The world Lin Luo created could be called the World of Death; it was entirely isolated from Gensokyo, yet within it, his status was equivalent to that of a Creation God. Although he had to relinquish most of his "authority" to suppress the Dragon God, there were still many things he could accomplish.

One of these things was... the connection between worlds.

Based on the world where Gensokyo resided, this World of Death was created, and the most convenient "Gate" connecting the two was the channel linking them.

As is widely known, every world possesses its own worldview. For instance, the ordinary daily world is primarily governed by a scientific worldview, while combat-oriented worlds like those of swords and magic operate under a fantastical worldview. From a certain perspective, Gensokyo could stand alone as its own world.

And Gensokyo's worldview? It is neither scientific nor magical; it is Unconventional!

Never underestimate those three words, "Unconventional." In reality, the weight they carry is immense. If one considers common sense to be the mainstream—no, to be precise, every world utilizes common sense as its mainstream—even in those unscientific, magical worlds, common sense always takes precedence, forming an inherent worldview.

So, what about Gensokyo, whose mainstream worldview is Unconventional?

Subversion!

Yes, when this Unconventionality develops to its limit, it is powerful enough to subvert everything!

Gensokyo's Unconventionality, theoretically, is capable of shattering worldviews.

Of course, given Gensokyo's current strength, overturning the worldviews of other worlds is completely impossible. At most, it can only cause a certain degree of impact, as Gensokyo, after all, is still too small a world. But at this moment... Gensokyo and the World of Death were linked by Lin Luo through the Gate. And Lin Luo had control over the World of Death. So, what would be the result of this evolution?

"From this moment forward, this world will no longer possess common sense. Follow your heart, act as you wish—everything is possible!" Lin Luo declared loudly. This was his second trump card. A world entirely guided by individual consciousness, a place where one could fantasize freely, but where everyone's fantasy could become reality!

"That's right. Although we cannot join the direct fight, our power can become yours. So... take it—take all of our power!" In the luminous mirror, countless familiar faces showed smiles full of confidence, stating their resolve with resounding conviction.

And after they spoke, streams of visible energy flowed out from the luminous mirror. They seemed to possess their own life, their own consciousness, hovering around the gathered people like nimble little beasts, searching for their respective owners.

Ability Infusion!

When the recipients saw these countless energies flow into their bodies, they immediately understood: at this very moment, the strength of their comrades had become their own strength.

"Sakuya, the power of the Scarlet Devil Mansion is entrusted to you." Remilia suddenly appeared next to Sakuya, patting her shoulder with a smile. Several streams of energy transferred from her hands to Sakuya. Then, Remilia executed a graceful turn and flew back into the luminous mirror opposite, returning to Gensokyo.

Remilia had been crushed by the Black-Clad Maid's Spear of Destiny. Though not dead, her injuries rendered her incapable of continuing the fight. Even with Lin Luo's healing magic, it was impossible for her to return to peak condition in such a short time, as an attack of Heavenly Rank surpassed the scope of Lin Luo's repair abilities.

Watching Remilia's receding back, Sakuya paused slightly, but feeling the multitude of powers within her, she broke into a smile of understanding and softly replied, "Yes, Mistress, I have indeed received it."

"Lady Yuyuko, please accept my power." Simultaneously, Youmu sheathed her dual swords, offering only her half-spirit into Yuyuko's hand. Despite profound reluctance, she resolutely returned to Gensokyo.

Besides them, others such as Ibaraki Youmu, Himekaidou Hatate, Shouryou, Ibuki Suika, and others also transferred their power to others due to severe injuries preventing further combat, and subsequently returned to Gensokyo.

Even Eirin Yagokoro and some of the shrine maidens followed the same procedure.

Although this was a world of freedom, there were still limits; not everything one imagined could instantly materialize. It merely allowed imagination to advance closer to reality. Otherwise, defeating the Black-Clad Maid with a mere thought would turn this into a world of delusion, not fantasy.

Therefore, to concentrate combat power, sacrificing a portion was necessary. In the end, besides the Host, only Cirno, the First Shrine Maiden, and Kochiya Sanae remained on the field.

