I Am Mizuki

There were still a bunch of judges watching, and if they made any noise, who knows what they might be misunderstood. The Iberia were now collectively experiencing a kind of "Great Silence PTSD".

However, Mizuki hadn't expected the Sea of Life to be so powerful. It seemed that all of Mizuki's abilities had been upgraded under the Sea of Life's blessing; he could connect people's thoughts and deceive their senses and consciousness so that no one would notice what was happening.

Of course, the Doctor was certain that Mizuki was hiding something else from her. If it really was just the power of the Sea of Life, then Mizuki wouldn't have kept it from her and Exusiai. They were happy to see Mizuki become stronger.

"Doctor... who do you think I am?"

Mizuki stopped interfering and put down her hand, abandoning the Great Silence, only slightly adjusting her position around herself and the Doctor to prevent her from catching a cold.

"Who else could it be? You're Mizuki, right? How could someone this big be a fake?"

The Doctor walked up to Mizuki and reached out to rub his head.

"What's wrong? Have I caught a cold before you did?"

No, um... my hair is messy.

Mizuki squinted, suddenly feeling that he wished he were taller, but he instinctively resisted the change, which contradicted the essence of his Sea of Life.

Life itself is constantly adapting to change, and this change leads to evolution. Logically speaking, Mizuki could also change into various forms, perhaps even more thoroughly than Muelsyse.

But he resisted that change, resisted becoming something else. No matter how his inner self changed, no matter how his cells evolved, he chose to remain unchanged at least outwardly, because he knew that if any change occurred, he might become something other than Mizuki.

"So, Doctor, you think I'm Mizuki, right?"

"Of course! You're Mizuki, the person I love, Exusiai's boyfriend, Kal'tsit's lover, and Rosemary's... sobs!"

Unable to resist, she reached out and covered the Doctor's mouth. Now Mizuki finally understood who Sea Siren #233 had learned her eloquence from. She truly lived up to her reputation Doctor; she was the kind of person who would never stop spouting shocking remarks.

"Seriously... Doctor, when are you ever going to be serious?"

Mizuki sighed, then gripped the Doctor's hand tightly.

"I am Mizuki."

"Um."

I will fulfill all your requests.

"Can I ask you to marry me now?!"

The Doctor's eyes lit up instantly. This request left Mizuki somewhat puzzled, but after thinking for a moment, she shook her head.

"It's so late, the marriage registration office is closed, don't bother them, and I promised to let Xiao Le come first."

Everything has its order of arrival and departure, Mizuki wouldn't easily go back on his word on that matter; otherwise, Exusiai would definitely bite him together with Lemuen.

So he simply held the Doctor's hand.

"Then Doctor... hold my hand tightly, always remember who I am, and wait for me to return."

Where are you going?

"I'm going to the depths of the Sea of Life to find an answer. It may not be important, but it's something I can't leave without."

Mizuki didn't say exactly what she was going to do, but the Doctor felt uneasy. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Mizuki not to go.

"Will this help you?"

"Yes, as long as you remember me, acknowledge me, and tell me who you are, that's enough. Then give me a hug."

In a brief embrace, Mizuki in his arms seemed to transform into something elusive in an instant, like a gentle breeze, or a wave caressing his ankles, or like the sands of time and the fleeting moments that will never return.

He was clearly in his arms, his hands could still touch his body, yet he had indeed left and gone somewhere.

On the other side, Sami First Defense Line, number 233, who had replaced all of his Sea Siren with antifreeze, returned the crystal fragment in his hand to Magellan.

"It is indeed something of Izumik, but its internal structure is unclear. However, to be protected by the Touch of Life, it must at least be a part of him."

Out of caution towards Columbia, Sea Siren 233 temporarily stayed in Magellan's room; she had no desire to deal with that Tin Man.

"What does 'partial' mean?"

"It might be cellular tissue or something, anyway, it's pretty impressive. Wait while I talk to these guys."

Looking at the tentacles that had sprung up around her, Sea Siren #233 tried to communicate with them. These tentacles didn't have any hooks in the Sea of Life, but connecting with them wasn't difficult. However, their intelligence was much lower than that of Mizuki's tentacles, which could learn advanced mathematics, chemistry, and high-energy physics. They were at most at the level of kindergarten children.

"Hmm, I can barely connect to a little bit, but there's so little information."

Sea Siren #233 not only raised an eyebrow, but also pointed out that without the support of the Sea of Life, the mental network formed by these intertwined tentacles was too fragile, with little memory retention, low computing power, and great difficulty in communication.

Something terrible is heading this way...

"The mountain defenses... collapsed... and were wiped out."

"Waiting... he remembered... we are all..."

