Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

“That’s quite a good match.” The clone nodded. “Seven emotions and six desires, a thousand knowledges and ten thousand changes—we are truly destined to fight a battle before it can be resolved—you should also have some understanding of the battlefield of the final war. Many of the story universes on my side are moving in the same direction. And before I came here, I had already begun to make arrangements in many universes.”

“My many avatars are doing the same thing.” The real Alice raised a finger, a point of light flickering between them. “Well then, why don’t we share some information before that? Although there are fifteen Reincarnation Squads in total, the Central Continent and the Demons should undoubtedly hold the largest share of influence and influence. And since other outsiders can’t act openly, perhaps the two of us can decide, or rather, deduce, the general changes to the script.”

“Great idea.” Copy’s response was incredibly cheerful.

The next moment, she clearly sensed the fingertips of another version of herself touching her own body—

—And then an ocean of knowledge and information surged forth.

Change, interference, recording, information—in an instant, the original Alice understood the clone's entire plan and strategy. The clone Alice clearly gained the same insight. They exchanged a glance, satisfied smiles simultaneously appearing on their lips. A silent consensus was established, and the subsequent division of interests was completed in a flash.

The final battle must be fought; events outside the chessboard are meaningless to the pieces on it. The resurgence of Gaia and the perilous or desperate struggle of all races and mortals are inevitable. Therefore, orchestrating its unfolding is of paramount importance.

So, the real Alice lowered her eyes. Just now, she had sensed the signal from Luo Ye—Luo Ye was heading to her false past life and would soon arrive in the present world of Gensokyo after leaving the false past life. There, she would complete the pre-arranged general layout and preparations—she selectively shared the information here with Luo Ye, skipping the last part of the question and answer with Shen Qi to avoid Luo Ye suddenly having a brain fart.

Clearly, this was the right decision. Luo Ye quickly responded, adjusting his previous strategy and devising a new plan.

Great, another troublesome problem is solved.

And after that—

The original Alice suddenly raised her head and looked at the clone, who had also interrupted her information processing and was casting a complicated gaze at her.

"I—" "I—"

Two voices rang out simultaneously, then fell silent. In a knowing exchange of glances, the clone of Alice gestured deferentially to her counterpart on the other side.

—【You go first.】

“I’ve discovered something serious.” Alice, in her true form, nodded. “I’ve discovered an individual weighing around forty kilograms approaching this place. She’s currently moving at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour, and I estimate she’ll reach the entrance of the Dollhouse in about two minutes.”

"And I think that individual should be Marisa from this era?" The clone Alice's eye twitched.

“I’m sorry, yes.” Alice’s face was equally embarrassed. “And even more unfortunately, before I could contact my mother, I used her from another timeline as a key to strangle her and burn her to ashes…”

"Haha, that's quite a coincidence—I stabbed Marisa to death over there."

"Then... run away?"

"Good idea, why don't you run first?"

"...I just went back online with the deactivated Emotion System. I can't do something so shameless right now." — Alice, in her true form, covered her forehead.

"What a coincidence, I'm a dignified bastard now too." — And even more unfortunately, her clone also made the same move.

And the next moment—

A black and white rat flying at high speed flew directly into the dollhouse along with the broken window!

Immediately following was the girl's energetic scream.

"Alice! I just dreamt that you—"

The screams stopped abruptly, immediately turning into confusion.

"—Huh? Why are there two Alices?"

☆, Preparations Before the Final Battle: Shadows of the Past

"A complete farce."

Luo Ye rubbed her temples, ending the information sharing with Alice. She could clearly sense the relaxed mood emanating from Alice's side. Clearly, Alice possessed a great deal of information that she hadn't revealed.

This is normal; information will always contain contamination. For unsuitable individuals, exposure to knowledge at excessively high levels will only bring misfortune. And if there is any information in this multiverse that Luo Ye, as the daughter of Gaia, cannot know, then it must be the secret power held by the chess players outside the multiverse.

—But that must be a good thing. If it weren't, Alice wouldn't be so happy.

Although Luo Ye wasn't by her side, she could guess that she and her clone must be having some fun. And since they landed in Gensokyo, they must be interacting with the residents there, right?

