Having grasped the rules of the Creation Realm, Lin Luo now possessed near-invincible power, yet he didn't dare presume himself the strongest. The world was vast, and mystery lurked everywhere; who knew if there were entities far more monstrous hidden beyond those visible on the surface.

Thus, regarding the conflict between the magical and scientific factions, he truly had no intention of intervening. His sisters weren't weak to begin with—Misaka Rei had two LV5s in the extra chapter, and Last Order was at the peak of LV4. Coupled with Kazakiri Hyoka and Accelerator as backups, such a force would make either side hesitate long before moving against them. Therefore, even after his departure, their ability to protect themselves would at least be secured.

After all, in the original story, Accelerator and the sisters alone managed to navigate the perilous Third World War with minimal scratches. Now their combat strength had more than doubled, not to mention his own residual threat, which might still exert some influence even if he left this world... What if some divine being like King Arthur descended again? That would be trouble for them.

To rashly interfere and overturn the established order might invite even stronger entities—perhaps something akin to Gaia or Alaya—which would be disastrous.

...After waking everyone up, Lin Luo briefly recounted what had transpired. Upon hearing that Xig had been defeated, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, though the matter of the ABERs naturally prompted some lamentation.

It had to be noted that, excluding Accelerator, the gazes exchanged between Mikoto, Rin, and Mugino carried a certain complexity, and when they looked at Lin Luo, their expressions were tinged with evident turmoil.

Though Lin Luo couldn't fathom their thoughts, this peculiar atmosphere put him under immense pressure.

After exchanging a few hurried words, he made an excuse about needing to rendezvous with Mis and the others and swiftly departed, leaving Mikoto, Rin, and Mugino staring awkwardly at each other. While a formidable enemy had previously united them, now...

So, what kind of friction would arise between an arrogant queenly figure, a calculating, proud manipulator, and a fiercely willful femme fatale? Well, let the reader use their imagination for that.

Back at the inn, Mis, the extra individual, Kuroko, and the others were still present. The outcome of the battle was already known. Looking around, Lin Luo spotted Shokuhou Misaki lying motionless on a sofa, eyes closed, clearly not yet recovered from the backlash of her psychic attack.

Lin Luo approached immediately and cast Holy Healing on her, but to his surprise, the spell had no effect; Shokuhou gave no indication of waking up.

What was going on? Could the Healing spell be ineffective against mental attacks? Impossible! Although the mind was a mysterious entity, it was ultimately connected to the brain, falling squarely within the spell's operational range.

Lin Luo paused, then cast the spell several more times with no response. Now, genuine panic began to set in. If Shokuhou couldn't wake up because of this, he wouldn't be able to rest easy—after all, this was all due to him.

"Can't you save her?" Mis leaned over, asking with concern. It wasn't just her; everyone present wore a worried expression. Despite the Queen's often aggravating behavior, they had become friends after spending so much time together.

"Maybe we should take her to the hospital?" Uiharu timidly suggested.

Sending someone to the hospital when even his healing spell failed was utterly useless.

Lin Luo thought, unsure of what to do next, when suddenly the Heart of Spirit hidden in his pocket flew out and adhered itself to Shokuhou Misaki's chest... "Current target's compatibility with the Heart of Spirit reaches 92. Possesses a pure maiden body, meeting requirements. Authorized to become the second host of the Heart of Spirit. Fusion commencing."

Huh??

Lin Luo was utterly dumbfounded, frozen in place, watching in disbelief as... it burrowed in. It burrowed in!

What the hell was that? Lin Luo felt it made no sense. It was one thing for the World Heart to summon Mugino, but now it was autonomously seeking a host, performing an unsolicited move on the Queen! Did it intend to capture all the scientific LV5s? That was utterly shameless—what would the Hanged Man think?

Noticing the strange looks from everyone around him, Lin Luo spread his hands, indicating his innocence. "That... wasn't me."

Mis, the Extra, Accelerator, Kuroko, Saten, Uiharu, Last Order, and the six Misaka Sisters unanimously shook their heads, their meaning perfectly clear: It was you.

Lin Luo wore a look of misery, about to explain, when he suddenly felt an intense wave of killing intent from behind. His heart skipped a beat. Slowly, he turned to see Mikoto, Rin, and Mugino standing there, glaring fiercely.

"That... I really didn't mean to," Lin Luo was nearly in tears. This time, the World Heart had acted entirely on its own initiative; it had nothing to do with him.

