I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era

Those idiots above just don't understand.

Mobius was frustrated. Ryan clearly had something unusual going on, yet those narrow-minded higher-ups refused to let her investigate, not even allowing cooperation with someone like Elysia.

They clearly knew I was gentle with my precious test subjects, yet they forced me to Nagazora City.

Her thoughts returned to Ryan.

Why was he so wary of me? I was so friendly during our first meeting, exuding the mature charm that young men find attractive. Does he have some kind of mind-control ability?

Her curiosity intensified her frustration; she couldn't do anything to Ryan. She'd tried to use Elysia as a breakthrough, but that girl was also unyielding.

Mobius fell into deep thought, when a sound came from behind.

Boom— Whirr.

First, a rumbling sound from underground, then a giant monster emerged. Before she could react, several silvery missiles hurtled towards her, enlarging in her golden eyes. Everything happened too fast; her mind hadn't caught up.

Huh?

The world seemed to pause. She clearly saw the missiles growing larger, heading straight for her.

Rumble rumble rumble!

Explosions tore through the quiet night; fragments sliced through streetlights; broken pipes sprayed water into the air; shop windows shattered.

Mobius blinked; time seemed to slow in her eyes. She slowly turned to see a man grabbing her collar, swiftly pulling her from the blast zone.

Ryan, carrying her like a chick, moved quickly, ignoring the rising mushroom cloud. Fire Moth's enemy was Honkai, but not only Honkai; there were many strange organizations.

He landed, looking at Mobius, surprised to see she showed no fear.

"Ha, you came so close. Aren't you afraid this time?"

"You think I wanted to?" Ryan retorted sharply, knowing Mobius couldn't die; so much crucial research was her work. "We'll discuss that later. What's this thing?"

A mechanical monstrosity. High-tech, yet its body was crudely constructed; its treads looked scavenged; it even wore a ridiculous knight's helmet—clunky and childish.

"A delusional person. Believes Fire Moth created Honkai and constantly attacks us."

What nonsense.

Ryan frowned, noticing the machine's chest opening, revealing twin Gatling guns.

"Run."

"Can you not grab…"

Before she could finish, Ryan had leaped, carrying her. The continuous rat-tat-tat of gunfire tore into the ground; parked cars exploded.

The firepower was intense; Ryan didn't underestimate conventional weapons. While he could manipulate Honkai energy, he was still flesh and blood; his physical durability wasn't enough to withstand 30mm armor-piercing rounds.

In an instant, he dragged Mobius into a narrow alley, seeing miniature missiles falling from above.

Automatic targeting? Automated tactical deployment? Advanced AI.

He tossed Mobius aside, pulled open his jacket, drew his combat knife, and slashed upwards.

A red Honkai energy blade cleaved the night sky, shattering the missiles.

Boom—

A fireball illuminated the dark alley, illuminating Mobius's face. But her eyes held not relief, but intense curiosity.

Manipulating energy with the human body.

Clang!

A machine several meters tall crashed before them, its hydraulics launching a massive serrated blade. Ryan met it, raising his knife above his head.

Clang!!

A powerful gust of wind whipped Mobius's hair. She saw a white shockwave erupt; the ground cracked under the force. She saw the Honkai energy swirling around the young man.

A human body against a machine.

Truly…

Beautiful.

Amidst a terrifying screech, the machine's joints twisted; rivets popped. As the chest-mounted guns spun, Ryan bent his knees—

Screech.

The three-meter-tall machine toppled backward. Before it could recover, a crimson blade flashed.

Tiger Slash!

A crescent-shaped energy tore through the night sky, ripping through steel and armor, severing the machine.

Rat-tat-tat…

Shells exploded into the sky; tracer rounds like festive fireworks.

"Clearly reckless, yet interesting." Ryan inhaled deeply. The machine couldn't manipulate Honkai energy, but its guns and projectiles were deadly, far more dangerous to humans than Honkai Beasts.

He performed a quick knife flourish, sheathing the combat knife. Turning, he saw Mobius observing him, fearless, her expression unreadable, yet her admiration and curiosity undeniable.

She was beautiful, intelligent, but her obsession was too profound.