Cirno, being foolish, remained oblivious to what was happening, maintaining her usual air of being the strongest under heaven and earth. Lin Luo worried about her intelligence, but he considered her an unexpected dark horse and didn't bother with her.

As for Sanae and the First Maiden, they were in complete health. Moreover, one was a living god, and the other was one of the true founders of Gensokyo. Their unique powers, while transferable, would absolutely be more potent when wielded by themselves—a fact they themselves understood.

"Keep fighting!"

"Don't you dare lose!"

"If you die, we'll chase you down to Hell and never let you go!"

"..."

Once those who needed to retreat had done so, and those who needed to receive power had completed their acquisitions, countless cheers and shouts erupted from the luminous mirror. Hearing these voices, those entrusted with expectations felt an urge to weep. They knew that at this moment, what was bestowed upon them was not just the strength of their comrades, but the dreams, beliefs, and trust of everyone!

In this battle that determined everyone's fate, by sending their strength, everyone's destiny was also placed into their hands. They were trusted and anticipated to this extent.

At this moment, they... were no longer alone!

Therefore, they absolutely had to win!

Turning their gaze toward the distant battlefield, this was their resolve.

Mercury Lamia and Mumei. Due to the fusion of the World Heart and the World Heart, the two merged into one entity. Perhaps they should now be called Mercury Mumei. Their unprecedented, immense strength placed tremendous pressure on the Black-Clad Maid.

She absolutely could not comprehend how two beings who were weak as ants a moment ago could become so powerful after merging. What she understood even less was... she could not exchange their abilities!

Her power had reached Heavenly Rank. Theoretically, any power below Heavenly Rank could be obtained through Equivalent Exchange. But the opponents' rank was clearly below Heavenly Rank; why couldn't she exchange?

Could it be that this person possessed a mystery beyond the reach of my Equivalent Exchange?

The Black-Clad Maid pondered secretly.

No, such a thing was impossible!

The Black-Clad Maid’s eyes sharpened, completely discarding superfluous thoughts. She threw a punch, and the fatal Black Flame of Destruction surged forward like a fire dragon toward her opponent... Even if she couldn't exchange power, her rank was still higher than the enemy's; relying on this alone, she would never be defeated.

Everything else was irrelevant!

The Black-Clad Maid believed this, and in fact, her thinking was correct. Her initial disadvantage was simply due to her lack of understanding of Mercury Mumei's abilities; she focused too much on the enemy's powers and neglected her own advantages. This was not the mark of a qualified warrior.

"Space Bind!"

Mercury Mumei cried out, flicking her hand to unleash a high-dimensional multiple spatial barrier, trapping the Black Flame of Destruction within. Simultaneously, the N-Field activated, and she instantly appeared behind the Black-Clad Maid, her hand, imbued with multi-dimensional spatial force, slicing toward the enemy's neck like a sharp knife.

This was an attack from a blind spot, silent and without warning. An ordinary expert would certainly not evade this move, but the Black-Clad Maid merely gave a cold laugh.

"Speaking of which, you've been arrogant long enough. Did you really think I had no means against you?"

The Black-Clad Maid didn't look back, but a figure entirely condensed from the Black Flame of Destruction suddenly emerged from behind her. A cold sneer on its face, it easily caught Mercury Mumei's attack. Then, the figure dispersed like mist, entirely enveloping Mercury Mumei.

Mercury Mumei's expression changed. Realizing the danger, she swiftly retreated into the N-Field. Although she possessed the power to resist the Black Flame of Destruction, a full-scale assault would overwhelm her defenses.

The exchange of offense and defense occurred in an instant. It appeared neither side gained an advantage, but in reality, Mercury Mumei had lost the upper hand.

Within the N-Field, Mercury Mumei floated, searching for an opening to attack.

It seems she's given up trying to exchange for my abilities and intends to suppress me with her rank. This is troublesome. Although I'm not worried her rank can suppress the mystery of the World Heart, if we engage in a direct clash, I have little chance of winning... The Rule of Destruction—how does one break that? I didn't think about it before, but facing it directly now, Father's ability is truly unsolvable.

