Because I Am Surtr

W's pupils suddenly dilated.

"You! It's you—!?"

She sprang up like a shrimp. Though she had been unable to move a moment before, she still lunged forward—a dark, poisoned dagger, previously hidden, suddenly appeared. She intended to assassinate the great enemy before her with this dull gleam!

She failed.

Persephone lightly snatched her dagger away, as if plucking a flower from a garden. While disarming W, she also struck the middle of W's spine. The full-body paralysis originating from the central nervous system caused W to crash to the ground like a stone, unable to even speak.

Persephone could kill her with no more effort than crushing an ant.

Her resistance was limited to glaring angrily.

The un-stationed Doctor shook her head.

"Ever since I woke up, I've been pondering one question—how could the world's most unparalleled martial power and an intellect of equal caliber, after cooperating, still end up in such a predicament? What caused power and intellect to join forces, and what caused their alliance to still result in failure, to the point that I even had to erase the corresponding memories."

"I've reached a conclusion, but unfortunately, I cannot voice it. This excites me and presents a challenge. It leaves me with no leisure to play role-playing games with a reptile."

She leaned down slightly towards W, who could only glare at her.

"You are not yet qualified to kill me. Perhaps you will have a chance when that foolish woman is here. Because at that time, I will uphold the promise I made with her. Even if you humiliate me countless times or even kill me, I will not resist—but that is her right, her pity and indulgence towards you. It has nothing to do with you yourself."

"After all, besides myself, the only one in this world qualified to kill me is her."

The Queen of the Underworld lightly flicked the dagger in her hand. The next moment, a sudden burst of energy erupted from her fingertips, swiftly circling her neck.

With a 'thump,' the girl's purple hair and head fell to the ground amidst a spray of blood. Her indifferent eyes met W's gaze, filled with rage and astonishment.

Then, all the world around them blurred and became chaotic.

It's almost 4000 words, I should have posted twice. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Packaging the Girl

Familiar streets, a familiar city, a familiar time—except for the absence of an apple stall, everything was identical to certain classic scenes.

Surtr stood quietly at the street corner, contemplating.

—I'm so tired, is there really something wrong with me?

—Is my way of facing this world truly mistaken?

—Do I... have a place to anchor my heart in this world, or is it just an illusion?

She closed her eyes and breathed gently. Thoughts like the ebb and flow of the tide surged within her heart, only to recede in an instant.

I want to sleep.

I want to dream.

I want to go to any dream realm that is relatively stable and peaceful, to soothe... or to verify my thoughts.

Her restlessness lasted for about ten seconds.

Then, she opened her eyes, casting aside all wavering.

"I am Surtr," she told herself. "I will not be easily misled, nor will I turn a blind eye to tangible errors. I will verify everything with my hands and eyes, and make decisions. I will not be easily lost beneath actions composed of simple words and behaviors."

What Talulah said seemed to be the truth.

Talulah's actions proved her will and determination—she was willing to give up everything, her career, her family, her friends, her loved ones, to find a way to shift her faction—she wanted to transform from a detached observer into an active participant—her intentions were pure and flawless, by no means a trap or scheme.

But her ideals and perceptions might not be absolutely correct. Her having such thoughts might not be due to the induction of someone or something.

The land and the sea, the sea and the sky—this world hides too many secrets. No one can assert everything, no ideal can decide everything. And if one does not wish to fall into eternal darkness, one must at least possess the ability to think and judge independently.

Thus, Miss Surtr let out a soft breath—not scorching, not of sulfur, nor of burning, just a slightly warm breath carrying a bit of moisture, common in this late autumn season.

"First..." her gaze shifted, looking towards a certain spot at the end of the street—that familiar ice cream cart was still parked in its usual place. As the shop owner busily and flusteredly packed up his stall, the sign above the elderly Ursus man's head swayed precariously as always.

So she silently walked over to the shopkeeper. Even though it was more than ten seconds late, she still caught the falling advertising sign.

She received a word of thanks.

She ordered a three-color ice cream.

And besides that...

"Uncle, do you have any sufficiently sturdy woven bags?" she gestured. "One that's opaque, large, the kind that can fit an entire... quilt."

She received an affirmative reply.

Talulah felt a sense of hesitation.

She stood on the highest floor of the control tower, gazing at the entire city through the observation window—she was certain that the person she was waiting for had already arrived in the city. And she was even more confident that it wouldn't take that person much time to find her.

After all, she hadn't deliberately hidden her whereabouts... whether through deduction, asking around, or searching for clues within the Reunion Movement's temporary base. With that person's methods and abilities, finding her would absolutely not be difficult. And according to her calculations, she should have already taken a step by now.

—Was she delayed by something else?

—Was it Rhodes Island? That current medical organization, formerly Sarkaz Babel Tower?

—I heard that an important figure in Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals has been recuperating in Chernobog. Although their identity and specific information are unknown, I know a small team will arrive soon... Perhaps she intends to handle matters there first?

"Fine, it doesn't matter. She'll come eventually. Because she is Surtr." The Dragon Girl's eyelids lowered slightly—she held a purified Originium crystal in her hand. It was her weapon, and her destiny—by swallowing this refined crystal, her Originium Infection and its accompanying Originium Arts would deepen in an extremely short time to a lethal degree, comparable to Frostnova at full power. And this would allow her to ignite her own life, letting it bloom into a momentary fireworks display.

—I will die, and that is only natural. But I must do this... because mortals cannot defeat gods. As long as the gods refuse to understand, refuse to accept. Then humanity's strongest weapons, spirit, ideals, and will, will all turn to waste. And I have been collecting her intelligence, her news. I know, she cannot hold on much longer.

—This world is losing its appeal to her. Perhaps it won't be long before her gaze upon all things in the world becomes like a dragon's gaze upon ants—the dragon simply cannot see the ants. And by then, Terra's shadow... no, I cannot utter that word. I cannot even think it in my mind.

She bit her tongue. The sharp pain and the coppery sweetness stopped her thoughts from continuing.

Thinking, thinking is dangerous.

And on this land, this land where countless ambitious individuals, who fancied themselves as chess players but were merely puppets on strings, only a very few wielders of power and authority enjoyed the freedom to think as they pleased.

She gazed into the distance, watching the increasingly violent Cataclysm clouds and the entire city dominated by chaos and turmoil. Her already uneasy heart stirred with further subtle unrest.

She subconsciously rubbed her fingertips. The coolness from the silver ring calmed her slightly—it was Alina's final gift, torn from her horn before she left. And every time she remembered that scene, her heart, which had ceased its restless beating, would fill with a stinging pain that cleared her mind.

—I deserve a tragic death, because in order to achieve my goal, in order to pull her back into the mortal world. I willingly took up the doctrine that the black serpent once taught me.