Whether or not to explain to her that the '' (membrane/film) was for insertion, not kicking, was something Lin Luo pondered for a long time. In the end, he chose to let it go, because he firmly believed that words were merely a prerequisite for action, and action itself was the perfect explanation for words. Demonstrating through action would clearly lead to greater understanding than explaining verbally.

So, regarding that issue, they could just figure it out through practice later on.

The most pressing matter now was how to stop these two from fighting to the bitter end. Otherwise, Lin Luo was genuinely worried that if this slaughterhouse scenario continued, both of his arms might end up being ripped off... These two beings lacked any common sense; they were pulling with their full strength. If it were anyone else, they’d likely have been torn to shreds already.

Therefore, taking them both away could be considered an indirect benefit to humanity.

"Actually, I wouldn't stop you if you truly want to fight, but fighting here is pointless. After all, you won't settle a winner anytime soon. So, I suggest you both return to Fuyuki City first. That city is already chaotic enough, and you have countless ways to battle there. Plus, you can gamble on something along the way—isn't that much better than this meaningless brawl here?" Lin Luo said.

Hearing Lin Luo, Arcueid shot him a thoughtful glance, but before she could speak, Ciel jumped in first: "Fine, I'll listen to you... Hey, do you dare?"

"Nonsense, what is there not to dare!" Arcueid’s eyes flared, and she immediately retorted.

It was clear that the highly intelligent Altrouge had already sensed the underlying meaning in Lin Luo's words, but Arcueid hadn't thought that deeply and was easily coaxed by Lin Luo. Faced with her challenge, Altrouge naturally couldn't back down, or she would lose face.

It’s scientifically sound that the naturally simple always manage to neutralize the highly intelligent.

Lin Luo was thinking this when he heard Altrouge suddenly say, "Since you want to play, let's play for something big. Let's make a wager."

"What are you betting on?"

Altrouge pondered for a moment, then pointed at Lin Luo and laughed, "I'm not interested in your life. So, let's bet on this thing. Whoever wins gets this thing, how about it?"

Hey, I’ve already said I’m not a thing... Lin Luo instantly felt a wave of awkwardness (a dark line appearing on his forehead).

"Deal!" Arcueid agreed without hesitation. "This thing will be mine!"

"So, I'm not a thing... Ah, fine, fine." Although Lin Luo desperately wished they would realize he wasn't their gambling chattel, on second thought, it wasn't a huge deal. After all, if they could coexist harmoniously right now, that counted as achieving his objective.

With Lin Luo—the 'thing'—present, the two princesses temporarily suppressed their urge to fight. Then, Altrouge pulled Lin Luo over to the Black and White Knights and others, who had been standing by, completely checked out. She introduced them with a smile: "See? You know them, right? Expressionless Black, Gay White, and my pet dog. We're all family from now on, so get along nicely."

Black Knight: "..."

White Knight: "..."

Beast of White: "Heh heh..."

Not only were these three speechless, but Lin Luo was also momentarily at a loss for words. While the statement wasn't entirely untrue—since the Black Princess was destined to become his wings—why did it feel like he was the one marrying into the family ()?

Also, the gambling hadn't even started, and she was already so certain she would win?

Because the truth is often unpleasant and unsuitable for public declaration, Lin Luo was quite accustomed to complaining internally by himself. But when he looked at the Beast of White, he felt an urgent need to confide in someone.

He wasn't blind; he had noticed immediately when the Beast of White took on a human form. However, in this world, 'feminization' had become a natural phenomenon, so he hadn't paid much attention. Thus, he had missed a crucial piece of information earlier... the Beast of White's Instinctive Suppression!

Whether this ability was powerful or not was debatable. It wasn't terribly impressive, as anyone with a modicum of strength could basically withstand the shockwave of the suppression. If one reached the level of an 'Ancestor,' the Instinctive Suppression would be as good as nothing. Overall, it was mainly for scaring ordinary people and weaklings (), quite distinct from forces like Haki or Killing Intent () that could inflict substantive damage on opponents of the same level.

But!

Instinctive Suppression is an expression of 'biological' existential nature; it's not something acquired purely through strength. Take the little natural one (Arcueid) as an example: she represents Venus, and even if her strength is weak, she possesses Instinctive Suppression.

From this, it was clear: as long as the existential nature is planet-level, Instinctive Suppression will be present.

Therefore, if the Beast of White had no Instinctive Suppression ten years ago but possesses it today, the conclusion was only one thing... The Beast of White was no longer a candidate but the legitimate Earth UO (Ultimate One)!

And only Gaia could enact such a change; no one else.

"It was you pulling strings, wasn't it? What game are you playing now?" While casually responding to Altrouge, Lin Luo connected his consciousness to Gaia.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand what you mean," Gaia replied with an air of complete ignorance.

