The monthly ticket numbers are abysmal, even accounting for the New Year—they are truly dreadful, aren't they? I hardly dare to look at them; please, give me some monthly tickets!
……
“From what just happened, it seems that woman won't be causing trouble again anytime soon. What do we do next?” After a moment, Yiren suddenly posed a very serious question.
Indeed, even though Luo Tianyi had let them go this time, it didn't guarantee she wouldn't return with renewed vengeance. Moreover, no one could be certain whether the real Luo Tianyi would be able to suppress her next time... If she couldn't, given that woman's disposition and madness, there was no telling what unhinged actions she might take. They needed to prepare defenses in advance.
“What else can we do?” Yaoyao countered with a sigh, “We came prepared for every eventuality to deal with her this time, and yet look at the result... If Xueyin doesn't wake up soon, the three of us in our current state simply cannot fight her.”
“We’ll figure out a way to handle Xueyin’s situation later. Although relying only on our strength to wake her might be difficult, it’s still better than doing nothing,” Hong Ling concluded.
Yaoyao and Yiren both nodded.
But soon, Yaoyao frowned deeply. “The most pressing issue right now isn't that woman, but that world. I don't know what exactly happened to him, but living in the Ming Realm, I know clearly that just a moment ago, the two worlds began merging. However, due to the lack of his control... perhaps an accident occurred, forcibly interrupting his management, causing fissures to appear in the world merger. Under normal circumstances, such fissures wouldn't pose a significant threat, but... Ye Zui [Karma/Sin] has begun to exploit these gaps.”
“It’s finally starting?” Hearing this, Hong Ling’s expression grew grave. “As expected, that woman’s threat is greater than I imagined, because her appearance has caused parts of his seal to crumble. The Zuiye that was suppressed so well are now restless... especially for those people, this Zuiye will feel exceptionally heavy.”
Yiren nodded. “If one’s heart is perfectly clean, they won't be corroded by Zuiye. But if there is even a sliver of darkness or gloom inside, the Zuiye will cling to them tightly... Should we intervene?”
As she spoke, Yiren turned a questioning gaze toward Hong Ling.
After hesitating for a moment, Hong Ling slowly shook her head. “The stronger the resistance, the stronger the Zuiye becomes. We currently have no way to eliminate the Zuiye with one hundred percent certainty. Forcibly touching it now could trigger even more severe consequences... Furthermore, the Zuiye generated thus far is merely a spark; it won't cause harm to anyone other than those being actively eroded. Therefore... let them resolve it themselves.”
“Isn’t that being too hard on them?” Yaoyao worried, “Even if this Zuiye is small now, its core essence is a terrifying power capable of annihilating top-tier experts from the Outer Heavens. Asking them to face a threat so alien to them on their own is perhaps...”
“Nothing to worry about,” Hong Ling said dismissively in response to Yaoyao’s anxiety. “Anyone connected to him will inevitably be dragged into the great catastrophe in the future. Perhaps they don't need to fight actively now, but they must face it regardless. If they cannot resist this minor Zuiye now, how can they possibly face the catastrophe later...”
Saying this, Hong Ling looked directly at Yaoyao, her tone serious. “Yaoyao, this is a trial—not just for her, but for us too... You know what needs to be done.”
“I...” Yaoyao opened her mouth, silent for a moment, before finally nodding. “I understand.”
“Good. Then let’s each return to our designated places now. Don't concern yourselves with anything else. In any case, in our current state, the help we can offer is extremely limited. It’s better to let them operate freely.” Having spoken, Hong Ling decisively turned, intending to return to the Nasuverse.
“Wait!” But just then, Yiren suddenly called out to her. Facing the confused gazes of both Hong Ling and Yaoyao, she said earnestly, “Did we forget something very important?”
“What is it?” Hong Ling looked bewildered.
Yiren immediately pointed at her own body. “Although that little girl caused the woman to spare us, it seems our bodies haven't reverted to their original forms.”
“Uh!” At these words, both of them were stunned.
A hint of embarrassment flickered across Hong Ling’s face, then she casually stated, “Don’t mind it. Anyway, the bodies we have now aren't our originals. This restraint won't follow our souls until we hand back control of the bodies. As for our hosts... yours is just a little kid, and I don't really care if my body is big or small, so there’s no need to dwell on it. Let's just drop it.”
“What about me?” Hearing such a flippant remark, Yaoyao felt overlooked.
Hong Ling replied casually, “Experiencing childhood, isn't that nice?”
With that, Hong Ling decisively vanished in a flash of light. Yiren followed with a smile. Only Yaoyao stood frozen on the spot, gazing at her own figure—a loli devoid of any authority—and couldn't help but sigh mournfully, “Why is it always me who gets hurt?”
……
While this earth-shattering event was merely a clash of a few rounds for Lin Luo and Hong Ling, for the Nasuverse, Lin Luo and Lin Xiaoke had been missing for over two weeks. Their disappearance, known only to a select few, left the majority utterly bewildered, which quickly turned into... panic!
