When facing the Dragon God, Lin Luo had simulated the battle countless times before it even began. The probability of their entire group being wiped out exceeded ninety percent, while the chance of winning with zero casualties was less than one percent, and that was factoring in the presence of the Bright World's host.

Of course, if Yao Yao could lend a hand, the probabilities would completely invert. However, when he connected with the Sky City’s host and learned that Yao Yao had entered seclusion the night before, he knew that possibility had been absent from the start.

To be the mistress of Sky City one day, and then enter seclusion when it was time to fight the Dragon God—even Lin Luo wasn’t that dense. He understood exactly what that implied. Even without her saying it, he could already envision her subtext: Carry your own burdens; if you want to save people, you must do it yourself. If you don't strive and merely pin your hopes on the power of others, you shouldn't have entertained the thought in the first place!

If Yao Yao had been willing to intervene, Lin Luo certainly wouldn't have played the martyr and refused. But even without her involvement, he wouldn't descend into despair as if facing the apocalypse, because he had never held such high expectations from the outset.

Although his simulations showed the probability of victory without any casualties was under one percent, it was ultimately not an absolute zero. As long as a sliver of hope remained, he would not let go.

So, he splintered his consciousness into thousands upon thousands of fragments, continuing to deduce a path toward that one percent probability. Countless failures resulted in the collapse of countless mental facets, yet Heaven did not fail the diligent. Finally, he clearly grasped the path leading to that one percent chance!

Naturally, "grasping" it merely meant he understood what to do during the battle. But the battlefield was a place of instantaneous change; even a tiny mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, along the path he seized, their winning probability was only fifty percent.

Though not guaranteed, that fifty percent was enough for him to commit everything.

Because in combat, mistakes inevitably provoke bursts of power—Remilia’s dominance, Youmu’s power surge, the Miko’s might… all of these events had transpired within his simulations.

There was only one thing he hadn't accounted for: Ming Meng!

Ming Meng’s unscripted intrusion caused a deviation between his simulated combat and the actual fighting, nearly plunging them into a situation of eternal damnation. However, the appearance of Mercury Ming Meng pulled the future back onto the correct track once more. In terms of the outcome, this was better than his own deductions.

Then, following the trajectory of his deduction, the greatest problem became how to actually kill the Dragon God!

Frankly speaking, as the embodiment of the rule of Equivalent Exchange, the Dragon God was an almost completely abstract existence; the concept of death simply didn't apply to it. Killing it was far more difficult than having them all reach the Celestial Tier. But… nothing is absolute. From tens of millions of impossibilities, Lin Luo still found the answer he needed.

That answer was Reality!

What is called Reality is always a singular existence. There is no accident, only inevitability—like a river, it only flows downward, irreversible.

If the Dragon God turned this world into Reality, it would likewise be constrained by Reality, becoming a singular, absolute, and irreversible existence. Although this would make it incredibly powerful, perhaps exerting an irresistible pressure on them, its greatest strength would also become its weakness. As long as they could kill the materialized Dragon God, that result would become the sole reality, unchangeable!

Opportunities are always reserved for the prepared. Lin Luo had prepared for too long, planned for too long. Whether it was the exchange of annihilation, the activation of Illusionary Power by modifying the worldview, or even the creation of this world—all of it was within his plan, proceeding exactly according to his script. And his goal was singular… the Materialization of the Dragon God!

Once that objective was achieved, the decisive blow would arrive.

And now, the only question testing them was: With their current combat power, could they shatter the Reality before them—the Slaughterer?!

The reinforcements arriving from the Bright World were few: only Tohsaka Rin, Sakagami Tomoyo, Shana, Leif, Konoe Koyomi, Sakurazaki Setsuna, Isayama Yomi, Tsuchimiya Kagura, and Gogyo Ruri—nine people in total. Based on overt combat strength, the latter five were somewhat lacking, especially Gogyo Ruri; although her ability was peculiar, it posed no significant threat to the Slaughterer's core characteristics.

Among the first four, the strongest was Tohsaka Rin, who had reached the Quasi-Celestial Tier. This level of power was equivalent to Yakumo Yukari’s. In the past, she would certainly have been considered a paramount figure, but compared to the Slaughterer, who was stronger than the Annihilation state, her power was bordering on negligible.

If even the Quasi-Celestial Tier Tohsaka Rin was nearly useless, the other three were even less worth mentioning.

Insignificant!

The sudden appearance of enemy reinforcements didn't cause the Slaughterer to flinch. In an instant, she had seen through the strength of this small group and dismissed them with four words: insignificant.

To be honest, at her level, such an assessment was not excessive. However, there was one thing she could not know… Nine of them were Hosts, with the exception of Sakurazaki Setsuna, who was herself a Seal of Guardianship. Since they dared to enter such a battlefield with this level of strength, did they truly have no preparation? Or was this simply a demonstration of supreme arrogance?

No one knew, and the Slaughterer didn't bother to consider the question. Regardless of how many enemies there were, whether they were strong or weak, she had only one thing to do… Kill!

