Section Thirty-One · FrostNova, My Actress

Since they had learned Talulah's ideals, it was only natural that they would inherit them as well. Since the Reunion Movement no longer existed, the operation to annihilate Chernobog was naturally suspended. However, the Cataclysm cloud continued to brew. Under these circumstances, a group of well-trained emergency responders with combat ability and knowledge of Originium naturally became crucial at this point in the city's history.

Thus, they left to fulfill the responsibilities they had chosen for themselves. Miss Surtr continued downward, allowing the activated main control tower to roar noisily beneath her feet.

—"Attention, all citizens of Chernobog. All disaster shelters are now open. All citizens are requested to proceed immediately to the nearest shelter for protection. Chernobog is about to experience a Cataclysm."

A citywide broadcast from the central city rang across the sky, repeating beneath the rumbling thunder within the Cataclysm cloud.

It was a woman's voice—gentle, yet containing a remarkable intelligence.

It was also order. Authoritative order from the central city.

The chaotic city gradually regained its stability amid the broadcast and the sound of the shelter doors opening. Order and reason slowly returned to the disordered crowds. Auxiliary police officers who had changed their appearances put their police caps back on. Workers who had fled in panic straightened their shoulders and backs. Even former Reunion members who wore masks—or had thrown them away—regrouped and joined in rebuilding and maintaining order, preparing tools and food to deal with the disaster that was bound to follow.

Everything was getting better.

Surtr knew why. She could recognize the voice in the broadcast, and she knew where it came from.

Persephone.

Since Persephone had taken action, she naturally would not leave behind any obvious loopholes.

It was obvious that the wretched woman had made plans for what came next before Death Return. After returning this time, she had left the Sarcophagus and used her knowledge, words, or perhaps some other method to seize control of certain forces in the Sarcophagus area—

—Given that the city's electronic communications technology was probably no more advanced in that wretched woman's eyes than the educational blocks of a two-year-old child, she must have already modified the central city's communications system. At this very moment, she was likely watching this place through some "eye."

Surtr glanced at the drone hovering outside the main control tower and could not be bothered with her.

Then she heard the faint hum of wings coming from the top of the tower. Persephone's drone had apparently arrived in the control area of the main control tower and begun attempting to control the city's forces of order remotely.

—Tch. Boring.

—That wretched woman always found ways to protect herself before Laevateinn could deal with her.

Obviously, with her assistance, the city would restore order and reduce damage at the fastest possible speed. At the same time, this meant that the wretched woman had already found the persona most suitable for herself. In the time ahead, she would presumably act with a combination of traits that made Miss Surtr sick just thinking about them: "frail," "introverted," "brilliant," and "kind-hearted." She would also come into contact with Amiya's group, who would soon arrive at the central city.

—This is awful.

—I hope W gives her a proper beating and at least tones down that woman's arrogance.

—But W...

Miss Surtr slightly furrowed her brow.

She knew Persephone would keep her promise. That wretched woman might deceive her, but if she did, it would certainly be at some crucial juncture, rather than casually squandering the trust that had been harder for her to accumulate than reaching the heavens. Since Persephone had said she would tolerate W, she certainly would. Since she had said she would not kill W, she certainly would not act against her.

But tolerance was a broad category, and there were many ways to define it.

Not killing someone was also a broad range, corresponding to many different ways of treating the target.

—On a worldline I cannot see, one destined to be discarded... will W suffer at that wretched woman's hands?

—Of course she will. That's Persephone we're talking about. No matter how much I warn her, no matter how many times I repay the victims' suffering tenfold or a hundredfold, her habits will not change... She has never cared about pain, loss, failure, or even death. And the only way I can restrain her is...

She let out a melancholy sigh.

—I hope you can show some restraint, Persephone. Even I don't really want to kill you thirty-one times in a row again... I don't like seeing that. At least, I don't want to encounter it again right now. But if everything truly becomes irreparable, then I won't have a choice.

