Once the affection level is maxed out, the rivalry begins!

Coming to his senses, Bai Ze found himself standing in an alley.

There was no trace of the previous battle. The damaged utility pole stood intact in its place. Only time had passed from noon to evening. The twilight sun slanted into the corner of the alley, casting long shadows on the wall.

Could it be that from the moment they entered the alley, they had already stepped into an unusually constructed space?

Just then, a soft groan came from beside me.

He remained in the same posture as when he was captured by the other world, tightly gripping Lu Xingyao's hand.

The girl covered her head, turning her face slightly dizzy.

"Master... no, senior?"

She hurriedly avoided eye contact, her neck flushed with a blush the same color as the sunset.

"Do you remember what happened in that other world?"

Bai Ze released his hand and waved it in front of her. "Did you suffer from memory confusion as a side effect?"

"no!"

Lu Xingyao (younger version) forcefully pushed his hand away, "Being treated like an elementary school student... believing that the person who broke in was a magician... being carried on his back like a child and feeling quite comfortable... I don't remember any of these things at all!"

Bai Ze clapped approvingly: "Even I couldn't summarize it any more concisely! Xing Yao, I approve of your graduation."

Doesn't this mean you know more than you don't know?

"Well……"

Everything in this other world is not reality, and they did not really change the past, but the only difference is that a memory that only exists in a mirage was generated in Lu Xingyao's heart.

For her, it was practically the same as having actually experienced it!

There's no other way.

The girl abandoned her remaining sense of shame and took Bai Ze's sleeve.

"Now that things have come to this, it's up to you to take responsibility."

"What exactly did I do that I should be held accountable for?"

"Stalking, deceiving, and abducting young girls."

She made baseless accusations.

Bai Ze raised his index finger and shook it: "As long as no one finds out, it's not a crime!"

"You actually admitted what you did... Wait a minute, senior, what's that in your hand?"

Lu Xingyao grasped his fingers and examined them closely.

At some point, a silver ring appeared on it, its surface engraved with miniature snake patterns, their heads and tails connected to form a mark resembling an ouroboros.

The parchment scroll, which had been silent for some time, was unfurled before Bai Ze, and new text appeared on it.

[Eliminating the abnormality: Transformation into an infectious disease, the merit is already etched]

Unlike the previous labyrinths and materialized ghost stories, Bai Ze did not find a way to control this anomaly, but instead completely destroyed it.

Is this ring the reward I'm getting?

[Silver Serpent Ring: Moderately increases the wearer's mental resistance; can be used as a medium for casting spells; possesses the power to bewitch.]

This line of text appeared when his attention was focused on the ring.

"It might be related to the anomaly we just destroyed."

Bai Ze explained to his junior, "Don't you think it's quite suitable?"

"Yes, it matches our organization's name perfectly!"

Lu Xingyao circled around him like an excited puppy, exclaiming, "This is destiny! I've already seen my fate!"

"I think you've watched too much of the new Three Kingdoms."

Although he didn't think there was any element of destiny involved, it was indeed a pretty good piece of equipment.

The purpose of providing Lu Xingyao with a practical test has been achieved, and there are also additional gains, so the trip was not in vain.

"Speaking of which, could you please deactivate your transformation? I'm still not used to it."

Bai Ze gazed at the girl, who was still dressed in an ancient style.

Since the forms of expression are similar, he simply called the mode of the other party combining with the core lady a transformation.

Upon closer reflection, it's clear that he himself merged with the Blade of Judgment in the same way.

Is Eternal Serpent a villainous organization unique to tokusatsu films?

Lu Xingyao nodded, and her clothes shattered into emerald light spots, which, together with the surrounding short swords, merged into a sphere.

After the light faded, the silver-haired, blue-eyed doll stretched and gently sat on her shoulder, swinging its legs like a swing.

"Pride: Have you witnessed the perfect teamwork between this machine and the Admiral? This machine is practically terrified of its own talent..."

"I've always wanted to ask, is 'Admiral' a term used internally within the Navy, translated into our world's languages?"

Bai Ze stroked his chin, finding a clue. "Didn't you say you were some kind of sword spirit?"

"In response: 'A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier,' a proverb found in your world. So what's wrong with this machine targeting the warship's core?"

She stood with her hands on her hips, looking completely justified.

So you're a sword spirit from a fantasy world that has developed warships and aims to become the core of those ships?

This buff is stacked up to the point where it's like you could run for president of the United States.

"Absolutely no problem, Miss Core, you're the best!"

Lu Xingyao placed her in her palm and rubbed her cheek like she was rubbing a cat. "Thanks to you and me being able to participate in the battle, I can go on a date with my senior at the fireworks festival!"

"Fear: Release this machine! This machine has done a great job! Humans over there, stop her!"

Bai Ze ignored the guy who hadn't even used polite language and corrected him, "It's not a date, it's to stop the abnormal loss of control... Do you have any new information about it?"

Currently, they only know the date and occasion when the Bureau of Spiritual Disasters is preparing to seal the anomaly. It would be even better if they could know what kind of anomaly it is.

Unfortunately, Lu Xingyao bit her lip and shook her head: "No... the anti-divination measures set up by the Spirit Disaster Bureau are very thorough. Knowing the location and time is already the limit."

She looked genuinely dejected, and you could see traces of the little girl from another world continuing into the present in her appearance.

Bai Ze unconsciously raised his hand and patted his junior's head.

"It's okay, you've done a great job. Dealing with anomalies always ends up requiring improvisation."

Moreover, he and Rhea exchanged contact information after the last ghost story incident, and they even made a private agreement that he would become an unofficial member of the Bureau of Spirit Disasters.

Asking her for secrets would undoubtedly be risky, but it would be worth the effort.

The girl didn't reply, but gently rubbed her head against his palm.

"Senior, do you really think you can win over women in real life with a simple head pat?"

"No, I was just recalling my experience dealing with elementary school students," Bai Ze said truthfully.

"Really? So the younger me was better? Do you want me to find my old schoolbag and uniform and wear them?"

Lu Xingyao's eyes suddenly went dead.

She hesitated to speak, then blurted out, "You wouldn't happen to be... a lolicon, would you?"

"I am not."

Bai Ze defended himself to protect his reputation.

"But you were noticeably gentler to me when I was little... Doesn't Lin-senpai also have features similar to a loli?"

"Don't say that in front of her, or your life will be in danger."

He gave a stern warning.

The girl smiled gently and stepped back with her hands behind her back.

"Senior, I've been thinking about something. If the nature of this anomaly is to capture people with regrets, induce them to make choices to make up for their regrets, and ultimately repeat everything in a hallucination... then why were you assigned to be my tutor?"

"Isn't it because my heart is completely free of darkness, and there's no flaw to be found, that they had to forcibly give me an identity?"

"That's quite an impressive level of confidence."

She sighed, "But I think maybe my real regret isn't about not handling my family and interpersonal relationships well back then..."

"It's not that no one listens to my troubles or shows me how to carry on with my burdens."

As dusk settled, it illuminated the girl's face, her hair, tied in a side ponytail, swayed gently, and the hair accessory, which had transformed from a rabbit from her childhood into a cartoon cat, shimmered.

"So, thank you for barging into my room to help me... Master."

In a very short time, the girl bumped into me like a soft rice cake, the gap between us squeezing the shape of her ample chest.

She gently hugged Bai Ze and whispered in his ear.

"I'm also very grateful to have met you in the future."