Anyone who crossed Qiqi, save for Lin Luo, had never lived to tell the tale, a testament to the sharpness of her methods. However, this time, her attack on Unit 40 only temporarily rendered her unconscious; she hadn't killed her.

Following this, Qiqi made no move against Unit 42. She handed the temporarily incapacitated Unit 40 over to Misaka Mikoto and then fled into the distance without a backward glance, uttering not a single word.

"Damn it! Don't you run!" Unit 42 watched as her elder sister was defeated in a single move, her consciousness completely extinguished. Fear was absent from her heart, replaced only by fury. Seeing Qiqi departing without looking back, she immediately roared and lunged to pursue the kill.

But how could Yakumo Yukari and the others allow her to move so freely? They swiftly moved to intercept.

Nevertheless, a Heaven Beyond Heaven expert was ultimately a Heaven Beyond Heaven expert. When truly unleashed, it was no laughing matter. Unit 42, enraged by Unit 40’s swift defeat by Qiqi, was nearly berserk even without fully losing control. At this moment, with her combat power at full blast, she tore apart all notions of Domain Power, Eternal Power, and Fantasy Power, carving a bloody path forward.

Sensing the situation turning unfavorable, the four present—excluding Misaka Mikoto—immediately charged forward, merging with Yukari's group of five to launch a combined assault on Unit 42... In a nine-on-one scenario, with six of the attackers being hosts from the Special Group, Unit 42, no matter how prodigious, was quickly overwhelmed.

Setting aside the clash between the Hosts for a moment, the battle between Lin Luo and Luo Tianyi had reached a fever pitch. Both seemed utterly consumed by bloodlust, every movement capable of shaking the heavens and earth. The intensity of their engagement was such that even Heaven-rank experts, perhaps even those newly ascended to Heaven Beyond Heaven, might not survive within such a battlefield.

The Mirror of Truth and the Nine Paths of Inverse Karma—one representing the origin of all beginnings, the other representing all endings in the world—their collision was powerful enough to annihilate everything!

"The final blow!"

Neither knew how long they had fought. Their bodies had shattered and regenerated countless times; their clothes were ragged, and their auras were significantly weaker than at the start, yet neither cared. Luo Tianyi roared, merging the Mirror of Truth into her forehead, attempting to unleash her ultimate killing move. However...

At that precise moment, a figure suddenly materialized behind her. Before Luo Tianyi could launch her attack, the figure behind her unhesitatingly thrust a hand forward. With a shriiiik... a gore-slicked hand pierced through her chest.

"Eh!?" Luo Tianyi froze in stunned disbelief, two streams of blood trickling from the corners of her mouth.

Slowly turning her head, Luo Tianyi saw a face devoid of expression—it was Qiqi.

"Let go!" Qiqi's sudden arrival and ambush that gravely wounded Luo Tianyi provoked the most violent reaction not from Tianyi herself, but from Lin Luo. He roared—it was unclear if it was rage or something else—and shot forward like lightning. Then, a flash of black light erupted, and Qiqi's blood-soaked hand was instantly severed, flung spinning into the void.

Lin Luo swiftly took to the air, reaching out to snatch the severed hand.

Bang!

However, Qiqi was faster. As her body moved, not even an afterimage was visible. She delivered a heavy kick to Lin Luo, sending him flying, then immediately soared up again, also attempting to retrieve her detached palm.

"Dream on!" Luo Tianyi gritted her teeth, shouting fiercely, utterly disregarding her severe injuries. The Mirror of Truth cast a divine light, pushing Qiqi back, and she too joined the fray to claim the severed hand.

Lin Luo and Luo Tianyi were locked in a life-or-death duel. Qiqi ambushed and severely wounded Tianyi, but Lin Luo did not capitalize by attacking Tianyi; instead, he cleaved off Qiqi’s hand. Then Qiqi attacked Lin Luo. Following this, Tianyi returned, simultaneously attacking both Lin Luo and Qiqi. Lin Luo and Qiqi did not join forces; rather, each regarded the other two as enemies and attacked desperately. The sole purpose of all three was to secure Qiqi's severed palm... as if this severed hand were some supreme treasure that could make them forget all past grievances and enmities.

What in the world was happening? Even the Strategist, were he present, would likely be swamped with unanswered questions.

It was fortunate that the Hosts did not witness this scene, or they would surely have vomited blood from sheer frustration.

As the three fought fiercely over the hand, it fell into no one's grasp. Instead, it began to slowly dissolve, finally vanishing completely. But... a mass of black mist, about the size of a fist, materialized where the palm had disappeared. Or rather, it was only because the palm clutching it vanished that the mist was revealed.

Yet, even though the severed hand was gone, the contest between the three did not cease; in fact, it intensified... This meant that what Lin Luo, Luo Tianyi, and Qiqi were fighting over was not Qiqi’s severed hand, but this black mist.

Then, what exactly was this black mist?

If anyone from the Time Traveler Corps were present, they would surely know, for this black mist was none other than the root of the Sin that had once dealt a fatal blow to the Corps—the Source of Sin!

