Super God Academy: Kabuto

The edge of the closed loop of time ripples gently like waves on the surface of water.

Lin Yu stepped out of that eternal space, stripped of the flow of time, and his feet touched the familiar earth of the Winter Cherry Blossom World, forever covered with fallen cherry blossoms. He stood there and took a deep breath—the air was filled with the faint fragrance of cherry blossoms, mixed with the dampness of the soil, and a faint, elusive scent belonging to He Xi.

He didn't know how long he had been in that closed loop.

Time has no meaning in that. All he knows is that when that black-clad "self" stripped him from the present world and sent him into that chaos, his consciousness underwent countless shattering and reconstructions, his soul was thrown into countless fragments of timelines, and he saw countless possibilities for himself—those futures where he became a savior, those futures where he fell into the abyss, those futures where he lost everything, and those futures where he gained nothing.

Then, at the end of countless cycles of reincarnation, he finally understood.

I understand now that time is not a river, but an ocean. I understand now that the past and the future are not consecutive points, but islands existing simultaneously. I understand now why the version of myself in black sent him there—not to make him stronger, but to let him "see."

See the truth.

See the cost.

I saw the path he had to take.

At this moment, he stood beneath the winter cherry tree, raising his hand. His hand was still long and strong, but Lin Yu knew it was different. Deep within his palm, a faint silver light flowed—the imprint of the laws of time on his soul, a "gift" he had earned at the cost of countless deaths and rebirths.

"You're back."

A voice sounded from behind, trembling slightly, yet trying to remain calm.

Lin Yu turned around.

He Xi stood ten steps away, her long silver hair shimmering softly against the backdrop of cherry blossoms. Her hand was protectively placed on her lower abdomen, the slight curve of which was more pronounced than when they last met. Tears glistened in her icy blue eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

Lin Yu didn't say anything. He simply walked over, opened his arms, and gently embraced her.

He Xi's body stiffened slightly, then went limp. She buried her face in his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, and hugged him tightly with all her might, as if to confirm that he was real, warm, and truly back.

"How long has it been?" Lin Yu's voice rang out above her head, sounding somewhat hoarse.

"Seventeen days." He Xi's voice was muffled. "You disappeared for seventeen days."

Lin Yu remained silent. Within that time loop, he had experienced countless cycles of life and death, watched countless times as He Xi, Keisha, and Qi Lin died and were reborn before his eyes, and struggled on the edge of despair countless times. Seventeen days? To him, that was 170,000 years.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, tightening his grip on his arm. "I made you worry."

He Xi looked up into his eyes. In those eyes lay something she had never seen before—not weariness, not vicissitudes, but a deeper, almost profound understanding. Like the tranquility one feels after experiencing countless life-and-death situations, finally seeing the true nature of life.

"You've changed," she said.

"Hmm." Lin Yu nodded. "It's changed a little."

"Has it gotten better or worse?"

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his lips: "I should... become a little stronger. Strong enough to protect you all."

He Xi gazed at him for a moment, then stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips.

The kiss was gentle and lingering, carrying seventeen days of longing and worry, as well as unspoken trust and entrustment. Cherry blossom petals drifted down around them, as if the whole world was witnessing this moment for them.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

He Xi pressed her forehead against his and whispered, "The child misses you so much."

Lin Yu placed his hand on her lower abdomen, feeling the slight rise and fall, feeling the faint yet powerful life pulse beneath his palm. That was his child, his and He Xi's child, a new life carrying their shared blood and hope.

"I miss him too." Lin Yu's voice was choked with emotion. "I miss him so much."

He Xi smiled, a smile that carried a mother's tenderness and a warrior's pride: "He still kicked me. Especially yesterday, I don't know what he sensed, he kicked me particularly hard."

"He must be a mischievous fellow." Lin Yu smiled, his fingers gently tracing the raised curve. "Just like you."

"Nonsense, you look just like you." He Xi glared at him, then snuggled back into his arms. "It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..."

Lin Yu held her in his arms, feeling the real warmth of her embrace, the familiar cool fragrance, and knowing that this was not an illusion, not a phantom in the cycle of reincarnation—it was real. He had truly returned, returned to her side, returned to the world he was willing to protect with his life.

After a long silence, He Xi asked softly, "Are you still leaving?"

Lin Yu remained silent for a second.

"Yes," he said, but then added, "but not now. Now, I need to find two people first."

He Xi raised her head and looked at him.

