In the boundless expanse of the Void, Lin Luo and Luo Tianyi were locked in fierce combat. Lin Luo fought bare-handed, each movement unleashing streaks of black and white divine light that shot out like arrows, while Luo Tianyi wielded the 〖True〗 Mirror, its surface spinning to release visible ripples, like a pebble dropped into a lake.

Though their battle raged fiercely, it was simultaneously serene. The intensity lay in their blinding speed—a flash of lightning that would leave even Heavenly Tier powerhouses struggling to track their movements. The serenity, however, stemmed from the fact that their clash scarcely affected the surrounding environment. Unlike the turmoil wrought by Naye and Zui'an, which turned the entire 'Inner World' upside down, their exchange produced no earth-shattering sounds. Every move displayed an attitude of natural ease and harmony.

This placid battle state was clearly not due to weak combat capabilities; on the contrary, it manifested their near-invincible power and a mastery over their strength that bordered on instinctual control.

As is generally known, in any combat scenario, whether delivering a punch, blasting an energy cannon, or executing a sword strike, hitting a target inevitably creates some degree of collateral damage—perhaps obliterating a city or shattering an entire planet. While such attacks appear overwhelmingly dominant to an outsider, if the true objective is a single person situated within that city or planet, the excess force is utterly superfluous. Even a direct hit wastes immense energy elsewhere.

The expenditure of power and the impact delivered to the target were entirely disproportionate.

But Lin Luo and Luo Tianyi were different. Their strikes released power with zero leakage, aimed with perfect linearity toward the target, just like the dark beam emanating from Lin Luo's fingertips. Fine and concentrated, all the power coalesced into that slender point, preventing any dissipation or loss. Furthermore, if an object lay even a sheet of paper's width away from this dark ray without being the intended target, that object would remain entirely unharmed.

Conversely, if an attack missed its mark, it would not continue forward to strike unintended objects but would vanish instantly, not advancing a single millimeter further. This action indirectly conserved the attacker’s energy.

Such precise concentration. Such self-regulating control. This level of mastery transcended description.

Of course, while this tranquil battle offered little visual spectacle, the inherent peril was colossal. A single mistimed evasion would result in instant, crippling damage. It was precisely for this reason that both fighters moved with extreme caution, loath to waste even a fraction of their power. Should any leakage escape during their fight—even a minuscule trace—it would suffice to annihilate a Primordial Thousand World.

A powerhouse at the Third Realm of the Heavenly Tier, the Nine Heavens, possessed precisely this level of destructive potential.

The dream from a month ago had revealed much to Lin Luo—his true origins and the responsibility he bore. If he accepted that former identity, the power he once possessed would instantly awaken the moment he stepped toward the Heavenly Tier, granting him instantaneous ascension.

However!

Along with regaining that former might, he would also be obliged to fulfill responsibilities left undone—a burden so heavy it had once choked the breath from his previous self. This realization caused him to hesitate. More critically, accepting that former identity meant he would no longer be purely Lin Luo, but a composite entity of two lifetimes.

Possessing the memories and experiences of two lives, even counting all the time Lin Luo had spent navigating the River of Time, amounted to a mere few thousand years. Yet, as the leader of the Chronos Expeditionary Force, he was one of the most ancient beings, having lived through countless eons.

Though Lin Luo’s life would not be erased, how paltry did his accumulated memories, experiences, and emotions of a few millennia seem against the backdrop of countless eras?

It was like the difference between a chance meeting and ten years of mutual reliance: the weight of one over the other was obvious.

Thus, he feared. He feared that once Lin Luo accepted his former self, he would cease to be Lin Luo. He feared that possessing the memories of countless epochs would cause the memories of his few millennia as Lin Luo to fade. He feared even more that recalling his past life would render everything important in his life as Lin Luo—the significant events, the profound affections, even the important people—as light as a swan’s feather.

But could everything he experienced as Lin Luo truly be forgotten? Was it all insignificant?

To save Mikoto, he chose the option with only a 5% success rate, diving into her inner world. It was the first time since birth that he had gambled everything on another person. In that moment, he was moved by himself, for he finally understood what wholehearted devotion meant. After successfully bringing Mikoto back, it also taught him that even a good-for-nothing like himself, when truly resolved to accomplish something, could succeed.

Was that truly insignificant?

And to save the Sisters, and to free Mikoto from the knot of guilt, he once again placed himself in mortal danger by challenging Accelerator, the strongest Esper in Academy City. Again and again he suffered grievous injuries, time and again he fell, yet he never surrendered. Only when gathering the strength of all the Sisters did they finally defeat Accelerator. His greatest gain was not fulfilling Mikoto’s wish or saving the Sisters, but realizing that when he fought wholeheartedly for someone, he would receive genuine reciprocity; he was not alone!

Could that truly be forgotten?

