A kiss, and then an attack—was the fall far behind? (Second update, requesting votes) The Servant’s affiliations were previously documented in the chapter detailing the battle against Sakuya Izayoi. ...

Lin Luo had no time to consider how long this lingering kiss lasted; who pays attention to time during a kiss, anyway? Sakuya was already nearly breathless, on the verge of swooning, but she wasn't an ordinary person and wouldn't lose consciousness in this heat. She grew increasingly perplexed.

Even a complicated Heart Contract shouldn't take this long, should it? And there were still no signs of any contract manifesting. This was too strange!

Finally, Sakuya couldn't stand it any longer. Her eyes snapped open, and she violently shoved Lin Luo away, though he still held her tightly. "Where is the contract?

Why hasn't it been signed yet? Are you even taking this seriously?!" Sakuya was panting, her face flushed. Though her tone was accusatory, to Lin Luo, she looked more like she was pouting.

Lin Luo offered a slightly awkward smile. "Actually, the Heart Contract isn't sealed by kissing; it doesn't require any exchange of breath." "What?!" Sakuya was utterly stunned, followed by a surge of inexplicable anger, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Then why did you kiss me?" "Because you actively solicited a kiss from me.

If I hadn't kissed you, wouldn't that be letting down your kind intentions? I couldn't do something like that," Lin Luo replied naturally, as if it were the most self-evident fact in the world. "You!

I thought that was..." Sakuya was truly furious. This guy was wicked to the core. He was clearly taking advantage of the situation and then stating it as if it were his due.

He deserved divine retribution! Of course, beneath her shame and anger, she felt intensely embarrassed. If she had known this, she would have asked first.

Her own proactive behavior left her with no moral high ground for accusing him, as her action had clearly invited him to kiss her! On that note, she had transmitted such detailed information about the God War—why did the contract ritual completely fail to transmit? World Heart, are you trying to sabotage me?!

Sakuya wished she could find a crack in the earth to crawl into. "What is the actual contract ritual?" Sakuya managed to calm her breathing, asking testily. "Well, it just requires placing a hand on your chest," Lin Luo said with a sheepish grin.

Fine. Sakuya no longer felt like arguing. Suppressing the urge to kill him, she closed her eyes.

"Let's begin." All she wanted was to resolve this quickly and leave immediately afterward, or she feared she would explode from anger. Lin Luo didn't hesitate. Since they had already kissed, tapping her chest was child's play.

He reached out and placed his hand upon the young woman's beautiful, though not overly ample, breast. The next moment, a voice rang out: "Contract Book Owner Lin Luo, Heart of Time Host Izayoi Sakuya, Favorability below 90%. Signing an Informal Heart Contract.

Under this contract, Contracted State cannot be used, and Contracted Talent cannot be acquired. All statuses will be restored upon reaching 100 Favorability... Do you agree to sign?" "Yes!" As the contract was signed, after a brief moment of mental fuzziness, Lin Luo found them both still in the time-stopped space.

However, instead of the prohibited audience, they were surrounded by countless giant clocks. Some were frozen, some turned normally, some spun rapidly, and others moved in reverse. This was Sakuya’s World Heart vision—the World of Time.

Then, a gray hand pointer appeared in the Contract Book. "Heart Contract signed. Current Owner status unchanged.

Current Contracted status changed: Spiritual Dialogue Connection successful, Heart Seal unlocked to the second level, Heart of Time compatibility reached 100%... Relationship changed to Sharing Life and Death, Mental Power can be shared, Life Chain can be shared..." Thus, the contract was complete. "This should do it, then," Sakuya opened her eyes.

Although the establishment of the Heart Contract took only an instant, she could feel subtle changes in her body. Her physical strength seemed to have increased slightly, and there were other things, too—well, she didn't really understand most of it. "Yes, there are no more issues.

Our contract is complete now, Sakuya," Lin Luo chuckled. Signing a contract with the maid servant, at first, he had thought it an almost impossible feat. But with it proceeding so smoothly, his excitement and thrill were boundless.

Looking at his smug expression, Sakuya honestly wanted to punch him, but upon reflection, she figured it would be useless and best ignored. "Now you can let go of me, right? I need to restore time," Sakuya shot him a look and said calmly.

"No problem." Although he was a little reluctant to let go, as holding the maid servant like this was rare, time ultimately needed to resume, and there was always tomorrow for such things. "Speaking of which, Sakuya, are you not wearing breast pads anymore?" As he released his hold, Lin Luo subconsciously asked. When he touched the maid servant's chest just now, it felt very soft, with no hint of padding, which piqued his curiosity.

