"Contract Book's Lord Lin Luo, World Heart's Host Tohsaka Rin, all conditions met, officially signing the Heart Contract."

As Lin Luo placed his hand on Tohsaka Rin's chest, he once again heard that familiar prompt tone. Simultaneously, both felt an instantaneous shift in their surroundings, not physically, but within their consciousness.

It was as if they were suspended in the cosmic expanse, encircled by flowing, multicolored light, the Milky Way pouring down like a waterfall, dreamlike and illusory… Was this the Heart of Charisma?

Truly possessing immense charm.

A brilliant, star-shaped imprint flew out from deep within Tohsaka Rin, merging with the Contract Book. The white Contract Book seemed to be enveloped in stardust, glimmering with a faint, crystalline radiance.

"Heart Contract signing complete. Current Lord status modified, base attributes enhanced. Mental Dialogue connection limited to three individuals. Granted the innate ability of Command Seal Summoning. The Heart Seal has unlocked the second layer, allowing entry into the current Contractor Tohsaka Rin's Co-contract State…"

"Current Contractor status modified. Heart of Charisma compatibility reached 100%. Heart Seal unlocked the second layer… Relationship status changed to sharing life and death; mental power and life-force chains can be shared…"

Aside from the scene of the signing itself, the experience was largely similar to when he contracted with Mikoto. The second layer of the Heart Seal had opened; it seemed that simply signing a Heart Contract automatically unlocked this second tier. The only variation was the innate talent, which was understandable as it varied per person. However, Command Seal Summoning… could he summon Heroic Spirits?

Lin Luo felt a stir of interest at the thought, about to check the current attributes of both individuals, when a sudden, ominous feeling washed over him—as if something vital had vanished…

His gaze instinctively drifted toward the distant horizon, where nothing appeared to be amiss.

"W-what's wrong?" Having been fully briefed on the Divine War beforehand, Tohsaka Rin wasn't overly shocked by the information gained from the Heart Contract. Blushing slightly, she opened her eyes and, seeing Lin Luo gazing elsewhere with a grave expression, couldn't help but ask.

"No, nothing," Lin Luo shook his head. "It's just…"

"Hmm?"

"For a moment just now, I had a sudden, bad premonition. Ever since I obtained the Contract Book, for some reason, my premonitions have never been wrong. This time… perhaps it was just a delusion?"

Lin Luo frowned, but the unrest in his heart only grew stronger despite his words.

Swish

Just then, a dim light streaked across the distant sky like a shooting star.

"That is…" Lin Luo's eyes snapped wide open. The moment he saw it, an immediate sense of familiarity, of blood connection, surged through him. He blurted out, "The World Heart!"

"Eh?" Tohsaka Rin stared, dumbfounded.

It was the same feeling he had when he first encountered Mikoto's World Heart.

Almost instinctively, Lin Luo reached out his hand. In the next second, the World Heart flew before him, slowly settling into his palm.

The moment it touched him, before Lin Luo could even process what was happening, a torrent of information flooded in from the World Heart. Images flashed through his mind like a movie reel… A black sky… A fallen angel… Broken wings… A reaper claiming lives… A desperate girl… That was…

In an instant, Lin Luo's expression contorted. Without hesitation, he grabbed Tohsaka Rin's hand and sprinted toward the seaside inn.

"Hey, you…" Tohsaka Rin couldn't react immediately, her body moving forward with Lin Luo's momentum. "What on earth happened?"

"We are in grave danger right now."

"Danger?"

"Don't ask, just hurry and meet up with everyone…"

Crack

Before Lin Luo could finish speaking, a violent sound erupted from behind them, like a speeding car smashing through a glass storefront… Both instinctively turned their heads.

High up in the sky, hundreds of meters above, a gigantic fissure had seemingly torn the heavens apart. Black, swirling mist seeped out from the rift, quickly obscuring the greater part of the sky. Simultaneously, a grey figure emerged from within…

"Gwa-gwa-gwa, is this the world? Moving quite fast, but alas, prey is merely prey, after all."

The voice was like a duck's quack, the laughter like a demon's. Stepping out from the black space was a man clad in a grey robe. His entire face was hidden beneath the wide brim of his cowl, making his features impossible to discern. His exposed hands were like desiccated branches, utterly incapable of being imagined as belonging to a living person.

Just by standing there, an endless aura of death permeated the surroundings, giving the impression… wherever he stood, that place became hell.

Fear.

Yes, at this moment, Lin Luo felt terror. It stemmed from the overwhelming, sky-blotting might of his opponent, from the incessant warning alarms blaring from the Contract Book in his mind, and most keenly, from the faint, silent lament emanating from the World Heart in his hand.

From the information transmitted by the World Heart, Lin Luo knew that with his current strength, he stood absolutely no chance against this individual, because the person before him was… a Level 3 Walker.

The Fallen Heart—this was the name of the World Heart Lin Luo now held. Its original host was a fallen angel from another world, immensely powerful, whose own strength had already brushed against the domain of fundamental rules. And the World Heart's level, due to its 99% compatibility with the Fallen Heart, meant that even though she hadn't signed a contract with him, it was likely the highest level among all hosts so far—Second Tier Heart Transformation.

