"What a pity, the first chance is wasted. If you cannot find the Place of Covenant within three tries, I shall curse you to death!"

Lin Luo struggled mightily to separate the Bright Realm and the Crimson World within his mind, finally locating the place where he had first encountered that chuunibyou girl, only to find her absent. In her stead was a message that nearly made him spit blood from sheer frustration.

"Truly incomprehensible, the thoughts of a chuunibyou."

Lin Luo sighed again, yet he knew he had to proceed with caution. If he missed the three chances, she might not actually kill him, but winning her favor and securing a contract with her would likely become an almost impossible task.

Since this was not the place of their first meeting, where was this 'Place of Covenant' she spoke of?

During the fourth Divine War, when he battled the Evil King's avatar, she had been with him—could it be there? No! That was insufficient to serve as a covenant. Given the solemnity with which she demanded he visit the covenant site, he could imagine that place held extraordinary significance for her. Therefore... the place where he fought the Fate Avatar! The place connected to the Wheel of Destiny!

But!

That location was not far from the Sky City; he could see its entire panorama at a glance. If she were truly there... Wait!

Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed in Lin Luo's mind. He had almost forgotten the nature of that person's abilities. With her strange and unpredictable power, creating a space invisible to him was not impossible—much like the space where the Evil King and the Dark King once fought, which she had also witnessed!

With this thought, Lin Luo immediately traveled to the void where he had fought the Fate Avatar. He simultaneously activated his Mind’s Eye and Perception Domain. Moments later, he detected an extremely peculiar energy within this space, hovering between existence and non-existence.

"As expected!" At this, Lin Luo had no further doubt. She had indeed created a space invisible to the naked eye, and this was undoubtedly the Place of Covenant. The trouble now was how to enter.

"Hmm... With my current strength, I likely cannot break through her ability. She must have anticipated this, so she probably won't expect me to force entry with power, nor would she simply bar the door to me. Given her infinitely chuunibyou personality, the method she chose must be unconventional. If that's the case..."

Lin Luo stroked his chin, murmuring his thoughts aloud, then opened his mouth and sent his voice out in ripples: "Fallen Saint Black Cat, I have come upon your invitation to attend your Divine Cat Elevation Ceremony. Please open the gates of the Place of Covenant!"

Indeed, the person who sent him that email was Kuroneko Gokūri. Among the hosts in the Sky City, only she—this 'evil eye' radio wave girl who called herself a black cat—would likely append the onomatopoeia 'meow' after a closing remark. Moreover, the method of summoning him to this 'Place of Covenant' had a strong sense of déjà vu from his memories.

Although literature tends to clash with chuunibyou sensibilities, only a fellow chuunibyou could achieve harmony with one. To see Kuroneko, Lin Luo was willing to embrace the theatrics. However, when his voice echoed in the air for nearly thirty seconds without any change, doubt began to creep in.

"Did I use the wrong approach? Should it have been more literary, or perhaps like an ordinary teenager?"

Lin Luo worried, furrowing his brow as he muttered to himself.

Just then, the void not far in front of him suddenly rippled like water, and an aperture alternating between black and white appeared.

"It seems the path chosen was correct."

A joy surged through Lin Luo, and he immediately flew toward the opening. As his silhouette vanished inside, the black and white aperture suddenly disappeared, as if it had never been there.

"Idealized Reality?!" Lin Luo gasped in shock when he took in the scene before him. He found himself standing in a city. People bustled along the streets, which were lined with anime merchandise shops and maid cafés. Noise rose and fell in waves, and a convention seemed to be taking place in a nearby skyscraper—a faint echo of Akihabara.

Lin Luo certainly didn't believe he had actually arrived in Akihabara; it was likely a city conjured by Kuroneko, possessing a mechanism similar to Idealized Reality.

While Idealized Reality was a powerful ability, in Lin Luo's experience, it wasn't anything groundbreaking. What truly astonished him was the environmental dissonance. He had expected the space behind the portal to be filled with sinister energy, not this startlingly normal setting... For a shut-in chuunibyou like Kuroneko, this city was far too conventional.

The people in this city were clearly devoid of life, or perhaps merely strings of virtual data. Lin Luo’s sudden intrusion caused no chaos; even when he bumped into someone, they acted as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring him.

Lin Luo had no interest in these virtual figures. He wandered the streets, searching for Kuroneko's silhouette... This space was profoundly strange. Even running at full tilt, he moved only at the pace of a normal person. His near-Earth-rank strength was entirely unusable, as if it had vanished completely!

