Overturned Tower

Chapter 117 The Third Mask

When Paradise Bird was unconscious, she uncontrollably remembered her past.

Father. Mother. There are others.

The one she loved, the one she saved.

People she couldn't save, people who died in front of her.

The Paradise Bird still remembers everyone’s name, everyone’s face before they died, and the last words they said…

She also remembered the smiles they gave her as she healed everyone.

"Am I...going to die?"

Paradise Bird heard that such a revolving door of life would appear before a person dies.

She was sad about it, but not sorry.

In these short fourteen years of life, she saved many people and sent away many others.

There are good people and bad people among them. There are innocent people and there are murderers.

Regardless of the past or privacy, save all patients equally... This is the mission of the healer.

If life were to happen again, she would probably still follow this path.

After all, she respects her father so much... But if possible, she hopes that she will never have the power to "revenge" in her life.

Rather than gaining powerful power, she does not want hatred and pain entangled between people.

A world that is happy enough does not need "heroes", and a world where everyone lives a healthy and long life does not need "doctors".

But rather than losing the value of its own existence, Paradise Bird would rather the world be so healthy that it no longer needs doctors.

...However, just as a "healer", she is still too powerless.

There is nothing she can do.

She can heal their bodies, but she cannot heal their hearts... their fallen hearts, their arrogant hearts, their selfish hearts, their twisted hearts.

——Perhaps what really needs healing is the world itself.

This thought came to Paradise Bird's mind.

"dad……"

The Paradise Bird whimpered in a low voice, his voice trembled, and his vision was obscured by tears and blurred: "I have tried my best, but I still haven't accomplished anything...

"I am so tired……"

"Hua Yu, you have done a great job."

An extremely familiar voice sounded from in front of Paradise Bird.

Then, an inexplicable feeling of warmth spread throughout his body.

Although he had suffered severe blood loss and was almost in shock, his body gradually became full of strength.

The severe pain in the whole body gradually dissipated, and the whole person felt as comfortable and sleepy as if he were soaking in a hot spring.

Paradise Bird raised his head with hazy eyes and vaguely saw his father's figure.

She got up from the ground and wiped her eyes.

——It is indeed the father.

But it was not the old form that Paradise Bird had seen in her memory, but the younger form that she had only seen in previous photos.

He looks like a middle-aged man in his forties, with two deep nasolabial folds on his face and deep-set eye sockets, but no wrinkles on his forehead or corners of his eyes.

That was still the way he looked when he just left the church...the illusive halo above his head exuded a bright glow.

From the perspective of Paradise Bird looking up, his whole body is radiating light. It was a light far brighter than the Paradise Bird himself, even before his death.

With just a few breaths, the pain all over his body was cured.

"...Dad, have you come to pick me up?"

The Paradise Bird sat on the ground, looked up at the radiant middle-aged man, and murmured in a low voice.

The middle-aged man with a compassionate face just smiled and shook his head, his eyebrows filled with relief.

"You can't die yet...bird of paradise."

The man made a calm voice that gave people a sense of reassurance and seemed to have some kind of divinity: "I swore an oath."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man reached out and touched his cheek.

As countless illusory light feathers flew away, the pale faceless mask was taken off from his face.

The middle-aged man turned back into Russell, who was seriously injured and dripping with blood.

He staggered, but his whole body immediately floated up.

A relatively dim white glow emerged from Russell's body, and the wound on his waist healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye... Although it was a slightly dim glow, it was still brighter than the Bird of Paradise.

"It's no problem anymore. All enemies have been defeated."

While healing himself, Russell chuckled and said, "Just don't call me dad again...it's quite shameful."

"……Eh?"

Paradise Bird was in a daze for a moment: "Thank you for saving me, but..."

She saw it very clearly... it was indeed the power of the Holy Order.

But Ultramarine should be from the Special Execution Department, and what he masters should be psychic powers.

Can psionics be used to simulate other types of abilities?

"……etc."

At this time, Paradise Bird suddenly remembered something.

Although she did have a relationship with Ultramarine once, she did not introduce herself at that time.

How did Mr. Ultramarine know... my code name?

And it’s not just his code name, he even called his real name just now and turned into his father...

"I'm also sorry for turning into your father and stealing his power. But as I said... and as your father said, 'Because I can do it.' So I won't give up.

"So, I want to save you. Even if my identity is exposed..."

When Russell said this, he smiled softly and looked gently: "Just like you saved those two people that day.

"Just like you didn't hesitate to put on a halo in a place where mages gather in order to save Xisang...

"I originally had a lot of worries. My psychic abilities, the power I hold, my identity, which ones can be revealed, which ones cannot be revealed easily, which ones are the trump cards that cannot be used... I have to consider the consequences before doing anything. But you... and your father, taught me that if others need it, if 'I can do it', then do it - that's where the power is.

"As for the bug you installed for me... I just threw it into the conference room."

When Russell said this, the injuries on his body had been treated.

He regained his footing and stretched out his hand to pull the Paradise Bird up from the ground: "Remember to destroy the terminal on your body as well, otherwise someone may track you back."

"……Why?"

Paradise Bird's eyes widened.

The excessive amount of information made her head dizzy for a moment.

Mr. Ultramarine... is Mr. Barber... is the young lady... is the Godfather...

...Is it the father?

So, so Ultramarine is the father...

"It turns out Mr. Barber is not a mage——"

In the end, Paradise Bird immediately figured out this information.

She felt happy and enlightened for a moment...and then felt lost.

Although it was confirmed that the barber she admired was not her old enemy...but now she was no longer a mechanical angel, and she no longer had the mission to eliminate the mage.

"...Everything has changed."

"No, nothing has changed."

Russell was also a little helpless: "I also thought you were an angel at the time, and the plans were all based on this... After all, I have personally seen you with the halo of an angel, and your body is shining with the power of the Holy Order."

"...Yes, I'm sorry."

Hearing that he had caused trouble to Mr. Barber, Paradise Bird was a little flustered and bowed his head to apologize.

But she refused to admit defeat and whispered with some complaints: "But I also saw you using spells with my own eyes, and I thought Mr. Barber was a mage..."

"I am not a real mage, and you are not a real angel...but from another perspective, I am indeed a mage, and you are indeed an angel."

Russell shrugged: "It can only be said that we were too preconceived. We were both wrong, and we were both right.

"We are indeed fighting side by side. We have the same ideals and the same aspirations. In that case - is identity important?"

"You're right!"

The eyes of the Paradise Bird seemed to sparkle.

But just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted by Russell:

"It's time for you to go. The sound of explosions attracts too much attention. The bad guys or the discordant ones should be here soon." Russell's lips raised slightly, "We are destined to meet again."

"……yes."

Although there was still a lot to say, the Paradise Bird obeyed the "godfather"'s orders very obediently.

But just as she turned around to leave, her steps suddenly stopped.

She turned around and said very seriously: "I will never betray you under any circumstances, and I will never reveal this secret.

“So… take me with you if you need me.

"I will try to become worthy of your use, sir."

"The word 'use' is too strong... Anyway, if anything happens, I will come to you."

Russell smiled: "Because we are already friends...Paradise Birds."

"...If you can, please call me Hua Yu in private."

The paradise bird turned around, its voice soft and waxy.

"Then you can also call me Russell."

Russell responded softly: "This is my real name."