Yes, panic.
When Lin Luo was around, they considered him a bottomless scumbag whose integrity was in the negative; keeping a safe distance was the safest approach, a lesson Sanae had learned deeply. But after Lin Luo vanished for two weeks, completely unaware of what had transpired, they gradually began to feel a mounting dread.
Because the world... was becoming strange!
No enemies had appeared, and their strength had fully recovered to its peak after Lin Luo’s mysterious collection was complete, yet at this very moment, they felt an indescribable, terrifying threat slowly closing in on them.
They didn’t know where this threat originated, nor why they felt it, but they occasionally saw strange illusions that robbed them of sleep, their minds gradually filling with various negative emotions, making it impossible to maintain their usual calm and joy... no matter how hard they tried.
This situation worsened particularly after the consciousness of Gaia and Alaya fell silent... More and more people began falling into slumber. First, those with relatively weaker human strength like Illya and Tohsaka Sakura, followed by extraordinary humans like Asagami Fujino, Aozaki Touko, and Kuonji Arisu. Then, even non-humans of the level of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors started collapsing one by one... More and more people, everyone who had direct or indirect contact with Lin Luo, from the weak to the strong, none were spared.
Eventually, even the few Hosts and the denizens of their Gensokyo began feeling a drowsy sensation.
The one who managed to temporarily maintain order was Tohsaka Rin. Although she possessed some leadership talent and strength approaching the Quasi-Heavenly Rank, she was completely baffled by this inexplicable situation.
What made her situation worse was that those who hadn't fallen asleep showed increasingly severe tendencies towards rampage, as if they could turn into murderers at any moment, slaughtering every life around them.
By now, three weeks had passed since Lin Luo’s disappearance. Apart from a select few—Tohsaka Rin, Yagokoro Eirin, Hijiri Byakuren, Sanae, and Arthur—everyone else exhibited those symptoms to varying degrees. Flandre Scarlet showed the most pronounced effects!
It was only then that everyone realized the importance of Lin Luo's presence. If he were here, regardless of whether a solution could be found, his presence alone would provide reassurance. But now that he was gone, forget finding a solution; they couldn't even calm down.
Because at this moment, it was already incredibly difficult just to soothe those teetering on the edge of rampage, let alone investigate a way to solve the crisis.
The crisis remained unresolved, the symptoms worsened, and the worse the symptoms became, the less time they had to investigate... It was a vicious cycle!
Finally, to prevent the situation from escalating to an uncontrollable level, the few clear-headed individuals led by Tohsaka Rin could only manage to place those around them into batches... Those suffering from deep torpor were placed in timed spatial pockets, protected by barriers, while those prone to rampaging were restrained by barriers.
At this point, everyone realized the gravity of the situation, desperately hoping for Lin Luo’s return. But no matter how much they prayed, Lin Luo never appeared, as if he had simply vanished from existence.
However, just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, Lin Xiaoke, who had been missing for a long time, finally appeared.
“What... Who are you?!”
But upon seeing Lin Xiaoke’s body, which appeared to be around ten years old, everyone was taken aback. Those present were all familiar with Lin Xiaoke; they never imagined that after disappearing once, she would miraculously transform from a mature woman into a loli.
Especially Arthur, who stared intently at Lin Xiaoke for a few moments before muttering to himself while stroking his chin, “Strange, when did my sister have a child? Why don't I know anything about it?”
Hearing this, Tohsaka Rin and the other three instinctively shot him a look reserved for idiots.
Slap!
Lin Xiaoke delivered a direct slap that sent him flying backward. She didn't spare him a second glance before turning to Tohsaka Rin and asking, “Are the only ones still conscious, the four of you... plus that idiot?”
“Yes,” Tohsaka Rin nodded, then quickly inquired, “Do you know what happened?”
Lin Xiaoke shook her head. “I’m not exactly clear on the details... She didn't tell me.”
No one knew who the 'she' Lin Xiaoke referred to was, but at this moment, they didn't have the luxury of caring; they immediately asked, “Then do you know where Lin Luo went?”
Lin Xiaoke shook her head again.
When Hong Ling had borrowed her body to travel to the Endless World, Lin Xiaoke’s consciousness had been completely dormant, so she knew nothing of what occurred there, unless Hong Ling could tell her.
Lin Xiaoke’s silent reply brought a wave of disappointment to the four, but they didn't doubt her. After all, everyone understood the relationship between Lin Xiaoke and Lin Luo; even without being explicitly stated, she clearly wouldn't conceal something like this.
“Let me answer that,” However, just then, a commanding voice suddenly interjected.
The group instinctively looked toward the source of the sound. A figure suddenly appeared descending from the heavens... She was a mature and sexy woman, clad in a white tailcoat, wearing knee-high boots, and her hair tied in a single ponytail. Her gaze was sharp and domineering. Just standing there, she exuded an air of overwhelming majesty.
