I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era

Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating Ryan. He was wearing shorts, squatting on a meditation mat.

His shirt was off, revealing well-defined, muscular physique; prominent deltoids, well-defined eight-pack abs, his scholarly appearance somehow accentuated, as if he were ready to discuss academic truths.

Exhale…

Letting out a breath, Ryan slowly opened his eyes, relaxing his tense muscles. A hint of confusion lingered.

Killing intent? Someone's after me?

Ryan slowly furrowed his brow, pondering without result. Internal struggles within Fire Moth were common, but the more intense the infighting, the more they needed him.

A 'superhuman' could combat Honkai, but would be even more useful for assassination—both within and outside the organization.

He slowly stood, stretching his arms. A red light flashed a few meters away, splitting a wooden post in two.

Long-range Honkai energy manipulation; the further the distance, the weaker the energy. It wasn't very effective against strong opponents, unless he could control more energy.

Ryan frowned slightly, then relaxed. No problem; he had time to grow stronger; he'd put this ability aside for now.

"Actually, I'm more interested in that short-range teleportation. Was the Honkai Emperor level insufficient? If High-Rank Honkai Beasts provide specific abilities, what can a Herrscher provide?"

A smirk played on his lips, anticipation filling him as he approached the window.

From this luxurious room, more than half of Nagazora City was visible. Office workers rushed to the train station; students chatted while waiting for the traffic light; cars and motorcycles flowed through the streets.

Nothing had changed, yet everything was concealed by Fire Moth.

Ryan glanced north, seeing reporters gathered near the cordoned-off area. The terrorist attack had been contained, but unexploded devices remained; entry was restricted.

"Ultimately, only the university students are unlucky. They happily went on vacation, only to return to a bombed-out campus. Who do they complain to?"

Ryan shrugged, casually throwing on a T-shirt, then checking his phone while eating breakfast.

He received many messages that day: from his junior sister, from Su. Ryan, of course, didn't tell the truth, claiming he was temporarily suspending his studies to cooperate with the investigation—a story consistent with Kevin's.

Fire Moth didn't question him further; Ryan left that night, checking into a luxurious hotel in Nagazora City.

Returning to campus wasn't possible. As one of the few survivors, he didn't want to be a spectacle. Su was smart enough not to be fooled by fabricated stories.

Ryan tapped his phone; without Mei and the lab, returning was pointless.

"I should go to Shanghai to make some arrangements. The third Honkai incident isn't far off."

He vaguely remembered the third Honkai incident; its massive scale made it impossible for Fire Moth to conceal the truth. A large-scale event meant significant casualties; some people couldn't afford to die.

The deeper his involvement, the less certain Ryan was about the future, the more cautious he became. If he hadn't been there, Kevin, unless he somehow cheated, would have died. Mei too.

"Better to be safe. High-level Honkai Beasts are appearing more frequently, but I haven't encountered a real bottleneck yet."

A temporary pause in research was fine; he still had his spear; he could relax and let the Far East branch rest easy.

Thinking this, Ryan picked up his phone, tapping the pink avatar.

"Fine, I'm free for lunch."

[Blossoming Flower]: Great! How about Roppongi? There's a great yakiniku place there. (Drooling emoji)

[Void]: Okay. Let's meet at the station. I'll be wearing a plain T-shirt and black trousers. Be on time.

[Blossoming Flower]: (Nodding emoji)

Ugh, I'm bored enough to meet a netizen.

Ryan tossed his phone aside. He didn't know why he'd agreed to meet this person yesterday amidst all the concerned messages. As a man of his word, he couldn't stand someone up.

After the post-battle relaxation, he'd calculate the risks. If anything was revealed, he could use mass memory alteration.

He shoved his phone into his pocket, put on his sunglasses, and headed out. He'd barely left the lobby when he paused.

Surveillance? Those young progressives were relentless, determined to uncover any dirty deals among the higher-ups.

Let them watch. I'm just meeting a netizen; they'll eventually lose patience.

He shook his head, walking along the wall and out into the spring streets of Nagazora City, brimming with vitality.

Cars flowed like water; fashionable girls strolled along the sidewalks, their short skirts and various stockings attracting attention. The street shops exuded tempting aromas. Ryan wasn't some cold-blooded killer; he bought some takoyaki, eating while casually observing high school girls heading home for lunch.

A passing car lifted a girl's skirt; she quickly pulled it down, making him glance back. He saw not only her fair thighs but also an ice cream truck in the distance.

"The target shows no abnormalities, Lieutenant. He doesn't resemble the special forces in the reports."

The screen glowed, showing Ryan turning around. Street cameras captured his every movement.

"Watch less action movies. You think they're Honkai Beasts? No matter how special, he's still a normal man." Rose rolled her eyes, shaking her lunchbox. "Pay attention; our hero's in Nagazora City. Maybe higher-ups are planning something."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Several people nodded; even if this exceeded their authority, they believed they were right.

Fire Moth's higher-ups were powerful, controlling global resources. But they were also foolish, failing to see the true enemy, as seen during the Herrscher of the Void conflict.

The pink-haired hero had stemmed the tide, yet the higher-ups' first response wasn't praise or support, but questioning and fear—fear that such superhuman power might escape their control. They hadn't forgotten that the Herrscher of the Void had caused millions of deaths.

Frontline soldiers chose to resist. Faced with such immense power, politicians and capitalists were forced to reconsider.

