It felt like ten thousand ants were gnawing, or countless sharp needles were stabbing, or like immense force was relentlessly hammering—at this moment, beyond the searing pain in his head, Lin Luo had no other sensation whatsoever. Release all states instantly. Divine Heal, repair, repair, repair, repair... But it was utterly useless. No matter how many times Divine Heal was cast, the only response was the cold notification from the Contract Book: "Curse effect cannot be repaired. Curse effect cannot be repaired. Curse effect cannot be repaired. Curse effect cannot be repaired..." What curse? Lin Luo had no mind to consider it; he was completely unable to perceive anything of the outside world now. That hellish agony had almost stripped him of all perception; only the pain persisted... If he could just pass out now, what bliss that would be. But even that was impossible. He didn't know how long it had been—perhaps only a few seconds, or maybe just a few minutes—but for Lin Luo, it felt as protracted as an entire century. Then, amidst the excruciating pain, he clearly sensed something returning to his body...

To Saber Nero.

Even in this state, he could distinctly feel that Nero had reformed back into a Command Seal. It was only at this point that the hellish throbbing in his head gradually began to subside... When all sensation finally returned, Lin Luo lifted his head, and then he saw, standing not far opposite him, a tall figure holding a massive greatsword—the Knight of Vengeance, Anse. He was alive. He was alive! That meant Red Saber had been defeated? And that’s why she reverted to the Command Seal form? How could that be? She was Nero Claudius, the Tyrant, one of the top five strongest Servants among all Heroes. After unleashing the world-shattering inherent Domain, Tarnum's Golden Theater, how could Anse still have defeated her? This was impossible! Lin Luo could not accept it, bracing himself and staggering to his feet... Although the intense pain had receded, the sensation was still vividly imprinted; his body remained extremely weak while it lingered. "Lin Luo!" "Lin Luo, you..." Seeing him stand up again, Lei and Xiao Qi couldn't help but gasp. "I'm fine, I'm almost recovered..." Seeing their gazes filled with concern, Lin Luo managed a faint smile, but after being tortured by the agony, his face was unnaturally pale; the smile looked even worse than a grimace. Both girls instantly looked worried. Lin Luo paid them no mind, fixing his gaze on the tall man slowly approaching ahead, and asked, "You... defeated her?" Even though the evidence was before him, Lin Luo still found it difficult to believe Red Saber had been vanquished. "Her?" Anse paused slightly upon hearing this, but quickly understood. A trace of melancholy suddenly crossed his face as he sighed, "Are you referring to the woman in red? Sigh, this is the first time in my life I have ever lost so miserably, so utterly convinced of my defeat. If she hadn't self-destructed at the very end, I doubt you would be seeing me now." "Huh?" Lin Luo froze. What did that mean? Anse lost, but Nero self-destructed? What in the world happened? Just then, Anse abruptly tore open his clothes over his chest. There was a massive sword wound where his heart lay. It was clearly the mark of a blade. He pointed to the gash and said with lingering relief, "Half of my body is human, and half is a Dead Apostle. While I am not completely immortal, most wounds heal automatically after a short time. But the wounds inflicted by that woman are proving difficult to mend, especially this sword thrust aimed directly at my heart. Just one more centimeter forward, and my heart would have been completely pierced. At that point, even I surely would have perished... Though someone like me shouldn't pray, I must thank fate that I did not meet my end." As he spoke, he still felt a lingering terror recalling the battle inside the grand theater moments before. If his past fights were sustained by sheer willpower, this time it was purely the grace of heaven.

Time rewound a few minutes. After Red Saber unleashed Tarnum's Golden Theater, Anse's qualities in every aspect dropped sharply, and his overall strength was severely compromised. Facing Red Saber's furious assault, he could no longer resist at all. Every swing Red Saber made left a mark on his body; every charge made him feel on the verge of death; every attack made him regard the woman before him as terrifyingly formidable. Under these various disadvantages, Anse desperately held on. Though he resisted with all his might, the outcome of defeat seemed inevitable. Neither the full liberation of his demonic sword nor the attack from Saint Funeral Canon had any effect on the girl before him. An Emperor? Yes, truly an irresistible emperor. Anse felt his own willpower had significantly improved just by enduring this long. Finally, when Red Saber thrust her deep crimson greatsword toward his heart, and the searing flame sword touched his skin, Anse truly believed he was doomed. But what he never expected was that just as the tip of the blade was about to pierce his heart, her attack suddenly halted, and the vast Golden Theater vanished. Anse could only see the nearly invincible girl in red now clutching her head and groaning in pain like a helpless child, "Ahhh... my head, no, my head, ahhh..." Though he didn't know what had transpired, Anse could sense the girl was enduring excruciating agony. Immediately afterward, she, sword and all, transformed into a streak of red light and vanished before his eyes. Having escaped death under such circumstances, Anse found it impossible to accept, and his heart filled with resentment.

