Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend Chapter 43

"If I didn't say it, would you give it to me?"

Mizuki didn't answer. He merely smiled, took off his hat, and handed it to the Doctor. That was the best answer.

By now, practically everyone on Rhodes Island knew that Mizuki's hat held extraordinary significance for him. If Mizuki was willing to let someone touch his head, it meant they were friends. If he was willing to hand over his hat, it meant absolute trust.

Yet the Doctor knew very well that what lay between himself and Mizuki transcended many things.

"I was thinking about you."

Gently patting the dust off the hat, the Doctor put it back on Mizuki's head, ignoring his slightly surprised gaze.

"Mizuki, are you ready?"

"Yes. As long as it's the Doctor's order, I'll always be ready."

As they spoke, the two of them looked outside in unison. The entire world was shrouded in dark clouds, the sky and earth drained of color. Even the Doctor could see the colossal sea god called Ishar-mla, now completely out of control, charging toward them.

That was Skadi—at least, she had been. The Doctor felt regretful. He had already lost one of his most cherished companions, and now he was about to lose Mizuki too.

"Don't be sad, Doctor. We'll meet again."

Mizuki reached out and wiped away the tears at the Doctor's eyes, then gently embraced him. His body was soft, comfortable to hug or lean against. Mizuki was the Doctor's favorite assistant. He would gently comfort him when he was feeling down, bring him a late-night snack when he was hungry, and softly massage his shoulders or let him rest on his lap when he was tired.

Some people teased that Mizuki might have fallen in love with the Doctor, but Mizuki had always denied it. He knew very well that he didn't love the Doctor.

"Promise me, Doctor. Live on."

As he spoke, Mizuki extended his hand toward the Doctor. His body began to mutate, gradually transforming into another kind of existence.

"I swear, no matter which world it is, I will reach out my hand to the Doctor."

In Chernobog's cold core power room, the ancient Sarcophagus let out a beep.

Mostima Judges Exusiai's Boyfriend

Sami was an ancient Kingdom. Put nicely, it had a long heritage. Put bluntly, it was backward. The little village where Mizuki and Muelsyse had stopped was exactly like that. The people were hospitable enough, but they didn't even have lights. At night, it was pitch-black.

Mizuki looked at Muelsyse. He had thought this traveling companion of his would stay at her people's settlement for a while longer, but unexpectedly, she had left less than half a day after entering.

"Not staying a little longer? I'm not in a hurry."

The two walked side by side beneath an umbrella. Mizuki noticed that Muelsyse was unusually quiet. This girl who usually loved to smile now carried an indescribable loneliness about her.

"No... I can't fit in with them."

Elves were a pitiful race. They could not coexist with Originium, yet this was an era where Originium served as the primary source of energy. Only such remote places could become their home.

Muelsyse might have been the only one like her living in a major city. She was like a lone drop of water in this remote world.

"Let's head back and rest first. What do you want to eat tonight?"

Looking at Mizuki beside her, Muelsyse couldn't help moving a little closer. Suddenly, she didn't feel quite so lonely anymore. Mizuki had accompanied her all along the way. She had initially thought they were merely chance acquaintances, yet they had become close friends.

"I want barbecue!"

"Sure~"

Seeing that Muelsyse seemed to have regained her energy, Mizuki smiled as well. The hand hidden behind his back made a slight motion, and a light rain began to fall from the sky. Tentacles emerged from the puddles and caught quite a few animals that could serve as food.

"Mizuki, you came to Sami because you had your own business, right? Is it really okay for you to have accompanied me for so many days?"

"It's fine. I can set off tomorrow."

Mizuki shook his head, noticing that Muelsyse seemed quite interested in the black cloth doll hanging from his umbrella.

"What's this?"

"A sunny-day doll. People in Higashi use them to pray for clear weather. They're usually white, but I can only make it rain, so mine is black."

There was always a dark cloud drifting above Mizuki's head. Normally, that ought to have been some kind of ominous sign, but Muelsyse was a scientist and didn't believe in that sort of thing. She liked Mizuki's rain. It suppressed Originium and created a comfortable environment for her.

Mizuki had mentioned, however, that his rainwater was actually highly toxic. It only took effect when two kinds of rainwater mixed together. Muelsyse wasn't worried that he would harm her, because she couldn't beat him anyway.

"This is cute. I want one too."

"If you want it, I'll give it to you. I was originally planning to give it to W, but I was afraid she'd turn it into a bomb."

"W?"

"A girl I know. She's got a bit of a temper, but... why are you squeezing me?"

Before Mizuki could finish, Muelsyse rather unhappily shoved him aside. Mentioning other women while talking to a girl—no wonder this guy was single. Only she could barely stand him.

"For no reason. Are you really giving it to me?"

"Yeah. I was also planning to mail one to someone else and ask her to keep it safe, but that person seems to be nowhere in sight all day. I can't find her."

"Another girl?"

"Yeah... hey, why are you throwing water balls at me?"