"We defeated two Herrschers, but who knows how many more monsters are out there? They think they control everything, but our casualties are mounting."

Resentment filled the vehicle. Fire Moth had fought Honkai for years, transitioning from initial panic to a controlled response.

Many believed this 'cataclysm' was manageable; those obsessed with apocalyptic monsters underestimated the damage. Perhaps more deaths in remote areas would even alleviate population pressure.

Therefore, only humanity itself, especially those with Honkai Beast-like abilities, could overturn human order.

"You… what are you looking at?"

A brisk voice cut through the resentment, sunshine dispelling shadows. Rose turned, surprised to see a girl, radiant as a flower, silently appearing behind them, peering at the screen.

Her arrival was unannounced, yet seeing her pink hair, no one felt fear, only excitement.

"Miss Elysia, you… how did you get here?"

"Relax. Call me Ely. Besides, who are you watching?" Elysia seemed specially dressed, like a spring blossom, having casually followed Rose after seeing her buy lunch.

Her casual inquiry was impossible to refuse.

"Miss Elysia, we're monitoring someone; we're worried he might harm you."

"I told you, call me Ely." The girl waved, smiling at the serious soldiers. "No one would harm me. Don't overthink it; we simply have different perspectives; understanding is key."

"But…"

"Okay, okay. I think I saw him at Mobius's place. The boy who killed the Honkai Emperor." Elysia nonchalantly looked at the man on the screen, her violet eyes filled with curiosity. "He doesn't look evil. You can relax."

She could see that?

Rose cleared her throat, trying to maintain professionalism. "His name is Ryan. Our surveillance shows him leaving the hotel around noon, apparently meeting someone. Based on his trajectory, his destination is likely near Roppongi."

Ah? Roppongi too?

Elysia blinked, checking the time on the screen. "It's almost noon. He's probably going to lunch."

"There are restaurants near the hotel. Roppongi is mostly Izakayas; it's not suitable for eating fast food alone. So we assumed he was meeting someone secretly."

The Lieutenant explained calmly. Elysia fell silent, seemingly pondering something, then her eyes lit up.

She took out her phone, quickly typing a message, then looked up, excitedly at the screen. A moment later, the man on the screen pulled out his phone.

Ah, so that's it…

Elysia narrowed her eyes, mischief twinkling in her beautiful eyes; even the corners of her mouth curled into a smile. Rose watched, sensing something strange was happening.

"Hee hee hee, I've discovered something interesting."

The girl's amusement was contagious; the soldiers couldn't help but smile as well. They didn't know why, but they also started feeling happy.

...

Ding!

Ryan pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and frowned.

[Blossoming Flower]: So sorry! Something urgent came up; I have to return to Mu Continent. I'll treat you to dinner next time to apologize! (Bowing emoji)

Attached was a photo of an airport.

Damn it, you stood me up.

Ryan's blood pressure spiked. He considered blocking this jerk, but his finger hesitated, a self-mocking expression replacing his anger.

Why am I bothering? He's just a stranger; he might die in a Honkai incident anytime. Maintaining distance is better.

Perhaps he'd eaten too much "dog food"; Ryan felt something was off, his fantasies becoming unrealistic.

[Void]: It's fine. We'll meet another time.

[Blossoming Flower]: You're not really angry, are you? Should I come over now?

[Void]: No need. Do your own thing. There's plenty of time; we'll have many opportunities.

Ryan shoved his phone back into his pocket, ignoring the other person. Just a netizen; a bit of casual entertainment; no need to be serious.

He looked at the bustling street, unsure where to go. After a moment, he turned back.

Maybe I'll go back to the hotel and eat.

Kevin and Mei were gone; he didn't want to bother Su. Yet, he found himself drawn back towards the academy. He hadn't gone far before stopping.

"I thought you were just observing from afar. You're bolder than I expected." Ryan said impassively, his tone cold.

A few meters away stood the lieutenant he'd seen before, now in a casual ice cream parlor uniform, her expression strange.

"Dr. Ryan, someone wants to see you."

"See me? Who?"

"Please follow me."

Rose turned and left, leaving Ryan hesitant. He'd rarely interacted with these high-ranking officers, and he saw no heavily armed soldiers in ambush.

If they wanted to kill him, they'd need at least a hundred heavily armed soldiers. And they wouldn't be crazy enough to engage in a firefight in a crowded area.

Suspicious, Ryan followed. The lieutenant led the way; they soon entered a small park.

Families chatted; children built sandcastles; flowers bloomed vibrantly in the flowerbeds, the lively atmosphere easing some of the tension.

The lieutenant stopped, gesturing towards a gap in the flower wall.

"A park meeting? Confident, aren't you?"

Ryan took a deep breath, his hand tightening in his pocket. He walked quickly; the scent of blossoms reached his nostrils; strangely, he felt himself calming down.

Neural relaxation?

This thought flashed through his mind. He was about to gather Honkai energy when he caught sight of a pink figure, instinctively turning his head; his steps halted.

Before the vibrant flower wall sat a pink-haired girl on a bench.

She was relaxed, leaning back, propping her head with one hand. Seeing Ryan, she sat up, her violet eyes shining with joy; a warm smile touched her lips.

This smile overshadowed the vibrant spring flowers.

"Hi, I'm Elysia. I've been waiting for you."