Perhaps due to the presence of the World Heart, Shokuhou Misaki finally woke up. Instantly, all eyes turned to her. Seeing this, she blushed reflexively and murmured, "Uh, what happened?"

Queen, you're being airheaded.

Academy City, a building devoid of windows or doors.

In the empty room, a figure suddenly materialized. Aleister opened his eyes and looked at the person before him. "I knew you would come looking for me. Say what you need to."

Lin Luo smiled. This was his third visit here. The only difference was that the previous two times he had been summoned by the Hanged Man, requiring the guidance of the red twin-tails. Now, however, he had come voluntarily, needing no escort; the windowless building offered him no obstruction.

"I've only come to say goodbye, and to leave you with one message."

"Oh?"

"It concerns the Sisters..." Lin Luo looked at him, his tone carrying a slight threat. "I don't object to you having them help you with tasks; they have nothing better to do in the outside world, and having something to occupy them is fine. However, if you treat them as cannon fodder or use them to fight the magic side, I absolutely will not allow it."

"...Can I take that as your parting words?"

"Well, you can think of it that way. I just hope that the next time I visit this world, the Sisters will all be present, not one fewer or one more. Otherwise... Earth might have a headache."

"A very interesting parting message. I shall make a note of it."

"I hope so." With a faint smile, Lin Luo vanished from the room in the next instant.

Staring at the spot where the other had stood, Aleister remained silent for a long time before finally sighing with a sense of helplessness. "It seems I need to alter my plans..."

"Sigh, truly reaping what one sows, aren't I?" Muttering with the same sigh as the Hanged Man, Shokuhou Misaki, the Queen of Tokiwadai, leaned languidly on her throne, an indescribable melancholy in her eyes.

Initially, she had only planned to dig at Misaka Rei and Misaka Misei's territory by seducing Lin Luo as revenge. Now, for whatever reason, she had succeeded, but the problem was, she had entangled herself in the process... It was truly self-sabotage!

Being possessed by the Heart of Spirit placed enormous pressure on the Queen. From Lin Luo, she learned that she had been inexplicably chosen for a Divine War, forced to travel with him to other worlds to fight enemies repeatedly, and become the ultimate victor, or else she would be hunted down by other participants in the Divine War. Hiding anywhere would be futile...

This was a truly agonizing prospect. For someone like her who preferred an easy life, this Divine War was detestable. Moreover, Lin Luo already had so many girls around him—though it seemed no actual relationships had formed yet—it looked undeniably like a harem. Where would she fit in? She was the Queen!

The dignified Queen of Tokiwadai, reduced to becoming just another member of someone's harem? Unacceptable!

But... today was the last day. If she didn't go with them, eventually other Walkers would arrive in this world, just like that Xig fellow, leading to the deaths of not just her, but many others... Sigh, what was she to do?

Staring blankly at the ceiling for over half an hour, the Queen finally rose from her throne and walked toward the door, muttering as she went, "My life is a tragedy..."

This was a research institute in the Seventh District of Academy City, originally used for the Level 6 Shift project experiments, now serving as the residence for the Misaka Sisters.

In the vast open space stood a large group of people. Lin Luo, Mikoto, Rin, and Mugino stood on one side. Opposite them were Misaka Mis, the Extra individual, Last Order, the Misaka Sisters, Accelerator, Shirai Kuroko, Uiharu Kazari, Saten Ruiko, and the long-unseen Yoshikawa Kikyo, Frenda Seivelun, and even the other three members of ITEM: Takitsubo Rikou, Kinuhata Saiai, and Frenda.

Today was the last day they could remain in this world; this was the farewell gathering. Although there had been many disputes with ITEM previously, now that even Mugino was one of their own, those minor conflicts were naturally set aside.

With Mugino's departure, the dark side organization ITEM had dissolved. Correspondingly, a new dark side organization had formed, led by Accelerator, Misaka Mis, and the Extra individual, supported by Takitsubo Rikou, Kinuhata Saiai, and Frenda, with the Misaka Sisters handling logistics, and Kazakiri Hyoka as the hidden main force.

An independent mercenary group, not controlled by any faction within Academy City, existing only for themselves, named...

They had spent a month in Academy City in a whirlwind of activity—joy, tears, anger, and emotion... Suddenly having to leave caused Lin Luo a degree of reluctance. If he felt this way, Mikoto and Mugino felt it even more so. But the saddest among them was not one of them, but a certain White-something-Black-something.