Mercury Mumei's mind raced, attempting to devise a way to counter the Rule of Destruction. However, before she could find a solution, she heard a shattering sound. Startled, she instinctively looked, only to see a fissure appear in the completely sealed N-Field, through which the black flames surged.

What!

Mercury Mumei's face drastically changed.

The N-Field was destroyed—how was this possible?

If the N-Field had been created solely by Mercury Lamia, it would indeed be vulnerable to the Black-Clad Maid. But this N-Field now integrated Hope and Space; the power of two World Hearts simultaneously fueling it meant its defense could withstand the attacks of a Heavenly Rank expert. Theoretically, it was absolutely impossible to breach!

The N-Field was no longer safe.

Though she hated to admit it, the facts were before her. Mercury Mumei knew things were going south and immediately retreated from the N-Field.

"Little girl, your moment of glory is over!"

As Mercury Mumei emerged, the Black-Clad Maid's icy voice reached her ears. Simultaneously, a massive force gripped her neck, and all she saw was the roaring Black Flame of Destruction.

Damn it!

The entry and exit points of the N-Field were uncertain, operating entirely at the master's whim; there was no concept of being intercepted. But now, the Black-Clad Maid had laid an ambush, waiting for Mercury Mumei to walk right into it. If she hadn't divined Mercury Mumei's intent, it meant... she had completely mastered the N-Field!

Faced with such an unexpected attack, no matter how strong Mercury Mumei was, she could not resist. In the blink of an eye, she was completely engulfed by the Black Flame of Destruction.

In less than a moment, Mercury Mumei’s body was burned to ashes. Then the Black-Clad Maid retracted her hand, her eyes sweeping the area, sensing no trace of the opponent’s aura.

"It's over... Huh?!"

The Black-Clad Maid was about to bring the fight to a close, but before she finished speaking, her gaze shifted abruptly, and she looked up sharply to see a spatial barrier descending like Mount Tai.

Not dead?

The Black-Clad Maid was greatly surprised. She had struck with all her might just now; that scorching sensation was real, not an illusion or anything similar. The opponent should have been utterly annihilated at that moment. But why was she still alive? And counterattacking so quickly?

A fierce light shone in the Black-Clad Maid's eyes. She waved her hand violently, and the Black Flame of Destruction spread out like a light curtain. Instantly, it incinerated the spatial barrier, and she rapidly searched for the opponent's figure.

This fellow is too strange. Does she truly possess a mystery I cannot reach?

"Hoo, that was close." While the Black-Clad Maid searched for Mercury Mumei, Mercury Mumei was hiding in a distant parallel world, wiping cold sweat from her brow.

Because the N-Field was countered, her physical body, consciousness, and even existence were instantly burned away. It was supposed to be a certain death situation, but her existence was different... As one formed from the merger of two Hosts, she possessed two distinct existences, and these two could switch freely between true form and shadow at any moment. Thus, at the moment of extreme crisis, the switch occurred immediately, retreating the true form to the parallel world, while what was burned was merely the shadow.

Of course, this shadow was not fundamentally different from the true form.

However, as long as the true form and the shadow were not destroyed simultaneously, she could never die.

"Though that's true, after that last exchange, my weakness has likely been completely seen through by her. If I fall for the same trick again, I probably won't escape next time. It's a shame... trading the original future for one chance at resurrection is all I get, otherwise this wouldn't be so troublesome."

Mercury Mumei couldn't help but mutter, sounding somewhat aggrieved, but then she gave a wry smile. "Really, because things aren't going smoothly, I've become a bit greedy, haven't I?"

"Yes, a little greedy," Mercury Mumei spoke again, though her tone was slightly different.

"I understand. Trading an unnecessary future for a chance at resurrection for us is actually quite a profitable deal, but... I still feel resentful."

"I feel resentment too, but to defeat such a powerful foe with just the two of us is still wishful thinking. So there's no need to be discouraged. I believe... they should be prepared on the other side."

"...Right. Then let's do it again!"

Mercury Mumei took a deep breath and stepped out, crossing directly over the parallel world to reappear opposite the Black-Clad Maid.

