Mizuki's Death / Gazes from the Stars

"Her exact words were: 'From now on, all the single guys who look up at the moon will see pairs of people, and they'll be so angry they'll die.'"

Kal'tsit suddenly felt a little itchy, wanting to grab something, like the Doctor's neck, but of course she couldn't do that in front of Mizuki.

"Then she discovered that she was one of only two single people in the entire research institute; the other was Priestess, who received love letters from her every day and wished she could blow up one of them every time she looked at the moon."

This is a classic case of reaping what you sow; it really fits the Doctor's personality. Aside from Mizuki, Kal'tsit can't imagine anyone else being so foolish as to marry this guy.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that Mizuki has had a tough time. Exusiai and Doctor. Agasa, the two main heroines, are not easy to deal with.

Are you feeling better now?

"Thanks."

"Appropriate games and jokes can help relax the mind and body. If you feel that's not enough, I also have the Columbia Joke Encyclopedia and several games that haven't been released yet. It's a pity that Mizuki isn't here, otherwise I could have played with him. Losing to him before was really embarrassing."

Listening to the ancient man's complaints, Kal'tsit felt inexplicably more relaxed.

But her relief won't last long, because she still has a crucial problem.

Why did Theresa seal away my memories?

"..."

After a long silence, if the entire space hadn't been still lit, Kal'tsit would have surely suspected that Friston had crashed.

"Because, once you know them, then they will know you, and they will know us."

Chapter 198 The Death of Mizuki

"I trust you."

After recounting her origins and past experiences, Kal'tsit's primary challenge is to convince Mizuki that she is from a parallel world and is aware of its hidden dangers. However, this doesn't mean Mizuki will completely trust her.

As it turned out, Mizuki once again exceeded her expectations. She didn't even think much about the truth behind it or the possibility of deception.

Aren't you even starting to have any doubts?

"No need," Mizuki waved her hand. "I don't know why, but I always feel that what you say is right, and besides, I don't sense any deception from you."

The White Crown is hidden in an invisible dimension, but Mizuki can still use its power to sense other people's emotions.

No matter who it is, anyone who lies will experience corresponding emotional fluctuations, whether it's guilt or fear of being exposed, unless the person in question doesn't realize they are lying.

But Mizuki's intuition was subtly warning her that the person before her was someone she needed to treat with caution.

Mizuki believed her, but just as Kal'tsit herself admitted that there were too many ambiguous parts in her memories, the credibility of her words remained to be verified. However, it was certain that she did not think she was lying.

"However, according to this theory, the power of the Demons is far greater than we thought, and they may be difficult to deal with."

Regarding the Demons in the north, Mizuki always assumed they were much stronger than they actually were, and even prepared for the possibility that she herself might not be able to withstand them. Whether it was the Deep-Sea City the Sea Siren were currently building or the other Wandering Plan, they were basically the worst-case scenario that he and the Doctor could think of to preserve the Terra civilization.

At first glance, one might think that Miss Doctor and Mizuki's approach was overly pessimistic, but Mizuki and the Doctor saw things more clearly than most people.

The Warp's Demons will not give the Terra any chance to breathe; expansion and collapse are instincts inherent to the Warp's Demons, so if war begins, there will only be three possible outcomes.

The ideal scenario is that Mizuki and Sea Siren Seaborn, together, seal the Warp Gate and block Sami Hollow. The more conservative possibility is that the current stalemate will continue, but this is clearly impossible. Sami, Ursus, and the three kingdoms of Great Yan have been able to resist the invasion of the Demons largely because the other side is not yet serious.

The Warp Demons that came to Terra were merely squeezed out of this crack by chance; the truly powerful individuals have yet to appear. If even Amiya, who inherited the mantle of the Sarkaz monarchs, cannot fight against them, he can't think of any other way to deal with them besides Mizuki himself.