Then there was the first Divine War. Facing a desperate situation that nearly resulted in total annihilation, the thrill and surprise he felt when the savior, Evangeline, descended from the heavens were still palpable. And in the Type-Moon world, the grief and fortitude he witnessed in the eight-year-old Tohsaka Rin as she faced her shattered family—these were things he could never forget.

Facing the invincible King of Conquest’s Army, Lili’s heroic spirit as she challenged the host with fearless heart—how exhilarating that was! And in the Ediru Garden, seeing his long-sought friend transformed into a horrific monster due to betrayal, how deeply moving was Lei’s sorrow and rage.

In the Shokugan world, when all their kin and friends abandoned them, even becoming enemies they were compelled to slay, the mutual reliance and support between Kagura and Yomi, the willingness to sacrifice their lives for the other—that bond. And the many happy times spent in Gensokyo. The resolve made to save the shrine maidens, the fearless courage everyone displayed fighting the Dragon God, and in this world, Fate and the others, who waited and searched for him bitterly for ten years...

Could all these myriad moments truly be overwritten by another set of memories?

No matter how immense the power, he would not accept it if it demanded the exchange of these precious memories and emotions. Yet, he understood that responsibilities that must be shouldered will eventually have to be carried, no matter how much one flees—one cannot escape the ends of the earth, nor escape the present life by evading the past.

Therefore, for the past month, Lin Luo had cast everything aside, indulging fully in his final moments as "Lin Luo," preparing to face reality.

Now, Luo Tianyi had indeed appeared, just as he predicted, harboring an extreme killing intent that his meager power could not possibly counter. If it were only to keep those precious memories and emotions forever in his heart, he would willingly forsake invincibility. But, to protect those who brought him those vital recollections, he would rather relinquish those treasured memories to accept invincible power.

Because without power, nothing could be accomplished!

So, he took that final step, accepting his past self.

“How unsightly, my little brother.” Luo Tianyi said with a smile while deflecting all of Lin Luo’s incoming attacks by spinning the 〖True〗 Mirror. “I thought you would be incredibly formidable after awakening your past life, but to think you haven't even reached the Heaven Beyond Heaven Tier. That hardly aligns with your reputation.”

The 〖True〗 Mirror, capable of instantly turning powerful beings like Youyou Hongling into lolis, seemed utterly ineffective against Lin Luo. The dark light washed over her, leaving her completely unscathed. She smiled faintly. “The same applies to you, Elder Sister. You command the world-destroying weapon that is the 〖True〗 Mirror, yet you haven't unleashed even half its might, stopping short at the Nine Heavens Tier. Why is that?”

In truth, based on intrinsic strength alone, Luo Tianyi was only around the Seventh Heaven Tier. However, relying on the 〖True〗 Mirror, her combat strength reached the Nine Heavens, matching Lin Luo. But the fully realized 〖True〗 Mirror was capable of matching a Heaven Beyond Heaven expert; even wielded by a defenseless person, it could contend with such a being.

Naturally, as one of the most terrifying weapons in existence, the 〖True〗 Mirror could not be used by just anyone. Since its creation, only two individuals have been able to use it and fully unleash its power. The first was its ‘Creator’ and original owner, and the second is 'Luo Tianyi.'

Yet, despite being the current sole wielder of the 〖True〗 Mirror, and protected from illusory threats by the true existence of her host Luo Tianyi, she still possessed only the strength of the Nine Heavens. This fact inevitably invited speculation... after all, a devastating weapon like the 〖True〗 Mirror would not weaken with the passage of time.

Hearing Lin Luo’s words, Luo Tianyi’s eyes abruptly changed. Her assault slowed, and the sharp, murderous expression gradually softened until she adopted a purely defensive posture.

Seeing this, Lin Luo instinctively ceased his own attack.

“Little brother,” Luo Tianyi said softly, looking at him. “I have always loved you, did you know that?”

“I know.” Lin Luo nodded. Having accepted his past memories, this was beyond doubt.

“And you?”

“I loved you.”

“And now?”

“As much as I loved then, I love just as much now.” Lin Luo stated frankly, but then shook his head with a trace of resignation. “Unfortunately, love alone cannot accomplish everything in this world. More often, love becomes a restraint, a pressure. Like you—because you love me, your heart is filled with hatred. And because your love was too heavy, I had to retreat, even to the point of drawing blades against you, tearing at each other... Only when one of us vanishes completely from this world can we find our respective peace.”

“You mean you’ve resolved to kill me?” Luo Tianyi whispered.

Lin Luo fell silent for a moment, then nodded, as if having reached a certain resolution. “Yes. I have a responsibility to see all of this concluded, so you, as the Original Sin, absolutely cannot remain. No matter how difficult!”

