The meek Aozaki Aoko, utterly subdued, had transformed from a fierce tigress into a docile little rabbit. She sat curled on the floor, hugging her chest, refusing to utter a word. The flush creeping up her neck and the pitiable look in her eyes radiated a charm entirely unlike her usual demeanor, stirring in Lin Luo a sudden, potent urge to pin her down right there and ravage her thoroughly once more.

In that regard, the axiom held true: the more fragile a woman appeared, the more intensely it ignited a man’s primal lust and possessiveness. It was a scientifically accurate observation of human nature. Nevertheless, Lin Luo ultimately refrained from pressing the matter further.

While his disposition was optimistic to the point of being carefree, that didn't equate to utter license. At least, not while the threat of the mirror remained fully unresolved. Unless absolutely necessary or forced by circumstance, he would not let carnal desire take precedence.

Although Ryougi Shiki was the woman Lin Luo considered the most difficult to conquer, among the four, Aozaki Aoko presented the most immediate trouble. Now that she was effectively KO'd, there were naturally no further complications. After briefly explaining the mirror’s disappearance to them, Lin Luo activated the formation, returning with the four women to their previous chamber.

Upon re-entering that room, the four women acted instinctively, rushing toward the bathroom at top speed. They were covered in so much filth that they couldn't even bear to look at their own bodies without a thorough cleansing. This necessity was partly why they had yielded to Lin Luo so easily before.

As for Lin Luo, although he wasn't as obsessively clean as the girls, upon realizing Myu was not in the room, he headed toward the other bathroom. Regardless, he couldn't face others in his current state. In a matter of moments, he returned, fully dressed and tidied.

The four women still hadn't emerged, and he made no move to hurry them. Instead, he accessed the entire surveillance system for Fuyuki City. Though the mirror was gone and the formation restored, the Abyss Demons wandering the city remained.

It seemed the emergence of the Abyss Demons, while related to the mirror, had no direct causal link to their continued existence. However... with the mirror vanished, the Abyss Demons, no matter how powerful, were merely toothless tigers.

Even if he and Lin Xiaoke and the others couldn't actively engage them yet, resolving their presence was only a matter of time. Perhaps the owner of that mirror didn't deem them all that important either. Putting that aside for now, as long as the mirror's owner didn't interfere with his plans, his agenda would remain unaffected.

In fact, the presence of the Abyss Demons might even expedite the rate at which the formation absorbed the world’s mysteries. He felt no need to worry about that. What truly captured Lin Luo's attention were the expressions of Ryougi Shiki and the others just moments before.

At that time, their faces held a look of shock tinged with bewilderment, as if they had suddenly been privy to a host of secrets. Lin Luo was intensely curious about what they had witnessed after losing consciousness. However, their prior state offered no opportunity for detailed discussion; their relationship hadn't yet reached the level of complete, candid openness.

Lin Luo had no choice but to suppress his curiosity. At this juncture, uncovering the truth of that moment was far more critical than dealing with the Abyss Demons. So, Lin Luo simply sat in the room and waited.

About half an hour later, the four women finally emerged from the bathroom, their faces radiating relief. Yet, that composure vanished the instant they saw Lin Luo. Clearly, while the grime on their bodies could be washed away, the external 'filth' was impossible to erase by any means.

"Why are you looking at me with those expressions?" Lin Luo asked, feigning ignorance, then added with a laugh, "But you certainly clean up diligently. You could have taken four or five baths in the time it took you to take one." Hearing his flippant remark, the four women felt a fleeting urge to kill him, but their current lack of strength offered zero hope of success. And arguing would certainly be a losing battle, so they ultimately pretended not to hear.

After his comment, Lin Luo ceased his teasing. Once the four women had settled into their respective spots, he finally spoke, "When we lost consciousness just now, did any of you encounter anything strange?" At the mention of that event, the expressions of the four women shifted dramatically, replaced by looks of difficulty in speaking, especially Ryougi Shiki, whose eyes held a flicker of complexity and entanglement. Thankfully, it wasn't one of those expressions mixing joy and sorrow, anger and relief, or some convoluted combination that would leave even Lin Luo’s sharp eyes utterly unable to decipher her intent.

Though none of them spoke, Lin Luo was not impatient. He knew they would talk eventually; otherwise, they wouldn't have deliberately returned to this room to stay near him—the person they supposedly disliked. They surely harbored questions as pressing as his own, perhaps even more so.