[A banquet, an outing, or perhaps she's even planning to stir up some trouble to liven things up? Ah… that's probably the only kind of thing she can do in Gensokyo. Maybe she's even planning to pick up her long-abandoned mentor duties and give that poor blonde kid a comprehensive, modern education? Whew… whatever, Patchouli seems to be heading that way too. If you include the clone, they'll probably have a lot of fun.]

[As long as you're happy...]

Luo Ye lowered her eyes, feeling both gratified and somewhat saddened. She was saddened because in the past, she had always been the one to bear everything that Alice couldn't handle. She never expected that now, all of that could be reversed.

So be it, so be it.

My little sister will always grow up.

As an older sister, it is certainly her duty to protect her younger sister from the wind and rain. But when a tiny sapling grows into a towering tree, the trees on its sides should no longer continue to shield it from the rain and sunshine.

"That's fine too," she thought, then looked up and gazed at the world before her.

Since she can manage her own affairs, I... only need to handle my own.

What came into her view was an ordinary, modern city. The technology was at the early 21st century, and she was standing at the end of the road.

Before my eyes, the streets were bustling with traffic and brightly lit. The air was filled with the aromas of barbecue, spicy hot pot, and various takeout food. And in my ears, there was a chaotic mix of hawking, bargaining, chatting, and gossip—a lively, noisy, and cacophony of sounds.

This is an ordinary 21st-century Eastern city. A small, third- or fourth-tier city on the outskirts of the city.

It was between eight and nine o'clock at night. The air was humid, with faint, fine raindrops floating in the air. The dust on the ground clumped together due to the excessive moisture, turning into dark, dirty clumps of mud that rolled around on the soles of shoes. A humid, hot wind then rose up, rolling around people like annoying little devils.

It's very bad, I feel very uncomfortable.

But this is how it is, because this is Luo Ye's hometown—that false hometown that lingers deep in memory.

So Luo Ye took a step forward—

She was wearing the same school suit that 'Luo Ye' had worn before her death. An unsightly pair of old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Her figure and posture were less than ideal. Everything about her was just as if she were still 'Luo Ye'.

However, she knew she was not 'Luo Ye'.

She should have known.

Back when the Sacred Hunting Ceremony had just begun, and she was still obsessed with sacrificing her useless body to pave the way for Alice, she should have known all this—because the omen had already appeared before her eyes at that time—she remembered that when she was dealing with those reincarnated celestial generals, she had arrived in a world exactly like 'Luo Ye's' previous life, and in that world, there was another ordinary and unremarkable 'Luo Ye'.

At the time, she thought it was an illusion, a trap set by a celestial being who had read her messages. So, after a brief moment of thought, she used her power to turn that tiny, illusory world into dust. However, only later, before the end of the Sacred Hunting Ceremony, did she realize that it was actually a manifestation of a prophecy.

I am not 'Luoye'. I merely bear 'Luoye's' memories and perceptions, thus identifying myself as 'Luoye's' last daughter.

I am... a primordial demon god.

She continued walking forward, her appearance utterly unremarkable.

Without the interference of bored people, without the advances of strangers, and without even a curious or scrutinizing glance—she walked straight to what appeared to be an old residential complex. Only then did an elderly security guard cast an uncertain, probing look at her.

"You are..." The old security guard wore thick reading glasses, and even under the streetlights, he had to strain his eyes to make out Luo Ye's face.

"...Are you the young lady surnamed Luo from Building D?" His voice held the surprise of an elderly person discovering their memory was clear and vivid. "Didn't you go abroad to study...? How come you're back already? I remember you used to..."

He pressed the switch to open the door, and as the electronic door opened, he started chatting about all sorts of trivial family matters.

However, Luo Ye simply looked at him quietly, without uttering a word or showing any expression. Her light black eyes remained devoid of any emotion. She looked at the old security guard as if he were a mere illusion—normally, most people would find such an expressionless gaze unbearable. Even without imbuing it with any kind of power, it would still provoke disgust. But the elderly security guard seemed completely oblivious to this.

—Because he only glanced at Luo Ye once from the very beginning. Because he only cast an observant look at Luo Ye when he uttered that noun. And after that, although he kept rambling on about random things, his attention was actually on the newspapers in the security room.