“Is that so…” Luo Tianyi sighed lightly, showing no surprise at Lin Luo’s words. Instead, she soon began to laugh. “As expected of my brother; even your innermost thoughts align with mine. In truth, that is my plan too. Because I can no longer bear to love, only by killing the one I love most—you—can I find release.”

“Little brother, if I kill you, do you believe I will still love you?”

“Of course.” Lin Luo smiled and nodded. “Nothing could be more 〖True〗 than that.”

Instantly, Luo Tianyi’s face broke into a brilliant smile. Tilting her head, she said, “Thank you for believing me. Now, please die for me… my dearest brother!”

As she spoke, Luo Tianyi raised the 〖True〗 Mirror high above her. In an instant, the mirror surface spun madly, releasing an aura ten, even a hundred times stronger than before. Merely the fluctuation of this aura caused the entire Void of the Unlimited World to tremble, then begin to peel away in slabs, like decaying plaster walls.

The Void of the Unlimited World was an entity vastly larger than a Primordial Thousand World, existing entirely outside the influence of world laws—a true existence of nothingness. Only such a place could sustain battles between Heavenly Tier experts and above.

But now, as Luo Tianyi became genuinely serious, even the Void could barely hold its structure.

This signaled that Luo Tianyi’s current power was infinitely close to Heaven Beyond Heaven, reaching a level capable of shaking the entire Unlimited World.

Swish!

As a blinding glare shot out, Lin Luo, completely enveloped by the 〖True〗 Mirror, was pierced through. His body then dissolved like snowflakes… even a Nine Heavens expert would have no possibility of resisting such power.

Furthermore, this was not merely an attack against the physical body, but a direct assault on the soul, on existence itself, and on the past and future.

In other words, anyone struck by this power would cease to exist in any timeline, past or future, vanishing from the world as if they had never been.

But!

In the blink of an eye, the Lin Luo who should have vanished reappeared, completely unharmed.

It mattered not if there was no past, or no future; even if soul and existence were erased, as long as the concept of "Nothingness" persisted, Lin Luo could be reborn countless times by borrowing from it. This was the terrifying nature of generating existence from non-existence!

“Hahahaha! What’s wrong? Is that all you’ve got? Your darkness is weeping!”

In the Inner World, Naye flew rapidly through the void, clutching the Heart of the Rising Sun in both hands, letting out maniacal laughter while unleashing a continuous barrage of fire, displaying utter dominance.

Ahead of her, Zui’an was moving at his fastest speed, but he was not fighting Naye; he was fleeing.

Though he was immortal, being the convergence of darkness and sin, and though he believed no one in this world could best him because he possessed the darkness of the entire world, the reality proved him devastatingly wrong.

Because Naye’s singular darkness surpassed the entire world!

Naye, having evolved to the LV2 Demon Body, surpassed Zui’an in both the quality and quantity of her darkness, and her entire being had entered a state of pure slaughter—devoid of emotion, mercy, or pity, existing purely for combat, born only for killing. As long as there was anything living in her sight, she would not cease attacking, regardless of who it was!

The terror of the Demon Body was something even Naye herself could not control. Once entering this state, she would mercilessly kill even those she loved most. Thus, aside from the time three years ago when she was driven to absolute desperation, she had never entered this state before.

But Zui’an’s might and the deaths of Fate and the others had finally triggered the reappearance of this state.

Transformed into a demon, bloodthirsty and relentless, if she herself would not fall, she would kill until no one was left to slay!

“Starlight Breaker… 200!”

A Starlight Breaker beam shot out, a linear torrent of light that instantly pulverized five planets in Naye’s path before swallowing Zui’an like an enraged dragon, turning him into ash in moments.

Then, a crunching sound echoed. As darkness coalesced, Zui’an was reborn once more.

Although he could resurrect as long as darkness existed in the world, Zui’an felt no joy, only torture. He had lost count of how many times Naye had obliterated him. Now, all he wanted was to escape this world, to flee as far as possible, never to see that demon behind him again, nor hear that demon’s voice.

But what drove him to despair was that he could not escape this world.

“Starlight Breaker… 300!”

Boom!!!

The Starlight Breaker fired again, and this time, not just planets, but the entire star system was engulfed in an instant. The countless celestial bodies flared out their final brilliance, like firecrackers on New Year’s Day.

“Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”

Zui’an was going insane. He finally understood the absurdity of his actions. If he were given a chance to choose again, he would never have provoked this demon, even at the cost of his own life... at the very least, he shouldn't have allowed her to enter this berserk state.

But he had no chance for a do-over.

All he could do now was... flee!

“Hahahaha! Hahahaha!”

Boom!!!

Naye’s mad laughter and the thunder of bombardment continued to resonate. Zui’an was driven to a point where there was no path to heaven and no hole in the earth to enter!

Seeking monthly passes, seeking recommendation tickets! (To be continued)