Section Forty-Nine · She A-ed Her Way Up!
Darkness...
The soft sensation transmitted through her fingers was not unclear; the firm elasticity and the young girl's body heat were undeniably evocative. Yet compared to all these external sensations, what remained clearest in Miss Surtr's perception was still darkness.
Darkness. The purest darkness in the Dark Souls world came from the depths of the soul—the thing known as "humanity" would separate out and exist independently when the order of the First Flame dimmed. They were also fire: the fire of darkness. Because fire was the soul of this world, the gathering of the fire of darkness became Dark Souls.
A living person could not possibly possess many Dark Souls. The total amount of Lord Souls would not increase, while every ordinary human had a wisp of dark soul stored within them.
Yet under Surtr's perception, the darkness stored within the Fire Keeper was so dense and vast that it was as unfathomable as an abyss—it was simply not an amount of dark soul that an ordinary living person, or even an ordinary hero, could possess. It was a vortex, a dark mountain, a sea of ink!
Just how many souls had to be absorbed to possess such a vast total?
Just how many lives had to be taken to gather such an immense amount of Dark Souls?
Surtr did not know. Nor was she particularly interested in finding out. Everyone had their own privacy and secrets. Unless necessary, she should keep her distance.
Ah, that's right. Keep her distance.
Even though that darkness attracted and tempted her, sending whispers from the depths of the dark ocean...
—"Surtr..."
—"Your Majesty..."
—"Miss Surtr..."
The tides of darkness surged without end. The closer she drew, the more complex and distinct the whispers became. It