Lin Luo suddenly felt he had miscalculated; he had believed everything was within his grasp—this Holy Grail War, the city of Fuyuki, even the entire Nasuverse... Here, there was no one stronger than him, no one who could stop him, allowing him the freedom to do as he pleased.

Even with such a crucial plan, he had left countless bugs in its arrangement, with no intention of fixing them, because he had accounted for everything; even if a flaw were discovered, he possessed more than enough power to crush it.

Thus, more often than not, he let the Holy Grail War unfold according to his whims.

His brimming confidence had failed to account for one thing: the human heart cannot be calculated by mere data.

Perhaps it was his ever-increasing strength that made him overlook trivial matters, or maybe defeating the Dragon God had instilled an unwarranted arrogance in his subconscious, or perhaps there were other reasons... In any case, he now realized he might have become far too contemptuous of others.

Fortunately, being struck by lightning this time was merely a prank by someone, causing him no harm. But... if he carried this mindset into the inevitable battles against the Proxy Gods in the future, would there still be room for self-reflection then?

The thought sent a chill down Lin Luo’s spine.

Turning to look at Aozaki Aoko, whose face was etched with ridicule and disdain, Lin Luo walked towards her with a grim expression.

Seeing Lin Luo's dark look, Aozaki Aoko's heart skipped a beat. Though there was no palpable pressure or discernible aura, an inexplicable sense of panic stirred within her.

"Wh-what are you trying to do?"

As Lin Luo advanced step by step, Aozaki Aoko instinctively backed away, feeling her life was suddenly threatened. After all, that’s how it always played out in television novels: when a villain's scheme is exposed, they eliminate the witnesses to prevent the secret from spreading further—the classic "You know too much" scenario.

Since she now knew Lin Luo's secret, it was perfectly reasonable for him to want her silenced.

She regretted coming alone; now, even if she died, no one would be there to claim her remains.

Smack!

A sound echoed. It wasn't Lin Luo slapping Aozaki Aoko, nor was it Aozaki Aoko striking him preemptively out of fear. In the middle of retreating, she hadn't noticed she had backed up to the stone steps and stumbled, falling squarely onto her backside.

Once seated, she couldn't get back up because Lin Luo had already reached her. His hands spanned over her shoulders, pressing against the wall, his gaze locked intently upon her.

"Hey! What trick are you trying to pull now? I’m not someone you can just bully! If you’re planning something..." Aozaki Aoko blurted out instinctively, though she sounded somewhat hollow as she spoke.

Lin Luo had always concealed his true power, masquerading as a mage devoid of all magic, fooling everyone until today. Aoko now realized Lin Luo was far more complex than she had imagined.

He was highly likely the mastermind orchestrating everything happening in Fuyuki City!

She didn't know the extent of Lin Luo’s power, nor his relationship with the Fourth Demon Lord. But she knew... if it were her, she absolutely could not have managed such a feat.

Therefore, even without a direct confrontation, Aozaki Aoko did not believe she stood a chance against Lin Luo.

This man was like the ocean—bottomless!

Lin Luo ignored Aozaki Aoko's words, his eyes still fixed on hers, like a predator locking onto its prey, radiating an implicit danger... Anyone unaware of the situation would likely find this scene jarring, as Aozaki Aoko was typically the embodiment of an authoritative career woman, while Lin Luo was a tender boy of thirteen or fourteen. Yet now, the youthful boy had become the lion, and the imposing career woman had become a trembling fawn caught in its jaws.

Then, just as the fawn worried about her fate, the lion finally opened its sharp fangs and delivered a bite... well, a kiss upon the fawn's lips.

"Mmmph!!"

This sudden kiss made Aozaki Aoko’s eyes widen, robbing her of the ability to react for a moment.

Aozaki Aoko, at twenty-four, had seen her share of oddities. During her time living with Arisu Arisugawa, close contact and physical proximity had been commonplace, but this kind of intimate contact with a man was entirely new.

Seizing the moment Aozaki Aoko was dazed, Lin Luo’s hands gripped her shoulders, while he used his tongue to pry open her lips, delving inside, seizing her smooth, tender tongue and greedily drawing sustenance from it.

Who was scheming in the background was unimportant; how to exact revenge on the one who pranked him would be a matter for later. For now... Aozaki Aoko was a troublesome woman.

Yes, very troublesome!

After what she had just witnessed, Aozaki Aoko was certainly convinced he was the true architect behind the Holy Grail War. No matter what he said now, it wouldn't change her conviction. If he failed to provide a plausible excuse, and she relayed what she knew, it would instantly trigger a cascade of consequences he wished to avoid.

