Reimu and Kazami Yuuka stood frozen on the spot, unsure how to react for a moment. The instant the Slaughterer appeared, nearly seventy percent of their fighting spirit vanished. This wasn't due to a lack of resolve, but rather the overwhelming suppression reality exerted upon fantasy—a fundamental restraint that could not be overcome by mere spirit or will.

It was akin to the countless civilians in the mundane world; no matter how grand their dreams, in the face of harsh, cold reality, they ultimately had to comply for the sake of survival.

Yet, not everyone bows to reality. Some will meet the challenge head-on, though whether they end up battered and bloody or soaring alongside their dreams is another matter entirely.

To overcome the pressure of reality and push forward with fantasy—in the end, it all relies on oneself!

Lin Luo’s words were conveying exactly this message to them.

Compromise or resist? Looking at the distant battlefield swirling with flashes of sword light, Reimu and Kazami Yuuka fell into confusion. Of course, they wanted to resist, but the suppression of reality prevented them from taking that crucial step. Every time they tried to move forward, a bloody and chilling image of death would construct itself in their minds, offering nothing but oblivion.

Were they afraid of death?

Naturally, everyone fears death. But having thrown themselves onto this battlefield, they had long ago set life and death aside. In this moment, why speak of fear? Still, no one wishes for death. Knowing they might die, and worse, drag their comrades down with them—could they truly take that step?

A moment later, Kazami Yuuka suddenly spoke, “I don’t want to die. Do you?”

“Of course not,” Reimu replied.

“But I feel that if we don’t take this step now, we might never be able to move forward again.”

“A single compromise doesn’t mean eternal surrender, but one compromise can become an everlasting shadow. That’s the meaning, right?”

Kazami Yuuka offered a wry smile. “I understand. You understand too.”

“Then there’s nothing to hesitate about,” Reimu sighed.

“Indeed. Since everyone is counting on us, entrusting their dreams to our care, how can we yield to reality?”

“Even if we are ultimately smashed to pieces by reality, I will absolutely not compromise!”

The two exchanged a look, instantly seeing the blazing fighting spirit in the other’s eyes. Yes, they lacked the power to crush reality, but so what? If a person loses their fantasy, what meaning is left in living? They would merely be walking corpses.

Reality was indeed cruel and powerful, but they would not abandon their dreams. Even if they ended up broken and scattered, with not a bone remaining, they would move forward with their fantasies—with no regrets!

At that instant, with their decision made, the two felt no trace of fear. Death, entanglements—let it all roll away. They only needed to be themselves!

“With fantasy—that is my strongest power… Four Bodies of Existence!” Rushing toward the battle, Reimu shouted, her body instantly splitting into four: the primary Reimu ahead, Shiroi Rei Reimu behind, Onikoyomi to the left, and Magami Reimu to the right.

The domain she reached through the power of fantasy meant her strength was fantasy!

“Fantasy Born!”

“Tiger Talisman Meteor!”

“Final Descent Heaven!”

“Apex of Illusion!”

The four Reimus unleashed everything without reservation, brilliant, varied, and overwhelmingly powerful. Bursting onto the battlefield, they displayed their ultimate might, launching an assault against the Slaughterer.

Meanwhile, Kazami Yuuka began her fight as well. She didn't have Reimu’s variety of tricks, nor did she need them. From the very beginning, she walked the path of sheer dominance. In this battle where retreat and compromise were impossible, it was only natural that she would continue down this road!

“Haki!”

Two simple words, unadorned, but… this was the proof of her strength!

“Mere fantasy, yet it has crossed the barrier of reality… Impossible!” Seeing the two charging at her relentlessly, even the Slaughterer couldn't remain calm. Her obsidian eyes were filled with shock.

However, the facts were laid bare: reality could not extinguish all fantasy!

Originally, just facing Lin Luo and Lephu, Tōsaka Rin and Sakagami Tomoyo, as well as Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura, plus Shana—those seven individuals were already putting immense pressure on the Slaughterer. Now, with Reimu and Kazami Yuuka joining the fray after traversing the wall of reality, she was completely at a disadvantage and gradually falling back.

“That’s incredible; they even broke through the barrier of reality. We need to step it up too!” On the other side, Suiginmei watched the battle, her eyes sparkling with excitement, stating this.

“Yes, but the techniques of the others are even more impressive,” Suiginmei replied in a different tone.

“Fusion? It seems similar to our state.”

