Successfully Scared Her / A Conversation with Theresa

Now, without Mizuki having to call him, Surtr can come to eat on his own. The four of them sit together and eat in harmony. Felia and Surtr don't talk much, but Cecilia's childlike curiosity always makes her have a lot of questions.

Felia initially thought that her daughter's many questions would make Mizuki somewhat unhappy, but she soon discovered that Mizuki was not at all averse to them, and even enjoyed sharing her travel experiences with Cecilia.

"The atmosphere in the Higashi is tense and not suitable for tourism, as is the situation in Iberia. The Great Yan is much better, but the procedures are very complicated..."

Listening to Mizuki's story, Cecilia ate more than before, and she suddenly felt that she wished Mizuki could always stay with her.

It was quite late after dinner. After playing games with Cecilia for a while, the little angel got sleepy and went to bed, leaving Surtr and Mizuki to guard the campfire.

"Aren't you going to sleep? I'll keep watch tonight."

No, thank you.

Surtr seemed to have trouble sleeping, a hint of pain flashing in her eyes. Mizuki reached out and gently placed her hand on her head.

An invisible wave spread between the two, Surtr quickly relaxed a little, but did not remove Mizuki's hand as usual.

Does it still hurt?

"No thanks."

Surtr rarely says thank you, but Mizuki has indeed helped her a lot. There are some things she doesn't want to admit, but that doesn't mean she won't acknowledge them, just like Cecilia said about her relationship with Mizuki before.

"Your memory problem really needs to be addressed."

Mizuki pursed her lips. Surtr had too many memories that didn't belong to her, and her cognitive confusion prevented her from correctly perceiving this world. Just now, she had probably unintentionally triggered a familiar fragment of her memory.

"I know, I'm planning to revisit all the places I remember, at least to figure out which ones are my memories."

"That will be a very long trip."

"..."

Silence fell. Surtr knew that Mizuki was right; she had far too many memories. He didn't know how many years it would take to revisit every place in her memory.

"I'm also planning a trip, and I have nowhere to go anyway, so how about we find someone to travel with?"

Mizuki looked at Surtr, who neither answered nor refused. The two of them stared at the campfire and the greatsword named Laevatain within it.

"The next morning, Brother Mizuki said that Sister Surtr had left and that he would take my mother and me home."

Cecilia finished speaking and suddenly shut her mouth, because she noticed that Surtr's expression was getting worse and worse, but Mizuki's expression was actually worse.

It didn't match up; that was his only thought. Although he could vaguely remember some of what Cecilia had said and could sense that the little angel wasn't lying, there was one crucial point: the timing didn't match up.

In Mizuki's memory, he met Cecilia and Felia after he met Surtr, and the most telling evidence of this is his journey to Columbia, which marked a turning point.

During that incident, he mentioned to Friston that he and Surtr had been travel companions and that he genuinely liked Surtr.

And the encounter with Cecilia and Felia clearly occurred during the time I left Columbia for the Iberia Sea... no, was it during my journey to the sea or from the sea to Sami?

"What's wrong, Brother Mizuki?"

Seeing that Mizuki looked a little uncomfortable, Cecilia panicked. Mizuki forced a smile and rubbed her head.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered I have some things to do. Cecilia... So you and Aunt Felia came to Rhodes Island because of me?"

"Yes, it's what you said, Brother Mizuki, that if Mom's illness gets serious, we can come to Rhodes Island for treatment."

"Oh, okay. I'll treat Aunt Felia later. You go see her first. I'll come visit you this afternoon and introduce you to some friends."

After calming the little angel down and watching her run away, Golding and Surtr could both see Mizuki's unease.

But he suddenly realized one thing: his memory had already become distorted.

Chapter 214 Successfully Scared

"My memories..."

Surtr frowned. She had always known that her memory was faulty, and she could even vaguely sense that it was because of her weapon, the greatsword that Kal'tsit called the Blazing Demon Sword Laevatain, which had many mysterious aspects.

As an ordinary Sarkaz girl, Surtr's abilities were not outstanding compared to other Sarkaz. Apart from her excellent tactical planning, her other ability tests only yielded average ratings. Even her adaptability to Originium Arts was flawed, which meant that she was actually unable to use any Originium Arts at all.