Oh, well. Oh, well. Life always had its disappointments. Since some things could not be avoided, all she could do was steel herself and charge straight into them. But if that was the case...

—As expected, I still kind of want to go sleep for a long, long time.

—After Chernobog's affairs are settled, I'll go resolve that little matter in the dream realm.

The girl gently shook her head and carried the woven bag out from the bottom of the tower. While she had been wasting time, the world had continued to move. Yet when she reached the tower's base and stepped through the automatic doors, the sight before her was somewhat beyond her expectations.

She saw Frostnova standing quietly on the lowest floor of the main control tower. Joy and approval filled her gaze as she looked at Surtr.

Section Thirty-One: Frostnova, My Actress

Why had Yelena appeared here?

The question was not difficult to answer.

She simply could not rest easy or let go. She still held hope for Talulah. That was why she had come here, to personally witness the answer Miss Surtr had once promised her.

The logic was perfectly sound—at least, that was what Miss Surtr thought.

She clearly felt the woven bag in her hand tremble slightly. Apparently, the white-haired Dragon Girl whom she had knocked unconscious—or who had pretended to be knocked unconscious—could no longer continue enjoying a good sleep.

"I thought you had already gone to Rhodes Island." Surtr raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is there anything else you can't let go of in Chernobog? Do you need me to handle it for you?"

She saw Yelena gently shake her head.

"No, there's nothing in Chernobog that I can't let go of. My brothers and sisters encountered a Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals task force on our way out. Its leader was a Sarkaz with the codename Scout. I showed him the letter of introduction you gave me, so he led my team to Rhodes Island."

"I came to find you. A female executive from Rhodes Island gave me a remote commission. She wanted me to ensure the safe evacuation of a 'Doctor Persephone' in Chernobog's central district. She said you might use somewhat crude methods while handling the Cataclysm, and that the Doctor was very fragile and might be accidentally injured during the operation."

So that was how it was.

That foul-mouthed Lynx Kal'tsit was as worried as ever, so she had arranged an extra safeguard?

Surtr shook her head inwardly, sneering at Kal'tsit's waste of manpower and resources. But it did not matter. If she wanted to waste them, let her waste as much as she liked. Rhodes Island was under her management now, after all. Even if it meant tying up both Amiya's and Persephone's decision-making authority, Kal'tsit would ultimately have to balance the accounts herself. If she wanted to increase her workload, that was her business.

Thus, Miss Surtr nodded in agreement.

"Fine. But there's really no need to worry about this. Amiya's team should have already entered Chernobog. And did you hear the broadcast? The voice you heard belongs to Doctor Persephone. Amiya and the others should go directly to the Sarcophagus area to find her. As for her safety..." Surtr thought of Red, whom she had not encountered in this cycle.

"...someone is responsible for her safety. There's no need to provide additional protection."

"So you don't plan to go over there?"

Miss Surtr nodded and gestured toward the woven bag in her hand.

"That... Doctor is a talented person. If she wants to, then helping the residents of this city survive the Cataclysm, restoring order here, or securing benefits for Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals would all be trivial matters to her. What I need to do is strike the Cataclysm cloud above with a single sword once the evacuation is complete."

She was not worried that the Ember Demon's actions here to trigger the Cataclysm cloud would have any effect on Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals. After all, anything a madman did was only to be expected, and both Persephone and Kal'tsit were skilled at guiding public opinion and distorting facts to favor themselves. The only thing she needed to worry about was the random release of Originium energy tide in the sky when she shattered the Cataclysm cloud, which could very likely cause casualties.

"But before that, I need to put the 'local specialties' somewhere safe."

And so, she explained.

Yelena's gaze drifted downward and swept over the woven bag in Miss Surtr's hand. The corners of her lips curved into a faint smile, and her two pointed ears bounced up and down. Her mood was clearly excellent.

"Need any help?" she asked in a relaxed, conversational tone. "That bag of 'local specialties' looks pretty heavy. It must be quite tiring to carry."