This was not some treasure, but an object of supreme malevolence and terror. Once possessed by the Source of Sin, no matter how powerful the person, the outcome was always death, and even after death, they would be eternally tormented by the Sin... unable to reincarnate, unable to pass on, unable to vanish—even if everything else ceased to exist, they would be tormented by endless pain forever and ever!

Since the Source of Sin was so terrifying, why would Lin Luo and the other two fight so desperately for it? Perhaps that no longer needed explanation.

Finally, with a loud boom, the three placed their hands on the black mist, gripping it tightly and refusing to let go.

"The Source of Sin was born because of me, and it exists because of me. It is mine; let go!" Luo Tianyi glared at Lin Luo and Qiqi, speaking in a low voice.

She understood her own nature and the fate that awaited her if entangled with this Sin, but she didn't care; in fact, she sought death this time. As long as she carried this Source of Sin and was killed by Lin Luo, the Sin would only erupt within her alone, without implicating anyone else... After hearing the untold past from Hong Ling, and learning that Lin Luo and Qiqi had been enduring the torment of this Sin on her behalf since her disappearance, she had already decided to shoulder all this guilt herself, for the sake of those she loved.

Thus, she annihilated the Proxy Gods, seized the World Heart of the Sixth Group, "resurrected" them, and created a stance antagonistic to Lin Luo. Attacking the Hosts and Lin Luo was done solely to stand in absolute opposition to him... because she knew Lin Luo would never kill her otherwise.

But Lin Luo lacked power, and she didn't have much time to wait. So, she erased Lin Luo’s antagonistic aspect, sending him to the world of the Rozen Maiden, allowing him to complete the final thread of Inverse Karma and gather the Nine Paths of Inverse Karma... She knew that with Lin Luo’s extraordinary genius, he would surely refine it. This way, she not only provided the justification for him to kill her, but she also gave Lin Luo the very power to do so, thus leading to this decisive battle.

She had long decided to end this final battle with her death, and by taking all the Sin with her, her beloved younger brother would never be harmed because of her again.

What she never anticipated was Qiqi’s appearance at such a moment.

This woman she despised the most was obstructing her, time and again.

Lin Luo did not let go; instead, he gripped the Source of Sin tighter. "Although the Source of Sin was born from you, everything you did was for me. You have already sacrificed for me once, so this time it’s my turn. You should be the one to let go! And Qiqi, I command you as the Corps Leader, let go!"

Though Lin Luo didn't fully grasp Luo Tianyi’s intentions, he could surmise part of them. After all, the soul truly controlling that body was his sister, with whom he had relied on for survival and who would sacrifice everything for him—how could he not understand?

Even though she presented herself as intent on killing him, what was the reality?

Therefore, before arriving here, Lin Luo had already decided: he would extract the Source of Sin from Luo Tianyi’s body and settle this himself... All this Sin was born for him, so it was only right that he should bear the consequences of the Sin.

What he hadn't anticipated was Qiqi’s presence here, nor that her strength had recovered to this degree. Her sudden appearance, her ambush, and the precision with which she extracted the Source of Sin indicated she had likely been lying in wait nearby, waiting for the opportune moment.

Lin Luo didn't know why Qiqi’s strength had returned, but he knew her objective. That's why, the moment Qiqi's ambush succeeded, he didn't hesitate to sever her hand—otherwise, the Source of Sin would completely possess Qiqi’s body, taking the place of Luo Tianyi, taking the place of him, to bear all that Sin.

Qiqi had always been obedient to Lin Luo, almost never defying any of his orders, but there was one exception... In the previous life, after Lin Luo was afflicted by the Sin, Qiqi, against his wishes, risked her life to share half of the Sin burden.

And this time, concerning the Sin, Qiqi naturally shook her head.

Her obedience to Lin Luo stemmed from love, but she was not a puppet.

Clutching the Source of Sin tightly, she refused to let go. "The Time Traveler Corps has long vanished. You are not the Leader, and I am not the Vice-Leader. You have no right to command me, and I have no obligation to obey your orders."

Qiqi might not know what Luo Tianyi intended, but she understood perfectly what Lin Luo intended. Luo Tianyi once claimed to be the person who understood Lin Luo best in the world, but that wasn't true—the person who understood Lin Luo best was Qiqi.

Lin Luo had transcended the Nine Paths of Inverse Karma, which contained all forms of death, achieving the unique state of Free Life, but he did not keep this Life for himself; he left it in the Bright Realm... because someone about to die had no need for this power of life; keeping it in the Bright Realm could protect all living beings in that world.

The Contract Book had two functions: to restrain the World Heart and to resurrect Qiqi, but it did not restore Qiqi's strength to its peak. However... the Free Life gained from transcending the Nine Deaths could do that.

Qiqi understood what Lin Luo was trying to do. Shortly after Lin Luo departed, she 'stole' this power of Life from the hands of the Bright Realm, using it to temporarily restore her strength.

After defeating Unit 40, she knew the Hosts were safe, so she came here, lingering in the shadows until the moment arrived. Then, she struck like lightning, simultaneously striking Luo Tianyi and using Tianyi’s own power to materialize the Source of Sin within her, before extracting it.