"Don't give me that. I don't believe for a second you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Oh dear, you found out?"

"It would be strange if I didn't notice."

"Well, it’s really nothing much. That was the plan from the very beginning," Gaia said dismissively.

"Then what was the meaning of giving her to Altrouge? That feels a bit like cheating."

"I think it’s perfectly normal. That child..." Gaia paused, "Although, with the insight of Arcueid's lineage (), she looks down on that child a bit, but in my view, that child is far superior to Arcueid. After all, she perfectly inherited a part of my power, even if it’s still unstable. Conversely, her pure-blooded younger sister, if nothing has changed, would only be at Arcueid's level."

"I didn't realize you valued her so much."

"Of course. That child is the only one."

Hearing Gaia's matter-of-fact tone, Lin Luo began to understand. The moment the Beast of White was created, Gaia had effectively decided on the UO candidate. Even though Arcueid and the Dark Six Authority had been vying for this throne, it was regrettable that no matter what they did, Gaia simply wouldn't pay them any mind.

Perhaps Arcueid and the Dark Six Authority would weep upon learning this fact, but realistically, it wasn't strange at all. After all, the UO is the representative of the Planet’s Will; it’s not just a symbol of strength but also the embodiment of the planet's own intent. From every perspective, the Beast of White was the most deserving, as it was a creature personally manufactured by Gaia.

In contrast, Arcueid was the Lunar UO, and the Dark Six Authority were just entities on Earth; they had no connection to Gaia whatsoever. What qualification did they have to compete with the Beast of White?

If there was anyone else Gaia favored besides the Beast of White, it was Altrouge.

This flawed product, dismissed by Arcueid, was greatly favored by Gaia.

So, giving the Beast of White to Altrouge could be seen as a form of protection or escort.

However, due to Altrouge's inherent instability, she wasn't suitable for the UO position. Thus, Gaia ultimately chose the Beast of White... After all, the very purpose of the UO is the planet's weapon of slaughter, and in that regard, the emotionally rich Altrouge could never compare to the Beast of White.

Still, judging by Gaia’s final words, her expectations for Altrouge seemed to extend beyond just the UO role.

Though slightly curious, Lin Luo didn't overly concern himself with Gaia's ultimate intentions. In any case, this world would soon be altered by him, eventually becoming a part of the Spirit World (). Moreover... from the moment he became the Host, the very meaning of existence for both Altrouge and Arcueid would change.

Lin Luo responded to Altrouge’s greetings. Although he was preoccupied with his own thoughts for nine-tenths of the time, Arcueid perceived the harmony between the two sides as irritatingly deep, making her extremely unhappy. She only regretted being alone, lacking friends to introduce to Lin Luo, which allowed Altrouge to seize the advantage.

Of course, this didn't stop her from trying to disrupt their harmony. She immediately stepped forward, tugged forcefully on Lin Luo, and when he looked back, she pointed energetically beside her with a broad smile.

"What?" Lin Luo was slightly bewildered as he saw the empty space next to her.

Arcueid laughed, "I’m introducing you! This is my imaginary friend, a consciousness made up of natural air. I call her Vivi. How about it? Isn't she adorable? Oh, right, people who lack intelligence or are very old but look young can't see her... How should I react to that?"

At this moment, Lin Luo could only think one thing: This girl actually made up the concept of an 'imaginary friend'? She’s not Mikazuki Yozora, does she need to go that far?

"...Um, very cute. Your friend, what was her name again? Vivi?"

In the end, Lin Luo could only manage an awkward nod and a forced smile. Exposing Arcueid’s lie would be too humiliating, and he certainly didn't want to be categorized as unintelligent. However, Arcueid’s sweeping generalization was quite severe; not only did Altrouge take a hit, but a portion of the non-humans and most of the maidens from Gensokyo were also left severely wounded... Yukari-sama, what are your thoughts?

"Heh heh, she really has a way with words." Yukari wasn't here, so naturally, she couldn't see, but Altrouge let out a cold laugh, looking at Arcueid's imaginary friend. "Your friend, Vivi, is really ugly. Like a warped gourd or a rotten date."

"You bastard, Vivi isn't ugly!" Arcueid protested angrily.

"Well, that’s how she looks to me."

"Can you see Vivi?"

"Of course. If you can see her, how could I not?"

"Are you sick or something?"

"How am I sick?"

Arcueid immediately looked at Altrouge with an expression of sympathy. "I don't have an imaginary friend at all; I was just making that up. And you say air is ugly? Isn't that proof that you're sick?"

"..." Altrouge froze instantly on the spot.

Alright, Lin Luo also collapsed. Damn it, the naturally simple ones are always secretly the most cunning! (To be continued) RQ