Frankly, Lin Luo's side boasted considerable fighting strength. There was Lin Luo himself, of course, along with Lin Xiaoke, a World King on his level, and Touzaka Rin, whose World Heart Battle Technique even they couldn't decipher despite her lower overall power. Not to mention the two most formidable young lolis from the Type-Moon world.

But regrettably, Gaia and Alaya could not interfere directly with matters on Earth; this was a law of their existence. Otherwise, Gaia wouldn't have needed to seek aid from other planets; she could have simply deployed her own power—say, stopping the Earth's rotation—and instantly wiped out every living thing on the planet.

By the same token, they could only observe this current crisis; intervention was impossible.

Furthermore, Lin Luo had absolutely no means of suppressing powerhouses on the level of Lin Xiaoke and Touzaka Rin. Forget fighting; their mere presence caused subtle shifts in the entire formation... This very reason was why, once Lin Luo's plan formally commenced, Touzaka Rin left Fuyuki City to visit Kaku-no home.

On one hand, it allowed Lin Luo to proceed with his plan smoothly; on the other, it was a chance to enjoy ordinary daily life with long-missed family.

Lin Luo himself was completely tied up adjusting the formation, leaving him no time for anything else.

With five top-tier powerhouses unable to join the fray, even summoning allies from the Bright World, those of comparable rank would find it difficult to enter the current Fuyuki City. The highest available combat strength currently amounted only to the UO-level figures like Yagokoro Eirin and Hijiri Byakuren. Against the native inhabitants of the Type-Moon world, this power would be undeniably supreme, but facing the Abyssal Demons controlled by the mastermind behind the scenes, a severe lack of strength was plainly foreseeable.

After all, the Abyssal Demons possessed perfect duplicates of even Yagokoro Eirin and Hijiri Byakuren.

An enemy identical to oneself—there was no way around it—was the most terrifying kind of foe!

However, this gap in combat power was not insurmountable, because people progress; they advance every second of every day. Today's duplicate might not defeat tomorrow's original... Although the girls from Gensokyo were notoriously slow to improve, with one eternally seventeen and another possessing authority only from her chair, the girls from the Type-Moon world had vast room for advancement. Moreover!

Aozaki Aoko, Ryougi Shiki, Arcueid Brunestud, and Caster—these four were all Hosts!

Within them resided infinite potential.

Lin Luo trusted and anticipated much from his Hosts, never doubting their potential or allegiance. Therefore, despite this incident exceeding his expectations, he felt no panic. It was in this state that Lin Luo engaged in a unique form of confrontation with the hidden manipulator, painstakingly purging the 'viruses' the enemy had embedded within his formation. Then...

As he delved deeper into his investigation, he discovered a mirror within that 'virus'... No, to be precise, a projection of a mirror—visible but intangible.

Yet, merely gazing at it sent Lin Luo reeling, a dizziness washing over him, as if the mirror possessed endless power, absorbing everything external... Lin Luo sensed danger immediately and averted his gaze. He strongly suspected that if he stared at it any longer, he might be sucked right in.

From existing data and his recent findings, he could ascertain that this mirror was the source of the 'virus' within his formation. He attempted to erase the mirror from his array, but no matter what method he employed, the mirror remained as steadfast as a mountain. This caused him immense distress.

And as he made deeper contact, he actually detected something startlingly familiar reflected within the mirror... Once he confirmed he wasn't mistaken, that it was indeed something he knew well, his entire perception of reality shattered.

If we set aside the issue of raw strength for a moment, considering the perceptive abilities of Gaia and Alaya, what kind of entity could enter the Type-Moon world without being detected by them? As far as Lin Luo understood, there were only two possibilities: Walkers or Hosts!

Then, Walkers were hunters in the God War, but the Heavenly Way once mentioned that in the initial God War, there were no 'hunters' or 'prey'; there was only the World Heart as the sole Tome, and the World Heart remained fixed at forty-nine pieces. So, how could the World Heart—which was split into fifty portions—remain unchanged while the Tome underwent division...? Wait!

Thinking this far, Lin Luo's thoughts grew tangled. Though he grasped the fundamental origin, he couldn't extrapolate further. But using a concrete example: In the first God War, the Host Evangeline was arguably the strongest combatant, capable of overwhelming six Walkers combined. Though others later surpassed her, such an example meant one could not rule out the possibility that, even at this stage, a Host existed who surpassed everyone else!