There was a lot of noise, mostly incomprehensible noise. It wasn't that the language was obscure; rather, the tentacles had chosen to interrupt their conversation with Sea Siren.

But before she could react, a sudden, rapid sound of rain came from outside. It wasn't a hallucination; it was really raining.

"It's raining again. It's been raining a lot lately. Luckily, it's not black."

Typhon sighed. If it were black rain or snow, it meant the enemy was already at their doorstep. No one really wanted to face a war they couldn't win. Just like that guy called the Tin Man said, the Terra weren't ready for this.

"The Sea of Life, Izumik has merged into the Sea of Life!?"

Sensing the immense life force within the rain, Sea Siren #233 picked up Typhon's bow and arrow and climbed into the bathtub.

"Wait for me! I'll be right back!"

As he spoke, to Typhon and Magellan's astonishment, Number 233 thrust an arrow into his own head, and then... it didn't kill him.

"Ah! I completely forgot to disconnect." Sea Siren #233 pulled out the arrow, then, while disengaging from the antifreeze, plunged it into his own head again.

This time it went smoothly; she successfully returned to the spring and then swam with all her sisters towards the deepest part of the Sea of Life.

They need to hurry, otherwise no one can say for sure which Izumik will return.

Chapter 185 I am Mizuki

The Sea of Life, though its origins are unknown, is certain of one thing: its growth to its current state is inseparable from the self-sacrifice of the Mizuki.

By connecting themselves to the Sea of Life, transforming their consciousness and body into nourishment for new life, countless Mizuki have taken this step. Even if their consciousness is not preserved, the Sea of Life retains their memories, which must include Mizuki's own.

He knew that somewhere, there must be the image that had flashed through his mind at that time... and the Mizuki in his previous dream saying that he was special.

What makes him so special? They are both like Mizuki, able to connect with the Sea of Life, sharing the same heart; he is merely Mizuki...

This was Mizuki's first time sinking into the Sea of Life. He felt an indescribable sense of peace, a feeling that words could hardly express. But that wasn't what he wanted to do. Instead, he was constantly searching to see if he could find any memories of his past. Even though they were all Mizuki, their memories were different.

Different timelines lead to different developments. If one receives memories left behind in the Sea of Life by other Mizuki, it can easily cause confusion in one's consciousness.

"This is the first time I dreamed about it... This is the third time, and these too, are they all from the past?"

It's not easy to find, or rather, it's very difficult to find. Among more than 100,000 similar pieces of paper, it's indeed not easy to find the one that belongs to you. If you pick the wrong one and read the wrong memories, Mizuki will be affected by the memories of those parallel world versions of herself, and will develop cognitive disorders in her personality. These are relatively optimistic and conservative estimates. If she really has a split personality, it's hard to say how much trouble she will cause.

This is also why Mizuki needs the Doctor's help to stabilize her personality; as long as the Doctor is there, he will be a stable anchor for Mizuki.

Somewhat unexpectedly, although Mizuki couldn't find his memories, he wasn't affected by the vastness of consciousness before him. At least he wasn't looking in the wrong place; he could clearly feel that these memories didn't belong to him.

Was it because he didn't fully integrate into this ocean of life like Mizuki in other parallel universes?

"I can't find it, it's not here, and it's not here either."

Mizuki frowned. The Sea of Life didn't seem to have copied his memories; not only were there none from the past, but there were none from the present either. But the Sea of Life clearly had this function—recording Mizuki and the Sea Siren's thoughts and consciousness, ready for use at any time.

"This is..."

After searching for a while, Mizuki discovered a rather peculiar memory that vaguely called out to him, yet he could sense that it wasn't his own.

Unable to resist, he reached out and grabbed the fragment before all the Sea Siren could reach the deepest part of the Sea of Life.

The moment he grasped the fragment, the memories surging forth nearly overwhelmed Mizuki's consciousness. Before he could even be surprised by the intense emotional fluctuations within the fragment, he heard his own voice.

[Doctor... don't cry]

The fluorescent plants were the only light in the darkness. With her limbs already missing, Mizuki gently stroked the Doctor's face with her only remaining hand, comforting him while blaming herself for her own weakness.

"You must live, Doctor. We still have a chance."

"But what... can I do?"

His voice was so hoarse that it was impossible to distinguish between male and female, like rusty gears struggling to mesh. There was blood at the corner of the Doctor's mouth; it was Mizuki's blood, the price he paid to keep him alive.

"I know, yes, we still have a chance, don't we? I believe in the Doctor, we are all human..."

Gently letting the Doctor lean against her empty heart, Mizuki stroked his soft hair, recalling the first time they met.

That was on Rhodes Island. At their first meeting, he decided to make the person in front of him the anchor of his humanity, and in their subsequent interactions, he became certain that his choice was correct.