The two of them bickered and played all the way back to the little village. Yet in the next instant, the scene before Mizuki changed again. Muelsyse was no longer beside him, and the sunny-day doll had been removed from the umbrella.

Before Mizuki stood an iceberg. Its smooth surface reflected his face, and he saw the person in the mirror smiling at him.

He looked up and met the gazes of every version of himself. Some stood in the ocean, surrounded by a deep crimson expanse. Some stood atop gigantic jellyfish floating in the air. Some were already on the verge of death, while others were nearly out of control.

Mizuki still hadn't awakened. Exusiai, who had been keeping watch, gradually fell asleep from worry and exhaustion, slumping against the bedside. Meanwhile, the black cloth doll in Mizuki's hand slowly seeped moisture, eventually condensing into a miniature Muelsyse less than the size of a palm.

She crawled onto Mizuki's face and viciously stomped on his cheeks several times. Still, the force was so weak that it could have been called a gentle poke.

"That's for forgetting me! That's for leaving without saying goodbye! That's for looking for other women!"

The miniature Muelsyse looked incredibly adorable. She crouched down again and used palms smaller than Mizuki's fingernails to smack his face. Her puffed-up anger only made her more endearing.

But just as she was about to hit him again, something blocked her. It couldn't be seen, but if nothing unexpected had happened, it should have been Mizuki's tentacles.

"Fine, I won't hit him anymore."

Muelsyse had once heard Mizuki mention that his tentacles possessed minds of their own. They could even be said to be rather protective of him.

Little Muelsyse jumped down from Mizuki's face and came before Exusiai. She reached out, wanting to grab Exusiai's halo, but grasped at empty air. In the end, she could only seize Exusiai's hair and tug hard.

"Stop stealing my boyfriend! Stop stealing my boyfriend!"

Because this water clone was so weak, the force with which she pulled Exusiai's hair wasn't even as strong as Exusiai pulling her own hair. Even if Muelsyse slapped Exusiai twice, Exusiai wouldn't feel any pain.

Muelsyse was about to say something else when she suddenly heard movement by the door. She looked around, then struggled to crawl beneath the blanket.

The newcomer was Lemuen. She gently pushed her wheelchair over to her younger sister and patted her shoulder.

"Xiao Le, wake up. You'll catch a cold sleeping here."

"Mmh... Sis?"

Exusiai yawned as she sat up. Seeing her red hair now as messy as a bird's nest, Lemuen nearly burst out laughing, but she held it in.

"Go sleep in your room. You'll catch a cold here."

"Yeah... he still hasn't woken up."

Ever since touching the black cloth doll Muelsyse had left behind, Mizuki had remained unconscious. Yet he was only unconscious. Nothing could wake him, but there was nothing wrong with any other aspect of his body.

"He'll be fine. Don't worry."

Tonight, Skadi and Specter were staying over at Rhodes Island. Mizuki still had to set off with them for Chernobog tomorrow. Two Abyssal Hunters and one Mizuki—this lineup was far stronger than Kal'tsit had expected. There was no need to worry about the Doctor not returning.

Mizuki was still asleep, though. Hopefully, he would wake up before tomorrow. Otherwise, they could only look for Muelsyse.

"You go get some sleep first. I'll keep watch. He's my brother-in-law, after all. I can't not take this seriously."

"Okay..."

Though she still wanted to stay, Exusiai listened to her sister and went back to rest. Lemuen propped her cheek up with one hand. She had already heard Mizuki's story from Mostima—the abridged version. Even if she didn't know much, she could tell that Mizuki carried many secrets.

Or rather, she didn't think Exusiai getting entangled with Mizuki was necessarily a good thing. It was just that she favored her little sister more.

"What a headache... Sami's Snowfield isn't a good place."

Lemuen clasped her hands before her. She had heard the Pope mention that Terra now faced troubles both within and without. The internal troubles were naturally the discord among the nations and the undercurrents running beneath the surface. The external threats were the terrifying lifeforms in the southern seas and the hidden evil lurking in the northern Snowfield.

Why was Mizuki exploring the north? And why had he lost his memories?

Something seemed to lurk in the air around them, but Lemuen couldn't see it. She simply kept watch over Mizuki. After one hour passed, then two, she too gradually grew sleepy. She yawned and drifted off into dreams.

Mizuki's tentacles extended from the corners, swaying as though discussing something. Finally, one slipped into Mizuki's blanket, grabbed the movable miniature Muelsyse hiding inside, and covered her mouth.

Several other tentacles lifted Lemuen up, then pulled back Mizuki's blanket. Right in front of Muelsyse, they placed Lemuen inside, moved her to Mizuki's side, and even arranged her so that Mizuki was leaning against her.

Rage burned in Muelsyse's eyes. Of course, she knew Mizuki's tentacles were behind this, but this body was too fragile. A casual slap could turn her into a puddle of water, while Mizuki's tentacles could easily tear apart an entire building.

Cool, yet very comfortable—Lemuen subconsciously hugged Mizuki beside her more tightly. She shouldn't have been this lacking in vigilance, but at the moment she embraced Mizuki, she felt like a child frightened by thunder, curled in her mother's arms. That warmth and attachment felt like returning to the ocean of life.