"Qilin," Lin Yu said, "and Keisha too."

He Xi nodded. She understood. One was his sister, the other his Daoist partner. On the eve of this impending war, he needed to see them, needed to confirm their safety, needed…

They need to know that he's back.

"Go ahead." He Xi released her hand, took a step back, and smiled gently. "Come back soon. I'll be waiting for you tonight."

Lin Yu looked at her, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

"wait for me."

Qilin has been speaking very little lately.

Ever since Tsukasa Kadoya returned her to the Mount Mangdang, she had stayed in her assigned cabin and rarely went out. Occasionally, someone would knock on the door, and she would respond politely, but never initiate conversation. Only when she received a brief message from Tsukasa Kadoya to let her know she was safe would a faint smile appear on her face.

Today, she sat by the window as usual, gazing at the endless sea of ​​stars outside the porthole, holding a photograph in her hand—a picture of her and Lin Yu when they were little, two dirty children, grinning foolishly at the camera.

"Brother..." she murmured softly, "Where are you..."

No sooner had the words been spoken than there was a gentle knock on the cabin door.

Qi Lin frowned. Who would come at this hour? She stood up, walked to the door, and opened it—

Then he froze.

Lin Yu stood outside the door, wearing the white clothes she knew so well, with the familiar smile on his face, but his eyes seemed a little deeper than she remembered.

"Qilin," he said, "I'm back."

Qi Lin was stunned for three seconds.

Then, she suddenly rushed forward, hugged Lin Yu tightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"You bastard!" she cried, pounding her fist on his chest. "Where did you go?! Do you know how worried I was?! When that man in black took you away, I almost thought I'd never see you again! You bastard! You bastard!"

Lin Yu let her hit him, only gently patting her back, just like he had comforted her countless times when she was a child.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I made you worry."

Qi Lin cried for a while before she gradually calmed down. She let go, took a step back, wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, and glared at Lin Yu with red eyes.

"That man in black..." she paused, "was he my brother?"

Lin Yu paused for a second, then nodded.

"Yes and no," he said. "He is another me. One who... has experienced more than I have."

Qi Lin looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end she just nodded. She believed him. Whoever the man in black was, as long as the brother in front of her was real, that was enough.

"Are you hungry?" she suddenly asked, her tone returning to normal. "Shall I get you something to eat? The mess hall on the Mangdangshan is pretty good."

Lin Yu smiled. That was Qi Lin, the sister he knew well, the one who always expressed her care through food.

"I'm not hungry," he said. "I just wanted to see you."

Qi Lin blushed slightly, then snorted, "So cheesy."

Lin Yu smiled and ruffled her hair, the same gesture he made ten years ago.

"And the soldier?" he asked.

Qi Lin's expression changed slightly, then returned to normal: "He... went to run an errand. He said it was a task assigned by your brother in black."

Lin Yu nodded. He knew what Tsukasa Kadoya was doing. It was what he needed to do, and what he had to do.

"He'll come back," Lin Yu said, looking into Qi Lin's eyes. "I promise."

Qi Lin didn't answer, but just gave a soft "hmm".

Lin Yu knew what she was thinking. But he didn't point it out; he just ruffled her hair again.

"Get some rest," he said. "Once all this is over, we'll go home together."

"Go home?" Qi Lin looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Our home... wasn't it already..."

"Then let's build another one," Lin Yu said with a smile. "A bigger one, a better one. With you, with me, with He Xi, with Keisha, and... and that little one who hasn't been born yet."

"Okay," Qi Lin smiled, her eyes narrowing.

She excitedly spun around the cabin, completely forgetting that she had just been worried about Tsukasa Kadoya. Lin Yu watched her, his smile growing wider.

This is the Qilin he knows.

That little sister who can cry, laugh, make a fuss, and jump around.

"Alright, alright," he said, pulling her back. "Stop spinning, you'll get dizzy. I still need to find Keisha. You get some rest and wait for my news."

Qi Lin stopped and nodded, but then tugged at his sleeve.

"Brother," she whispered, "promise me you won't disappear again."

Lin Yu looked at her and nodded seriously.

I promise you.

Keisha has had very little rest lately. Since the conclusion of the Council of Gods, she has been dealing with a mountain of military affairs—troop deployment, defensive arrangements, logistical support, and intelligence gathering. None of the wars fought by the Angelic Civilization in its 30,000-year history have been as complex as this one. This time, she is not commanding angels, but a coalition of forces from the entire known universe.