"Hmph!" The Black-Clad Maid sneered upon seeing her. "To hide in a parallel world—what a lowly trick. You won't be so lucky next time; I'll destroy the parallel world along with you!"

As she spoke, the Black Flame of Destruction surged out again.

"Try it if you think you can!" Mercury Mumei retorted without yielding, beckoning her hand. Several layers of space overlapped in front of her, cutting randomly.

The Black-Clad Maid paused in confusion. What was this? Such reckless action seemed like handing her an easy target!

But instantly, when countless figures of Mercury Mumei appeared around her, she understood... Time and Space are intrinsically linked. Cutting space simultaneously affected the timeline. This world originally had no concept of timelines, but now, because of Mercury Mumei's spatial cutting, multiple non-repeating timelines began to form. If every timeline truly existed, Mercury Mumei would be attacking her multiple times across different temporal instances.

In other words, she had to face countless Mercury Mumeis alone.

"Hmph, how ridiculous. Can such a trick really work? Watch as I destroy them all!"

The Black-Clad Maid's tone was filled with disdain. She swung her fist, and the Black Flame of Destruction instantly swept toward the timelines that Mercury Mumei was cutting... Generating multiple existences relies primarily on different timelines. If the timelines are destroyed, the trick becomes meaningless.

And the result was just as the Black-Clad Maid predicted: both space and time were a joke before her Rule of Destruction, offering no possibility of resistance.

However, Mercury Mumei acted as if she didn't know this principle. While dodging the Black-Clad Maid's attacks, she continuously cut space, persistently disrupting the timeline.

From an observer's perspective, the battlefield looked like a kaleidoscope, with countless Mercury Mumeis inside the mirror, and the Black-Clad Maid standing before it, ceaselessly destroying.

"How boring!" Initially, the Black-Clad Maid suspected Mercury Mumei had another scheme and maintained some restraint, not using her full power. But as time passed, she realized the opponent seemed intent on sticking to one move, purely a delaying tactic. She lost interest and slammed a punch into the space beside her.

Crack!

In an instant, the Black Flame of Destruction erupted like a geyser, burning away all space and time utterly.

"If your goal was simply to extend your survival time, congratulations, you managed to live one minute longer." The Black-Clad Maid mocked dismissively, flashing forward and arriving before Mercury Mumei with lightning speed.

Mercury Mumei rapidly retreated, smiling. "Indeed, my goal has been achieved."

Huh?

As the Black-Clad Maid prepared to strike, Mercury Mumei's smile made her heart clench; for some reason, she had a bad premonition.

Then, just at that moment...

"Isn't one-on-one boring? Let us join the fun too."

A voice, not entirely familiar yet certainly not strange, reached the Black-Clad Maid's ears. Turning abruptly, she saw a shrine maiden clad in red and white rushing toward her like lightning.

Boom!

Although the Black-Clad Maid reacted promptly, Reimu's speed completely exceeded her expectations. A fist carrying immense force struck her arm squarely, immediately sending her flying backward.

"Although I was terrified just now, when it comes to an actual fight, it doesn't seem so scary," Reimu said lazily, standing in the void and flexing her fist, unsure if she was mocking herself or her opponent.

The Black-Clad Maid halted her flight halfway, instinctively looking down at her deformed arm, and couldn't help but frown... At that instant, her entire body was enveloped by the Black Flame of Destruction. Among everyone present, those who could ignore the destruction and strike her directly were only Lin Luo and Mercury Mumei. Others, let alone repelling her, would be instantly incinerated by the slightest contact. But what was happening now?

This seemingly incredibly weak shrine maiden had actually injured her?!

The Black-Clad Maid's mind was filled with questions, but before she could figure it out, another warning flared in her heart. Without time to think deeply, she instinctively dodged to the side.

The next moment, a black light flashed, precisely where she had been standing.

"As expected, I'm not used to swords and such." Not far away, Yuyuko said helplessly, holding a pitch-black blade.

The Black-Clad Maid looked over, her brow furrowing even tighter... My intuition tells me this person can also pose a threat to me. That strike just now was delivered by her—a blade imbued with the power of death, or rather, a blade completely condensed from the intent of death. But there was something else beyond that. What is going on with these few people?

