Without Benevolence, the Balance of Attack and Defense Shifts (Continued)

—Ah... I knew it. You're as stoic as ever. Kal'tsit.

—As long as it's something valuable to you, you can always tolerate its flaws and find the most suitable solution to deal with it in the current situation.

Should I be grateful? Grateful that I still have value to you?

—Or is there some genuine feeling hidden within this that I haven't noticed?

The Flame-haired maiden drew a conclusion.

She spent half a second of her time thinking during the stasis period on this.

Then--

--go back.

The colorless flames burned fiercely, and from an endless distance, one could almost hear the cracking sounds of gears being forcibly dismantled. Right before Miss Surtr's eyes, the Miss Lynx, who had pounced on her, retreated in a rewinding motion, flowing back from a standing position to a reclining posture, barely supporting herself on the carpet—throughout the entire process, she saw not a single change in Kal'tsit's expression, as if that delicate face were merely a mask, proving that she was indeed unmoved by her words—or at least, seemingly unaffected.

—At this point, what am I still foolishly hoping for?

The Flame-haired maiden's eyes flickered as she watched the words that had formed sound waves in the air recoil and dissipate naturally, returning to their initial vibrations. She then moved, following her previous memories, back to the area that suited her—the situation had changed, so some words had to be taken back. The farce that would unfold in the future needed to be nipped in the bud before it even began. To avoid an awkward situation where everyone was at a loss.

Thus, time continues to flow when space is adjusted to the appropriate position.

The noise of the outside world once again filled her ears, and the atmospheric particles, frozen in time, swirled around her like a cold, surging wind. Miss Surtr gazed at Kal'tsit before her, but her heart remained completely still.

She didn't delete her confession to Kal'tsit. Because it was from the bottom of her heart—from her heart to her two-dimensional, doll-like wife. Liking someone is liking someone; there's no need to hide it. However, after that, the resolute words of 'never seeing each other again' never came from her lips again.

She adjusted her words slightly.

"... I admit it, I have failed completely, and I give up. And this should be a good thing for both of us."

She didn't bow; she simply nodded slightly to Kal'tsit face had turned pale once again.

"I won't have those unrealistic ideas anymore, Doctor Kal'tsit. My tolerance for you has run out. From now on, please treat me like a normal operator—"

"I will no longer tolerate your offenses and insults as before, and I will also try to avoid walking near your work area. Of course, I can't change your mind... think what you want. I'm just here to tell you what I'm going to do."

She turned her head slightly, turned to the side—without turning her back—and was about to leave.

As expected, she heard a response from Miss Lynx.

"You consider that offensive and insulting?" She saw the head of Rhodes Island's Medical Department bite his lower lip, almost forcing out a few words that might have contained a hint of anger. "Surtr, you... we could have been more—"

But Miss Surtr interrupted her.

"I don't need you to teach me how to be a person. Doctor Kal'tsit, I am not your student. You have no obligation to educate me. If you have the energy, you can go and teach your obedient apprentices a lesson. As for me, I have other things to do that are more important than wasting time with you here."

She rose and levitated amidst the distorted light of the flames.

"I'm sorry to have brought you so far. But as you said, if I had the energy, these ruins would be a great place to relax. And my conclusion now is—the scenery is quite nice, but I have to go."

"I'll contact Persephone and have her send a car to pick you up. Of course, if you'd like to stretch your legs a bit this evening, take a walk, and enjoy the festive night in this Chernobog —there are even fireworks tonight—that's up to you. Excuse me... or rather, it doesn't matter, I won't keep you company any longer."

The next moment, a wave of energy erupted around her. The Flame-haired maiden was freed from all constraints and vanished without a trace before Kal'tsit's eyes.

Surtr is gone.

Unlike any other time, this time, she left with her own heart.

The air calmed down.

After Surtr left, not another firework lit up the sky. A pale red cloud of dust, a mixture of pigments, luminous minerals, and chemical debris, drifted rapidly away in the night wind. Soon, the Chernobog sky was nothing but pure black.

Black.

There was no starlight, nor moonlight in the darkness.

The Rhodes Island doctor, a lynx-like doctor with light green hair and feline ears, stood quietly in the darkness.

One minute.

Five minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but the words caught in her throat. The once incomparably strong emotional mask, forged from dignity, began to crack and break little by little. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes gradually drooped.

"No..."

"It shouldn't have turned out like this..."

"I..."

She slowly raised her hand to her lips, her pale green nails appearing sharper than usual. The sharp tips then dug into the corner of her lips, and with a little pressure, the soft skin dented and left red marks.

It smells of blood.

It has a rusty smell.

Perhaps it would be good to tear this useless medium of sound apart with even more force.

She gently closed her eyes. Then, forcefully—

"What are you doing, Kal'tsit?" — In the darkness, a slender hand stopped her.

But that hand was not the hand of the person she had hoped for.

She opened her eyes, and what came into view were the thousands of memories deep in her mind. Among them, the most distinctive feature was a white-haired, red-eyed woman with pointed ears—her old friend, the Sanguinarch, who always appeared relaxed and indifferent, was now sweating profusely and panting heavily. It was obvious that she had used almost all her strength to get here as quickly as possible.

"Warfarin? You... what are you doing here?"

"To prevent some idiot from doing something stupid... do you know how much effort it took me to get here from the medical center!? Look at you, Kal'tsit, what are you doing!?"

"I... I messed everything up." Her voice was unexpectedly weak... or rather, fragile. It was nothing like her usual self.

"Screwed everything?" Warfarin's expression was unexpectedly strange. "You've always said that to others... I'll just ask you one question. What did you mess up? Did all the major nations of the world form an alliance and come to our door, or did you press Rhodes Island's self-destruct switch five minutes ago?"

Her tone was almost mocking.

"Look at the mess you're making of! A love triangle? Something that middle school girls would only care about is making you act like you're dying. Do you want to tear your face apart? Even if you're the head of the Medical Department, you shouldn't be wasting resources so recklessly. Or are you actually only fifteen years old and waiting for your Chinese teacher to give you a 'Good Student' award?"

"This is no small matter!" Miss Lynx's ears perked up.

Then, she immediately received a powerful counterattack.

"Then why did you do that to her?" Warfarin stared into her eyes, her crimson gaze brooking no evasion or avoidance. "Sometimes I really suspect you skipped your elementary oral Chinese exam. To the point that you've completely forgotten how to speak normally!"

"I..." Miss Lynx opened her mouth, stammered, and finally lowered her head with a sigh.