As for the third possibility, even if Mizuki dislikes it, he has to admit that it is not impossible. That is, he will not be able to stop the progress of the Demons forces. In the end, this world line will end up with the same fate as other world lines, and he will become another accumulation of failures, providing new nourishment for the Sea of Life.

"The crux of the problem lies in the nature of Demons itself. Once it is recognized, it will turn around and use others' perception of it to trigger a collapse point. As long as someone fears them, that fear will become the food that strengthens them."

Kal'tsit shook her head; this was why, in her world, Mizuki wanted to strip everyone of the feeling of fear.

"However, for the Terra, it is impossible for 99% of them to remain calm under the threat of such a crisis. Panic and fear are inevitable. This is why the Demons of the Warp are an extremely terrifying enemy for a civilization like Terra."

"It's really troublesome."

Mizuki nodded, then seemed to think of something but hesitated to say it aloud.

On the other side of Columbia, the Kal'tsit he knew held a raindrop in her palm. Mizuki was talking to this visitor from a parallel world, while also listening to Kal'tsit and Friston's conversation on the other side.

His surprise was no less than Kal'tsit's, but with the Sea of Life acting as the main brain to share the emotional burden, all that remained on his face was a smile.

"Oh right, thank you."

Mizuki's sudden remark startled Kal'tsit from the parallel world.

"Amiya must have been very busy while the Doctor and I were away. Thank you for helping her with her official duties these past few days."

But I...

Kal'tsit wanted to say that she had only traveled to this world today, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, as if subconsciously she didn't really want to talk about it.

"Anyway, well, people would be quite surprised if they found out that Rhodes Island has two Kal'tsit, even though you are both Kal'tsit."

"If you hadn't pointed it out, I might have even thought that my consciousness had simply transmigrated into this body. Thinking about it now, that makes sense. I didn't sense M3's presence, so it seems it didn't come with me."

In terms of combat power, Kal'tsit relies heavily on her M3. Without the M3, she would be no different from an ordinary person. Mizuki relaxed his guard a little, but thinking about everything that had happened to her, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

"Thanks a lot."

These words struck something deep within Kal'tsit; she closed her eyes and then shook her head.

"I hope you succeed. I have told you everything I know, and I have done everything I could."

Kal'tsit suddenly remembered that after Terra declined and civilization retreated to the deep sea, only the Doctor and Mizuki had ever said "you've worked hard" to her.

Although the world is somewhat dangerous now, precautions have been taken. However, the situation in her own world is not optimistic, and she needs to go back as soon as possible.

"Please rest assured, I won't stay here long and cause you any trouble. After all, my world still needs me. Remember to give my regards to the Doctor; my attitude towards him... can hardly be described as very good."

Because Theresa's death was directly related to the Doctor, Kal'tsit harbored hostility and anger towards the Doctor and would not hesitate to take revenge if she could. However, protecting the Doctor was an unquestionable order left to her by Priestess, and it was also Theresa's wish.

Furthermore, Amiya is still young, Oripathy hasn't been cured, and Rhodes Island still needs the Doctor. Kal'tsit can only restrain herself while allowing the Doctor to exist.

Looking back now, she really was... well, what's the point of saying all this now? I should just go back and apologize to the Doctor properly.

"There's one more thing. Please tell your Kal'tsit in this world that Theresa's death was her own choice."

Kal'tsit only learned this after the Doctor regained his memories; Theresa's death was part of the plan, and indeed, there were many unexpected elements involved.

Theresa realized that the Sarkaz's protracted civil war would only lead to pointless infighting, and that danger was already looming in the foreseeable future. However, she could not convince most people that not everyone was as aware of the dangers facing Terra as she and Kal'tsit were.

Her death would put her brother Theresis on the throne. She knew Theresis didn't crave war, but most Sarkaz couldn't think of any other way to make a living.

As Friston said, other species were outsiders to the Sarkaz, while the Sarkaz were marginalized, and war became the only means they could think of.

