During the time Shana was trained by Yoyo, her progress might not have been the fastest. But her change was definitely the most profound. What changed, of course, was not her personality, but her perception of certain things.

Shana had originally believed the same way: that to achieve victory sometimes, a certain degree of sacrifice was unavoidable. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked her own life to unleash Tenpa Jyosai (Heavenly Destruction Burst). In essence, she wasn't fundamentally different from Lin Luo; it was just that the things they wanted to protect were slightly different.

What Shana sought to protect was the balance of the world, while what Lin Luo aimed to safeguard was the daily life of those around him.

However, after that divine war, Shana’s viewpoint began to waver, because although Lin Luo successfully defeated the enemy and saved everyone's lives, the everyday life he hoped for did not materialize. Instead, the atmosphere grew tenser and harsher, compounded by sorrow.

It was then that she realized Lin Luo’s approach was foolish.

Then came the inevitable self-reflection: her own viewpoint was equally foolish.

Must happiness only be achieved through sacrifice? Absolutely not! It was merely because they hadn't strived hard enough. Happiness gained through sacrifice was nothing more than evasion. True happiness could only be fought for while one was alive!

As the saying goes, deep love breeds deep criticism. It was precisely because she recognized this point that Shana spoke coldly to Lin Luo, even throwing tantrums. It was less about disliking Lin Luo, and more accurately, a rejection of her former self. Of course, her inherently tsundere nature also dictated that her current actions were no accident.

However, this did not mean Shana had fallen for Lin Luo. Her feelings for him were far from liking; they hadn't even reached the stage of ambiguity. If accepting a kiss counted as ambiguity, then that part could be disregarded.

Shana’s feeling towards Lin Luo could be summarized in two words: recognition!

At the very beginning of the Fourth Divine War, knowing she was weaker and the enemy stronger, she still refused Alastor’s advice to seek out Lin Luo, opting instead to fight alone. This showed that at that time, she absolutely did not recognize Lin Luo as her comrade-in-arms or companion.

Even after getting to know him, her attitude hadn't improved much; it remained cold.

This had nothing to do with Lin Luo's strength, but stemmed purely from her own perception.

It was only at the moment Lin Luo perished along with the enemy that she saw a reflection of herself in him. Then, as her understanding gradually shifted, her impression of Lin Luo began to turn around... Setting aside other emotional aspects for the moment, at least in the capacity of a comrade-in-arms, he was utterly flawless.

"Let's get this straight: I only agreed to sign the contract with you because of our respective positions; it doesn't mean I accept you or anything. If you misunderstand, I’ll strike you down, hmph!" Shana, with her hair returned to black, stood before Lin Luo, arms crossed, speaking with proud dignity.

"Yes, yes, purely due to position, nothing else," Lin Luo waved a hand, looking helplessly resigned. If it were purely a matter of standing, would someone as prickly as Shana ever agree to sign a contract with him? Don't make me laugh! But since she was a tsundere, he might as well indulge her a little, or he’d be the one suffering in the end.

"Hmph! What kind of attitude is that?" Seeing Lin Luo’s expression, Shana couldn't help but frown, but she quickly turned her head away proudly, deeming it beneath her to argue. "Forget it, we should just finalize the contract quickly. It will save me from having to face you, that annoying person, any longer. So, what kind of Jizai-shiki (Free Style) or contact medium do you require? If you need help, don't hesitate; after all, this is also for my own sake." "What are Jizai-shiki and contact medium?" Lin Luo looked at her strangely.

Shana gave him an even stranger look. "Does the contract only require verbal agreement? There has to be some sort of procedure, right?" Lin Luo sweated. He finally understood what she meant and couldn't help but ask, "You’ve been in the Meikai (Netherworld) for so long, haven't you ever heard about the contract ritual from other Hosts?" "...Hmph, why would I bother caring about such things!" Shana replied decisively.

Lin Luo scratched his head, feeling a bit tricky. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to tell the truth. "You're half right. The contract does require a procedure, but it's neither a Jizai-shiki nor a catalyst. Just a kiss will suffice."

"Oh, so it's a kiss. That’s simple enough... Wait?!" Shana suddenly realized, and her expression changed drastically. "What did you say?! A kiss?" Lin Luo spread his hands. "I don't recall saying receiving one." "Go die, you pervert!" Hearing his teasing tone, Shana recalled the scene where he forcibly kissed her. Both embarrassed and furious, she immediately launched a flying kick at Lin Luo's shin.

This guy was getting more violent by the day. Lin Luo cried tears of pain, but he felt a surge of relief. If Shana’s kick had landed lower, he probably wouldn't have been able to engage in any exercise for a long time.

"Pervert! Shameless! Despicable! You’re thinking about lewd things all day long—why don’t you just die twice!" Shana, red-faced with embarrassment and rage, unleashed another barrage of verbal abuse.

