The ferocious battle on the nameless planet had reached a fever pitch. Lin Luo, the Evil King, and the Dark King had all unleashed power far exceeding their natural limits. While using such power carried a steep cost—preventing them from maintaining it indefinitely and even risking self-harm—in every measurable aspect, the three of them now stood on the same precipice: the peak of the Earth Tier!

Fighting two against one, the Evil King was thoroughly outmatched. Despite possessing the heaven-defying ability of Chaos Force, Chaos was not invincible. In mere minutes, he had been obliterated several times. Even with his inherent might, he now felt overwhelmed and an insidious thought of retreat began to surface.

But after activating the Starry Path Interception, retreat was no longer an option for him.

Once the Starry Path Interception was engaged, the power of all involved would reach its absolute peak, and they would be barred from using the Starry Path to exit the current world for three days. During the Second Divine War, the Evil King could consecutively activate the Starry Path Interception because he had brought the Walkers back into the Divine War world—there was a fundamental difference here.

This time, facing Lin Luo, even if his mind were waterlogged, he would never bring Lin Luo back to the Fantasy Realm. Consequently, he was stuck fighting a one-on-one battle for the next three days.

However, there was another reason he had managed to hold on this long. Although none of their current powers could be sustained for long, Lin Luo and the Dark King were clearly under greater strain. Overusing Spiral Force could result in Lin Luo self-destructing mid-battle without warning, whereas if the Dark King’s Four Holy Beasts vanished, his strength would plummet to its lowest ebb, leaving him the strongest once more.

It had become a contest of endurance: would his Chaos Force deplete first, would Lin Luo’s Spiral Force cause him to self-destruct sooner, or would the Dark King’s Four Holy Beasts disappear first? Whoever faltered first would be finished.

Lin Luo and the others were aware of this reality, yet knowing it didn't allow them to hold back. The Spiral Force was pushed beyond limits time and again; the Divine Sacred Body unleashed the Order’s might endlessly. To kill the Evil King within the limited timeframe, nearly every strike was exchanged with mutual devastation.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, Lin Luo’s hundred-meter-tall form shattered the Evil King with a single punch, even as he himself was torn apart by the chaotic space unleashed by the Evil King. The terrifying energy ring, visible to the naked eye, not only scattered the dark clouds above but also ripped the earth beneath up layer by layer.

This was only because they had concentrated their power. If they had dispersed their attacks, perhaps half the planet would have been scoured clean.

“Condense the Immortal Body!” The instant he was pulverized, Lin Luo channeled the Spiral Force through his soul, and his body reappeared once more. Simultaneously, the Evil King, having been adjusted by the Chaos Force, also recovered.

“Divine Light… Seizure!” The moment the Evil King reformed, the Dark King casually struck out with a screen of light, using the power of Order to absorb his Chaos Force… In truth, it wasn't absorption. Order and Chaos were inherently antagonistic; it was more accurate to say they mutually canceled each other out.

What served as the Evil King's greatest strength was also his greatest weakness. The Chaos Force allowing him unlimited resurrection was the foundation of his survival; once depleted, he faced certain death.

“You bastard!” The Evil King roared in fury and disbelief; such an act was utterly unbearable. He pressed both hands forward, and the Cosmic Diagram began to spin wildly. “Chaos Force Breaks Heaven and Earth!”

Simultaneous use of Chaos Force and Cosmic Power massively amplified his attack. Even the King’s Sacred Body could not withstand it, vanishing into ash in an instant. But the Sacred Body was undying; as long as the existence of the Four Holy Beasts remained, the Sacred Body was immortal!

“Invincible!”

As the Evil King attacked the Dark King, Lin Luo roared and charged toward his target with an unmatched presence. His massive fist tore through the chaotic space, blasting the Evil King’s body apart yet again.

“Saber of Sacred Judgment!” The moment he reformed, the Dark King, who had been waiting, shot forward. His hand moved like a blade, slicing the Evil King’s body in half. The bisected remains were immediately enveloped in a white light, continuing the seizure of his Chaos Force.