In truth, when Suiginmei first appeared, Lin Luo had suspected they might have unintentionally grasped the concept of Fusion, but he hadn't been certain until Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura merged. Only then did he confirm it, prompting him to immediately relay the information he knew to Suiginmei. Consequently, Suiginmei was fully aware of the three major battle techniques.

“Although it seems to be the case, in terms of sheer power, our Fusion seems quite amateurish yet.”

“That’s only natural. They endured countless eras and a loneliness more painful than death to comprehend Fusion. We merely triggered it unintentionally after dying once. If we could reach the same level as them under those circumstances, it would be too unfair.”

“However, it is a fact that we possess an excellent starting point. Since the seniors are here, let’s push our immature Fusion power to its absolute limit!”

Suiginmei declared this, and the next moment, Space and Hope activated again. Echoing the Heart of the World, they charged into the battle fearlessly and aggressively.

The pressure on the Slaughterer immediately increased again.

Lin Luo’s side had the advantage in numbers, compounded by the fact that most possessed heaven-defying abilities like Battle Techniques. This mysterious force, which constrained almost everything, left the Slaughterer constrained, preventing her from unleashing any of her large-scale destructive attacks. The advantage gradually shifted toward Lin Luo’s group, growing larger until she was completely suppressed in the fight.

But the Slaughterer was no novice. A true Celestial-rank expert, even when facing superior mysteries and positioned defensively, showed no signs of defeat. She even managed to put everyone in peril several times.

It was only thanks to Konoe Kinoka and Goge Kūri that these moments ended without disaster.

Both hostesses possessed Fusion Techniques, yet neither had joined the active combat, remaining far removed from the melee. Seeing that they showed no will to fight, the Slaughterer initially paid them little attention. But as the battle intensified, she realized she had been terribly mistaken.

Indeed, Konoe Kinoka and Goge Kūri were not fighting directly, but that didn't mean they couldn't influence the flow of the battle.

As a healing mage who had mastered a Fusion Technique, Konoe Kinoka’s healing and support capabilities were nearly unrivaled—even Lin Luo’s Divine Healing Art fell short. Her inexhaustible magic allowed the entire battlefield roster to remain at peak condition constantly. Even if someone suffered an injury, as long as they had a breath left, she could instantly pull them back.

In other words, unless the Slaughterer could execute a one-hit kill, no one in a battlefield where Kinoka was present could truly die.

And could the Slaughterer kill in one hit?

Under normal circumstances, yes. With her immense power, anyone could be instantly eliminated. But… Tōsaka Rin and Sakagami Tomoyo both held Armor-Piercing Skills designed specifically to counter various forms of power. They were also smart, not focusing on output, but solely on the Slaughterer's ultimate moves. The moment the enemy used a killing blow, the two would immediately pounce, rendering any killing move useless under their armor penetration.

Of course, given the vast difference in strength, even with the Armor-Piercing Skills, those two would sustain injuries. But the problem was that Kinoka, the divine healer, was not just window dressing.

Thus, the Slaughterer found herself in a highly awkward predicament.

To kill anyone else, she had to eliminate Tōsaka Rin and Sakagami Tomoyo first. But to kill them, she had to kill Konoe Kinoka, who was outside the main fight. And to kill Kinoka, she had to break through the defensive line formed by Lin Luo and the others... a complete death loop!

Naturally, being Celestial-rank, she wasn't completely incapable of breaking such a stalemate. Several times, she employed a mutually destructive strategy, forcibly breaching the defenses to reach Kinoka.

But… she could not successfully kill Kinoka.

Because the one truly protecting Kinoka was not Lin Luo and the others, but the seemingly idle Goge Kūri!

Goge Kūri, a user of a Fusion Technique, possessed the power of existence and absence. Besides herself, she could make anyone else exist or vanish. The moment the Slaughterer breached the defense and reached Kinoka, Goge Kūri would activate her ability, causing Kinoka to disappear without a trace instantly.

In such a state, the Slaughterer couldn't even find her, let alone kill her.

This naturally shifted the primary target to Goge Kūri. However, Goge Kūri’s ability to vanish was even more effortless; the probability of her being killed was not just zero—it was negative!

After fighting tooth and nail, the Slaughterer sadly realized that unless she could kill everyone simultaneously, her chance of successfully killing a single opponent was zero, because none of her opponents were mere fillers.

Oh, wait, there was one filler.

Sakurazaki Setsuna.

