Chapter 498: Fellow Daoists, Please Gather Briefly Inside the Banner

"How can this be!"

Princess Toyohime also gritted her teeth, resolutely stepped forward to shield her younger sister behind her, and confronted the red-white shrine maiden opposite without the slightest retreat.

"Absolutely impossible!"

These words could be called resounding and forceful.

Although this princess was also fully aware in her heart — the one currently controlling that human girl's body had long since become a non-human divine will.

But to make her give up resistance just like that, to watch helplessly as her younger sister became a sacrificial offering... this was absolutely not an ending the Moon Princess could accept.

"... You intend to protect her?"

The red-white shrine maiden tilted her head slightly, the ribbon bow tied in her black hair swaying gently in the wind, and asked calmly.

That tone was very flat, on her exquisite fair face there was also not much expression, revealing a kind of cold indifference like Reimu Hakurei's usual demeanor.

But that was different.

Everyone could feel the essential difference — that indifference contained a terrifying apathy.

As if "she" did not care at all how the opposite side responded, because that would not change the final result.

"...!!"

Toyohime's pupils suddenly contracted sharply.

She could feel that gaze penetrate through her, like a god looking down on ants, not even deigning to bestow contempt.

In this instant, the air suddenly stagnated, even the drifting leaves seemed suspended in mid-air.

Everyone present held their breath, even time seemed to freeze at this moment.

And not far away, the shimenawa rope of Moriya Shen She moved without wind, emitting fine sounds, as if even the bounded field was trembling under some spiritual pressure.

The red-white shrine maiden's gaze remained calm, those pupils reflecting inhuman golden light reflected the few figures shielding Yorihime Watatsuki in front, yet it was as if she was gazing at unimportant dust.

Clearly a war had just ended...

But looking at it —

It seems another war is about to start immediately...

Yorihime Watatsuki's fingertips dug deeply into her palm, her pale lips trembling slightly.

She could feel her master's tensed spine as he blocked in front of her, could hear her sister's rapid breathing.

She took a deep breath, her trembling fingers slowly loosening.

The Moon Princess's pride turned into resolve at this moment, she gently pressed on Toyohime's shoulder in front of her, and stepped forward from behind her sister.

"Please stop."

Yorihime's voice was very light, yet it made everyone's actions freeze for a moment, "If sacrificing me alone can calm this conflict..."

Before her words fell, Eirin Yagokoro suddenly turned around: "Yorihime! What are you saying—"

But the purple-haired high ponytail girl merely shook her head, revealing a weary yet determined expression, her gaze passing over her sister, staring straight at that shrine maiden who had already become divine.

"My my, what are you all doing, the influence is so bad..."

A frivolous, laughing voice inserted itself into the dialogue at this time.

Walking with light steps, as if light as a swallow, the white-haired magician girl, completely unconcerned with the dragon god's majesty and the sword-drawn bow-bent momentum at the scene —

Simply walked right into the middle of the confronting two sides.

In any case, that frozen air was thus broken.

"How about giving me face, how about not pursuing this matter?"

Using the Face Fruit's rhetoric came as casually as anything, Miss Merry leaned close to the red-white shrine maiden, smiling as she raised the staff in her hand.

"And, look..."

The girl spoke thus, waving her staff lightly without the slightest hesitation.

Merely a single instant.

Spacetime seemed to be disturbed.

In an instant, reality was torn open like fragile thin paper.

Fine cracking sounds came from the air, as if the entire world's glass curtain wall was collapsing.

The distant shrine's torii began to distort, the vermilion pillars splitting into countless afterimages in the vision, each afterimage presenting a different flow of time —

Some were rotting, some were brand new as ever, some had never even been built.

Falling leaves froze in mid-air, on each leaf's veins overlapping all possibilities —

They simultaneously existed in all states of blooming and rotting, existence and withering, past and future.

Even farther mountain outlines began to wriggle, like clay kneaded by formless hands, the horizon folding into impossible angles under higher-dimensional power.

"You..."

The red-white shrine maiden's golden pupils contracted slightly, because "she" saw not a phenomenon caused by a spell, but something more essential.

And all who witnessed this scene saw the same sight on their retinas.

A Merry composed of countless possibilities stood smiling at the convergence point of all timelines.

Her outline overlapped with countless parallel worlds' selves, each her making different movements, yet eerily unified in this moment.

As if her existence was no longer limited to this moment and place, but like some kind of observer transcending time and space.

"Look," the girl's voice resonated simultaneously in past, present, and future, "even I possess this power!"

The tone was clearly intentional.

Carrying very obvious mockery.

The next moment —

The staff was stowed, the chaotic physical constants returned to normal, those material fragments from other timelines also vanished one after another into multiple spacetimes.

Merely an instant later, everything returned to normal.

But everyone knew that some kind of change had already happened just now.

"How about it? Should I be erased too?"

The cute white-haired girl smiled, standing like a flower, her smile becoming more dreamlike and beautiful, but her eyes still seemed to reflect some kind of extraordinary sight beyond the mundane.

Very obvious.

This was to intervene in this matter.

"……"

"……"

The red-and-white Shen She Maiden frowned slightly, as if seriously thinking about something.

"Don't think about it anymore; the current results are already quite good. Tsukuyomi couldn't truly be eliminated, so how could this Miss Yorihime possibly be easily dealt with?"

The Flower Magician coaxed and guided, seeming ready to persuade this troublesome Supreme God to accept the current victory and stop here.

While speaking, she also specifically glanced at the purple-haired ponytail girl who had stepped forward, her gaze lingering slightly on the latter's head.