However, as long as she wields that sword, no one will doubt Surtr's destructive power. In terms of individual combat strength, she may not be the strongest on Rhodes Island, but when it comes to large-scale battles, she has more advantages than anyone else.

Wielding his demonic sword, the earth beneath his feet cracked open, spewing forth countless streams of magma. He could also summon fire giants, making it impossible to tell that he was merely a Sarkaz warrior with exceptional swordsmanship.

But Surtr is often troubled by her memories. She has many memories in her mind that she can't even distinguish the time and people in, which sometimes makes her wonder who she really is. It is because of this that she chose to come to Rhodes Island to find her past.

"It should be said, our memories."

Mizuki pointed to his head, a hint of helplessness and bitterness lingering in his smile. He could roughly guess what had happened.

Surtr's memory disorder is not the same as ordinary memory loss, but rather a period of multiple memory confusion. She has a large number of different memories in her mind, in which Surtr herself has completely different interpersonal relationships and is in completely different geographical locations.

Mizuki is gradually entering a similar state, and may even be in a much worse situation than Surtr, because at least Surtr can distinguish those chaotic memories, but without Cecilia's reminder, Mizuki might not realize for quite some time that her memories have long been problematic.

No, it would be good if she could discover the problem. What Mizuki was most worried about was that she might not be able to discover the problem at all, and would continue to act with the wrong memories. That would be fatal.

"I have some things to take care of. Let's talk about it another time."

Mizuki still needs to go see Amiya with Golding. Topics related to Surtr are not suitable to be discussed under these circumstances. He also needs to examine himself, from his personality to his memories and even his thought patterns. His problems may be much more serious than imagined.

"OK."

Surtr also needed some time to process the information she had received. The main issue was that she was a proud and aloof person. Suddenly realizing that she and Mizuki had a somewhat ambiguous relationship in the past, she was somewhat unsure how to face him, since neither of them remembered anything. This was quite awkward, as they had simply greeted each other and ignored each other when they met before.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment. Golding took Mizuki's arm, nodded slightly to Surtr, and then led Mizuki away.

Although he knew Golding was trying to break the ice, Surtr felt a strange unease seeing her leave, still playing with the Mizuki.

She reached out and pulled out a greatsword that was taller than her from who-knows-where.

The sword was stuck in the ground, and the surrounding temperature gradually rose. The alloy floor melted instantly but did not collapse. A headless Magma Giant, Michael, emerged from the lava.

Magma dripped from the crack in its chest onto the floor, the scorching heat distorting the air but not igniting the surroundings. It looked at Surtr, who had her legs crossed, then bowed to her in submission; it was Surtr's power.

Despite lacking a head, it still retained a certain degree of self-awareness. However, because it lacked a head, it could not answer Surtr's question. But after realizing the doubt in Surtr's heart, the magma in front of it twisted into a string of characters: That's how it is.

With his doubts answered, Surtr waved his hand, causing the lava to retreat. The scorching sensation lasted only a moment before disappearing without a trace. The Medical Department's lounge remained as usual, as if nothing had happened, with only Surtr sitting in his chair, seemingly lost in thought.

On the other side, Mizuki naturally pulled her hand out of Golding's arms, adjusting her own state. In any case, she didn't want people she knew, especially the Doctor, Exusiai, and Skadi, to notice that something was wrong with her.

"Are you wavering?"

"It's just a bit of a headache."

Wavering? That's a word that has nothing to do with Mizuki. He doesn't waver at all. From beginning to end, what he has to do is very simple: protect Exusiai, Skadi, and the others, and ensure that his friends are safe.

The confusion in her memories was something Mizuki had expected to happen sooner or later, but she was shocked to find that it had already reached this level of corruption. She needed to find an opportunity to sort out her memories again.

"Surtr... this name once belonged to a very ancient Flame Demon."

"I can guess that, but there are probably not many things in this world older than Kal'tsit."