"You misunderstood, Nana, this isn't my fault!" Lin Luo hurriedly explained before she could strike again. "The Book of Contracts is set up for a kiss agreement; I can’t resist it either. If I could, I’d much rather complete the contract with a verbal promise. It would be much easier on my end too." Hearing Lin Luo’s explanation, Shana still felt dissatisfied, but her attitude softened considerably. "...Hmph, what setting? How would I know? Maybe you made it up yourself. Also, I've told you countless times, stop calling me Nana, it’s disgusting!"

"Alright, I won't call you that. But the contract still needs to be signed, right?" "Uh..." Shana couldn't help but frown deeply. She had already agreed to the signing just now, so it was hard to go back on her word. But kissing Lin Luo was something she found extremely difficult to accept.

What a stubborn tsundere. She had already engaged in such an intense French kiss before; was a mere press of lips really that hard? Lin Luo couldn't help but grumble inwardly, but outwardly, he smiled and suggested, "How about this? Just treat me like a piece of wood, or maybe a pineapple bun. That should make you feel a bit better."

"Hmm?" Shana closed her eyes and pondered for a moment. Although she was still unwilling, since the kiss was mandatory, making a fuss would only waste time. Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement. "I'll just treat it as getting kissed by a pineapple bun. But you stand right there—no moving your mouth, no moving your hands, do nothing, or I’ll strike you!" As she spoke, she glared and brandished her sword in threat.

"Fine, I’ll do whatever you say. I can even close my eyes."

Lin Luo truly closed his eyes, standing ramrod straight like a javelin. In reality, contracting with a Host was like a twenty-first-century couple getting married: since the marriage required the woman's consent, the man had to be completely subservient before the wedding—if she asked him to kneel on a keyboard, he couldn't substitute it with a washboard. But after the marriage... what was that saying again? Once the cooked duck is in the belly, is there any need to keep feeding it?

Shana now was like a cooked duck. Before Lin Luo could truly 'eat' her, he had to accommodate her in everything, otherwise, she might just flap her wings and fly away.

"Huu." Seeing Lin Luo adopt the posture of a virtuous gentleman, Shana also let out a sigh of relief. After calming her emotions, she took difficult steps toward him, and after what felt like countless cycles of deliberation, she finally mustered the courage and lunged forward to bite down!

"Ouch!" It was the first time in a kiss that she was actually bitten, causing her to cry out instinctively in pain. But realizing this opportunity might not come again, she instantly suppressed the pain and activated the Heart Contract.

"Heart Contract activated. Commencing agreement mode..." Rengoku no Hi (Crimson Lotus Fire) flew out from Shana's body, her stunning crimson hair immediately swirling, scattering dazzling firelight. The unparalleled heat scorched the surrounding world red, warm yet intense.

"Agreement complete. Current Master and Contracted have achieved partnership. Current Master obtains the Proof of Constraint: Meikai no Hono (Flame of Destruction). Current Contracted obtains the Proof of Constraint: Hakai no En (Flame of Ruin)."

Master Lin Luo: Walker (LV3) Physical Strength: S Spiritual Strength: S Overall Strength: Peak Spirit Tier. Level up requires four more agreements.

Contracted Shana: Physical Strength: SS Spiritual Strength: SS Overall Strength: High Earth Tier.

Proof of Constraint: Hakai no En. Seal of Protection: Hametsu Tenbatsu (Annihilation Divine Punishment). Heart of the World: Flame Heart (No. 34, Form: Aggressive as Fire, Fused Heart).

Finally, the contract was signed. Lin Luo let out a massive sigh of relief. He had initially thought contracting with Shana would take a long time, but it seemed that despite her tsundere nature, she was also deeply understanding of the greater good. It was just that the bite was too hard—it hurt so much!

Lin Luo rubbed his lips, which were marked with a clear impression of her teeth, feeling slightly melancholic. His gaze drifted toward the small cluster of Crimson Lotus Fire next to Shana, and he suddenly realized, "No wonder I haven't seen you around. You've truly become a Guardian Beast, haven't you, Alastor?"

The Crimson Lotus Fire flickered slightly and emitted a deep, resonant voice, "Your phrasing is inaccurate. I am not a Guardian Beast; this is merely the manifestation of my true form."

The Heavenly Punishment God, Alastor, thanks to the contractual bond with Shana, not only integrated the power generated from Shana's inner world to become the Seal of Protection but can also manifest his true form in the Outer World without any sacrifice. This small cluster of Crimson Lotus Fire is Alastor's chibi, Q-version form.

With Alastor capable of manifesting in the real world, it meant that Shana alone was equivalent to two High Earth Tier powerhouses, both possessing the power of destruction! This combat strength was truly terrifying.

"Let’s go, Alastor." Since the contract was signed, Shana didn't wish to linger there. She turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!" Lin Luo quickly grabbed her hand.

"What is it!" Shana glared.

"There's something else we haven't done yet," Lin Luo reminded her seriously. "Don't you want to go see them? The maids we loved together over the years..."