Ryan remained silent; Mobius was extraordinary—rationality masking deep obsession.

"Are you alright?"

Mobius approached calmly, taking Ryan's hand, offering a graceful smile. "Of course. Can you tell me what that ability was?"

Her touch was precise, cold against his skin. Her slender fingers were flawless, yet he quickly withdrew his hand, sensing danger beneath the grace.

"You should ask Elysia."

"Hmph, she doesn't know herself. But I have a feeling you do."

She'd guessed correctly, unfortunately, knowing was useless. Path was unique; he didn't know how he'd obtained it.

Ryan shifted his gaze, turning deeper into the alley. "The assassination attempts aren't over. That thing didn't use Honkai energy; the Far East branch wouldn't react that quickly. Don't want to die? Catch up."

He'd abandoned her to her desires, yet rationality told him Mobius couldn't die; so much important research was her work. Even more troubling: her close observation had intensified her interest in him.

Fire Moth wasn't short of 'superhumans,' but few reached Ryan's level; most relied on advanced weaponry like electromagnetic rifles and powered exosuits.

To Mobius, these were external tools; only Ryan and Elysia represented humanity's true evolution.

So she followed without hesitation, calmly stating, "My leg is injured. Let's find somewhere to hide."

Ryan glanced at her, pointing. "Hey, your clothes are torn."

The shirt's quality was poor; a slight exertion had caused a rip, revealing a deep cleavage and fair skin, along with black lace trim.

Mobius glanced down, momentarily startled. As a leading biologist, she'd seen death many times; she wasn't embarrassed, simply adjusting her collar and maintaining her smile.

"You're hardly acting like a gentleman."

"I'm wary of being ambushed and ending up on a dissection table."

"Why? I'm genuinely curious where that causeless wariness comes from."

"Intuition. Do you believe in it?"

Mobius gritted her teeth; this was tricky; neither soft nor hard approaches worked. This ungentlemanly man was difficult.

Fortunately, her psychological resilience was strong. She quickened her pace, probing. "You're stronger than the reports suggest. Are you… evolving through Honkai?"

"That's your assumption. I can conceal my strength, can't I?"

Ryan wasn't interested in this conversation; he slowed his pace, sensing something was amiss. Mobius wasn't stupid; finding her so precisely indicated a problem.

Was it some high-ranking Fire Moth official, someone higher up in the World Government, or some disgruntled superpower?

Ryan didn't have the answer, but he knew that killing machine wasn't randomly created; it even—

Detected some Honkai energy.

They quickly disappeared into the alley. The damaged machine's head tilted slightly; its camera focused on Ryan's retreating form.

"As I suspected, those wicked human experiments finally bore fruit. Human control Honkai energy… those incidents were your doing."

The room trembled slightly. The dark room was filled with monitors; a large screen displayed Ryan's battle.

A light brown-haired girl sat in a chair, legs crossed, watching the fluctuating energy detectors, a subtle smile playing on her youthful face.

She'd noticed these Honkai incidents, discovering many secret Fire Moth labs. Regardless of their origins, the human experiments were horrific, giving the girl an idea:

Vill-V saw herself as the protagonist, determined to rescue the world from the wicked organization's clutches. At the climax, she would reveal everything, shocking the world!

The cheers and screams would be magnificent.

A high-pitched ring cut through her thoughts; she quickly recovered, picking up a strange phone resembling an antique, yet lacking a visible cord.

"We provided you with intelligence and resources; not to make such a big mess."

A synthesized electronic voice echoed, heavy with disapproval.

"An unexpected problem. That Mobius had a bodyguard, and a very strong one. Your intelligence was inaccurate."

A moment of silence, then a patient voice. "That's also an unforeseen circumstance; Fire Moth will handle it. Mobius is one of the leaders of those wicked researchers; she rarely leaves the institute; seize this opportunity."

"Understood."

Vill-V hung up, a faint smile playing on her lips. She knew they were using her, but she didn't care.

A bigger stage was more exciting. Let me see…

She considered this, flipping a few switches. Red lights flickered in the darkness behind her, like a multitude of eyes.