A Story Written for a Promise

"But I died fifty years ago. And since I died, I have gone from being a long-lived species to a short-lived species like them. I can no longer pursue the continuation of individuals, so I can only pursue the continuation of the whole. Therefore, those who were born because of me and inherited my thoughts and will become my continuation after my death—I have thus become in need of offspring, so of course I will attach great importance to them."

"You should understand this principle... Aren't you immortal? Or are you simply too young to comprehend your current level?"

Miss Surtr did not speak.

He just watched her quietly.

"I'm sorry, it seems we have different ideas."

"No need to apologize," the Flame-haired maiden replied. "Let's get back to the point. Regarding this request... is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I still have some control over my transforming corpse. So..."

The space around them shifted dramatically.

The next moment, the coffee shop carrying the two of them was already on the other side of space.

Beneath my feet... lies Mars.

Something enormous, terrifying, like a star, was growing within Pandora with each breath she took.

"... Before I completely perish, I will try my best to control this body... and stay away from Earth."

In an instant, those emerald green eyes turned deep red.

Chapter 140: A Story Written for Promises

The first guest became the origin of the story.

The second guest brings a pause to all things.

The third guest is the fire that brought an end to change.

Miss Surtr was unsure how to address her opponent—Pandora? Gaia? Or Kazami Yuuka?

From the perspective of the origin of life, she should be the soul of the planet, the true and only god of Gaia. From the perspective of her specific identity, she should be the most unique among the many tentacles flowing outward from the Star Soul. She is Pandora, a key juncture in history, and even in the original script of the Star Soul's soul, guiding the end of all things.

However, in terms of appearance, she is Yuka = Kazami Yuuka. The first traveler to arrive in this world from a foreign land.

Who is it?

The woman with red eyes and blue hair raised her folded parasol. She didn't speak, she simply displayed her fighting spirit.

—Pandora.

Miss Surtr finally made up her mind. Because she believed that one day, she would meet another traveler from another world in some other realm.

Then...

At the tip of the umbrella, a shimmering glow appeared. A pale torrent of light surged forth from it.

Mars has an atmosphere. This means that the Tyndall effect, which causes light to scatter within the atmosphere, plays a role.

The forces began to collide. Amidst the deep tremors, millions of tons of Mars red rock evaporated. A pale, radiant tide swept across, instantly engulfing hundreds of kilometers of barren land centered on the convergence point.

This was merely a greeting, for the sudden surge of flames had severed the light.

Cut.

The sword, burning with flames, struck the tip of Pandora's parasol. For a moment, the air fell silent.

Then, the atmosphere exploded, accompanied by an extreme transformation between stillness and motion. Two meteors fell in two different directions.

In terms of strength, they are evenly matched.

The nature of their forces is comparable.

—It's not Curse Power. Nor is it divine power.

—It feels a bit like... vibration?

The girl quickly thought things through, adjusting her position amidst the impact. She sensed the vibrations of the atmosphere and the tremors of the ground; she sensed a clear yet strange rhythm enveloping her senses.

The Mars atmosphere, swept by light, appears to exhibit some kind of activity.

This strange activity is extending to everything that air can reach.

—Erosion? Pollution?

—Hmm...why do I always feel like I'm only half-baked?

Surtr gripped Laevateinn tightly, releasing her flames in every outward direction with each breath. Her fire was a fire with its own will, commanding it to extinguish all the abnormal air.

The stagnant, burning airflow was interrupted by her airborne state.

They turned back and pursued the other side of the battle even faster than they had attacked before.

Distance is not a problem; a gap of hundreds of kilometers passes in the blink of an eye.

Strength was not an issue, as Laevateinn was providing full support to the limit of what this body could bear. And the energy and blood within this Vessel of Power were burning intensely!

She saw it. She realized that when she turned back, the other person's plan was exactly the same as hers.

As Laevateinn raised his parasol again, Pandora's parasol suddenly slashed down!

The sword, used to cleave off a head.

An umbrella, piercing through the chest.

Neither the red nor the green forces yielded to each other's attacks. Both sides chose to trade injury for death!

Then, Pandora's head exploded. Burning Twilight Flame spread down the severed neck.

Thus, Surtr's chest was completely pierced, and countless tiny, ever-changing vibrations tore through her wound, disintegrating a third of her chest and ribs.

If your head is burned off, can you still fight?

If your heart is shattered, can you still fight?

It is perfectly natural that it is possible, and it is perfectly natural that it is acceptable.

Without a word, the Flame Sword cleaved the green-haired humanoid figure in two with a downward slash.

At the same time, the trembling parasol unfolded like a prayer wheel, and the huge hole tore open the entire chest cavity of the Flame-haired Girl.

But that doesn't matter. Limbs and organs are just decorations anyway.