Super God Academy: Kabuto

As dusk fell on the northern star, a lingering orange-red sunset glow remained on the horizon, like warm embers illuminating this wounded yet resilient city. On the streets, people were clearing rubble and repairing houses; the figures of soldiers patrolling and volunteers busily working intertwined, their weariness radiating a vibrant energy for rebuilding their homes.

Lin Yu gently held He Xi's cool, soft hand, and the two strolled side by side along the gradually returning order of the streets, creating a scene of tranquility amidst the surrounding hustle and bustle. The setting sun cast long, intertwined shadows of them.

He Xi tilted her head slightly, her icy blue eyes gleaming mischievously in the sunset light. She shook their clasped hands and brought up the old matter again:

"Kid, tell me honestly, did you... have your eye on me from the very beginning?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu looked down at her, a smile and a hint of feigned ignorance in his eyes: "When are you talking about?"

"It was right at the beginning, in Juxia City, when I introduced you to my apprentice, Zhixin." He Xi wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Lin Yu pretended to recall seriously, then shook his head, his tone frank: "No. Back then, I really just thought your identity as the 'Celestial King' was troublesome, and I thought it was better to avoid trouble. I simply didn't want to cause any problems."

He paused, his gaze falling on He Xi's profile bathed in the soft glow of the sunset, and his tone softened: "It was only later... after spending more time with her that I realized that this seemingly aloof 'Mischievous Xi' is actually quite, somewhat good-looking."

"A little bit pretty?" He Xi immediately raised an eyebrow, stopped in her tracks, turned around to face Lin Yu directly, and tilted her head back. Her icy blue eyes, which seemed to hold the stars and the sea, stared straight at the insectoid, looking at him with scrutiny and a hint of dangerous allure. "Your standards are pretty high? Was it during the time I left Earth and returned to the Merlo Heavenly Court?"

Sensing her approaching presence and the unwavering scrutiny in her eyes, Lin Yu dropped his joking expression and nodded seriously: "Yes, that's true."

His gaze deepened, as if he were returning to the home where he lived alone: ​​"After you left, I felt the house become empty and strangely quiet. It's like... something very important is missing."

He refocused, gazing intently at He Xi, who was so close to him. His voice was deep and clear, filled with unprecedented solemnity: "Before this, apart from my younger sister, Xiao Lin'er, whether this world lives or dies, prospers or is destroyed, makes no difference to me. Even if this world collapses the next second, I only need to ensure my sister's safety to protect myself."

"But your appearance was like a ray of light, illuminating my world that I had previously found somewhat gloomy and boring."

A gentle evening breeze stirred, lifting strands of He Xi's silver hair. Listening to his words, simple yet deeply moving, and seeing the undisguised sincerity and affection in his eyes, her initially teasing lips gradually curved into a smile, and a captivating blush crept onto her cheeks and ears.

She lowered her eyes slightly, concealing the turbulent emotions within them, but instead of pulling away from his hand, she gently squeezed it back and whispered reproachfully:

"Smooth-talking...who taught you that?"

Even so, the slight upturn of her lips and the softened aura around her revealed her inner enjoyment and joy.

Seeing this rare display of girlishness in her, Lin Yu felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He smiled and tightened his grip on her hand, saying nothing more, and led her forward.

As dusk deepened, the lanterns in the courtyard pavilion cast a soft glow. Lin Yu and He Xi had just entered the courtyard when they saw Keisha sitting at the stone table, a cup of tea beside her, clearly having waited for some time. She looked at the two returning hand in hand, a slight smile playing on her lips, a hint of understanding and amusement in her expression:

"Oh, you're back so soon!" She elegantly picked up her teacup, gently blew on it, and then her tone became formal. "Now that you're back, let's get down to business." Her gaze sharpened as she looked at Lin Yu. "Just how much do you really know about the Void?"

Lin Yu and He Xi sat down opposite Keisha, their expressions becoming serious. Lin Yu pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts, before slowly beginning to speak:

"Based on what I know so far, or rather, the information I can recall," he pointed to his head, "the Void is not monolithic; different forces or races exist within it. I know of three main ones: the Void Insectoids, who swarm like locusts, feeding on all matter and energy—pure destroyers; the Earth Sovereigns, who seem to control some kind of 'matter' or 'existence' authority in the Void, more organized, but also more difficult to shake; and the Deep Sea Clan, whose mental power is extremely strange, adept at eroding minds and creating illusions. As for the others… the information is very vague."

He looked up at Keisha and He Xi, who were also listening intently, and said in a heavy tone, "But in any case, their individual strength is generally extremely high, and their form of existence and attack methods are completely different from the laws of our known universe. Given the current state of the known universe—the angelic order has collapsed, the gods are fighting their own battles, and the new generation has not yet fully matured—it is estimated that it will be difficult to withstand their large-scale attack."

Keisha frowned deeply. "How did you obtain this information? Could it be that you..." Her eyes held a probing gaze, "...went to 'over there'?"

Lin Yu shook his head, a hint of confusion on his face: "I'm not sure either. These are more like... fragments of memories that suddenly appeared in my mind, fragmented and incomplete. Their origin is a mystery."

He Xi pressed on, her voice tinged with the urgency of a researcher: "Then... have you found a way to deal with them, or rather, what their weaknesses are?"

"Not for now." Lin Yu's answer was straightforward, tinged with a hint of helplessness. "These memory fragments only contain descriptions of their existence and some of their characteristics. How to effectively combat them, or even whether it's possible to combat them at all, are unknown."

He gazed at the scattered lights of North Star outside the window, his voice low but tinged with hope:

"At present, the only hope may be to wait for those little ones to grow up as soon as possible. Earth, and even the known universe, needs new forces belonging to this era. What we 'old guys' can do is perhaps to buy them more time and pave some roads before the real storm comes."

A brief silence fell over the pavilion. For the first time, the outline of the void's threat was so clearly revealed to the three powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of the universe, bringing not enlightenment, but a deeper sense of gravity. The road ahead was long, with formidable enemies lurking all around; hope was like a candle flickering in the wind, yet it had to be clung to tightly.

Lin Yu sensed the oppressive atmosphere and gently grasped He Xi's hand beside him, as if drawing warmth and certainty from it. He Xi returned the gesture, her icy blue eyes gleaming with determination and wisdom, clearly already considering how to utilize this limited information to prepare for the future.