Hearing this, Sakuya's body trembled slightly, a trace of killing intent instinctively flashing in her eyes. She said fiercely, "I have never owned such a thing. Are you mocking me?!" "No, no, I didn't mean it like that.

I was just asking casually." Seeing her reaction, Lin Luo knew he had trodden on a taboo. Indeed, it was better not to pry into a young woman's secrets, especially concerning her figure. Even those completely unconcerned with carnal desires would certainly be very sensitive about such matters.

"Hmph!" Sakuya snorted and decisively ignored him. After Lin Luo retracted his dark flames, she immediately restored time to normal. In an instant, the clamor outside almost deafened Lin Luo.

It was true; after staying in the darkness for too long, facing the sunlight would cause temporary blindness. After being silent for so long, the sudden explosion of sound could deafen even a peerless master. "I concede this match," Sakuya declared loudly as everything returned to normal.

Before anyone could react, she had vanished from the ring. Clearly, she knew the audience would remember the bet, and staying there could lead to undesirable consequences. Because time had been paused, no one knew what exactly had transpired in the ring.

In less than a few minutes, Sakuya had conceded, which was utterly unsatisfying for the spectators. They lost the chance for gossip, and though the audience was disappointed, applause was still due for declaring the champion. Amidst the intense applause and cheers, Asakura Kazumi excitedly announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the Martial Arts Tournament awards ceremony begins!" During the presentation, the young woman in a qipao, Chao Lingyin, stepped forward from the crowd onto the stage, spreading her arms and smiling broadly.

"How brilliant! Every match was the absolute best! The victor's skill is surely the strongest in the academy—no, perhaps even the strongest in the world.

As the host of this event, I am deeply impressed!" "We couldn't understand the final match!" "Yeah, we had no idea what happened." When Chao Lingyin finished speaking, numerous voices rose from the audience. In response, Chao Lingyin merely smiled. "I can guarantee that the final championship match was no less spectacular than any preceding bout.

While matches of this caliber often contain elements that defy reality, we will not answer whether the organizing committee interfered. Therefore, whether it was real or not is for the audience to judge for themselves." Chao Lingyin's ambiguous answer had the desired effect, immediately quieting the crowd. "Teacher Lin Luo, thank you for participating this time; it made my event an exceptional success," Chao Lingyin murmured with a smile as she handed the ten-million prize money to Lin Luo.

Lin Luo naturally understood what she meant. The intensity of this tournament far surpassed that of a mere academy-level competition; it was world-class. While the audience might not have thought much initially, guided by certain influences, they would surely grow suspicious later.

If Chao Lingyin's plan succeeded, the outcome would be even better than she anticipated. "The question is, will your plan succeed, future Martian?" Lin Luo also smiled, giving her a look that spoke volumes. Chao Lingyin froze for a moment, then let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Oh dear, nothing escapes the notice of a teacher of your caliber. Then... Teacher, do you intend to stop me?" The young woman narrowed her eyes.

Though she was smiling, a subtle worry flickered in her eyes. If Lin Luo decided to intervene, she stood virtually no chance of winning. "Forget it.

I have no interest in such matters," Lin Luo shook his head. "My intentions align with Iva's: we are not concerned with how this world develops. And frankly, I'm eager to see what results your plan will trigger." Hearing Lin Luo's words, Chao Lingyin visibly relaxed.

"That is truly appreciated. Please enjoy the excitement of the final day of the School Festival, Teacher." "I look forward to it." Because their voices were very low, no one nearby could hear their exchange, assuming they were merely exchanging pleasantries about the competition, and paid them no mind. "The reporters are here.

I'll take my leave now." With the Martial Arts Tournament concluded, the Mahoraba News Department certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity for interviews. A swarm of people carrying cameras and microphones rushed forward. Before they could even reach the stage, Lin Luo smiled slightly and vanished on the spot.

"Ah! The champion is gone! Let's find someone else..." "Chao Lingyin is gone too, what's happening?" "What about the other contestants?

No way, they've all disappeared!" By the time they reacted, all the finalists of the Martial Arts Tournament had left the venue. Not long after, in a corridor inside the Ryugu Shrine, Chao Lingyin was surrounded by several magic teachers, including Takamichi. However, she showed no surprise or panic, greeting them with a calm smile.

"Hello, Teacher Takahata. You all gathered here; your work must be quite tiring."