Legend Management Bureau Chapter 411

[ … words ]

The Seven Holy Heroes and Xiao Qi gathered around the table. Despite being surrounded by absolute ruin, they sat upright with the utmost solemnity.

Saint stood off to one side, while Du Yu watched from a short distance away.

The others could not see Du Yu; they could only stare nervously at Saint.

This was their first strategy meeting since the destruction of the Legend Management Bureau. Everyone felt a lingering sense of apprehension, completely unsure of what Saint intended to do. With only nine people and a single piece of Descent Equipment remaining, was there truly a way to save this world?

Saint fell deep into thought for a moment before slowly walking over to the doorway.

Leaning his back against the open door, he placed his left hand on the left frame and his right hand on the right.

He spread his arms wide, leaning back slightly as if bracing himself against a heavy load.

Just as everyone was starting to look bewildered, Saint finally spoke.

“When I was eighteen, I watched a movie with my parents. Spider-Man used a pose just like this…”

As he spoke, Saint tilted his feet up, digging only his heels into the floor. “He planted his legs firmly on the ground just like this, shattering rocks and tearing up the tracks as he skidded. That scene left a massive impact on me.”

Shiranui Jinjiro gently stroked his chin. “You have always loved using movies as analogies, but unfortunately, I missed the point this time. What exactly are you trying to say?”

Standing off to the side, Du Yu was equally confused.

‘What does he mean by a movie he watched with his parents at eighteen? What does it mean that he always loves using movies as analogies?’

‘This is far too different from my own memories. Have Saint and I actually been two entirely different people this whole time?’

Upon hearing Jinjiro’s question, Saint slowly stood up straight and addressed the group. “That piece of Equipment you recovered is the ‘Legend of the Legend Management Bureau’. In other words, it represents our past. Their timeline is like a train with failing brakes, hurtling inevitably toward its own destruction. Even if we were to kill every single passenger on board, the train still wouldn’t stop. The only way to halt a runaway train like that is to tear up the tracks entirely and grant them an early destruction.”

A wave of ominous foreboding washed over the group upon hearing his words, and their expressions grew grim. “Saint, what are you planning to do?”

Saint gave a wry smile. “To digress for a moment, has anyone here seen the movie ‘The Butterfly Effect’?”

Of everyone present, only Xiao Nian slowly raised her hand. The others simply shook their heads. The most bizarre part was that even Du Yu himself had never seen that movie.

Saint seemed to have anticipated this reaction, so he slowly explained. “The butterfly effect originally refers to a concept where a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest of South America can, through a series of subtle environmental changes, eventually cause a tornado in Texas. Our modifications to history follow the exact same logic. If we introduce even a slight alteration, the final outcome could be vastly different from our present reality.”

“And your point?” Shiranui Jinjiro asked, furrowing his brow. “Are you planning to alter our history?”

Shiranui Asuka suddenly realized something. She slammed her hands onto the table and shot up from her chair. “N-No! Du… Senior Saint, you can’t do that! If you do, you… you’ll…”

Saint gave A’xiang a gentle look, reaching out to softly pat her head. “Don’t worry, A’xiang. My plan isn’t quite what you think.”

He swept his gaze across the group, his expression turning deadpan. “Everyone, I intend to turn Du Yu into an orphan.”

“Turn him into… an orphan?” Shiranui Asuka asked, her face full of confusion. “Will turning the past version of Senior Du Yu into an orphan really save this world?”

“I am not completely certain, but it is merely a harmless experiment,” Saint stated slowly. “If I… that is, if Du Yu were to become an orphan, the trajectory of his entire life would shift. A lack of proper education from a young age would result in a severe deficit of basic knowledge, heavily hindering his ability to manage legends. Such a small change has the potential to drastically alter the final outcome.”

Everyone found the proposal a bit difficult to swallow.

Yet, upon deeper reflection, it actually seemed like a brilliant idea.

“Besides… even if we fail, we won’t lose anything. At worst, it will only rewrite my personal history.”

“Oh, thank goodness…” Shiranui Asuka exhaled, finally relaxing. “I thought you were planning to kill yourself…”

Saint chuckled softly. “Silly girl. How would killing myself do you any good?”

Jin Jianglang looked between the two of them, a trace of doubt still lingering in his mind. “Du Yu, turning you into an orphan… that shouldn’t require the Descent Equipment to achieve, right? After all, that piece of Equipment only started recording from the exact moment of your death. You’ve actually had this plan in mind for a long time now, haven’t you?”

“Correct. I have spent the last ten years trying to formulate the perfect plan. This operation has little to do with the Descent Equipment; I am simply taking advantage of today’s opportunity to finally voice it.”

The group fell silent, completely unable to fathom why Saint had suddenly chosen this exact moment to strike.

“If there are no objections, then let us officially begin this meeting,” Saint declared with a smile. “I have decided to dispatch A’xiang, Xiao Nian, and Liu Ling. A’xiang and Xiao Nian’s mission is incredibly simple: do whatever it takes to seduce my father, Du Yi. Meanwhile, Liu Ling will remain on standby to protect them.”

Shiranui Asuka was visibly stunned. “S-Seduce Senior Du Yu’s father?”

“A’xiang, just consider this a personal favor to me. As you all know, I died in a fire on a bus. That death was far too agonizing. Every time I close my eyes, I can still see the burning, melting chassis of that vehicle dripping down onto my body. It was sticky, like tar, and no matter how hard I shoved, I couldn’t push it off. The searing heat was so intense I couldn’t even scream; I could only writhe and die in unspeakable agony. Please, just consider this an attempt to tweak my past, even if it’s merely to grant me a different kind of death.”

Hearing this, Du Yu was thoroughly baffled.

‘Died in a bus fire?’

He stared fixedly at Saint. The face was identical to his own, yet it felt incredibly foreign to him.

“We have completely different life experiences. Just who exactly are you?” Du Yu muttered under his breath, his lips barely moving.

A sudden realization dawned on him—

If he connected the dots from the two tales he had just witnessed, Saint’s background actually made perfect sense.

His grandfather was Du Lao’er, his father was Du Yi, and his mother was Nana.

He loved watching movies, had a mind of his own, and lived a seemingly perfect life—right up until he tragically perished in an accidental fire.

After entering the Underworld, he was tricked by Cui Jue and mistakenly ended up working as an Operator.

Compared to Du Yu’s own background as a solitary orphan with no remaining ties to the mortal realm… Saint’s life history seemed almost too logical.

‘But Time… if the visions you showed me were real… then who am I?’