From her entrance until now, she hadn't made a move, lingering near Kinoka, acting as a qualified guard. Yet, she was not a very qualified protector; Goge Kūri also seemed unable to make two people vanish at once, as Setsuna had never been protected.

But would killing this person even matter? Or, could this person even be killed?

Through detection, the Slaughterer discovered that this was the person she least should kill. Not because she was strong, but because every time she charged toward Setsuna, the Slaughterer felt an extreme sense of crisis.

She had every reason to believe this filler was a trap!

If it had been earlier, she wouldn't have believed these people could eliminate her. But amidst these continuous surprises, she couldn't afford to ignore caution. To kill a filler who clearly did nothing to advance the battle—she wasn't foolish enough for that.

Still, Sakurazaki Setsuna, this obvious trap, posed a significant threat. Being unable to kill her yet unable to ignore her made the Slaughterer’s combat even more restricted.

BOOM!!!

With a deafening explosion, the Slaughterer once again broke through Lin Luo’s defensive line, reaching Kinoka. But before her longsword could descend, with a swish, Kinoka vanished from her spot.

Another failure.

The Slaughterer sighed inwardly. She had lost count of how many times this had happened. Her steel armor was now riddled with scratches, but that didn’t matter; her stamina was infinite. She never felt fatigue, but her enemies were different.

Even this healer, who claimed infinite magic and gave her a headache, must have limits in her view. So, she kept Kinoka as the primary target. If it came down to a war of attrition, she held the absolute advantage. Once any opponent’s power was exhausted, her victory would be secured.

Wait… is that…?

Having missed her mark, the Slaughterer immediately turned, preparing to re-engage Lin Luo’s encirclement, when she suddenly spotted a small figure not far away. She paused, then instantly recognized who it was.

The Useless Fairy.

Yes, that was the Slaughterer’s term for Cirno.

If Sakurazaki Setsuna played the filler deliberately because she was a trap, then in the Slaughterer’s eyes, this fairy was completely and utterly coasting. Other than an initial coordinated burst attack with the others, had the fairy made any meaningful attack?

None, absolutely none!

She stood there like a bystander unaware of the situation, stunned from start to finish, having done nothing at all.

Kill Rate: 100% Combat Power: True Zero Fighter IQ: 9 Threat Level: 0

This was the intelligence the Slaughterer instantly gleaned. It told her she could successfully kill someone. But would it be meaningful? Although the Slaughterer knew she could kill Cirno with 100% certainty, she had no interest in doing so. Never mind that Cirno had no bearing on the fight—killing her or not made no difference—even the fairy’s status as a Zero Fighter was beneath her notice.

No matter how ragged she appeared now, she was still Celestial-rank. To go to great lengths just to eliminate a Zero Fighter would be too demeaning.

“What a waste,” the Slaughterer muttered quietly, instantly withdrawing her perception from Cirno.

Previously, out of caution, she had kept her awareness focused on everyone present in this world. But Cirno’s complete idling made her realize how foolish that was. There was no need to guard against such a low-tier fighter. It would be better to focus her perception on Kinoka and Goge Kūri, whose elimination value was highest as they were the ones driving the entire battle.

Thus, after retracting her awareness, she completely ignored Cirno, writing her off entirely.

Then, almost simultaneously, Lin Luo and the others encircled her once more, unleashing their killing moves.

The battle continued. To use a cliché to describe it: they fought until the heavens were dark, the seas boiled dry, constellations shifted, the sun and moon vanished, and time ceased to have meaning.

At this point, everyone was fighting at their absolute limit, even operating above their normal standard. To suggest anyone was holding back would be a joke. Yet, for some reason, as the fighting dragged on, the Slaughterer felt an increasing sense of unease. She vaguely felt that something was being overlooked.

What was it?

Pushing her perception to its limit, the Slaughterer still found no answer. But the lack of an answer only intensified her focus. She became exceptionally cautious during the fight, dedicating the most attention to Sakurazaki Setsuna, the filler trap.

However, by focusing excessively on Sakurazaki Setsuna and Goge Kūri, the Slaughterer failed to notice she had stepped into the true trap. Just as she breached Lin Luo’s line of defense for the Nth time and reached Kinoka, five oddly shaped blades suddenly appeared beside her, swiftly weaving into a five-pointed star array that sealed her within it.

“What?!”

The Slaughterer was stunned. She could vaguely perceive even Goge Kūri’s bizarre vanishing act, but she had not sensed these five swords approaching at all. How was this possible?