Theresa is not a pure idealist, otherwise she could not have become the Demon King of Sarkaz. If we simply compare combat power, she is more powerful Theresis. As one of the six ancient heroes of Sarkaz, her achievements are not just something people say.

But she also understood that her existence had become a source of conflict for the Sarkaz clan. Faced with the impending danger, she could not bear to watch the Sarkaz clan perish in internal strife, so she decided it was better to die by assassination, bringing this drama to a dramatic close in an absurd way.

"Yes, but before that, I have something else to ask... well, actually, I wanted to ask, can you go back to your own world?"

This was a very sharp question, which stunned Kal'tsit. She thought about it for a moment and then realized that what Mizuki said made a lot of sense. She didn't even know how she got here, let alone how to get back.

This is truly a terrible mistake. They were too eager to warn Mizuki and the Doctor, and thus overlooked this crucial issue.

"It seems you don't know. May I hold your hand?"

There were no relevant clues mentioned by the other party in her own memory. Of course, this could also be because the other party's world had not been destroyed, and her worldline's Mizuki was not connected to the Sea of Life, so she could not capture relevant information.

However, since this Kal'tsit is from another world, her very existence can serve as a coordinate and an identification code. All of these can be analyzed, and Mizuki can pinpoint the location of her world. Even if she cannot be sent back for the time being, she can extend the Sea of Life there to provide some assistance to herself on the other side.

"Holding hands, why?"

"I just want to see if I can find the way you came from. Once I know you, I can know the world you live in."

Kal'tsit subconsciously reached out her hand, suddenly feeling that Mizuki's words sounded familiar, as if she had heard them somewhere before, but for Mizuki, this was the correct way to use the Sea of Life.

In fact, it was precisely because the Sea of Life recognized the characteristics of the Mizuki that it actively approached and connected with Mizuki. Conversely, using this information to track down the world where Kal'tsit resided wouldn't be too difficult.

The reason Mizuki decided to do this was largely due to Kal'tsit's own statement. She said she came from a parallel world, but according to feedback from the Sea of Life, crossing parallel worlds usually only happens between adjacent world lines to avoid causing too much accumulation of differences.

If the other party truly came to this world through some means, her own world wouldn't be too far away, and it's impossible that she wasn't captured and observed by the Sea of Life.

"Once it's recognized, it will be recognized..."

Inside the underground Preserver Facility in Columbia, Kal'tsit murmured to herself, then suddenly realized something.

"The gaze of the Warp?"

"When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you; this is not just a simple philosophical statement."

Kal'tsit understood what Friston meant: the Demons of the Sami North were beings that people could not comprehend. They did not follow the laws of the Material Realm, and cognition would be distorted. Recognition and understanding would cause space to collapse drastically.

As the ancient proverb goes, "He who gazes into the abyss is also gazed into the abyss," and cognition is a two-way street.

"Mizuki connects to the Sea of Solaris. Although we did not expect it to connect to countless parallel versions of ourselves, it is foreseeable that this will provoke the Demons in the north."

"To prevent your perceptions from causing the calamity to occur prematurely, the memories of the three of you have been processed accordingly. Because of my form of existence, I will not attract their attention."

Friston is a machine, a data maker, and an artificial intelligence maker, which makes him convenient in certain situations.

"During our conversation, we talked about a certain individual in the Warp, whose casual glance could have scattered this fragile civilization like ashes in the wind."

"Even now, I'm not sure if they've become aware of our world, but as Mizuki gradually gains control of that Sea of Life, they will definitely notice our presence."

This is what Friston fears most. Mizuki is Terra's greatest possibility of escaping the stalemate, but it is also the most likely entity to bring about destruction.

Ever since Miss Doctor found him, he has always acted with extreme caution. Now, Mizuki has finally grown to a level where she can support this world, and this is not solely due to his efforts.

"Furthermore, this so-called Mr. K has some connection to the Warp."

"She... it's impossible."

