in this confined space would severely endanger the Great Barrier. With so many reservations, Yukari’s offense, though visually ferocious, never utilized even half of her true strength.

Despicable, truly despicable, Yukari cursed inwardly, knowing this situation was precisely what Lin Luo had anticipated. While the man might lack grand strategy, his cunning was enough to drive anyone mad. Yukari was being suppressed, but Lin Luo knew this was temporary. Given her power, she would soon find the First Maiden's weakness, and then stalling would be impossible.

Thus, Lin Luo wasted no time. While the two fought, he immediately began gathering the souls of the other ten Maidens. The First Maiden's soul was the most crucial factor sustaining the Great Barrier. Now that her soul had been drawn out, the world of the Barrier immediately began undergoing seismic changes. Amidst this turmoil, the souls of the remaining Maidens, previously hidden from detection, started to become distinct. Time is short; I must hurry, Lin Luo reminded himself, completely detaching from the external battle to focus entirely on the Barrier. Lin Luo was battling time, and Yukari and the First Maiden were also battling time.

Time ticked by, just as Lin Luo had predicted. Ten minutes later, Yukari finally saw through the First Maiden's weakness. The stalemate immediately broke, and she began pressing the attack, forcing the First Maiden into retreat. "Give up, you've already lost," Yukari declared mid-fight.

"You know I can't give up," the First Maiden replied, shaking her head, serving as a [Shushuwu]...

"Forgive me," Yukari whispered. As she launched an attack, she instinctively closed her eyes. She knew Lin Luo’s focus was entirely on the Great Barrier, making him unable to dodge her strike. If this blow landed true, Lin Luo would be gravely injured, and the two maidens would lose their souls. Though regrettable, she had no choice for the sake of Gensokyo.

Slap. With a soft sound, a fair hand shot out from the side, lightning-fast, gripping Yukari's wrist. Her attack was halted just an inch from Lin Luo's back. "What...?"

This sudden turn of events made Yukari snap her eyes open. A black-and-white figure flickered in her vision. Before she could react, an inescapable force, like a tidal wave, slammed into her, instantly flinging Yukari away.

A joint lock... Yukari thought in shock. Still airborne, she vanished into a Gap, stepping out onto the flat ground ahead. She looked forward...

A young girl in a black-and-white shrine maiden outfit stood behind Lin Luo, her hair tied in a single, long ponytail, billowing in the wind. Her right hand remained in the posture of having just thrown something, radiating an aura of heroic capability.

"Oh, I didn't expect us to meet again. This night seems rather boisterous, doesn't it?" The twin-tailed Maiden looked at Yukari, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.

Yukari gritted her teeth but couldn't muster any anger, only uttering resignedly, "It really is you..."

"The Second Generation," the girl confirmed. This was indeed Gensokyo's second Hakurei Shrine Maiden. She disliked overpowering foes with brute strength but excelled at joint locks, capable of easily dismantling an opponent's offense during combat. Any powerful Yokai facing her felt a profound sense of helplessness. Known as the 'Seal of Paradise,' the Second Generation smiled. "It seems you’re in a bit of trouble, Yukari."

"Indeed," the First Maiden said, stepping up from behind, chuckling. "Though I dislike overwhelming numbers, the gap in strength is clear. And being able to cooperate with a senior has filled me with fighting spirit." The Second Maiden took several steps forward, forming a pincer movement with the First Maiden...

Yukari frowned. The blow she was so confident in had been suddenly thwarted by the appearance of the Second Generation, putting her back on the defensive. Two Hakurei Maidens joining forces—this had never happened in Gensokyo's history. Even she felt immense pressure, but she knew she had to finish this quickly. (To be continued)