Angels, demons, the blazing sun, and the earth.

Putting these four words together is simply a fantasy.

But she did it.

Although Liang Bing was still nitpicking, although Pan Zhen was still questioning things, and although the Earth side was still adjusting, she succeeded. An unprecedented allied force was gathering outside the Shenhe Ruins.

At this moment, she sat on her throne, her silver eyes fixed on the enormous projection screen before her, displaying a real-time updated battlefield situation map. Yan stood beside her, also staring at the screen, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Your Majesty," Yan began, "a message has arrived from Demon One: Liang Bing has requested a 30% increase in her dark energy quota. She said..."

"What did you say?"

"They said the angel's defensive array was too energy-intensive, affecting her jamming system."

Keisha raised an eyebrow, a faint smile curving her lips: "Tell her that the dark energy quota can be increased, but the price is that her demon legion will have to take on 20% more fire support missions."

Yan paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

Just then, a familiar presence appeared in her senses.

Keisha suddenly looked up.

Lin Yu stood at the entrance between the throne rooms, dressed in white, with a faint smile on his face.

"I'm back," he said.

Keisha didn't speak. She simply stood up and walked towards him step by step. Her long silver dress spread out on the ground, her long golden hair swayed gently with her steps, and something flickered faintly in her silver eyes.

She walked up to him and stopped.

Then, she raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek.

"I've lost weight," she said.

Lin Yu took her hand and gently kissed it.

"Thinking of you."

A smile finally appeared on Keisha's lips, a smile that carried a hint of helplessness, but also a tenderness that only he could see.

"Glib-tongued."

Lin Yu smiled and reached out to pull her into his arms. Keisha didn't struggle; she simply leaned gently against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

At this moment, she was not the king of gods, not the commander of angels, not Queen Keisha who needed to maintain composure and majesty forever. She was simply a woman, a woman who had just seen her man return safely.

Yan tactfully withdrew from the throne room and closed the door behind him.

After a long silence, Keisha finally spoke softly, "That man in black..."

"It's me," Lin Yu said. "But it's not me either. It's someone who has experienced more than I have."

Keisha looked up at him.

"He's very strong," she said.

"Yes." Lin Yu nodded. "Strong enough to protect us."

Keisha paused for a second, then said, "But he's also lonely."

Lin Yu remained silent. He knew she was right. That version of himself in black had experienced countless reincarnations, watching those around him die time and again, bearing an unspeakable burden, and ultimately becoming that version of himself. Loneliness was the inevitable price.

"I won't become like that," Lin Yu said, looking down into Keisha's eyes, "because of you all."

Keisha stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

"You'd better not," she said, her tone carrying a rare hint of playfulness, "otherwise, He Xi and I won't let you off the hook."

Lin Yu smiled and hugged her even tighter.

At Deathsong Academy, Karl stood before the stargazing window, his face still obscured by the hood. His gaze pierced through the endless sea of ​​stars, landing on the ever-widening crack, his eyes gleaming with contemplation.

Snow's figure quietly appeared behind him.

"My God, the Triangles have sent a message," Snow's voice was flat and mechanical. "They have made contact with the Void Sea Clan."

Karl tilted his head slightly: "Go on."

"The Voidlings' reply is—to continue harassing the native inhabitants of this universe. To exhaust their energy, distract them, and create more favorable conditions for the arrival of the Void's main force."

Karl paused for a second, then a slow smile curved his lips.

"Interesting," he said. "It seems the Void Races have their own plans. They don't want to directly confront the Allied Forces' onslaught; they want to use the Triangles as cannon fodder to wear them down first."

Snow didn't speak. He just stood there quietly, waiting for Karl's next instructions.

"Tell the Triangles," Karl finally spoke, "to do as the Void Sea Clan says. Continue the harassment. The more frequent, the better; the more intense, the better. Ideally, keep the allied forces busy and unable to concentrate on the real threat."

"Yes."

Snow disappeared.

Karl turned back to the stargazing window, looking at the crack, at the nothingness deeper within it, a void darker than darkness itself.

"The Void Races... the Triangles... the Allied Forces..." he muttered to himself, a barely perceptible chuckle in his voice, "They're all acting according to their own scripts. I just wonder who the director and the actor will be in the end."

Behind him, the gray-black void microparticles continued to slowly writhe. Those blood-red eyes were half-open, coldly observing everything.