Therefore, he needed to ensure her silence.

Of course, there were many ways to silence someone—murder was certainly the most secure, and memory alteration was another good option. However, both methods were clearly unsuitable for Aozaki Aoko. So, Lin Luo chose a different path... diverting her attention from the Holy Grail War with something else entirely.

For example: romance!

While this method wasn't foolproof, for a young woman in the bloom of youth, nothing could be more heart-thumping than falling in love... After all, even the great Pirate Empress had said that love is like a storm, impossible to stop.

Since a verbal offensive of romance wasn't working, he decided to be more direct: let his actions speak for him.

Lin Luo’s domineering kiss momentarily broke Aozaki Aoko's composure, but she quickly snapped back, instinctively trying to push him away. Yet, with his hands fixed firmly on her shoulders, she couldn't muster any strength.

Worse still, as the kiss continued, Lin Luo's actions grew bolder. He not only pulled her up from the stone steps but also wrapped an arm around her slender waist, while the other hand reached down toward her hip... Hey, where are you trying to touch?!

Feeling Lin Luo’s increasingly inappropriate movements, Aozaki Aoko felt a surge of panic. Her life seemed safe for the moment, but... what about her chastity?

However, with Lin Luo’s current physical state, surely he couldn't be capable of that, could he?

And they were still out in the street.

Wait a minute!

Considering his actual age, Lin Luo wasn't truly a prepubescent boy; he was slightly older than her. Perhaps his current appearance was also a disguise. What if he did possess that capability? Furthermore... even out in the open, he was already misbehaving—would other considerations even factor into his judgment?

Aozaki Aoko’s mind raced through a myriad of chaotic thoughts.

"No way? Doing something like this in broad daylight? Has he no shame?!"

Meanwhile, watching the scene unfold on the monitor, Sanae's face turned crimson with shock. While cursing Lin Luo for his shamelessness, she was glued to the screen, completely unaware that her 'decency points' were plummeting at rocket speed.

"Before worrying about his shame, you should worry about your own safety," said Nagae Ikuu from behind her, carrying a bundle.

"That’s why I asked earlier, what are you doing?" Sanae turned back, looking at her quizzically.

"Packing my essentials and getting out temporarily to avoid trouble."

"Huh?" Sanae blinked, then laughed dismissively. "Hey, can you stop throwing around lines like they're from a Wuxia novel?"

"The lines aren't important; the danger we face is."

"What danger could we possibly face?"

Nagae Ikuu sighed, lamenting Sanae's lack of perception. "In this Fuyuki City, the number of people capable of summoning lightning out of the blue can be counted on one hand. Coupled with the timing, he'll certainly realize I played a part. And since I haven't been summoned by the Grail yet, the only ones who can command me are the Four Heavenly Kings..."

"I am not one of the Four Heavenly Kings!" Sanae snapped, her face darkening.

Ikuu decisively ignored her. "There's also Komeiji, but Komeiji would never do something like that. Among the Four Heavenly Kings, you are the only one currently monitoring things, and I, on the other hand, have always been law-abiding. Therefore, the only person who would order me to do something like that—even if I used the heel of my foot to think—is unequivocally you."

"..." Sanae fell silent for a moment, examining Ikuu closely. "When did you get so clever?"

Nagae Ikuu was left speechless.

"What are you saying? I'm not Cirno; my intellect is perfectly adequate!"

"What does Cirno have to do with this? Even if her IQ is terrible, and she’s clumsy and foolish, you shouldn't speak of her like that. Even if she’s slow, she still has some merits, like... like that thing, right?" Sanae couldn't help but defend Cirno.

"..." Is that a compliment or an insult?

Nagae Ikuu muttered under her breath but didn't hesitate, hoisting her bundle and heading toward the exit.

"Hey, are you really leaving?"

"Of course. He already mentioned retaliation; what better time to leave than now? Even if I was only acting under your command, I was the one who struck the lightning." Ikuu stated matter-of-factly.

"Uh!" Hearing that, Sanae also felt a touch of unease and asked meekly, "Should I perhaps pack my things and lie low as well?"

Nagae Ikuu looked at her with pity. "You are his Familiar; where can you possibly hide?"

"Oh, right. I am his Familiar."

Sanae suddenly realized her situation. When she looked up again, Nagae Ikuu had already vanished.

...

I wasn't feeling well earlier, but inspiration struck just as I was about to sleep. I'll try to post a few more chapters. (To be continued) RQ