Luo Mu Yi could sacrifice everything for the one she loved; so could she.

For the sake of the one she loved, she had long decided that she would bear this Sin.

Three people, three hands gripping the Source of Sin, none intending to release their hold.

Their sole objective: to bear all the Sin themselves, and leave Life for the one they loved.

Perhaps their ideas were extreme, and their actions selfish. But were they wrong?

To willingly sacrifice everything to protect those one loves—is that wrong?

No one was wrong, but their respective goals were exposed. None of their plans succeeded; no one could monopolize the Source of Sin, and no one could completely seize it. No one would let go. How could this standoff be resolved?

"Let go. I am the man; it is my duty to bear this," Lin Luo said.

"I am the elder sister; protecting my younger brother is my responsibility," Luo Tianyi countered.

Qiqi said nothing, for she abhorred empty words, but her gaze revealed her resolve.

None let go, and none would let go.

"Enough, all of you!" At that moment, a loud voice suddenly rang out. The three abruptly turned toward the sound. They saw that the Hosts and the Heaven Beyond Heaven experts, who had been locked in their own decisive battle, had all arrived here, even Yao Yao among them. The person who spoke was Yao Yao.

No one found this surprising.

Qiqi extracting the Source of Sin from Luo Tianyi’s body did not occur without consequence. At the very least, anyone connected to this Sin would feel it. Once the Sin manifested, the Hosts and the Heaven Beyond Heaven experts, who held no deep-seated hatred between them, would naturally cease fighting. Yao Yao's arrival was entirely logical.

"How long will you continue to be arrogant?" Yao Yao stepped forward from the crowd and shouted at the three, "Do you think those you saved will be happy, or proud, or see you as heroes if you try to bear this Sin alone? Stop dreaming! You are just running away, lacking the courage to even confront it. You are useless!"

The three remained unmoved and offered no rebuttal, for they truly lacked the courage to fight the Sin. But this was the path they chose, and they would not regret it.

"I recall someone once saying: 'Sacrificing one person to save another happens often. But I never believed that could be called salvation; it's merely continuing the sadness through another person in a different form.'" Misaka Mikoto, her clothes tattered from battle, looked at Lin Luo and spoke gravely, "Even if you truly save us this way, preventing us from feeling sorrow in the future, one of you will still die, and that will still bring us sorrow. Are you truly saving us in this manner?"

Unit 36 also stepped forward, stating seriously, "I had a thoroughly enjoyable fight. At that time, I felt that even if I died in the end, I would likely die smiling. Even now, my blood is still pumping, too excited to stop. First, I must thank you; without you, I wouldn't have been this happy. Next, I must express my contempt... Your so-called protection of those you love is merely protecting yourselves. You are avoiding confrontation, so you choose this way to escape. But have you ever considered? Those you protect might not need your protection at all."

"On this point, we can assert this: because we have fought against each other, we understand that none of those you protect are weak. None of them require your protection," declared the Heaven Beyond Heaven experts.

"..." The three had nothing to say. Perhaps everything they said was true.

Shouldering the Sin alone might just be their chosen method of evasion.

"The Sin's arrival may cause countless casualties, but that is only a possibility. Can you truly declare that someone will definitely die because of the Sin? If you cannot, on what grounds are you making this decision now? Know this: your current decision concerns not only your lives but ours as well... The man who created countless miracles and turned the impossible into the possible—can he not create another miracle?" Yao Yao spoke again.

"The foundation of the World Heart is belief—not just believing in oneself, but also believing in one's comrades. But this isn't just the foundation of the World Heart; it's the foundation of human interaction. By choosing self-sacrifice, you implicitly deny trust in us. Why not continue to choose to believe?"

"It's merely the Sin. Why not face it head-on?"

"Even if someone dies as a result, at least we lived brilliantly."

"Believe in yourselves..."

"And believe in your comrades..."

The crowd spoke one after another, their words revolving around two key concepts: Belief! And Living On!

Amidst those countless familiar voices, Lin Luo's hand loosened, Qiqi's hand loosened, and Luo Tianyi's hand also eased its grip on the Source of Sin... Yes, they were persuaded, but not entirely convinced. After all, who willingly chooses death when they can live?

To be eternally tormented by Sin, suffering and lonely—who isn't afraid?

It was only because they feared watching those they loved perish before them in the future that they felt compelled to sacrifice themselves to escape. But if everyone believed in them, if everyone was willing to share the burden, why should they die?

"Have you decided?" After a long silence, Lin Luo looked toward Qiqi and Luo Tianyi.

The two exchanged glances. Luo Tianyi sighed, "Although I hate standing on the same side as a woman I dislike, if it's only this once... perhaps we can try."

A rare smile appeared on Qiqi's expressionless face. "I also choose to believe."

Indeed, no one wants to die if they can live. With belief, courage emerges.

Thus, the three simultaneously released their grip. The Source of Sin ascended towards the sky and gradually dissipated.

Lin Luo immediately turned around, facing the crowd, and declared loudly, "Soon, the Sin will truly strike us. This will be a war of no quarter given. Everyone... strive to live!"

"Naturally!" the crowd responded with smiles.