He didn't actually care who Luo Ye was, or why she was here at this time. Even though in Luo Ye's memory, this elderly security guard had cared for her somewhat like a kind grandfather when she was young, he didn't really care about Luo Ye as an individual.

So Luoye continued forward—

She encountered many people who recognized her, and she could read the concept of 'knowing' in their eyes. In 'Luo Ye's' memory, these people were all friendly and kind neighbors and acquaintances. However, in reality, they were like strangers to her.

Because they are just illusions.

Although they are living people, with blood, flesh, breath, and warmth, they are all illusions to Luo Ye. They are merely false memories used by lonely people to deceive themselves into believing they are not alone—because the little girl named Luo Ye has imagined a kind and friendly external environment for herself, and then pretends to live amidst a profusion of flowers.

—A pathetic person, a boring person.

Luo Ye passed them, erasing these useless old memories from her mind as she passed them—she remembered that she had gone abroad to study based on her own talents and supported herself in a foreign land through her own abilities. She remembered that she should be an insignificant, remote branch of a large family, and that 'herself' and the branch to which 'herself' belonged had never been given any respect.

Why is this?

She tried hard to find those fragments of memory that she had sunk to some unknown corner of the sea of ​​memories.

Why do I fantasize about living in a friendly environment? Why did I decide to abandon all my illusions in China and go to a foreign land? Why am I never valued despite having family and relatives? Why do I always take my own life so lightly?

Ah... I remember now.

She entered a residential building marked with the letter D. Reaching out, she pressed the call button on the yellowed elevator screen. As the steel cables whirred in the shaft, their gurgling sound echoing through the floorboards, the dusty book of memories resurfaced in her mind's eye.

Yes, that's how it is...

The reason I fantasize about living in a warm and welcoming environment is because the place I live in is not friendly.

The reason she abandoned everything in China and went to a foreign land was because it contained everything she wanted to escape as much as possible.

The reason why Luo Ye, despite having family and relatives, was never treated with respect was because they did not believe that Luo Ye deserved to be treated with respect.

Finally, the reason she so disregarded her own life was because she was of lowly status in the environment in which she grew up!

With a 'ding,' the elevator doors opened and then closed. She was inside and pressed the button for [13].

Luo Ye was born into a moderately well-known local family. Luo Ye was an illegitimate child with a less-than-honorable past.

Luo Ye's father abandoned her mother, and Luo Ye's mother vented her anger on young Luo Ye.

Luo Ye grew up in darkness, and neither her neighborhood nor her school could offer her emotional support. On the day Luo Ye came of age and graduated, she received her mother's cold shoulder for the last time.

She was abandoned.

The elevator doors opened, and she stepped into the darkness where the sensor lights hadn't illuminated. In her hand lay a rusty, worn-out key. Then, she stood before door number four, plastered with overdue payment notices, and placed her hand on the doorframe.

The key creaked and turned, and the door groaned and groaned.

The moment the door opened, an aura of decay and decay rushed out.

My path is unchanging; I am stagnation, interruption, decay, and twilight—ah, though I knew long ago that every effect has a cause. Deep within my heart, I too have awakened to my true self, but, but… what I see with my own eyes is ultimately different from the illusions of my heart. I…

Her fingers gently brushed across the entryway, pushing aside the thick layer of dust.

[...I'm still very unhappy.]

She continued forward to the dining table on the side of the living room. Through the slivers of moonlight streaming in from the window, even an ordinary person could tell that it was a private IOU torn in two.

'Child support, one million yuan, paid in full'—these words were written on the torn upper part. And on the lower part, yellowed and damp with time, were Luo Ye's signature and another blurred female name, arranged separately.

Ha, I knew it.

Luo Ye is indeed an orphan.

So……

She snapped her fingers and closed the rusty door behind her.

Everything is now clear. All I need to do is sever this karmic ties for this false past life. I must completely free the innate demon god who inherited Luo Ye's memories and name from the constraints of the individual concept of 'Luo Ye.' From now on, he will no longer be bound by any degree or category.

The goal is clear, but... how should we do it?