135: Chapter 135 Deer Hunting Operation (Part 1)

The next day, 8:00 PM.

The streaming section of Site C welcomed an unprecedented tsunami of traffic.

As soon as Lin Lu's stream went live, her popularity skyrocketed like a rocket, surging past the ten-million mark!

Among the viewers were fans who had watched Lin Lu grow from the beginning, veteran FGO players drawn in by her "The Doctor is a Safe Harbor" video yesterday, and countless "fun-seekers" who had prepared their snacks and soda in front of their computers, specifically waiting to see this beautiful film critic's mental state crumble.

"Good evening, everyone!"

In the frame, Lin Lu was wearing comfortable loungewear and a cute reindeer headband, looking full of energy.

Having endured the life-and-death trials of the previous seven Singularities, the current Lin Lu had long since shed her initial "clueless newbie" persona.

In her Servant collection, she not only had her max-level main lineup—the one she had poured countless efforts into and who had accompanied her through every breakthrough—but she had also carefully selected a level 100, NP5 top-tier "whale" support.

One could say the overall strength of her team was already that of a veteran force not to be trifled with.

"Brothers, look at this setup!"

Lin Lu patted her chest with confidence. "Never mind a mere Demon God King Goetia; even if aliens showed up, I'd beat them back to their home planet!"

The stream's bullet chat was instantly filled with a sea of "kindly" smiles:

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lu Lu is the strongest!"

"This lineup is indeed solid—so solid it makes my heart ache."

"I suggest taking a screenshot of that confident smile, because it's the last time you'll see it tonight."

Lin Lu didn't take these strange comments to heart, thinking the veteran players were just joking around.

Before entering the final battle of the Grand Temple of Time, Lin Lu specifically controlled her character to return to Chaldea's Central Control Room.

As usual, she walked up to the Doctor, who was looking down at some documents, and clicked to interact.

"Doctor, I'm heading out."

Speaking into the microphone, her tone was as light as if she were going on a picnic. "Once I beat that Demon God King guy to a pulp, make sure you have the strawberry cake sliced and ready at home for my victory celebration!"

In the stream, the refresh rate of the bullet chat came to a brief standstill at that moment.

Then, a torrent of wails and sighs from countless veteran players whose hearts had broken came rolling in:

"Take a few more looks, Lu Lu..."

"Don't say another word. I'll start crying now out of respect."

"Take a commemorative photo; this is the last time in the Control Room."

Lin Lu curled her lip. "You veteran players just love being 'riddlers.' Jiajia already gave me a heads-up and said it's definitely a Happy Ending. I won't be fooled by you guys!"

With that, she turned without hesitation and stepped into the glowing Rayshift circle.

...

After stepping into the light, the scene before Lin Lu changed.

This was a magnificent temple floating in the void, filled with an oppressive dark-red magical energy.

Here, she encountered the origin of all calamities, the culprit who had betrayed Chaldea during the Fuyuki City fire—Professor Lev Lainur.

"Welcome to the Grand Temple of Time. Unfortunately, the journey for you 'Old Humans' ends here."

Standing on the high platform of the temple, Lev looked down at Lin Lu and Mash with his signature arrogance and mockery.

Accompanied by a sickening sound of tearing flesh, Lev's human shell burst apart, transforming into a massive Demon God Pillar covered in crimson eyeballs!

Immediately after, the entire temple shook violently. One, ten, dozens... a total of seventy-two massive, twisted Demon God Pillars rose from the ground around the temple like an indescribable forest of horror, completely surrounding Lin Lu.

Because she had joined the game too late, Lin Lu had completely missed the previous "Raid" frenzy where players across the entire server had frantically torn Barbatos apart.

Now, within the system's single-player narrative perspective, she had to face this suffocating sea of Demon God Pillars alone!

"How am I supposed to fight this... there are just too many!" Lin Lu gritted her teeth as she looked at the dense forest of pillars before her.

However, just when she thought she was about to be swallowed by the ocean of Demon God Pillars...

A stirring battle theme titled "Outbreak" suddenly resounded in her ears!

"Lord, entrust my body—"

"Gather under this flag!"

Accompanied by that clear and resolute shout, Saint Jeanne d'Arc, holding her Fleur-de-lis war flag high, transformed into a streak of light like a falling star, violently tearing through the darkness of the temple and descending before Lin Lu's formation!

Then, a second, a third... hundreds and thousands of golden meteors, like a meteor shower from the highest heavens, fell one after another across the temple!

"I am not too late, am I? My Praetor, fight to your heart's content!"

"Hahahaha! The treasure and the route are right ahead! Boys, set sail!"

"For this final victory, I shall rebel against my magnificent father!"

Nero, Drake, Mordred, Nightingale...

The Heroic Spirits from the first seven Singularities—those who had fought alongside her, and even those who had once drawn their blades against her—had actually crossed the boundaries of time. Every single one of them had answered the call of the Last Master of Humanity, descending upon this final battlefield!

"Go! Master! Leave this place to us!"

"Even if we burn to nothingness, we will carve out a path to The Throne for you!"

Seeing those familiar figures on the screen throwing themselves one after another into the fray against the Demon God Pillars for her sake...

Inside the VR pod, Lin Lu's blood boiled with excitement, and goosebumps broke out all over her body!

"Brothers! Charge! For the path they've opened for us!"

Wiping away her tears, Lin Lu shouted. Under the cover of countless Heroic Spirits, she commanded her lineup, crushing the remaining Demon God Pillars in her way with unstoppable force and tearing through the outer defensive line.

Until... the final Throne of the Grand Temple of Time.

The course of the battle was completely different from what Lin Lu had imagined.

There was no stat-crushing, and no room for flashy maneuvers.

Before the terrifying power of Demon God King Goetia, which was capable of incinerating the entirety of human history, the maxed-out lineup Lin Lu was so proud of was as flimsy and vulnerable as paper.

"How can this be... the damage is all '0'?"

Lin Lu looked at the long string of "0s" on the screen, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.

"No, the defense is about to collapse! Mash, use your Noble Phantasm to block it!"

However, it was all in vain.

Goetia slowly raised his hand. That terrifying Noble Phantasm, capable of correcting all of creation, gathered into a flood of destructive light at the dome of the temple.

[Warning: The enemy is about to release their Noble Phantasm: "The Time of Birth has Come, He is the One who Points to the Beginning"]

[Warning: Cannot defend, cannot evade, cannot endure!!]

Red alarms flashed frantically inside the VR pod, and the piercing buzz felt as if it would tear Lin Lu's eardrums apart.

At this final moment of despair, the frail, pink-haired girl who had always followed behind her suddenly stepped past the defensive line and stood at the very front.

"Senpai... please look at me."

Mash raised that heavy cross-shaped shield and slammed it violently into the floor of the temple.

"That is the manifestation of our homeland, which heals all wounds and embraces all grudges—"

"[Lord Camelot]!!!"

BOOM—!!!

The destructive flow of light, capable of incinerating the entire planet, crashed violently against that chalk-white wall.

The blinding light of the extreme special effects completely swallowed Lin Lu's field of vision.

When the light dissipated, Lin Lu was panting heavily, looking forward with lingering fear.

The shield still stood tall.

But what about the girl behind the shield?

Lin Lu's pupils constricted sharply.

Under the wash of that heat which defied all common sense, Mash's physical body could no longer maintain its spirit origin form.

She saw Mash turn her head and give her one last relieved and warm smile.

Then, she turned into ash that filled the sky, scattering with the wind.