Immediately after, she said meaningfully—

"After all, this Miss Yorihime is a genuine Shinrei……"

Indeed.

In Merry's Vision, atop the head of the knife-wielding girl, the two large characters "Shinrei" shone brightly.

——The font was large and obvious.

——It even had a gold-plated border, the kind with special effects.

——At a glance, it looked like someone had paid for premium in a browser game.

Such a distinct and striking feature, like a firefly in the night, how could people not notice it immediately?

Merry was the same; if she hadn't seen it, fine, but now that she had, she could only step forward to help.

She couldn't really do nothing at all……

She still had to hit her performance targets on her end……

This Princess Yorihime looked like a promising seedling with extraordinary talent, a specially marked seed player; if she saw her and did nothing, that fellow would inevitably think she had a poor work attitude.

To be honest, this was Merry's true inner thought.

Otherwise, with her mischievous nature, she wouldn't so easily step forward and clearly state her position.

Especially since this position was directly opposing the Dragon God—the Supreme God of Gensokyo.

"Shinrei……"

The red-and-white Shen She Maiden lowered her eyes and spoke coldly: "If that's the case, then she should be eliminated even more."

Watatsuki no Yorihime herself also showed a confused expression.

What Shinrei? Was it referring to herself?

But she had no idea at all; aside from being guided that portion of Divine Power, there seemed to be no other special treatment.

Princess Yorihime subconsciously looked toward her wisest master, and found the former Moon Sage also frowning tightly, as if seriously pondering something.

"But one has to be able to do it; right now it's very obvious, this Princess is on our side……"

Miss Merry shook her head, disagreeing with this.

Such powerful divine species, indeed, would not pay attention to the mundane world, nor consider too many trivial details.

"……"

"……"

"By the way—who are you?"

The Shen She Maiden in the state of Divine Descent fell silent for a moment, then spoke coldly again.

"Dragon God Lord, this is Merry, a Mage from another World……"

Yukari Yakumo seized the Opportunity, stepping forward to introduce—

"This incident was first warned to us by Merry, and previously in Tsukuyomi's Divine Realm, it was precisely relying on her Hint that we were able to hold on until your arrival, Dragon God Lord……"

"Eh?"

The Flower Magician instead made a syllable expressing doubt.

"I gave you Hints? When?"

The Youkai of the Boundary was also stunned by this question; she turned back to look at Miss Merry: "It was…… it was that Health Bar, and Tsukuyomi's name display……"

Probably also keenly Perceiving that something seemed off, the Seventeen-year-old Girl's tone also rarely became hesitant.

"And there's also background music; these are all very Intuitive, right?"

It had to be said—

Although at the beginning, this design was obviously of Bad Taste.

But everyone's combat Intuition was extremely keen, and they soon discovered that such Hints were very Intuitive, able to provide very effective Information Feedback in real time.

Because they could clearly see the BOSS's Health Bar, knowing the damage they had caused……

According to whether the BGM was stirring or not, they could judge to a great Extent whether the opponent was about to unleash a big move……

And from the changes in names, they could understand when the opponent switched phases……

——As long as they understood this point, they could well grasp the rhythm.

——Even to say, the combat rhythm back then was so good, and a considerable part of it was due to such factors.

"……"

"……"

"I…… I didn't give you any Hints……"

Miss Merry's Expression looked quite Strange.

"In order to avoid letting Tsukuyomi perceive my existence before seizing permission, I didn't do anything unnecessary at all……"

"……"

"……"

"Then…… who gave that hint?"

Yukari Yakumo's expression also turned subtle, she twitched her eyebrow, gently unfolded her folding fan to cover the lower half of her beautiful face.

"Of course it was me."

A somewhat joking laugh was heard.

Everyone subconsciously turned to look, only to see a slender hand reach out, gently resting on Merry Yorihime's shoulder.

The movement was so natural, as if this hand was meant to be there——as if it had always been on her shoulder, only everyone had failed to perceive it.

Afterwards, a figure slowly walked out from behind her.

No distortion of space, no fluctuation of light and shadow, not even a hint of discord.

He just appeared out of thin air, yet as if he had always stood behind Merry Yorihime.

Everyone produced an absurd illusion——

This person was not just arriving, but had always been there.

It was just that their eyes only now finally obtained the qualification to "see him."

"……"

"……"

Cold field aura! Activate!

The entire scene instantly fell into dead silence, plunged into complete quiet, as if even the night wind stopped at this moment.

Miss Merry pulled the corner of her mouth, but reacted very quickly, immediately revealing a sweet cute smile: "Master……"

And at this time, the red-white shrine maiden also reacted.

"She" calmly stared at this suddenly appearing existence——

"Are you the master of that strength?"

"Correct."

The youth laughed heartily, brows and eyes relaxed, as if just discussing today's weather in ease.

"Gave you trouble, but this matter ends here……"

"……"

"……"

"What if I say no?" The red-white shrine maiden coldly spoke.

"Then…… that would be somewhat troubling, after all I am not a good person either."

The youth blinked, lightly laughed and spoke, voice gentle.

He raised his hand, heaven and earth suddenly darkened.

Above the originally clear night sky, a pitch-black banner shadow silently unfolded, as if the night curtain was torn open a rift.

The banner flag swelled in the wind, in an instant covered the entire sky dome, its vastness boundless, as if enveloping the entire star under its shadow.

On the banner surface vaguely appeared countless distorted faces, wails and whispers intertwined into formless oppression, even the air froze because of it.

Xia Zhi's smile remained bright, even carrying a bit of sunlight-like warmth:

"Fellow Daoist, please gather in the banner——"

(Chapter End)