Mizuki may not know the details of Surtr's origins, but she is definitely one of the Elders. The Doctor, who has lost her memory, also said that Surtr's face seemed familiar to her. Perhaps the things involved behind her are far deeper than Mizuki thinks.

Golding was speechless at these words, because even as the King of Shapeshifters, she dared not say that she would outlive Kal'tsit. No one knew when Kal'tsit's life began, nor did anyone dare to say when her life would end. Perhaps even if the entire Terra were destroyed one day in the future, Kal'tsit would still live on.

As mentioned before, Amiya and the Doctor's offices are not too far from the Medical Department. Mizuki did not have the tentacles inform her in advance of the impending arrival of the Shapeshifter. He believed that Amiya would not perform too badly. She was still young, but she had already made preparations.

After thinking about it for a moment, Mizuki realized that she and Amiya seemed to see each other much less often and lacked communication. However, in Amash's original timeline, Amiya had entrusted him with everything she could.

Unfortunately, in that world where the future was nowhere in sight, everything slid into the abyss of despair, and Mizuki herself suffered irreparable corruption, becoming the root cause of Terra's final destruction.

"Amiya." She reached out and knocked on the door, Mizuki if it was inappropriate to arrive so suddenly. "May I come in?"

The sound of packing could be clearly heard coming from inside the room, but it didn't escape the ears of Mizuki and Golding. They waited at the door for a while until the office door opened.

"Um... is there anything I can help you with?"

Amiya poked her little head out, her long ears twitching slightly, while Mizuki and Golding selectively ignored the potato chip crumbs on her mouth.

"Yes, there are some things I'd like to discuss with you, and the King of Shapeshifters also wishes to meet you."

Mizuki pointed to Golding beside him. Seeing Amiya's sudden pause and the hint of wariness in her eyes, he felt somewhat relieved. At least Amiya's first reaction was vigilance rather than panic.

"The King of Shapeshifters..."

Although she never intended to become the Sarkaz King, Amiya had some understanding of the Sarkaz Court because her power came from the former Sarkaz Demon King Theresa.

Logos, the Banshee Queen, stands with Rhodes Island, and most of the Royal Court rulers choose to support Theresis. Although the Sarkaz are gradually declining, it doesn't mean the Royal Court will decline too much.

The King of Shapeshifters, the oldest member of the Sarkaz race, even predating the Originium itself, can split himself into the size of a microorganism or coalesce into a mountain. The entire Shapeshifter race can be considered as the King of Shapeshifters alone.

He could mimic anyone at will, imitating their thought patterns and emotions, even their closest relatives couldn't tell the difference. Of course, such disguise couldn't deceive his mind, and Amiya could feel the King of Shapeshifters in front of her scrutinizing her.

With a mixture of curiosity, scrutiny, and anger, she was genuinely curious as to why Theresa had chosen Amiya as her successor. The little rabbit was clearly not yet mature enough to shoulder this power. She was also somewhat angry, as she believed that Theresa should at least have entrusted this power to a Sarkaz rather than an alien.

Even though her mind was racing, Golding couldn't show it on her face. She was no match for Mizuki, so what could she do but endure it?

"Don't worry, she just wanted to see you. Don't be so nervous, she can't beat me."

Despite the truth of the matter, the fact that Mizuki spoke so bluntly still made Golding want to punch her a couple of times. If he didn't know that Shuiyue already had a girlfriend, Golding thought that she deserved to be single.

Hearing what Mizuki said, and with her trust in Kal'tsit and the Doctor, Amiya felt somewhat relieved. Mizuki didn't hide his thoughts from her, but he would try to stop her slightly to prevent Amiya from overloading her brain and burning out on the spot by seeing the entire Sea of Life's thoughts all at once.

Amiya, having read that there was no deception in Mizuki's feelings, opened the door and let the two in.

Her office wasn't very big, but it was cozy. All the gifts from her friends were neatly arranged on a shelf to the side, and there was a sofa for sleeping. Mizuki even saw potato chip crumbs on the floor that hadn't been cleaned up yet.

"Please have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

"For a child your age, drinking beverages might be more suitable, right?"