It was impossible to tell how long this pinnacle battle raged. When the flames of war finally subsided, the entire nameless planet was cracked, teetering on the brink of explosion. Lin Luo and the other two had reverted to their original states, standing on the uneven ground. Lin Luo’s Spiral Force was ultimately incomplete; the burden of pushing past his limits was too immense. He could no longer grow large, and his vitality had plummeted to the bottom rung. Though he hadn't yet self-destructed, if his body was shattered again, he would never revive.

The Dark King beside him was in a similar state. The existence of the Dark King’s Four Holy Beasts was almost entirely gone. To maintain the Divine Sacred Body, he had even exhausted the majority of his soul power, yet even so, he had reached his limit; the brilliance of the Divine Sacred Body was dim to the point of near extinction.

Of course, the most tragic figure was the Evil King. He supported himself with the Desperation Demon Spear, kneeling halfway, his dark armor tattered and revealing a pitiable state.

Under the desperate assaults of Lin Luo and the Dark King, his Chaos Force was utterly spent. One more death would mean final annihilation. As for the Anti-Spiral Force and Cosmic Power, in his current condition, using either would likely cause him to explode instantly.

At this moment, the three stood apart, no one attacking. It wasn't for lack of desire; indeed, Lin Luo and the Dark King most wanted to strike now while the Evil King was weak and finish him off. No opportunity could be better than this. But to attack blindly meant their own deaths first; they had to stabilize their bodies. Since it was two against one, victory was assured; there was no need to perish together with the Evil King.

But at this juncture, the Evil King, who should also have been in a state of recovery, made a move that none of them anticipated. He tossed the Desperation Demon Spear to the ground, straightened his half-kneeling posture, and reached his right hand back behind him.

“What is that?” Upon seeing this, the Dark King suddenly remembered something, his face changing drastically. He cried out in alarm, “No, don’t let him activate that ability!” With that, he surged forward rapidly.

Though Lin Luo didn't fully grasp the situation, his body reacted before his thoughts caught up. He swung the Mist Rain Blade, flashing toward the Evil King like lightning. In his current state, neither Creation nor Destruction could be used.

Their speed was not slow, but they were a step behind the Evil King’s movements. The instant they reached him, a circle of light suddenly erupted from beneath the Evil King’s feet, enveloping him. Lin Luo’s and the Dark King’s attacks were all blocked, and their bodies were flung back.

“What is happening?” Lin Luo asked in shock, instinctively.

“That’s a Plane Connection Conduit, with built-in invincible defense. It only lasts one minute, but as far as I know, unless one can reach the Heaven Tier, its defense cannot be broken,” the Dark King stated gravely, his eyes filled with unconcealed apprehension.

“Plane Connection Conduit? Is he trying to escape?” Lin Luo’s expression changed. Setting aside how the Evil King managed to establish a plane connection, if that were true, what was the point of fighting? Only Heaven Tier strength could breach that defensive circle—they were done for!

“No.” The Dark King shook his head. “To be precise, that isn't a true Plane Connection Conduit—he can’t leave this world through it either. But…” He trailed off, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes.

Lin Luo was utterly confused and about to speak when the Evil King opposite him suddenly burst into laughter, a cruel grin twisting his lips. “Found it. The Type-Moon World!”

“Uh?!” Lin Luo abruptly looked up, his face aghast.

“It is as I suspected!” The Dark King sighed, then explained, “The Evil King possesses an ability: once a Walker’s Starry Path has been intercepted, he can record all the world coordinates that Walker has experienced, and pull people from those worlds. You understand the threads of causality, right? What you did in that world forms the cause; the future result follows. The Evil King can use his inherent Chaos Rules to trace those causality threads and learn of those intimately related to you… Of course, he only gets one chance, and can only pull one person!” Kidnapping hostages? Lin Luo suddenly realized the implication.

Before he could process it, the Evil King spoke again, “Found her… Loelreya, Spirit Tier peak… Hmm, the Host?”

The Evil King frowned. He could not pull the Host. With a hint of regret, he gave up.