A sword wind rose, and figures flew forward. The Slaughterer no longer possessed the arrogant, domineering aura or the condescending self-regard from before. All she held now was cold precision and cruelty. With a mere glance, she vanished from her spot, instantly appearing before Tohsaka Rin, her world-splitting sword descending.

The Slaughterer immediately judged the person before her as the leader of this relief force—a move that would yield immense returns by eliminating the command structure. Even if the enemies were weak, she would not underestimate them, treating every engagement with full commitment, prioritizing victory above all else. This was the Slaughterer.

"How could we let you attack our General the moment you arrived!"

Two figures shot out in a blur—it was Sakagami Tomoyo and Shana. Since the defense of Sky City, Tohsaka Rin's commanding presence had been evident, and in this battle, the nine operated under her lead. Naturally, they couldn't allow their main commander to be struck immediately.

"Sky Soaring Descent Kick—Crimson Myriad!" Sakagami Tomoyo unleashed her strongest attack without reservation. Kicking out, thousands of rays of light burst from her toes, then converged on her right foot as she stomped heavily toward the Slaughterer.

"True Flame Slash—Judgement!" Crimson flames surged as Shana brandished the Crimson Flame Blade, cleaving out a single sword strike. Scorching sword light instantly erupted, aimed at the Slaughterer’s dark longsword.

Clang!

Boom!

Shana’s blade, Nizao, met the Slaughterer’s dark sword. That world-splitting strike was actually blocked, but the terrifying impact force exceeded her ability to bear. The destructive crimson flame winked out instantly, and she herself was thrown backward.

On the other side, Sakagami Tomoyo’s attack landed squarely on the Slaughterer’s shoulder. As a practitioner of the Hegemony style who breaks rules through sheer force, the power of a pure physical attack was undeniable. Yet, the Slaughterer barely moved, merely shaking her shoulder, sending a massive counterforce that immediately blasted Sakagami Tomoyo away.

The combined assault of the two powerhouses had disrupted the Slaughterer’s lethal move, but on the surface, they gained no advantage whatsoever. Meanwhile, Tohsaka Rin seized the opportunity to retreat swiftly.

However, having identified Tohsaka Rin as her primary target, the Slaughterer was not about to let her go easily. She pushed off the void with her toes, charging forward like lightning.

"Seventh Layer Bounded Field—Gem Empire!"

Witnessing the Slaughterer’s overwhelming strength, Tohsaka Rin dared not relax. As she retreated rapidly, she flicked her hand, sending out a cascade of glittering jewels. Immediately, the Bounded Field manifested in the form of castles—seven of them—erecting themselves as insurmountable barriers before the Slaughterer.

A Bounded Field is the materialization of a mental landscape, using one's imagination to erode the reality around them. But this type of technique demanded immense magical consumption. Tohsaka Rin had recognized this flaw long ago. After reaching the Quasi-Celestial Tier, she adapted herself, ultimately changing the form of her Bounded Field: instead of eroding the outside world, she used the external world as a foundation upon which to construct her own dominion.

By absorbing the world's magic and then hyper-compressing it, the seven castles of the Gem Empire functioned as seven small worlds, capable of both offense and defense, and adaptable to various formations.

But the Slaughterer didn't spare them a second glance. Her speed did not decrease; if anything, it increased. With a sudden sweep of her longsword, a massive crescent-shaped sword light slashed toward the seven fortresses with a tearing sound.

The seven small worlds were indeed powerful; unleashed to their full potential, they could shake this world to its core. Unfortunately, the Slaughterer was stronger. Wherever the sword light passed, whirr, the sound of destruction filled the air—all Bounded Fields, all small worlds, vanished into dust!

"Damn! Must you be this terrifying?!" Tohsaka Rin had thought her technique might at least buy her time, even if she couldn't match the opponent’s power. But seeing this, she was nearly dumbfounded. The enemy's might far exceeded her expectations. Fighting this terrifying foe with ordinary methods was impossible.

The sword light, having annihilated the seven small worlds, showed no sign of weakening, still surging toward Tohsaka Rin. She was moments away from being cut down on the spot.

"Don't underestimate people!"

Tohsaka Rin was enraged. She wasn't weak, yet she was being treated like a soft target. Unbearable!

"Heart of the World Activation—Halo Shift!"

Just as the sword light was about to strike, Tohsaka Rin slammed her eyes shut. In an instant, her body transformed into a phantom-like, elusive stream of seven-colored light. The sword light passed right through her body without causing the slightest injury.

"Speed Activation—Phantom!"

The moment she opened her eyes, without any warning, she was already in front of the Slaughterer. Then…

"Power Activation—Armor Break!"

Tohsaka Rin, having materialized her form, punched the Slaughterer directly in the abdomen.

BOOM!

With a loud crash, the Slaughterer was sent flying backward.

PS: Well, it’s time to pull out the cheats. (To be continued)