"Headache ailment?" After hearing Anse's words, Lin Luo suddenly remembered. Yes, there was such a thing. Since birth, Nero had suffered from a headache curse of unknown origin, and this curse would trigger once she used Tarnum's Golden Theater. That was why, at the crucial moment, she hadn't killed Anse but had instead destroyed herself. In that case, was the headache he was suffering also related to Nero?... That must be the reason. The Contract Book also indicated a curse effect, and since Nero was his special Contractor, it wasn't strange that he would experience sympathetic sensations with her. However... "Why are you telling me this?" Lin Luo frowned, looking at Anse. He didn't believe the man was acting out of sheer kindness. "Perhaps it's because I ultimately feel a bit unconvinced. After all, it was the first time I've been so utterly defeated in my life, so..." Anse pointed his greatsword at Lin Luo, "As her Master, defeating you might help me recover a bit of my confidence." This guy... Lin Luo showed no change in his expression, but his heart jumped. His gaze swept briefly over Xiao Qi, then he turned back to Lin Luo and said, "There's still plenty of time, let's have some fun." Without waiting for Lin Luo's consent, he charged forward, dragging his greatsword.

Clang.

No incantation was needed. Lin Luo and Lei, already connected soul-to-soul, completed their merging the instant Anse rushed in. The Blade of the Verdant Wind met the attack, and the immense force sent Lin Luo staggering back several steps. "Not bad, your weapon. It's the first time I've seen a human who can transform into a weapon," Anse said in surprise. "Not a weapon," Lin Luo stared coldly at him. "Is that so? Then let's continue," Anse replied noncommittally, swinging his demonic sword again.

Boom!

The ferocious assault made Lin Luo feel immense pressure. Was this a 'Zou'? "Lei!" Feeling the throbbing ache in his arm, Lin Luo couldn't help but worry. The Blade of the Verdant Wind was formed from Lei, and it was hard to guarantee it wouldn't suffer damage under the attacks of Anse's demonic sword. "I'm fine. Let's... use that." Lei's ethereal soul-form manifested behind him. "En," Lin Luo nodded, parrying Anse's attack while silently reciting the necessary verse in his mind. Finally, "...Ring of the East Wind." The attack, approaching the rank of an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, formed a white spiral. The roaring wind pressure tore through the vacuum, surging down upon Anse. "This is..." Anse's expression shifted slightly, quickly replaced by a look of excitement, "As expected of someone who can summon such a powerful Heroic Spirit. I mustn't underestimate you either... Blade of Vengeance!" Black sword energy materialized into a crescent moon shape. Though seemingly simple and direct, it possessed the power of an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, fully equal to the Ring of the East Wind.

Boom!

The two forces collided, immediately creating violent fluctuations. The surrounding space seemed on the verge of collapse. "This... this is just awful," Xiao Qi thought, having been forced back by the intensity of their battle, standing a dozen meters behind Lin Luo. While Lin Luo's combat power wasn't weak right now, he was clearly a slight notch below Anse, and these moves, resembling ultimate techniques, certainly couldn't be sustained.

Bang!

The result of the final clash was, predictably, Anse holding the upper hand. Lin Luo was blasted backward until he finally stopped reeling back a dozen meters away. What was even more despairing was that as he landed, likely having exhausted his power, the merging with Lei was forcibly dissolved, and her small figure collapsed softly onto the ground. "Lei!" Lin Luo instinctively tried to catch her, but the moment his body moved, he suddenly saw a black streak pass right through his chest... Instantly, blood sprayed from his front and back. State removed... Healing, repair... Gritting his teeth and enduring the intense pain, Lin Luo struggled to hold on. But before he could recover, another arc of sword energy swept towards him from across the way—Anse's assault showed no sign of stopping. Just as he was about to be cleaved in two by that sword energy, a small, tender hand suddenly reached out from behind him and gently clenched, crushing the black streak. "Eighteenth Seat, your insolence ends here." A cold, crisp voice. A few strands of black hair flickered before his eyes. Lin Luo instinctively turned back to look, and what he saw was... Xiao Qi?

PS: According to official settings, Kurohime’s hair, like Shirohime’s, is blonde. However, because the author prefers long black hair, she has been given two colors. Besides Kurohime being able to change her hair color herself (yes, give her this ability), her normal loli form is golden, and upon transforming into a magical girl, she becomes long and black (a second transformation—does she have Saiyan lineage?). PS2: I still owe an extra update from yesterday. Well, I'll make it up today; I really couldn't manage it yesterday. V

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