Hearing the name Loelreya, Lin Luo’s heart skipped a beat, but seeing that the Evil King did not actually pull anyone over, he relaxed slightly, though his mind remained turbulent. If the Evil King could really pull others related to him… that would be disastrous!

Having abandoned Loelreya, the Evil King had to find someone else. He traced the void with his five fingers, subtly sensing several lines swaying, with the other end connected to another space.

“Archetype: Earth, Earth Tier?!” Soon, the Evil King located a second person intimately connected to Lin Luo. While not the Host, her power was close to the Earth Tier. An incomplete Earth Tier. Previously, he wouldn't have cared, but now he wasn't confident he could control such a powerful figure.

Reluctantly, he gave up again.

“Arcueid… Earth Tier!” Over ten seconds later, the Evil King found a third, but like the previous one, an incomplete Earth Tier. This nearly made him curse—he didn't need this kind of hostage; he needed pawns he could utterly control.

“Illyasviel…” When he found the fourth, the Evil King finally smiled. Undoubtedly, this was an ant. But he was quickly proven wrong. Although this person’s power was weak, her soul was connected to a great weapon of destruction. Pulling her over would drag that weapon along too—terrifying!

Lin Luo listened to the string of names with a pounding heart. The first few were manageable; in their current state, if the Black and White Princesses descended, even the Evil King would feel pressure. But hearing Illya’s name caused a surge of panic… Still, the Evil King hadn't pulled her over; he wondered what he was planning?

“Got it… Tohsaka Sakura! Haha, you are finished!” Just as Lin Luo was thinking this, the Evil King erupted in loud laughter. He had finally found an insignificant figure deeply connected to Lin Luo. He was certain that given Lin Luo’s nature, he wouldn't ignore a hostage. With the hostage in hand, even if he couldn't force them to disarm, he could certainly restrict their movements, enough to turn the tide of the entire battle.

Thus, amidst his triumphant laughter, the Evil King unhesitatingly pulled the “line” in his hand.

“Now!” At that very moment, the Dark King roared and lunged forward. Because the Evil King had wasted so much time searching for the ‘wrong’ people, he hadn't even realized the minute was almost up, but the Dark King had been watching constantly. As he charged, the defense net vanished.

Almost simultaneously, Lin Luo swung his Mist Rain Sword toward the Evil King… Although he didn't know if it would be in time, even if the Evil King managed to pull someone over, he had to secure Sakura first.

The fierce momentum of their combined assault changed the Evil King’s expression. He finally noticed the net was gone, and a primal wave of panic washed over him. This flicker of panic caused a slight error in his summoning—the line wavered!

“Damn it, wrong person!”

The Evil King retreated after pulling the line, and a short-haired girl in a white kimono tumbled out of the void.

The girl had black, shoulder-length hair, a slender figure, and delicate features, appearing about fifteen or sixteen. She wasn't Tohsaka Sakura as Lin Luo had imagined, but upon seeing her, Lin Luo’s face went white because he recognized this girl too.

“Shiki Ryougi!” Lin Luo exclaimed in utter astonishment. He could never have imagined the Evil King would pull over this god-slaying girl, and in her current appearance, her god-slaying ability seemed unawakened. But the problem was… he had never even had contact with Shiki Ryougi!

Shiki Ryougi also seemed surprised to suddenly find herself in this inexplicable place, her delicate face displaying confusion as she stared with wide eyes.

But immediately, a massive force slammed into her from behind, sending her flying—it was the Evil King. Having pulled the wrong hostage, the leverage was lost. For his own safety, he used Shiki Ryougi as a shield, tossing her forward while he rapidly retreated.

Shiki Ryougi was thrown directly toward Lin Luo. If they maintained their posture, Lin Luo’s Mist Rain Sword would cleave the girl in two… Had it been someone else he didn't recognize, Lin Luo might have followed through with the strike; in such a situation, he wouldn't waste a crucial opportunity to eliminate the Evil King for a stranger.

But facing Shiki Ryougi, Lin Luo naturally couldn't bring himself to strike. He instinctively withdrew his Mist Rain Sword and caught the girl in his arms.

