Because I Am Surtr Chapter 18

Yet her hand ultimately stopped in midair.

"W, you really are completely useless."

She leaned back and collapsed limply into her chair, no longer wanting to move at all.

Hopefully Arknights wouldn't backstab me too hard tonight()

Big Father, Hello; Big Father, Goodbye

Thirty minutes was not a long time.

Yet during those short thirty minutes, many things happened on the land outside Chernobog.

More and more Reunion Movement members fled—dozens, hundreds, thousands. Like a headless swarm of ants, they scattered wildly across the land. A small number fled toward the wasteland, while most charged toward the nearby, undefended Chernobog.

They would rush into the city and cause chaos.

Although Chernobog's defenses had already been withdrawn, there were still a few measures and personnel capable of continuing the resistance.

They would not last long, but they could at least buy some time.

But time... the Reunion Movement did not have much of it.

One officer after another had vanished, while their leader turned a blind eye. As the banner and backbone of the Infected, the renowned Patriot still possessed immense prestige. Yet even he could not dispel the terror haunting the hearts of the many Infected around him—he had not chosen to simply let the Reunion Movement flee into Chernobog, because after years of leading armies, he knew exactly how easily an orderly retreat could turn into a rout.

So he would not retreat. As long as he stood his ground, those scattered soldiers fleeing into Chernobog in fear would be unable to make any major moves. But once he withdrew from the front lines, the Reunion Movement—having lost its courage, fighting spirit, and even faith—would become a mass of routed soldiers. And a mass of routed soldiers would bring unimaginable suffering to a city.

Yet no good news came to him.

With the sound of hurried footsteps, a sentinel he trusted brought terrible news to the side of the towering giant, whose stature was like a mountain.

"Captain!" The sentinel had once been his guard. Patriot could clearly discern the fear and agitation stirring within this subordinate, a man of unquestionable courage. "The leader isn't in the camp. She and her guard left half an hour ago!"

The massive giant shifted, scarlet light seeping out from behind his antlered mask. Silently, he raised his black halberd. Everyone who knew him understood just how furious he was at that moment.

Talulah, what exactly was that woman trying to do!?

Scorching breath billowed from beneath the black mask. Upon touching Ursus's cold air, it rapidly condensed into mist and spread like dangerous clouds—he seemed about to turn and do something. Yet his movement suddenly froze, and his enormous head snapped toward the distant horizon!

"Captain?" his subordinates asked.

"Form ranks." A heavy murmur came from beneath the mask. "It, Twilight, has arrived."

—A wisp of fire burst forth from the end of the horizon.

Then, the color of twilight spread outward.

The sky shifted from a gloomy blue-gray to a painful dark yellow. The next moment, a scorching heatwave from afar became a head-on gale that swept through the temporary encampment!

The smell of sulfur filled the air, pungent and stinging to the eyes. Even with their masks blocking it out, the Reunion grunts who had barely maintained order under Patriot's suppression only moments before were instantly overcome by panic. Their legs trembled, cold sweat poured down their faces. The bravest among them might still clutch their weapons tightly, but those weaker than them were immediately stained by the deepest despair.

"I—I don't want to die here!"—The first sword-and-shield soldier fled. Throwing away his weapon, he wailed openly as he ran toward nearby Chernobog. He should have been executed on the spot as a deserter, but at this moment, even the Reunion Movement's disciplinary squads were wavering.

The leader... where had the leader gone?

She wasn't here. She abandoned us!

No one answered, no one refuted it, and more fleeing soldiers appeared among Reunion's ranks. Yet compared to the terrified Reunion Movement, those living within Chernobog—who knew the Ember Demon's terrible reputation far better—took even greater action. Although the guards had been transferred away long ago, although the nobles had all fled, the forcibly shut-down power core showed signs of resuming operation!

A roar rang out, followed by the unbroken sounds of bells and whistles. Like a startled snail, the sleeping city hurriedly tried to start up again!

But Twilight was drawing near.

Unhurried and unflustered. Flowing flames and dust from the atmosphere gathered together, forming a massive tornado like a mountain bearing down on them!

Patriot's army resisted. They formed ranks to counter Casters, erected Sarkaz Originium altars, and combined everyone's strength. Their wills were firm, and they feared no pain. Yet...

Yet the Twilight Flame from afar still devoured everything here.

Patriot, former Ursus general, the last Wendigo, Bodegard raised his halberd and massive shield. Looking around, he saw only walls of flame and dust—this was the heart of the tornado, the eye of the hurricane. Within this narrow patch of land, less than thirty meters in radius, there could be no finer arena.

He could not hear the sounds beyond the vortex, but he could imagine the suffering the Reunion Movement members outside were about to face, were already facing. He still remembered how the barrier formed by his army's combined strength had shattered under a single blow from the colossal being within that twilight. Then the shockwave and scorching winds had scattered them all.

He was not worried about his subordinates, because the troops under his command possessed the sturdiest and thickest protection. This flaming tornado would repel and injure them, but it was not enough to kill them completely. Unless they insisted on coming here to die, his men should not suffer many losses.

What he was truly worried about were the ordinary Reunion members—while the searing winds were ineffective against heavily armored troops, they were nothing short of a devastating disaster for unarmored targets.

They would die.

They would suffer heavy casualties.

But before worrying about them, surviving might have been the greater priority.

He raised his shield, his eagle-like gaze fixed on the wall of flaming wind before him. There was an unusual stillness and calm at the heart of the storm, where it had stalled. Only great plumes of smoke and dust continuously rose from the ground, cast into the sky, and merged into the vortex.

Then, at the edge of the wall, a pair of fair hands lightly reached out.

A delicate face, a red-and-black battle dress, hair like burning flames, and the massive red-and-black sword floating beside her, lightly supported by those pale hands—all of it pointed to one identity, one name.

"Fire Giant King." Bodegard's voice was hoarse and heavy. "So you... are Ember Demon."

"It's our first meeting, Bodegard." The flame-haired Sarkaz nodded slightly at him. "I need you alive. There are things I need you to do. But I don't believe words alone can convince you."

The antlered giant gave a heavy, low "Hmph."

"So, you chose to speak to me in the Sarkaz way."

"Yes." Miss Surtr gave a slight nod. "The Sarkaz rule is simple: the victor commands, and the defeated obey. I'm giving you a chance to challenge me. Use your shield, your halberd—anything you can think of—to fight me. If you wish, I can stop the tornado and let you lead your army against me. But I have no need for them to survive, so I will not show the slightest mercy in battle."

"You are... that confident?"

"A fully built level 42 with a Noir Corne could clear Challenge 7-18, and I'm far beyond Elite 3 now." Surtr snorted softly, speaking words Bodegard could not understand. "Yes, I am that confident. And before my patience runs out, you may begin this battle in any way you see fit."

"My daughter... what happened to her?"

"She is still alive, and I have more or less cured her Originium Infection." Surtr had no intention of concealing what she had done and simply gave him a direct answer. "I introduced her to a reliable medical company for follow-up care. If nothing goes wrong, you'll soon see her lively and well again."

The black giant fell silent.

"You inherited... that Highness's will?"

"She was herself, and I am myself." Miss Surtr replied flatly, lightly gripping Laevateinn's hilt. "But some of your doubts can indeed be answered. Your fate, for instance. The prophecy of the Lord of Fiends. The path the Infected may ultimately find... But all of that will have to wait until after I defeat you."