Perhaps it's because Golding herself is a very maternal person, and as a teacher, she has a special tenderness towards Amiya. Of course, this doesn't conflict with her being Shapeshifter; Shapeshifter wouldn't respect or be hostile towards Amiya because of her identity.

"Forehead..."

"How about a drink instead, Amiya? Do you have any juice?"

The presence of Mizuki made Amiya feel exceptionally relaxed. She didn't need to worry about what the Shapeshifter might do. Hearing Mizuki say that, Amiya ran to the cabinet next to the sofa and took out a few bottles of drinks.

She has her own little life, which is very different from what most people think. In the eyes of most people on Rhodes Island, Amiya, although young, has a more mature mind and sense of responsibility than her peers. Mizuki used to worry that if this girl never knew how to relax and kept squeezing out her potential, it seems that he was overthinking it.

And this was undoubtedly due in part to him and the Doctor. The two of them shared most of Rhodes Island's official duties. In addition, Amash took over her share of the work as soon as she arrived. Apart from the necessary documents that needed Amiya's confirmation and signature, she had nothing to do and could be said to be very idle.

"You can talk about whatever you want. If it's about Theresa, I know a little about that."

Upon hearing this, Amiya and Golding nearly dropped their drinks; they truly hadn't expected to hear that name from Mizuki's mouth.

But this wasn't a lie from Mizuki. The Sea of Life merged with countless parallel worlds, and there were bound to be some worlds where Mizuki would cross paths with Theresa, or perhaps she would learn about it from Rhodes Island. Besides, Kal'tsit had also told him about it.

The Shapeshifter came to Amiya, which, unsurprisingly, was to ask her what she thought of Theresa and what she wanted to do with this power.

"Mizuki, do you know Miss Theresa?"

"I wouldn't say we know each other, we've just had some understanding of each other, Amiya. Actually, she's never really left you."

A pure White Crown appeared above Mizuki's head, as if summoned by some force. Amiya's Black Crown also appeared and disappeared before solidifying.

Amiya never expected to see the crown above Mizuki's head, but before she could even utter a sound of surprise, she heard the voice from the depths of her consciousness.

"This is really... so unexpected."

The Shapeshifter Golding almost instantly dropped her drink, because she also heard that voice—that familiar voice that belonged to Theresa.

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

Amiya's eyes softened, as did her voice; Mizuki seemed to see a shadow of someone in her.

This is the real reason he came to find Amiya. Only Mizuki, who had received the memories of the parallel world, knew that although Theresa had died, she hadn't completely left no way out.

Amiya couldn't withstand the power of the Sarkaz Demon King of all generations, so she left behind a part of her consciousness as a backup plan to prevent Amiya from going berserk. However, she didn't expect that Mizuki would awaken her from her slumber.

"At least it scared them." Mizuki shook her head gently. "Hello, Theresa."

"Hello." Theresa nodded in return. "Long time no see... Mizuki?"

If Theresa hadn't frightened Mizuki before, this time she had undoubtedly succeeded.

Chapter 215 Communication with Theresa

If possible, Mizuki would prefer that her meeting with Theresa be more private, as there are certain things that are not suitable for the Shapeshifter Golding to know.

However, it seems there's no need to dwell on these things now, Mizuki pondered. But Theresa's words surprised him somewhat, because she said it had been a long time since they last met, yet Mizuki had no recollection of ever seeing her. In fact, in almost all parallel worlds, Mizuki had never had any interaction with an individual named Theresa.

Why did Theresa say "long time no see," and even use a question?

"I'm sorry, this may indeed be our first meeting, and we can only communicate through Amiya's body."

Theresa seemed a little disappointed, but after looking at her palm, a smile appeared on her face. "Amiya has grown so much!"

"She always takes on responsibilities that don't yet need to be borne by her; I don't know who she learned that from."

Doctor Mizuki and Kal'tsit were away for a while, but Rhodes Island doesn't stop functioning without these three. Amiya insisted on taking on most of the tasks. If it weren't for Mr. K impersonating Kal'tsit and actually releasing a part of Kal'tsit's consciousness as his own disguise, and even instinctively helping her with a lot of things, this little bunny would probably have been quite busy during that time.

"It must be Kal'tsit."