Super God Academy: Kabuto

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the lake and cherry blossom grove in a warm golden hue, creating a subtle contrast with the somber atmosphere inside. Lin Yu stepped out from the light curtain, seemingly carrying a faint, almost imperceptible aura of nothingness left over from traversing distant starry skies and dimensional barriers.

Keisha and He Xi immediately came to greet him. Without a word, they knew from the unusual, almost tangible heaviness in Lin Yu's brows and his earlier-than-expected return that something big had happened.

"How bad is the situation?" He Xi asked first, her hand unconsciously touching her lower abdomen, as if trying to sense the storms outside for the life inside her.

Lin Yu walked up to them and, without hiding anything, briefly and concisely informed them of the complete stabilization and formation of the Emerald Galaxy Rift, Lin Yu's warning in black, the impending accelerated collapse of the Divine River Seal, and the full-scale invasion of the Void.

"...So, time is really running out." Lin Yu concluded, his gaze sweeping over Keisha and He Xi. "It's not just a localized conflict like Frazier's, but a survival war that could erupt simultaneously from Emerald Star, the Divine River Ruins, or even other unknown weak points, covering major regions of the known universe."

A brief silence fell over the room. The cherry blossoms outside the window seemed to have stopped falling, and only the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace reminded everyone that time had not stopped because of the bad news.

Keisha broke the silence first, her silver eyes flashing with a sharp light—the decisive light of the King of Gods and Commander of Angels: "The Heavenly Court of Merlo needs me. Although Yan has grown, facing an unknown threat of this level and scale, the Angelic Civilization needs an absolute core that can unify all forces and stabilize morale."

She looked at Lin Yu, her tone calm yet containing an undeniable power: "I will immediately return to the Heavenly Court of Merlo, officially reclaim the throne, activate the highest contingency plan of the 'Holy Expedition,' integrate all the Heavenly Blade battle groups, establish a joint defense front, and issue the highest-level war warning and collaborative defense initiative to all known god-level civilizations."

Lin Yu nodded; this was exactly what he had hoped for. Keisha's full return meant that the Angelic Civilization, the most powerful war machine in the known universe, would be fully activated, becoming one of the first and most solid bulwarks against the void invasion.

"I'll go with you," He Xi suddenly said, but was immediately rejected by Lin Yu and Keisha at the same time.

"No." Lin Yu grasped her hand firmly. "Your primary task is here." He gently placed his other hand on her lower abdomen, protecting their child. Earth also needs your space-based system.

Keisha agreed, saying, "He Xi, Tiancheng has me, Yan, and many high-ranking guards. But here, only you can oversee the final debugging of the 'Tianji' system."

He Xi's azure eyes swept back and forth between the two faces. In the end, the rationality of a researcher and the resilience of a mother prevailed over the impulse to fight side by side. She took a deep breath and nodded: "I understand. I will protect this place. But," she looked at Lin Yu, her eyes filled with undeniable concern, "you must promise me that no matter where you go or what you do, you must come back safely. For me, for the child."

"I promise you." Lin Yu solemnly promised, gently pulling her into his arms and placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, he turned to Keisha, giving her a brief but firm hug as well. "Keisha, I'm entrusting Tiancheng and the angels to you. Be careful, we... will see each other again soon."

Keisha gently patted his back, saying nothing more, everything understood without words. She turned, her golden hair flowing, her royal robes fluttering without wind, and a pillar of light composed purely of divine code descended from the sky, enveloping her—this was a special teleportation directly connecting to the throne of the Celestial Court of Merlo.

"For justice, for our future." Keisha took one last look at Lin Yu and He Xi before her figure slowly dissipated in the pillar of light, leaving only her clear and majestic voice echoing behind.

After seeing Keisha off, Lin Yu didn't linger. He hugged He Xi again, feeling the pulse of the new life in her womb, and the increasingly clear rhythm of the "world" that resonated with him in their little world.

"Wait for me to come back," he whispered.

"Mmm." He Xi leaned against him and responded softly.

With his arms loosened, Lin Yu took one last look around at the cozy and tranquil cabin and lakeside that was about to become a haven from the storm. He resolutely turned around, and a screen of light unfolded in front of him, his figure disappearing into it. His target—Frezier.

Fraser, a temporary rest area behind the battle lines. The clamor of battle has temporarily subsided, but the air still carries the acrid smell of energy overload and the chilling scent of snow. The Super Soldier Corps and the Angel Warriors are seizing the time to rest, treat the wounded, and replenish their energy. After Hua Ye was severely injured by Kadoya Tsukasa (Evol Black Hole Form), the offensive of the Fallen Angels and the Gluttonous Beasts has been temporarily thwarted, but they have not completely retreated and are still gathering in the distance, watching with predatory intent.

