Heartfire · Bridging the Gap

"Surtr ..." she couldn't help but feel worried. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Miss Surtr smiled at her, moved closer, and took her slightly surprised hand so she could feel the warmth of her palm. "Or rather, better than ever before—I finally have a proper understanding of everything I have to face. And I know exactly what responsibilities I have to bear."

"Lotus." She gazed at the Goddess encircling the Ringed City, her eyes pure and focused. "You belong to me, don't you?"

Lian subconsciously took a small breath of warm air, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

And then it turned into a surprise in the next second.

"Yes, I belong to you." She gripped Surtr's hand tightly, her cheeks flushed slightly, but her words remained clear. "The agreement has been made, Surtr. I belong to you, everything I have belongs to you."

The Flame-haired maiden nodded slightly.

"I know."

"But Filianore doesn't belong to me... at least not entirely at this point in time, does she? Because Filianore still has divine responsibilities to fulfill. And until those responsibilities are fulfilled, Filianore and Lian are not equal, because the former also has to bear the burden of this world. Is that right?"

Lian opened her mouth. Perhaps she wanted to refute, perhaps she wanted to explain. But in the end, she simply lowered her eyes slightly.

"...Yes." She responded softly, then immediately added, "But you will take me with you, won't you? You will end the cycle of linking the fire, and at that time all heroes and gods will be freed... Lian will be Filianore, and I will leave with you. Right?"

"Indeed I will." Surtr nodded. "Don't worry that I will abandon you, Ren. The reason I'm confirming this fact, which we've already agreed on, is simply to confirm... to confirm the weight of responsibility I should bear at this moment."

Lian felt as if she had made a ridiculously bad deal. However, before her usually clever but somewhat stiff mind could process it, Miss Surtr's hand was pulled away from her bosom.

She felt a pang of loss—but she wouldn't show it here. For she saw Surtr approach the Fire Keeper and cast the same look at the royal Princess as before.

"Fire Keeper," Surtr asked softly, in the same tone, with the same emotion. "You belong to me, don't you?"

"Always have I," the Fire Keeper replied gently. "Past, present, and future. I belong only to you, Miss. I am your Fire Keeper, and only your Fire Keeper."

"Is the Fire Keeper just the Fire Keeper?"

"This is all I have to say, Miss. I've been waiting for you to name me again," the Fire Keeper replied lightly. Her meaning and intention were perfectly clear.

Miss Surtr then took a soft breath.

"The Dao Corrosion Phenomenon is extraordinary. I should take responsibility for those conclusions that are already irreversible. Besides, this intention has already been proven. Proof that it is true, not false..." she murmured to herself, having made up her mind.

"Miss?" The Fire Keeper tilted her head and looked at her, seemingly having a premonition, yet seemingly completely puzzled.

Then she heard the girl's calm yet firm voice.

"I am Surtr."

"I'm ready."

The next moment, to the Fire Keeper's astonishment, Miss Surtr's hand hooked around the Lothric Princess's neck. She pulled her closer, then leaned down—

An initiating kiss is both a promise and a response to that promise.

There's another session in the early morning.

Chapter 209 Heart Fire Overcoming the Barrier

Lian felt like she was a complete clown.

So much was planned, so much was prepared. But when the moment came, he realized that everything he had done paled in comparison to the Fire Keeper's absolute dedication and pure sincerity.

... No, it should be said that being inferior is the correct ending. She just didn't expect this scene to come so quickly, so quickly that even she, who thought she would never be surprised by anything, was met with a violent emotional reaction.

Watching the person she admires passionately kiss someone she subconsciously considers inferior right in front of her. This is an experience not everyone can have. She watched as the Fire Keeper's slender hands rose in surprise, froze in mid-air, and then gradually fell limply as the kiss deepened.

How to describe it? Jealousy? Bitterness? Or melancholy—she didn't know, but she didn't look away, instead watching their lips touch. She watched as the Fire Keeper was almost pushed against the carriage wall, listening to her increasingly rapid breathing and the soft, wet sounds. The kiss lasted a full minute, so deep it almost took the Fire Keeper's breath away.

Surtr released the Fire Keeper —she wiped her moist lips, seemingly only slightly blushing and her heart pounding, but the girl in her arms was so weak that she couldn't even lift a finger.

"This is my response, my proof that I accept you," she whispered in the Fire Keeper's ear, watching as a blush spread from the Lothric Princess's ears to her neck. "But I will not be satisfied with this. When we return to Terra, I will take all the other precious treasures without leaving a trace."

"Miss..." The Fire Keeper's lips parted slightly, but the words that escaped were muffled. "I...I..."

She tried hard to say something, but couldn't get the words out—her already flushed face became even more beautiful, and her previously powerless hand suddenly came to life, taking Miss Surtr's free hand and pressing it to her chest to express her feelings.

Her heart was soft, supple, and fair. Miss Surtr felt it directly, unlike before when she would always try to avoid such physical contact. This time, she did not flinch.

She grasped that feeling clearly with her five fingers, squeezing it playfully rather than professionally. She made it take on various interesting shapes between her fingers to highlight the subtle tactile sensation— the Fire Keeper's breathing quickened, her legs unconsciously pressed together, and her graceful curves became even more alluring than usual.

"I know, I understand," Miss Surtr said lightly. "But not now, because I will choose a more suitable time myself."

She took the initiative into her own hands.

She let go of his hand.

"Miss..." The Fire Keeper's voice was as soft as a falling feather—she was simply calling Surtr's name without any deeper meaning. And her tone was filled with relaxation and reassurance.

She handed the Fire Keeper, who was too weak to stand, to Ren—she looked at Ren's complex, even eerie, gaze and smiled.

"I will only take away Filianore's share when Filianore is mine, so don't be impatient."

"I didn't—" The intelligent Miss Lian was at a loss for words at this moment.

However, the next moment, the girl's fingertips gently pressed against her lips.

"I'm not discussing this with you, I'm informing you, Lian. If you have multiple personalities or a split personality, I will definitely take away the treasure I want right now. But since it's a disagreement about responsibility, I will take the reward I expect after I have taken on the responsibility."

"I thought..." Lian's lips twitched slightly. "I thought that day was still far away..."

"Until I figured some things out, I always felt I was very far from that stage." Miss Surtr smiled wistfully. "What I've been running away from is actually what I've always wanted. What I've been resisting is actually what I've been pursuing... I've been doing stupid things, Ren. I've done so many stupid things."

She clenched her fist.

"I am not a smart person, nor am I a person with great insight. I always make mistakes and always create many regrets and troubles. To make up for them, I have developed a habit. That is, once I decide to do something, I will carry it out to the end, no matter what the consequences will be in the future, until I change my mind."

"I will take everything from you, Lotus. Your lips, your breasts, your chastity, your love. I will take everything without missing a single thing. And I will decide when to carry it out, as a punishment for your little tricks—your tricks are not clever, especially when I decide to observe them carefully."

Lian smiled, a hint of bitterness in her eyes. But within that smile lay relaxation and contentment.

"Surtr ...I'm starting to regret it."

"Then consider this regret as my punishment for you." Miss Surtr smiled gently, turned around, and walked towards the Undead Legion's shrine.

"But I will not touch you until you are equal to Filianore —and I will not allow you to go back on your word. Because I have already reserved everything for you. And I will never let go."