Who were the strongest figures in the current God War? The four World Kings, along with the four who had one foot in the Celestial Tier: Misaka Mikoto, Yakumo Yukari, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Hatsune Miku... Mikoto, perhaps, was only one step shy of that threshold.

Could a Host stronger than all of them combined truly exist?

Lin Luo cast his gaze back to the mirror, looking at the reflection of the World Heart within it, and felt a tremor of disbelief... It wasn't that he doubted the existence of a stronger Host; what he doubted was that the enemy they faced this time was truly that unimaginable.

Whose World Heart was this? Was it one of the six captured by the Proxy Gods? Or perhaps a Host he had never encountered? Or... was it the World Heart itself?

Whichever possibility held true, the situation was... utterly monstrous!

...

"What! Retreat? I absolutely refuse!"

Lin Luo's issue was clearly not one that could be solved quickly. Meanwhile, on the other side, after Sanae and Komeiji Satori joined forces with Yagokoro Eirin and the others, they proceeded to meet up with Aozaki Aoko and the rest. Although the resurrection of the shrine maiden Sanae and the conversion of the Four Heavenly Kings from enemies to allies had shocked many, given the current circumstances, they couldn't afford to dwell on past surprises; an extra ally was better than an extra foe.

However, when the topic of retreat came up, Remilia Scarlet was the first to object.

"The word 'retreat' is not in my vocabulary, especially when facing my own duplicate! Where would my prestige lie if I fled without a fight!" Remilia declared, displaying the majestic bearing of a sovereign.

"If we don't retreat now, it's a dead end. Or perhaps you think you can face this many enemies?" Yagokoro Eirin gestured towards the countless duplicates surrounding them, her meaning perfectly clear.

"Better to die! Since this is merely an avatar, if I fall in battle, my true body can descend. Then, no matter how many duplicates there are, I will annihilate them all in one sweep!" Remilia proclaimed with impressive grandeur.

"Hey!" Seeing that she wasn't joking, Sanae quickly asked, "Are you serious?"

"Have you ever seen me speak falsely?" Remilia retorted.

"But..." Komeiji Satori frowned, "He said the current situation is slightly beyond his control and advised us not to take unnecessary actions. If we die too easily, we might not be able to return."

"Not being able to return—what does that mean? Death?"

"Uh... probably not that severe."

"In that case, there’s nothing more to discuss. I refuse to retreat regardless!" Remilia stepped forward, then smirked, pointing at the innumerable duplicates surrounding them. "Besides, if you wish to retreat safely, you'll need someone to cover the rear. There is no one better suited for that role than me."

"..." The others fell silent. It was true; although retreat was the best immediate option, executing it was far from simple, as dealing with so many duplicates meant a simple retreat wasn't feasible.

"Even if someone must cover the rear, we are far more suitable than you, based on strength alone," Sanae and Komeiji Satori stated. Having reverted to their true forms, their power was unmatched among the current group, and importantly, they had not been duplicated.

But Remilia waved a dismissive hand. "Such slow wit. If I die, only this false body vanishes. If you die, you truly won't return. And, Old Hag Eirin, don't try to steal my role; with so many forces deployed, if he is occupied, someone needs to lead."

"...Very well, since your mind is set." Remilia's words were undeniably logical, leaving everyone with no room to argue. They reluctantly agreed.

"Sister, I will go with you," Flandre Scarlet suddenly declared at that moment.

Remilia smiled slightly and shook her head. "What a foolish child. Although our deaths here won't be permanent, as your older sister, how could I allow my little sister to join me on a certain-death mission? Leave this place, Flan. We will see each other again soon."

"Sister..."

"Remi, you will come back, right?" Touno Akiha looked at her Servant, her expression grave.

"Of course. What kind of person do you think I am!" Remilia answered resolutely.

Touno Akiha nodded, then revealed her right hand. "Then, you must return. This is not a request; it is an order!"

Instantly, the Command Seal on the back of her hand flashed and vanished.

The command from the Seal evidently caused Remilia’s power to surge significantly. She waved her hand immediately. "Stop dawdling, hurry and go! I will catch up soon... I haven't even taught you the Way of Tea yet; I won't leave so easily."

"Understood. It's a promise."

There wasn't much time for everyone to bid farewell individually. Soon, once the defensive perimeter was lowered, with Yagokoro Eirin and Hijiri Byakuren leading the charge, the others retreated swiftly, leaving Remilia behind to face the countless duplicates alone.

"What's wrong with this feeling? It's actually quite nice."

Remilia grinned, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across her face, as she swung Gungnir. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please give us recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) RQ