Of course, her majesty was merely her personal aura, not her attitude.
Moreover, given the power levels of these five, unless one was at the level of Yaoyao, few could manage to appear so imposing in their presence.
“My name is Lorelei. I presume my identity requires no introduction,” she said while walking. When she reached the group, her gaze settled on Lin Xiaoke, and she gave a slight bow. “Young Mistress, long time no see.”
This woman was Lorelei, the host of Qing Zi Xin (Heart of Purple Sorrow), and also a descendant of a branch family of the Arthur lineage. Since the Arthur family were descendants of Lin Luo, by extension, she could also be considered a descendant of Lin Luo, though the branch family had no direct blood ties to him.
Lin Xiaoke nodded lightly and said, “Since you are a Host, you needn't call me Young Mistress. Let’s address each other by name. Also... do you know anything?”
“Yes, yes, let’s save the pleasantries and get to the point,” Sanae urged impatiently.
“Very well,” Lorelei nodded, then immediately stated, “Actually, I am merely conveying a message on someone else’s behalf, as that person is unable to come here directly, so I must explain.”
“That person... is it Yaoyao?” Tohsaka Rin asked.
“That is correct. According to her, the situation you are facing is due to being eroded by Zuiye.”
“What is Zuiye?”
“I’m not precisely clear on that either. She only said it is an extremely terrifying power. Anyone who has even the slightest connection to Lin Luo will be corrupted by this Zuiye, triggering a series of consequences.”
The crowd immediately frowned. If even Yaoyao described that power as terrifying, it must be truly dreadful.
“But why are the few of us unaffected?” Hijiri Byakuren asked, confused.
“It probably comes down to individual strength,” Lorelei explained. “This Zuiye is still fragile right now, so if one’s own power is strong enough, a degree of resistance can be generated. However, as the grade of the Zuiye rises, our erosion is only a matter of time.”
“Mmm...” Sanae hesitated slightly, then inquired, “If that’s the case, something isn’t right. Even Gaia and Alaya, who are stronger than me, have fallen, yet I remain completely unaffected?”
“Zuiye, Zuiye... It must be about whether there is sin in one’s heart,” Yagokoro Eirin mused, her brow furrowed.
Lorelei nodded. “You are correct, but not entirely. Besides sin, there is also one’s inherent darkness. As long as there is sin in one’s heart or darkness residing within the body, even great strength may not be enough to withstand the erosion of that evil. Conversely, if one’s heart holds no trace of sin or darkness, even insufficient strength may prevent erosion... Alaya, the consciousness of the Earth itself, and Gaia, the consciousness of all humanity, it is natural for them to be entangled by Zuiye. Furthermore, the very nature of youkai is a form of darkness, which is why most of the youkai here have also fallen. As for you, perhaps it’s because your heart harbors no sin or darkness that you were spared.”
“I see,” Sanae realized with a flash of understanding, though hearing this made her feel somewhat like a saintess. “But, I sometimes feel jealous or angry, or throw tantrums...”
“That is merely human emotion, not darkness or sin. So don't trouble yourself over it, Saintess Witch of the Creator,” Hijiri Byakuren patted her shoulder and said with a smile.
“...” At this moment, Sanae didn't know whether to laugh or cry... Saintess was giving her far too much credit. If that were true, wouldn't she lose the right to even get angry or turn dark in the future?
“Never mind that, let's not dwell on it. The problem is, how do we resolve the current situation?” Tohsaka Rin waved her hand, skipping the ‘Saintess’ topic entirely and cutting straight to the core issue.
“Regarding that, let her tell you herself,” Lorelei replied. Then, as she pointed towards the sky, Yaoyao’s figure suddenly materialized in the void above.
“Huh?!”
Everyone present was greatly startled by her appearance—not because of her seemingly divine technique, but because... the current Yaoyao, like Lin Xiaoke, had also transformed into a loli body.
What in the world was happening? Had everyone in this era become a loli enthusiast?
“I am merely reliving my childhood; pay it no mind,” Yaoyao stated calmly.
That’s an excuse! This has to be an excuse!
Even in this dire situation, the assembled group couldn't help but feel utterly speechless.
However, Yaoyao clearly didn't want to elaborate on this matter. She grew serious. “Enough idle talk. Time is limited, so I will be brief. Everyone listen carefully!”
With a sharp shout from her, her voice reached everyone present, as well as those confined within the protective barriers.
“The Zuiye affecting you now is not the true Zuiye; it merely lures out the darkness and sin within your hearts. Even so, this is a terrifying power sufficient to threaten your very existence. If you wish to escape this Zuiye, you must defeat the sin and darkness in your hearts. Therefore, I have prepared a trial for you. In this trial, you must defeat your enemies. Success means you can move forward; failure... means everything you once were will be instantly erased, forever severed from the past people and events, unremembered for all eternity!”