Lin Luo didn't fully grasp what this level signified, but Mikoto, with her 100% compatibility, had only reached First Tier Novice Heart. The difference between them was at least a major tier. Moreover, she, being at the Heart Transformation level, was fully aware of his situation and the Divine War.

Yet, such a formidable fallen angel had been pushed to the brink, ultimately sacrificing her own existence to forcibly tear open space and send the Fallen Heart to him, lest it fall into enemy hands.

"Gwa-gwa, found you. Indeed? The owner of the Contract Book."

Soon, the grey-robed man fixed his gaze on Lin Luo, emitting a cold, sinister chuckle. Lin Luo instantly felt as if he were being scrutinized by a venomous snake, a chill running through his entire body.

Splash

He extended a hand forward, pointing. A dense surge of black mist erupted from behind him, instantly forming a palm the size of a millstone, which slammed down fiercely towards Lin Luo.

"Run!"

He roared the command to Tohsaka Rin, while simultaneously activating his Compatibility Mode and plunging into the Misaka Network. LV5 power erupted instantly… Thunderous, roaring lightning shook the heavens and earth.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, and a colossal bolt of lightning descended, shattering the black mist hand into dust.

However, in less than a second, the dispersed black mist reformed, sweeping horizontally toward Lin Luo with even greater force.

Damn it, these mists can't be dispersed?… Right, since this mist is controlled by a person, it naturally cannot be dispersed. But if someone is controlling it, that implies…

Zzzzira… Swish

Boosting his reaction speed to the maximum, Lin Luo retreated lightning-fast. He flicked his finger; a projectile danced before his eyes. Then, all his electrical energy gathered in his right hand, which he violently flicked forth.

Boom

Powered by over a billion volts, the Railgun Lin Luo launched far surpassed Mikoto's. A shrill sonic scream tore through the air as an orange-red beam ripped toward its target… The target wasn't the black mist, but the Level 3 Walker himself.

Although the Railgun possessed formidable power, its range was notoriously pathetic. A mere fifty meters made it nearly useless in certain engagements. To compensate for this drawback, Lin Luo had specifically procured a batch of superalloy slugs via the Hanged Man. These slugs possessed extreme resistance to electrical and thermal energy, significantly increasing the firing range of the Railgun.

Faced with the ferocious attack at point-blank range, the black-robed man showed no intention of dodging, lazily uttering, "Hmm, what is this? An acrobatic performance?"

Saying this, he extended his withered hand to block in front of him.

Boom

The orange-red beam instantly struck his palm, but the invulnerable Railgun did not pierce through as it usually did… It was blocked.

With just one hand, Lin Luo's maximum-effort Railgun was completely stopped, rendering it utterly ineffective.

The light of the Railgun quickly faded. The grey-robed man lightly pinched his fingers, and the slug was instantly reduced to a fine silver dust that sprinkled down from the air.

"..."

Seeing this, Lin Luo could barely believe it. Level 3 Walkers were incredibly strong; he knew that much from the images transmitted by the Fallen Heart. He hadn't expected a single Railgun shot to injure or kill him, but at least it should have caused him some momentary chaos.

But what was this now?

A world of difference. The strength gap between a Level 1 Walker and a Level 3 was an absolute chasm.

"System detects the Evil Spirit Book. Target level is too high; basic information cannot be queried. Extreme danger. Advising host to retreat immediately."

Listening to the Contract Book’s alarm, Lin Luo could only offer a bitter smile. Could he escape? The opponent’s strength had reached such a terrifying level; escape was impossible.

"A very nice acrobatic display. Now that the performance is over, it's time for you to hand over what you possess… Hmm?" The grey-robed man's speech suddenly hitched mid-sentence, as if he had noticed something. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze landing upon… Tohsaka Rin.

"Gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa, what is this? What is this?" The grey-robed man suddenly threw his head back and roared with maniacal laughter, his voice threatening to shatter the eardrums. "Wonderful! Simply wonderful! Two World Hearts! Gwa-gwa! Even Heaven is on my side!"

Amidst his roaring laughter, he waved his hand, and the black mist instantly transformed into a gigantic black dragon, opening its terrifying maw as it lunged toward Tohsaka Rin.

Bad!

Lin Luo's face instantly changed. Rin's gems had been completely depleted in the fight with the Dark Side, and her inherent strength was nowhere near enough to withstand a single blow from a Level 3 Walker. But… he was at least twenty to thirty meters away from Tohsaka Rin right now; he wouldn't reach her in time to help.

"Rin!"

"Hah!"

Accompanied by Lin Luo's startled cry, there was also a clear, crisp shout from a young girl.

A figure clad in snowy white flashed lightning-fast in front of the terrified Tohsaka Rin. A golden longsword slashed down sharply, and brilliant, dazzling light instantly annihilated the 'Black Dragon,' leaving not even a wisp of black mist behind.

The girl then stood firm, holding her sword, her fierce gaze fixed upon the figure suspended in mid-air.

"Here!"