What shocked the Slaughterer even more was that the strength of this five-pointed star array was such that even she could not break free!

Who was it?

The Slaughterer was certain this formation was not deployed by any of the individuals she had been fighting. She immediately spread her perception, only to discover a reality that nearly broke her… the caster of this five-pointed star array was that worthless fairy she had utterly ignored!

“This is impossible!”

Even the Slaughterer could not remain composed now, exclaiming loudly.

“Nothing is impossible,” Lin Luo said, standing in the distance, having already put away the (Verdant Wind Blade). “You guessed correctly. In terms of combat power, Cirno is indeed useless to the fight, and you were right to be cautious. If you had attacked Setsuna at that moment, you would have already been defeated. But the trap we prepared for you wasn't the only one. The Cirno you disregarded—she is the real trap!”

“With her strength, she couldn't possibly unleash such an attack!” the Slaughterer stated grimly.

Lin Luo glanced at the bewildered Cirno and grinned, “Of course not. She’s a Zero Fighter.”

“Hmph… I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not a Zero Fighter! Hey, what’s actually happening?” Cirno pouted when she heard this, but immediately asked for clarification.

Lin Luo, however, clearly had no time to humor her. He turned back to the Slaughterer and calmly continued, “The moment you stopped perceiving her, you already lost. Because as soon as our reinforcements arrived, our trump card had already embedded a 'Possibility' within her.”

“Trump card? Possibility?” The Slaughterer’s eyes were filled with confusion. As she spoke, she tried to break free of the five-pointed star array, only to tragically discover that the formation was too mysterious, completely transcending her existence. If she had enough time to analyze its mystery, she might break free, but right now, she knew her opponents would never grant her that opportunity.

Looking around, she saw that everyone except Lin Luo had lowered their weapons and displayed expressions of relief. This confirmed for her that this formation was definitely not something she could escape quickly.

Lin Luo was indeed unconcerned. The Slaughterer, caught in the trap, no longer posed a threat. He said, “Our trump card holds infinite possibilities. With her strength, she is certainly qualified to fight you. But if she confronted you head-on, once you recognized her threat, eliminating you would have become incredibly difficult for us. That’s why we kept her hidden, as the ultimate trump card.”

“In truth, this 'Possibility' could have been placed on any one of us. But if we were the vessel, you certainly wouldn't have relaxed your vigilance, and your power might not have taken effect. So, we had her place the Possibility upon the little fairy you would ignore… The result is perfect. You genuinely ceased perceiving her, so we can say goodbye.”

“Goodbye? Heh heh.” The Slaughterer sneered. “You seem to have misunderstood. True, I cannot break this array, but from the battle so far, you should know that even adding up all your strengths, you cannot kill me. Even if you can trap me temporarily, can you trap me forever?”

“No, it’s over,” Lin Luo shook his head, then raised his hand and pointed upward. “Look, that is our trump card.”

The Slaughterer instinctively looked up and saw, above the endless starry sky, a massive door opening. Opposite the door appeared to be another world, where a garden stood lofty in the high heavens. In the very center of that garden stood a young girl.

The girl then raised her hand, seemingly flicking something toward the sky. Faintly, the Slaughterer thought she heard a 'ding,' and then an orange-red beam of light shot down from that world.

At that moment, she finally heard the girl’s voice clearly.

“Only My Railgun!”

The moment that beam of orange-red light descended, everything else in the world faded into utter insignificance.

Light surged!

Electricity roared!

The entire world consisted of nothing but that beam, encased in endless currents—it was the singular focus, the absolute protagonist!

Nothing could possibly surpass it!

To master the three Great Battle Techniques was harder than scaling the heavens, and to comprehend a Transcendence Technique that surpassed these three? That was exponentially more difficult. Yes, this maxim was true, but that did not mean no one could ever grasp a Transcendence Technique.

There was one person who achieved it.

Carrying infinite potential, she transcended everything.

A realm not yet reaching the Heavenly Tier, yet wielding a destructive force that surpassed the Heavenly Tier.

She was... Misaka Mikoto!

The world's sole Transcendence Technique.

Indestructible!

Unbreakable!

All mysteries, before this Railgun, were nothing more than fleeting clouds!

BOOM!!!!!!

"I'm sorry." As the Slayer was completely engulfed by the Railgun, Lin Luo closed his eyes and murmured, "I believe that one day in the future, I will surely meet the real you, but for now... let us bid farewell here. Travel well." (To be continued)