Because I Am Surtr

"But now... perhaps I shouldn't be so self-deprecating?"

The thought lasted only a moment; the flow of past memories didn't take much effort in Surtr's mind. In the eyes of those in the present world, the Sarkaz researcher holding a woven bag merely spaced out for an instant upon seeing an old friend. Then, she smiled and extended a slender hand to Elafia before her.

"Long time no see, Teacher Alina."

A fragrant breeze wafted over.

Surtr blinked slightly, then felt something soft and warm. She had only expected a handshake but instead received a hug. The embrace lasted for several seconds before she gently pulled away from the somewhat stiff girl.

"Call me Alina, not 'Teacher'."

The deer girl with long silver-white hair corrected her seriously, tapping Surtr's lips with her slender finger. For a fleeting moment, a certain uncooperative part of Surtr genuinely wanted to stick out her tongue and lick it. Only then did the deer girl regain her composure, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the woven bag in Surtr's hand as she smoothed down her slightly wrinkled skirt.

—A strange, inexplicable sourness.

Surtr thought to herself, unsure where it came from. However, it didn't seem like an important detail, so she casually let it pass.

"Long time no see, Alina," Surtr said, going along with it.

"You two chat, I'll go check on the Old Stubborn's condition," Yelena interjected, then walked into the clinic without any hesitation. Her pointed ears twitched as she left, clearly in good spirits.

Fine, it seems she still intends to spare Miss Talulah some dignity and not publicly humiliate her.

Putting Yelena's matters aside for now, Alina made a guiding gesture, motioning for Surtr to follow her into the clinic. She spoke as they walked.

"It really has been a long time, Surtr—may I call you Al? Just like before?"

"Whatever you like."

"You're still the same as you always were. Being like this all the time can easily lead to you being taken advantage of."

"I've never been the one taken advantage of," Surtr shrugged, not counting the various difficult experiences in the dream world. She hadn't truly suffered any defeats on Terra. Among humans, there were probably none more capable of fighting than her. Among monsters... there were likely few either.

"Whether you're taken advantage of or not isn't up to you to say, Al." However, Alina merely shook her head. "Fighting isn't the only way to solve problems. Victory doesn't mean the problem is solved—I can see you're very tired right now. Come to my room and rest for a bit. It's inconvenient to talk while standing here holding such a large bag of foolishness."

The sourness in the air seemed to intensify slightly, though it was unclear who had eaten a lemon and hadn't finished it. But Surtr never cared about such minor details—she nodded and followed Alina into the clinic. The woven bag in her hand seemed heavier than before, and she didn't know what mistake had been made.

She couldn't be bothered to care.

The clinic was busy, but not as busy as one might imagine. Perhaps Persephone's drones provided sufficient assistance, or perhaps Bodegard's guerillas brought enough manpower. From the clinic entrance to Alina's room, no matters arose that would impede their progress.

Everything went smoothly, and Alina's room was as clean and simple as Surtr had expected—her gaze swept over the calendar, the decorations, and the thickness of the files on the desk. She was not surprised to find that the room hadn't been inhabited recently.

She closed the door and placed the woven bag near the bed. Sitting down in a chair by the coffee table, Alina then brought over a kettle filled with cold water.

There were ice cubes in the kettle.

"You knew I was coming?" Surtr poured herself a cup, took a sip, and the fine ice shards had a slight sweet taste—a flavor she liked.

"If Little Talulah could guess it, then of course I could guess it too. After all, Little Talulah is so foolish, and I'm a bit smarter than her."

Alina sat down on the other side of the coffee table. She walked past the bedside and, whether intentionally or not, lightly kicked the woven bag.

—Someone might cry.

"So, you arrived in Chernobog a long time ago?" Surtr pretended not to see.

"Mhm," Alina nodded. "I could guess Little Talulah's intentions, and I knew that once she made her move, she would definitely try to eliminate me first. So I didn't try to dissuade her then; it would have been futile. But I also knew that if she were to choose a place to act, it would definitely be Chernobog. Because she had been eyeing this city for a long time, though her purpose was different back then..."

She sighed softly.

"I had to come to this city myself and establish a foothold, waiting for her to make a move on it... If Al hadn't arrived in time, I would have stood on Chernobog's walls to stop her, to prevent her from making a grave mistake. However, as I was preparing to set out, I saw the distant rising flames."

She was referring to the grand spectacle Surtr had intentionally created when she was "bullying" Junjun, a pillar of fire that could be seen clearly even from Chernobog.

"From then on, I knew Al had arrived. So I returned to the clinic, awaiting your news. I knew you would definitely be able to bring Little Talulah back, and by then, I would find you, or return to Reunion Movement and wait for you to find me."

Surtr's lips twitched slightly.

"You have that much confidence in me... What if I hadn't arrived in Chernobog in time?"

"Of course I do. After all, you are Surtr," Alina winked. "But if Al hadn't arrived in time and Little Talulah insisted on attacking Chernobog, I would have jumped directly off the city walls—just kidding."

However, Surtr didn't think Alina was joking at all. Didn't the woven bag by the bed tremble?—She couldn't help but lift her rock candy water and take a sip, just to calm her nerves.

Serious girls are terrifying!

Having witnessed H8-4.

I feel I have fully understood Sister Talulah in GT8-1.

I don't blame her, I don't blame her (click to kill civilians).

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Trident River Campaign, Terra Edition.

Trembling.

A chill erupted from the depths of her heart, filling her blood, seeping into her bones, transforming into countless fine needles that pierced through her flesh and blood.

Did it hurt?

Perhaps it did.

But more than the pain, the pervasive confusion and helplessness within her were the greatest wounds.

Talulah had originally thought she was ready. She had believed she possessed a righteous cause, grand ideals, and noble goals. For the future of the entire world of Terra, she was willing to make sacrifices and pay any price.

She had originally thought she was ready.

However, when she heard Alina's voice, clearly understood Elafia's words, and grasped the resolute determination contained within the phrase 'I'll just jump off the city wall,' she realized she had never been ready at all.

— Losing Alina?

— Losing her forever?

— Losing my Little Deer forever?

— No, I cannot tolerate this. I cannot accept it. I… I don't want that!

Her breathing became difficult, and her blood felt as if it were flowing backward, chilling her. She knew she had once exiled Alina, but she also knew that the moment she gave the order, she had tacitly allowed several of Alina's students and a group of her supporters to leave. She knew Alina would be safe under their protection, and even more so, she knew that whether her plan succeeded or failed, Alina would not be involved.

The chill intensified, yet a dark flame seemed to ignite deep within her heart. Amidst the clash of cold and heat, pain was born—in her plan, she had actually arranged a final end for every cadre of the Reunion Movement, for every relative and friend she trusted and who trusted her. In the past, she thought she could do it, thought she was ruthless enough. Yet now, her wish had been granted, and fear and lingering dread surged like a tide, engulfing her.