"Onee-sama, waah... Onee-sama, Kuroko... Kuroko..." The White-something-Black-something was sobbing uncontrollably, clinging fiercely to one of the Misaka Sisters and rubbing against her chest... It was hard to tell if she was genuinely heartbroken or taking the opportunity to grope.

Lin Luo suspected it was the latter, so he promptly used the Misaka Network to warn Level 0 and the Extra to be wary of the perverted yuri enthusiast's assaults in the future, lest the consequences be severe.

Time was running short. Lin Luo checked the time limit displayed in the Book of Contracts; only ten minutes remained. He felt a bit dejected—the Queen still hadn't arrived.

Lin Luo secretly decided that if the Queen didn't show up within the next five minutes, he would forcefully take her away... As the host of the World Heart, he couldn't bear to leave her alone in this world. After all, even someone as powerful as the Fallen Angel was driven to suicide. With the Queen's combat power of only 5, she looked like experience points for other Walkers, and she might endanger the people of this world too...

"Sigh, I wish you had already left."

Just then, the Queen's voice reached his ears. She approached from a distance, her lonely gaze carrying a hint of melancholy and resignation that was frankly infuriating.

"Have you decided to sign the contract?" Since it was an open secret, Lin Luo stopped beating around the bush and spoke directly.

"No, I don't wish to sign a contract with you yet." The Queen shook her head.

Lin Luo gave a wry smile. "Do you really intend to stay behind? You know your situation in this world will be extremely dangerous."

The Queen shook her head again. "I will go with you all, but I will not sign the contract."

"Ah?" Lin Luo was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you understand?" The Queen rolled her eyes at him. "Didn't you say that any host of the World Heart can step onto the Starlight Road? Since that's the case, there's no need for a contract. I just need to accompany you."

"This..." Lin Luo felt immensely conflicted. As expected of someone who mastered manipulation, she truly knew how to exploit loopholes. "Although you can leave without the contract, you will still be in great danger staying here."

"That doesn't matter." Saying this, the Queen extended her hand toward the three of them—Mikoto, Rin, and Mugino—with resolve in her face. "You signed contracts with them, and at least experienced one or two life-or-death situations together. But nothing real has ever happened between you and me. To sign such a life-and-death contract solely for my own safety, I cannot accept... At the very least, I don't want to hand myself over so easily."

The Queen's words left Lin Luo speechless. It made sense; he and Mikoto and Rin had shared much, and even with Mugino, many things had happened. With the Queen, beyond a few intentional provocations, there had been little real interaction. It was natural for her to feel unbalanced. To sign a contract so readily now would feel casual, carrying far less weight than her connection with Mikoto and the others.

After thinking it over, Lin Luo didn't press her further. After bidding farewell to everyone, he materialized the Book of Contracts, and the Starlight Road instantly stretched towards the heavens...

The sight astonished those who hadn't witnessed it before, drawing expressions of curiosity.

Lin Luo had already explained the procedure. Rushing to return to the Moon World, Rin stepped onto the Starlight Road first, followed by Mikoto, Mugino, and the Queen.

Just as Lin Luo was about to step forward, a figure suddenly rushed in front of him, wrapping him in an embrace before he could react. Then, their lips met—a wet, fiery kiss...

Huh?

Lin Luo was instantly shocked. What kind of miraculous, sudden development was this?

The surrounding crowd froze.

"Mis..." Only when the person pulled away did Lin Luo clearly see her face. Who else but Misaka Mis?

"This is an advance payment," Misaka Mis said with a smile.

"Ah?"

"The World Heart. When you come to this world next time, I hope you will give that to me. So, this kiss is the advance payment. And then..." Mis leaned close to Lin Luo's ear and whispered so no one else could hear, "At that time, as part of the contract conditions, I will give you all of myself."

Lin Luo was speechless. Mis's utterly explicit words left him unable to react further.

After speaking, Mis quickly moved away from him and disappeared from everyone's sight.

Musing over Mis's words, Lin Luo felt a surge of warmth, but it quickly evaporated as he looked toward the Starlight Road: Mikoto was sparking wildly, Rin was squinting with wisps of black gas appearing behind her, Mugino was sneering repeatedly, and the Queen... thankfully, the Queen remained composed, showing no excessive reaction.

Lin Luo broke out in a cold sweat, reflexively raising his hands. "I didn't do anything... That last one was a forced move."

Twenty seconds later, Lin Luo stepped onto the Starlight Road, and the path rose from the ground, ascending toward the stars...

Destination—The Moon World.

P: Seeking monthly votes for the third update.