They simply made a mistake; small mistakes accumulated and became a huge error. But it wasn't anyone's fault. Sometimes, things just happen so suddenly.

"So Doctor, eat me, and then live a good life."

He had personally fed the Doctor the most crucial organ, the heart; even without him, the Doctor would surely survive.

"I want to live..."

The boy in his arms gradually lost the little warmth he had left. The Doctor lost the most important person in his life, but he still couldn't choose to give up.

Mizuki didn't irresponsibly choose death to escape pain and loneliness; he just wanted to strengthen the Doctor's resolve to live. Otherwise, the Doctor would eventually choose suicide to end it all, as his sanity was on the verge of collapse.

But now, an unbreakable thread connects his remaining sanity; he must live, for Mizuki... for Amiya and Kal'tsit, and for many more.

However, although Mizuki in his arms had lost her warmth, she had not completely lost consciousness. She could clearly feel her flesh being bitten and torn away. The pain at the moment of death was magnified infinitely, but she only felt joy.

In this way, even if he dies, the Doctor will surely live on. Could there be anything more gratifying than that?

"I will never forget you, Mizuki, I will always remember you."

The Doctor wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He absorbed the flesh and blood of the Mizuki into his own nourishment. The voices from the Seaborn the Brood were also blocked from his humanity, creating an anchor point more stable than anything else.

But then another voice appeared; he seemed to hear Mizuki calling him.

"Doctor, will you blame me?"

"No... how could I blame you? You just wanted me to live."

The Doctor spoke, but there was no one else in the entire cave to talk to except him. The Seaborn the Brood had been fully activated, and Sami Hollow had been opened. The only chance was...

"Mizuki, is it worth it for you to give me everything?"

"Of course it's worth it, because the Doctor is the most important person."

The boy who had died existed in his world in another form. He gradually transformed from the questioner to the answerer, from the Doctor to Mizuki, and finally to himself.

Mizuki exists because of this, and he continues because of this. He wants Mizuki to live on instead of himself, so he becomes Mizuki.

A complete, real Mizuki, constantly questioning his own existence: Is he Mizuki or the Doctor? Both, or neither?

This is a difficult question to answer. It was the belief that supported each other and helped each other survive, and in the end... he became Mizuki.

He is Mizuki, and he will always be Mizuki. He will fulfill the Doctor's wish and live on as Mizuki, while also completing the mission he was originally meant to fulfill.

In that dark and damp cave, only a newborn life identified itself as Mizuki. Dressed in Doctor's robe, it murmured something.

"I am Mizuki... I am Mizuki, and I will fulfill the Doctor's wish."

His body had not yet fully transformed, but the image of Mizuki was already deeply etched in his mind. He was also Mizuki, a newborn Mizuki born after death under the Doctor's strong desire.

The Doctor forgot many things, but he didn't forget any detail about Mizuki: her lovely face and slightly languid voice, her slender waist and gentle personality, her occasional ruthlessness, and her helplessness towards herself.

"I am Mizuki!"

Like a steel stamp of thought, words are deeply ingrained in one's instincts. Even without any memory of the past, it is enough to remember who you are and what you are meant to do.

In a daze, the Sea of Life pulled Mizuki out of the fragments of his memory. His consciousness and personality were perfectly fine, and his self-awareness was correct; he was just somewhat bewildered.

That's him? Yes, it is indeed him, but the current Mizuki is not just that newly born individual.

He is the embodiment of the Sea of Life, the collective consciousness of all those who, facing destruction with equanimity, still retain a Mizuki of hope. He is the Mizuki, but every drop of water in this Sea of Life can also be considered Mizuki. Which Mizuki is he?

Is it the one unable to stop Ishar-mla's awakening, forced to watch the world march towards destruction? Or the one who, faced with the rampaging Origin Lifeline, can only choose to sacrifice their own tranquil ocean to buy humanity a moment's respite?

Or perhaps it was the choice to bravely face death when Priestess awakened and the Originium Cataclysm captured the Twin Moons, giving the Terra civilization a little more time to prepare?

"You are Mizuki, the person I love, Exusiai's boyfriend, Kal'tsit's lover, Rosemary's... Waaah!"

Her mouth was gagged again. The Doctor blinked, somewhat relieved. She had sensed that Mizuki's state wasn't exactly abnormal, but rather that she was almost experiencing a split personality, constantly asking, "I am Mizuki, who am I?" It almost gave the Doctor a fright.

However, thanks to her words, at least Mizuki wasn't nearly distorted in her self-awareness by those memories. If her perception had become confused, it wouldn't have been so easy to stabilize herself.

"Doctor, next time you don't need to say the rest; just mention Xiao Le."

"Aren't you curious about what I wanted to say about you as part of Rosemary?"

"Dried small fish".