At that very instant, a black spear pierced the girl’s chest, then with a wet sound, it pierced the unsuspecting chest of Lin Luo as well.

Lin Luo spat blood. Previously, such an injury would have meant nothing to him, but without vitality and pushed to his limits, this wound became fatal!

On the other side, due to Lin Luo’s “non-cooperation,” the Dark King’s attack missed. The immense drain on his soul prevented him from defeating the Evil King alone, and instead, he was blasted by the Evil King’s punch, suffering grievous injuries and flying into the distance.

From the Evil King pulling out Shiki Ryougi, to Lin Luo and the Dark King attacking, to Shiki Ryougi being tossed, Lin Luo withdrawing his blade to catch her, to the Desperation Demon Spear piercing both Shiki and Lin Luo, and finally to the Evil King blasting the Dark King away… all of this happened in the span of a mere instant. In that single moment, the entire dynamic of the battle had completely inverted.

“Hahaha! You… are finished!”

The Evil King couldn't help but laugh maniacally. Although he had suffered heavy losses in this battle, victory was now in his grasp. On this nameless planet, he would eliminate two major threats. This battle could be called the final decisive battle for the victor of the Divine War; the other ants were not worth worrying about.

The Dark King lay on the ground, a wry smile playing on his lips. He never imagined that because of one girl, the situation would devolve like this. Man proposes, God disposes.

“The ones who are finished aren't us, but everyone!” Lin Luo clutched Shiki Ryougi’s body, enduring the pain, and roared hoarsely, “Now, no one can stop it. If we die, we die together!”

Saying that, with a rustle, he pulled the Seed of the Holy Stone from his storage space and poured his remaining strength into it. In their current state, defeating the Evil King was impossible. Rather than let him win, it was better for everyone to die together. Even if Shiki Ryougi was dragged down as collateral—but Lin Luo reasoned the Evil King wouldn't spare her anyway, and Shiki’s current injury was already fatal.

Since they were all doomed, they might as well take everyone with them!

The Seed of the Holy Stone possessed the ability to grant wishes to a certain extent. Depending on the method of use, the results would vary. Accepting Lin Luo’s destructive power and being activated by his energy, it immediately began to run rampant.

“Damn it!” Seeing this, the Evil King’s face changed drastically, and he rushed forward to stop it, but it was too late. The moment he charged, the power of the Seed of the Holy Stone exploded outward. Boom!

The already fractured planet suffered catastrophic destruction once more… The ground began to crack, spatial storms surged everywhere, and there wasn't even time to flee. Everyone was sucked toward the cosmic void. Even more terrifying was that as the planet faced annihilation, dimensional turbulence erupted in the void!

This was the most mysterious and terrifying force in the cosmos. Once caught in dimensional turbulence, if one was unlucky, they would be instantly ground to dust—even an immortal body offered no protection. If luckier, they might be tossed into other dimensional worlds, but they would still be adrift in the universe, and with their current strength, drifting in the cosmos meant certain death.

Lin Luo, the Dark King, and the Evil King were swept toward the dimensional turbulence from three different directions. The Dark King and the Evil King vanished into the turbulence without a sound. Lin Luo, however, was the last to be dragged in because he held the Seed of the Holy Stone…

Watching the world-destroying force, Lin Luo could only offer a bitter smile. At this moment, he had no ability to resist, only waiting for death. Yet, to die alongside Shiki Ryougi was something he never could have predicted.

Ding!

Just then, Lin Luo suddenly realized a World Heart drilling out of his [body] and entering Shiki Ryougi’s body.

“That is…” Lin Luo was shocked. He possessed three World Hearts: one was the Heart of Space, one was given by the Dark King, and the last one he couldn’t decipher—it was this final one that entered Shiki Ryougi’s body!

Rumble!

Before Lin Luo could understand what was happening, the nameless planet completely exploded. The aftershock of the explosion propagated into the dimensional turbulence, knocking Lin Luo unconscious. Then, he and Shiki Ryougi plummeted toward different dimensional spaces…