As expected, after a brief silence, Arcueid Brunestud spoke first. "After I lost consciousness, I quickly found myself in an illusion. I don't know what kind of place that was—maybe another world, perhaps another dimension.

In any case, I wandered there for a long time without seeing a single person. Then, for some reason, I began to float, ascending higher and faster. I don't know how long it lasted, but just as I thought I would drift forever, I suddenly felt my body move against my will, and then...

it seemed I unleashed a palm strike. Do you know what happened next?" "What happened?" Lin Luo inquired quickly, though a strange sense of déjà vu made him realize something. "Immediately after my palm struck, there was a thunderous explosion, and everything before my eyes vanished...

no planets, no galaxies—everything turned to dust! Even I was startled by such terrifying power. If I hadn't been in an illusion, it would have been horrifying." Arcueid exhibited a look of lingering fear, yet a subtle excitement colored her tone.

Just as he suspected! Hearing this, Lin Luo finally understood. The illusion Arcueid experienced was identical to the dream of Mikoto that Tohsaka Rin had shown him before he arrived in this world.

"And you three?" Lin Luo then asked the other three women. "It was pretty much the same," the three nodded in unison. Was it true, then?

Did every host body... or perhaps every World Seed, harbor a world-destroying demon lurking within? Or was the World Seed itself that very demon?

The women’s confirmation made Lin Luo aware of a peculiar pattern. However, he didn't dwell on it; given their current strength, they were still leagues away from that level of understanding, and knowing more now would yield no practical benefit. He continued, "Besides that?" "Besides that, there were secrets of the World Seed and the truth of our own selves," Arcueid replied, though she immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Don't think I'm telling you this just because I want to—don't get conceited, hmph!" Well, Lin Luo chose not to comment on that textbook example of tsundere behavior. "I see. So you already know about the World Seed," Lin Luo nodded.

Although things had progressed faster than he anticipated, it was not disadvantageous. At least now, he wouldn't have to explain anything. On second thought, the owner of that mirror had set up such an elaborate game, yet not only had it failed to harm him, but it had led to him easily conquering four troublesome women, eliminating much future hassle, and accelerating his absorption of this world's mysteries.

Was the person helping him or hindering him? If such an individual could be considered an ally, they would truly be a divine teammate! Lin Luo mused internally for a moment, then asked, "Since you all know, what do you plan to do now?" Aozaki Aoko immediately shot him a look.

"What else can we do? Asking the obvious!" Lin Luo chuckled sheepishly. Indeed, with matters standing as they were, they had no choice but to enter the Divine War.

Not only was there the threat from the proxy gods, but even without them, having learned of the World Seed’s existence, the Seed itself would inevitably guide them toward higher mysteries, regardless of their willingness. And more importantly, they had all... been claimed by him.

"But what about that 'truth of one's self'?" "The complete truth about oneself is also what one most desires to know," Ryougi Shiki stated, looking at him intently. Lin Luo was momentarily stunned, then finally understood why Shiki was looking at him with such a gaze. That illusion must have revealed to her everything that had ever happened to her—such as the incident where the Evil King forcibly dragged her into the Three Kings Battle.

Four years ago, she was caught up in that fight because of him, only to be saved by him again, and now she had lost her purity to him... such a truth would surely leave her emotions incredibly conflicted. For a moment, Lin Luo didn't know what to say.

However... If the illusions truly conveyed the truth of the self, then what did the illusion he witnessed represent? The truth of the self...

Self... A familiar young man and a girl who made his heart ache like being eaten by insects... alongside the girl's heavy vow to destroy everything if necessary.

Could it be...? Lin Luo vaguely guessed at something, but the implication was too bizarre, preventing him from pursuing the thought further. Just then, Ciel suddenly interjected.

"You've questioned us; now tell us what you saw in your illusion." "Uh," Lin Luo paused for a few seconds before replying, "I saw a story about a brother complex and a sister complex living in a quiet mountain village. The two collaborated to destroy the world so they could finally marry. Very touching." "..." The four women froze momentarily.

"Go die, you liar!" Immediately after, Aozaki Aoko grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it forcefully at him. See? The naked truth was clearly more acceptable than an elaborate lie.

RQ