"Thinking too much is never a good thing."

A different voice sounded again, but before it finished, the Black-Clad Maid sensed danger ahead of time. She tried to block instinctively, raising a hand, and instantly, a small white knife was caught between her fingers.

The moment she saw this, she instantly knew who was attacking her, intending to incinerate the small blade without a second thought. Yet, before she could muster her power, the knife she held preemptively unleashed its force… In the blink of an eye, her entire arm was reduced to a desiccated bone, which then dissolved into dust! This?! Staring at her empty left arm, the woman in black changed expression drastically. Being repelled by that previous shrine maiden was one thing, but what was this now? A mere immature Time Law had managed to injure her to this extent? Was this a joke?!

BOOM!!!

Shock wracked the woman in black’s heart, but before the shock could even settle, a tangible piece of heaven and earth violently smashed down toward her.

Heaven, vast and magnificent; Earth, boundless and endless. Heaven and Earth together form a world. If a world loses its Heaven and Earth, it becomes mere nothingness. Conversely, as long as Heaven and Earth exist, a world can manifest anywhere.

At this moment, the realm crashing down radiated the might of a world.

“Damn it!” The woman in black was enraged. Heaven and Earth—how insignificant were such things in her eyes? Yet now, this very thing posed a threat to her. It was utterly baffling.

In her fury, the woman in black paid no heed to the might of that Heaven and Earth, unleashing a glare that threatened to shatter the realm, but before her attack could land, danger struck again from below.

Catching it in her peripheral vision, the woman in black saw a curtain of light tinged with gold and green.

On one side, Heaven and Earth; on the other, the golden-green light screen. Two powerful forces simultaneously launched a pincer attack against the woman in black. Caught completely off guard, she was struck squarely, squeezed like a sandwich.

The unexpected force caused the woman in black great harm; her body instantly disintegrated. However, this outcome was clearly not enough to kill her. The Rule of Destruction activated, instantly burning the Heaven and Earth and the light screen to ash.

“You swarm of ants!” Black flames burned fiercely, and an enraged voice echoed from the inferno. Everyone immediately saw a figure composed entirely of black flame, its features identical to the woman in black.

Looking at her enemies surrounding her, her expression was now as ferocious as a monstrous beast.

She was absolutely furious. When she had adopted the form of the woman in black, apart from Lin Luo and the Mercury Dream that followed, no one else should have been able to harm her. In her view, humans, shrine maidens, or yōkai were all as insignificant as ants on the ground.

But!

These very ants had genuinely wounded her in the barrage of successive attacks, even destroying her physical body. This was something she could no longer tolerate.

Thus, she simply discarded her not-so-important physical form, existing purely as the destructive Black Flame itself.

Then, the destructive Black Flame spread outward, unstoppable, striking fiercely towards the crowd.

“None of you will escape! All of you die!”

The dignity of a supreme expert could not be profaned. To have her body shattered by ants, she would hold nothing back now. She wanted these ants to understand through death that no scheme, no conspiracy, no belief or conviction mattered in the face of absolute strength!

Yet, as she charged forward with such fierce momentum, what greeted her was the utterly calm expressions of these so-called ants—as if they had anticipated this outcome all along.

No!

No!

This situation gave her an overwhelming sense of cognitive dissonance. She vaguely sensed something was wrong, but where? Where exactly had things gone astray?

Boom!

In the next moment, when the original Shrine Maiden struck the destructive Black Flame with a punch, scattering the flames that should have incinerated everything, she finally understood as she looked at the opponent's placid expression.

There was no fear on these people’s faces. There was absolutely no dread in their hearts.

They, who should have been afraid, who should have been in despair, had completely transformed!

Their inner selves were protected, shielded by something she did not know, allowing their despairing hearts to rise once more with momentum and hope.

She saw it: the unshakeable conviction in these people’s hearts—the belief that they would win!

P.S.: Seven thousand characters; still a bit short of ten thousand. Battle scenes are difficult to write, and the speed really isn’t picking up. (To be continued)