Finding one person in a city is difficult enough for an ordinary individual, and if that person is connected to something extremely mysterious, the task becomes nigh impossible.

When Lin Luo entered, the time was morning, but by the time the sun slanted westward into dusk, he still hadn't found Kuroneko.

"This is troublesome. This is why I say this ability is too overpowered!" Lin Luo, exhausted after running all day, was panting heavily. Not only had his power disappeared, but his constitution had reverted to that of a common person... Kuroneko's ability manipulated presence and absence, leaving him completely powerless here.

"This is the dream of reality, an illusory space derived from the real." Just as Lin Luo leaned against a lamppost, weary, a familiar voice suddenly sounded near his ear. He quickly turned, but only caught sight of the black edge of a skirt disappearing around a street corner nearby.

That voice... Lin Luo's heart stirred, and he immediately bolted toward the intersection, but found nothing. The street was empty—not a trace of Kuroneko, not even another soul.

"This is the reality of dreams, a true space created by fantasy." As Lin Luo felt disappointment, another young girl's voice rang out. At the far end of the street, a snow-white figure floated past.

Hey, hey, this is too much!

Lin Luo sprinted forward again, but his mind was now filled with astonishment and confusion. He found both voices unnervingly familiar, and even the words they spoke were eerily recognizable. Two figures, identical in appearance, flashed through his mind, but he had no time to dwell on it, as the two voices seemed to be guiding him—if he lagged even a step, he might miss the next clue.

Under the deliberate guidance of the two girls, Lin Luo navigated through layers of streets. Moments later, as he emerged from the final thoroughfare, he finally saw her beneath the elongated shadows of the setting sun: the Black Cat sitting in a pavilion... No, perhaps it should be called Gokūri Gōgei.

She was not wearing her signature Gothic Lolita attire; instead, she was dressed in a pure white sundress. Even her entire aura seemed altered, showing not a trace of chuunibyou mischief, but rather sunshine and purity—a vibrant, energetic beautiful girl.

Gokūri clearly noticed Lin Luo's arrival. She looked up at him, her eyes as clear as water, "You finally arrived. I have been waiting a long time."

Gokūri’s soft tone, like that of a little sister next door, created a profound sense of dissonance in Lin Luo, yet it wasn't entirely unexpected; the current Gokūri was in her 'White Cat' state, and people tended to be much calmer then.

Lin Luo walked up to her, gazing at her currently flawless, radiant face. Putting aside his internal confusion, he smiled, "Setting up such a grand arrangement, there must be something very important you needed to discuss."

It was a statement, not a question; he already knew Gokūri's objective.

"This matter..." Gokūri seemed nervous. She pressed one hand against her chest while using the other to fuss with the black hair near her ear. Her gaze flickered, betraying a hint of anxiety.

Regardless of whether she was the Black Cat or the White Cat, any cat that could act cute was a good cat. Likewise, whether Black or White, Gokūri possessed an inherently shy and awkward personality. Beneath her strong facade lay an element of timidity, and she was worst at expressing her emotions.

When she didn't know how to articulate her feelings, she would either erupt in anger, display contempt, or resort to radio chatter incomprehensible to normal people to ease her internal awkwardness—much like now.

"You hurt me once..."

Lin Luo couldn't recall ever having caused Gokūri harm. But perhaps his death, if it had caused her trouble, could be considered a form of injury.

"So, the purpose of summoning you here today is simple: retribution."

"It seems so. Then how do you intend to take revenge on me?"

"Originally, I thought about cursing you to death immediately. But... seeing as you managed to arrive in time, I will be slightly lenient and simply inflict a curse upon you."

"A curse?" The terrifying word 'curse,' spoken by Gokūri, carried a strange, sweet flavor. Lin Luo watched her, feigning ignorance.

"Yes... Yes, a curse."

Gokūri nodded, but her face instantly flushed crimson.

This bashful, fragile appearance was incredibly endearing. Although Lin Luo wanted to tease her a bit more, the words he spoke were perfectly matched to her mood. "Then, what curse do you wish to place upon me?"

Hearing the question, Gokūri bit her red lip and glanced sideways at him. It was impossible to tell if her look held sorrow or resentment; he could only sense that she was struggling, making a determined effort to decide something.

Finally, like a warrior heading to the execution ground, she mustered her courage, met the gaze of the person before her, and uttered the most beautiful, yet terrifying, curse in the world.

"Please, be my lover."