Tsukasa Kadoya deactivated his transformation, leaning against a cold rock, fiddling with the Decade Driver in his hand, his gaze fixed on the Emerald Galaxy, his brow slightly furrowed. Momotaros, in his Imagin form, floated nearby, listlessly chipping at icicles with his giant axe, muttering to himself. Kirin sat not far away, her face still somewhat pale, but her eyes bright, carefully examining the Thunderfly Insect Device, clearly savoring and summarizing her experience of fighting alongside Momotaros.

Ge Xiaolun, Zhao Xin, Zhixin, and others huddled together, discussing the battle situation and their next moves in hushed tones. Angel Yan was absent; she had gone to inspect the fortifications further ahead.

Just then, Lin Yu's figure appeared silently at the edge of the rest area.

"Brother!" Qi Lin was the first to notice, and immediately stood up, her face showing surprise.

The others also turned to look. Tsukasa Kadoya raised an eyebrow and put away his driver; Momotaros also floated over curiously.

Lin Yu nodded to everyone and walked straight to Kadoya Tsukasa and Qi Lin. His gaze first swept carefully over his sister, and only after confirming that she was unharmed despite being quite exhausted did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"The situation has changed." Lin Yu cut to the chase and said to Kadoya Tsukasa, his voice not loud, but loud enough for Ge Xiaolun and the others around him to hear clearly. "The passage to Emerald Star has slowly taken shape, and the first substantial impact from the void could arrive at any moment. Moreover, an even greater threat is that the seal on the Divine River Ruins is about to collapse due to the resonance effect, and time... may be running out."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. Even those who had just experienced a fierce battle with Hua Ye knew that the "full-scale invasion of the void" was completely different from any previous war.

"Therefore, the situation here in Fraser must be resolved as soon as possible." Lin Yu continued, his gaze sweeping over Ge Xiaolun, Zhao Xin, and the others. "Although Hua Ye was injured, his foundation as a fifth-generation divine body remains intact. He and Karl behind him are still a huge hidden danger. But we don't have time to continue entangled with him here."

He looked at Tsukasa Kadoya: "I need you, and Momotaros, to stay here for now and assist Yan and Xiao Lun in defeating Hua Ye's coalition forces as quickly as possible, or at least driving them out of Frieza completely and stabilizing the situation here. Then, you need to immediately go to the outer edge of the Emerald System—not to enter, but to establish observation and early warning outposts at a safe distance, and be prepared to receive and interfere with the first wave of Void Impact."

Tsukasa Kadoya stroked his chin, not immediately agreeing, but instead asking, "What about you? Where are you going? Also, dealing with Hua Ye is no problem, but as for the Emerald Galaxy... with just the few of us, even with the angelic army that might be on their way, we're probably not strong enough to face the unknown void 'tide'."

"I'm going to a place to try to make some... more fundamental preparations." Lin Yu didn't say it explicitly, but Tsukasa Kadoya seemed to understand something from his eyes, nodded, and didn't ask any further questions.

"As for the Emerald Galaxy," Lin Yu said gravely, "the first to arrive will likely not be the highest-ranking Void Beings, but rather driven 'vanguards.' Your mission is not to confront the tide head-on, but to observe, record, and probe, finding their weaknesses and patterns of action, and at crucial moments, to conduct precise 'sniping' or 'guiding' attacks, buying time for the civilizations behind to deploy defenses and react. The Angelic Civilization will be one of the main forces in the first wave of direct confrontation. You need to establish contact with them and coordinate your actions."

He looked at Qilin one last time, his gaze softening: "Qilin, you did very well. The power of the Thunderfly and the coordination with Momotaros exceeded my expectations. The battles to come will be even more dangerous, but you have already proven yourself capable of standing on such a battlefield. Remember, protecting yourself is always the first priority. Trust your comrades, and trust in your own strength."

Qi Lin nodded vigorously, her eyes flashing with determination and a hint of dependence on her brother: "I understand, brother. You must be careful too."

Lin Yu ruffled her hair, then said to Kadoya Tsukasa and the floating Momotaros, "Hua Ye's Void Engine and Fifth Generation Divine Body are highly resistant to conventional attacks, but relatively vulnerable to 'destruction' and 'distortion' at the rule level. Kadoya Tsukasa, you should have some targeted 'gifts' in your cards. Momotaros, your time-interference ability is very effective against opponents who rely on precise energy manipulation. Cooperate well and finish this quickly."

"Don't worry, I've already figured out the trick to beating that black-winged guy!" Momotaros waved his fist.

Tsukasa Kadoya smiled slightly, and the purplish-black Evol black hole-shaped card reappeared at his fingertips. His eyes were sharp: "Perfect, the warm-up just now wasn't enough."

With everything arranged, Lin Yu lingered. He took one last look at his sister and the young soldiers who were about to face an even more brutal war, then his figure slowly faded away, as if disappearing into the air.

He didn't say goodbye, because everyone knew that the real farewell might not have come yet, or it might... come at any moment.

The clock of the universe ticked faster and faster, louder and louder, like a death knell, or like... a battle horn.