Muelsyse was practically exploding with anger. Her water clone shared her five senses. She had wanted to do something. Mizuki's unconsciousness had been unexpected, but she had already prepared to work from both inside and outside to steal Mizuki away. Yet these tentacles had actually stopped her.

Did those tentacles think it was more appropriate for Mizuki to stay with Penguin Logistics than to be taken away by her? Then stop putting other women in my boyfriend's bed!

This was humiliation. Enormous humiliation! If the one placed in Mizuki's bed now had been someone other than Lemuen...

"She's asleep? Honestly, didn't she say she'd switch with me?"

Speak of the devil. Mostima gently pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Mizuki lying on the bed and Lemuen holding him tightly, the smile on her face stiffened slightly. This was outside her expectations.

Had Mizuki woken up and carried Lemuen onto the bed? No. Mizuki wasn't that kind of person. If he really woke up and found Lemuen holding him tightly, he would definitely gently remove her hand, tuck her in, and sleep in the living room himself.

Had Lemuen climbed onto the bed of her own accord? That wasn't likely either. Their personalities got along well enough, but they had only known each other for half a day. Lemuen wasn't frivolous, much less someone who would go after her little sister's boyfriend.

No matter which it was, Mostima didn't care. She merely approached Mizuki and gently removed Lemuen's hand, only to hear a voice.

"Are you sure this will work?"

Mostima took the staff from her back and questioned it. From an outsider's perspective, she might have looked like someone who needed to see a doctor, but Mostima was already used to talking to it.

[There is no mistake. Compared to the last time we met, the vitality inside this kid has undergone earth-shaking changes. Everyone you've met so far combined doesn't even amount to a tenth of his. If he can use this power correctly, curing your companion's condition won't be a problem. It may even bring her considerable benefits.]

"What do I need to do?"

Mostima suddenly recalled that Muelsyse had previously said her boyfriend—Mizuki—had a way to heal Lemuen. But amnesiac Mizuki might not know how to use it.

[Obtain his blood, or... the thing you extracted once before. I recommend the latter, because even if you fired those little toys at his head, you probably couldn't pierce his skin.]

The consciousness within the staff said this, equally surprised by the changes in Mizuki.

When it had met Mizuki six months ago, he had been strong, but at most a little stronger than Mostima before she unleashed the power of time. He wasn't absurdly powerful, and his vitality had only been comparable to a river.

But now, he could probably hang Mostima up and beat her. His vitality was as vast as a boundless ocean.

"The latter method? Aren't you telling me to cuck myself?"

[He's that red-haired girl's boyfriend, not yours. You're the one painting someone else's head green, all right? Don't act as if you're so innocent. You were accidentally hurt that night, but can you honestly say you didn't enjoy it?]

"If you say another word, I'll consider making you spend tonight in a trash can in some alley."

Mostima's expression suddenly became extremely gentle. The staff decisively chose silence, thinking that this woman really couldn't take a joke. After that night, she had practically crawled back to her tent, yet the next day she could still pretend as if nothing had happened with Mizuki.

But this put Mostima in a difficult position. Lemuen had avoided permanent paralysis, yet rehabilitation for her lower body would still take at least several years, and even afterward she wouldn't recover to a normal person's level. Naturally, Mostima hoped her best friend could stand again and freely walk, run, and jump.

Lemuen had also said that after she recovered, she would definitely kick someone flying.

But this method... was simply too outrageous. What kind of plot was this that couldn't pass censorship? Couldn't that staff have kept its mouth shut? It would have been better not knowing. Now that she did, Mostima was conflicted instead.

"What a pain..."

After thinking it over, Mostima decided she would tell Mizuki and Exusiai about it later. She didn't dare make the decision on her own.

Still, making decisions on her own was one thing, but she could do something else. During the day, Lemuen had already judged Exusiai's boyfriend. At night, it was time for Mostima to test Mizuki's abilities herself.

Although it wasn't as though she hadn't tested them before, this time... fine, she simply couldn't hold herself back. Mizuki was addictive. That wasn't a figure of speech, but a statement of fact. Sora was a typical example—she had consumed too much Jellyfish-chan and found it hard to quit.

Though this stuff was not only harmless but even quite beneficial, that was precisely the troublesome part. Mostima herself hadn't noticed the problem. Her desire for Mizuki was a little... excessive.

And after seeing everything before her, after gaining a whole bunch of positions she might use in the future, miniature Muelsyse finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She exploded with rage.

What Do You Think of My Sister?

"Walking across the Snowfield dressed like that, aren't you cold?"

"Following us? Why do you want to come with us? Hah, you're looking for the Doctor... what's your relationship with that woman?"

"Mizuki~~~ I'm hungry!!!"

"Big Brother Mizuki! FrostNova and Talulah are fighting again!"

"Little brother, hehehe, once your big sister gets better, shall we go back to my hometown and get married?"