Kal'tsit subconsciously denied this claim. She knew very well that if Mr. K was involved with the Warp, he would never be able to maintain his sanity. The infection from the Warp would corrupt and erode his mind along with it. Even the Ursus Internal Guards needed to rely on various ancient sorcerers and special methods to barely utilize the spirit fragments within their bodies. They would lose themselves if they were not careful.

But Mr. K looked much more normal, not at all like someone who had been tainted by the Warp.

"Nothing is impossible. Of course, whether she is part of our legacy or has obtained the legacy itself, the connection to the Warp is inherently dangerous. She can't possibly be as healthy as she appears; perhaps her perception has already been distorted... Hmm!?"

"This is!"

An alarm suddenly sounded throughout the entire Preserver Facility. Through her connection with the Sea of Life, Kal'tsit sensed its restlessness, its surging like a tsunami.

In the Rhodes Island office, Mizuki looked down at the sharp scythe that had pierced her heart. The blue blood turned bright red upon contact with the air, dripping down the scythe and onto Mizuki's outstretched hand.

Kal'tsit's eyes widened, unable to understand why she would do such a thing. No, was this even possible for her?

"So it was you..."

The aura that had been hidden deep within was now exposed without a doubt, Mizuki understood what was going on.

"I'm sorry, only piercing your heart can sever your chances of resurrection. I..."

Mr. K regained control of her body and tried to suppress Kal'tsit's consciousness, but she was no longer able to do so.

"Thanks."

Blood kept flowing from the corner of Mizuki's mouth, yet she still wore a smile, seemingly unafraid and unrepentant for trusting the other party.

He never intended to completely trust the other party from the beginning, but this was indeed unexpected. Mr. K knew that his heart was on the right side and that he was aiming for a fatal blow. The contamination from the Warp was suppressing his body's recovery speed.

But that's exactly what he wanted.

Chapter 199 The Gaze from the Stars

The Heart of Deep Blue is Mizuki's heart, the key to Mizuki transformation. Without this heart, Mizuki would have died countless times.

But it has also become a constraint on Mizuki. No matter how strong its vitality is, or how much power it can give, this heart will always belong to Seaborn, and will be bound by the Material Realm, with its own upper limit.

Now, Mr. K has personally broken free of this constraint.

"The power of the Warp, and a very deep one at that, haven't you realized that you've been corrupted by it as well?"

Looking at the sharp claws on her heart, Mizuki felt no pain. She simply looked up at the person in front of her. Kal'tsit hadn't lied to her, and the person in front of her wasn't Kal'tsit. At such close range, Mizuki could easily sense how different the other person was from before.

Compared to Ursus's Internal Guards, this Mr. K is far more corrupted; her corruption can even affect Mizuki has already developed resistance to the Warp.

"To traverse the Warp, one must become a part of it."

"I see. So your world has already..."

"Destroyed." Mr. K said coldly, seemingly without a trace of sadness. "It should be said that our world has been destroyed by it. To prevent this world from repeating the same mistake... I must kill you."

At first glance, these seem to be completely unrelated things. However, when Mizuki thought about what she heard through the water droplet in Kal'tsit's palm, she realized that among all the world lines observed by the Sea of Life, the destruction from Sami was the least, which proved that Sami was the greatest threat. The fact that Sami could not be observed proved that the Sea of Life had no anchor point for certain cognition. In other words, Mizuki in this world also died.

"I was initially very happy that your world and our world are quite different, and the greater the gap between world lines, the greater the possibility of survival."

"However, your worldline is gradually moving in the direction we are most familiar with, which means that you and TA are exchanging Information Disturbance, and the course of this world is being influenced by TA."

Not a purely bad person, that was Mizuki's first reaction. What Mr. K said was also true. Mizuki could sense that he didn't have any malice, and probably didn't think that what he did was wrong.

Secondly, regarding the Information Disturbance mentioned by the other party, is it because I once visited the area in northern Sami?

"Since I'm about to die, can you tell me what this 'TA' you're talking about actually is?"