I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 122: It’s Ryan

Snowflakes, dense as woven silk, blanketed the sea and sky in a seamless shroud, obscuring everything in the distance.

In the direction Ryan was looking, a young woman with short ash-grey hair hovered in the blizzard. The frigid wind curled around her like phantom spirits—when it came to aerial mobility, no one came close.

The Herrscher stood motionless in the wind, staring blankly at a distant island. Her face was identical to that of the Third Herrscher, yet her eyes held a flicker more awareness.

"I can’t go. She’s waiting for me."

After a long, thoughtful pause, she came to a decision.Had Fire Moth’s intelligence unit been watching, they would’ve had yet another headache on their hands.

A Herrscher had just chosen to not engage. She hadn’t charged forward recklessly. Instead, she’d suppressed her Honkai energy and stayed completely undetected—even within striking distance of a military base.

This was not good news for humanity. It made sense why, in the original timeline, even Kevin had hesitated when the Herrscher of Death pleaded for mercy. Herrschers often didn’t look like monsters at all.

But Ryan wasn’t surprised.

Herrschers had always possessed sentience. Intelligence. Consciousness.

They were just too arrogant to bother using it.

In later civilizations, they would even develop emotions—learn to speak with humans, to interact.

But the Herrscher of the Wind hadn’t reached that point yet. Though she clearly understood there were valuable targets nearby, one quick calculation of the success rate convinced her to give up on attacking.

"Humans," she murmured. "Such curious things. They really do enjoy struggling against death."

She shook her head, then closed her eyes, sifting through the memories of her host body.

Using the lieutenant’s knowledge and instincts, she began to plan.

The Honkai energy was still accumulating.

The next Herrscher had not yet awakened.

Alone, she wouldn’t be able to achieve her goals.

Worse yet—human military strength was increasing at an alarming rate.

Her current power, hastily formed, wasn’t enough.

Should she attempt to contact Fire Moth? Agitate their internal politics? Stir chaos?

She considered it—but quickly abandoned the thought.This wasn’t her battlefield. She wasn’t built for infiltration or deception.

And she couldn’t wait forever.

That Extraterrestrial was undoubtedly out there, dreaming up every possible way to eliminate her.

Rose looked skyward, as if she could see the surveillance satellite drifting overhead.

Fire Moth was tightening the net.

Her suppressed Honkai energy wouldn’t be enough to allow for a quick escape. And once she was caught in their dragnet, she’d end up just like the last three Herrschers.

Besides, in raw combat strength, she was still weaker than the Herrscher of Thunder.

Then let’s do it the old way.

Cause panic. Spread destruction. Force humanity to respond. Then break through.

She spread her arms wide.

At ten thousand meters up, the wind surged beneath her like a living river, lifting her forward.

A subtle energy rippled outward across the sea’s surface—an encoded message, broadcast in the format used by Fire Moth’s communication network.

[Wake up, Varuna. It’s time to work.] fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Deep beneath the black ocean, on the edge of the continental shelf, a dark-blue Honkai Beast stirred. Four wings jutted from its back, and its massive, draconic frame began to rise from the seabed. Its streamlined body glided upward through the depths, and then—

ROAR—

A thunderous howl tore through the water, shaking the surrounding abyss. Nearly 1000HW of Honkai energy burst outward in an instant, setting off piercing alarms across all monitoring stations in the Eastern Pacific.

"Judgment-Class Honkai Beast detected. Estimated trajectory: west coast of the Mu continent."

Panic rippled across command centers and regional outposts. Their sensor nets had been scouring the Pacific with relentless precision, only to suddenly catch a massive Honkai energy spike emerging from the deep sea. If this monster reached the mainland, the damage would be immeasurable—not just in lives, but in reputation. The World Council couldn’t afford that.

News networks lit up with the story—live broadcasts, dramatic overlays, countdown clocks. A global manhunt had begun. Steel warships and swarms of fighter jets took flight. Exotic weapons, previously confined to science fiction, were mobilized for the world to see. To military fanatics, it was a dream. To leaders, it was a high-stakes PR war.

The Fourth Herrscher’s known combat capabilities weren’t overwhelming. If they could take her down now, it would rekindle fading public confidence.

"Maintain tracking. Satellite paths confirmed. If a Judgment-Class has emerged, then the Fourth Herrscher can’t be far behind."

At Fire Moth Headquarters, Director Karius stood at the heart of the operations center, eyes locked on a vast tactical display. The swirling vortex of Honkai energy on-screen pulsed with menace. Markers filled the map—ships, mechs, drones—every symbol a piece of the allied forces now moving into position.

"Miss Elysia and Dr. Ryan are in Hawaii, correct?" Karius suddenly asked.

"Yes. They’re vacationing with Dr. Mei, Dr. Mobius, and several others," the operator replied, pulling up a compiled dossier. The birthday party had been thoroughly documented—nothing overlooked.

Karius looked up at the list of names.

More than just Ryan and Elysia. His brow furrowed.

What a coincidence.

The party was stacked with elite combat personnel. He gave it no further thought—except to regret that the Honkai Beast wasn’t heading for Hawaii. If it had, both it and the Herrscher might’ve been annihilated in one stroke.

But they were close. Too close.

"Notify Dr. Mei: her vacation is over. Elysia and Ryan are to engage immediately. Deploy Sword of Punishment units. The Herrscher must not escape."

Karius took a steadying breath, then turned.

"Chalice, anything to add?"

The blond man stood beside him, expression unreadable as he studied the energy patterns onscreen.

He had personally approved the party request—not suspicious in itself. It had been part of the contingency plan, after all. But the timing...

The party had just ended. Then the Herrscher appeared.

"Chalice?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, the man composed himself, choosing not to voice his doubts.

"No additions, Director—only a recommendation: aside from Elysia and Ryan, no one else should engage just yet."

"You’re considering the second phase of the Fusion Warrior project?"

"Correct. These individuals are one in ten thousand—exceptionally valuable. However, they are tightly knit. Their loyalty remains... unproven. Whether they can be trusted depends on how this battle unfolds."

Karius narrowed his eyes.

Superhumans were assets. But control came first. Conflict ensured dependency. Stability.

Only the living can play power games. The dead don’t matter.

At least not yet.

After a moment, he gave a single nod.

"Approved."

...

In the hotel room, Ryan was casually kneading Mobius’s face. She lay unconscious—peacefully so—and didn’t stir even after being poked and squeezed for quite a while.

So smooth. So soft. What kind of facial cleanser does this woman use?

Still holding her cheeks, Ryan tilted her face, causing Mobius’s mouth to fall slightly open. He looked up suddenly."Elysia, if you dare take a photo, I will destroy your phone."

"Hehe~ I just wanted to keep some evidence. Besides, you shouldn’t be so rough with a girl!"

"Oh please. Haven’t you bullied me enough these past two days?"

"But you enjoyed it too, didn’t you? ♪"

...I mean, fine. These past two days were pretty fun.

Ever since he left Chiba Academy, he hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time. Catching up with so many friends, letting them meet each other—it was a rare kind of peace.

Even without thinking about what tomorrow might bring, that moment of happiness alone was already worth cherishing.

Ryan smiled faintly. When he saw Mobius start to shift, he quickly let go of her face.

"So, your grand scheme worked out?"

"Mhm. A total success!" Elysia stretched lazily, visibly refreshed. "I haven’t felt this relaxed in ages. I didn’t even get time to squish little Griseo’s cheeks."

She glanced sideways at Mei, who was scrolling through her phone, and leaned her head on one hand.

"It’s a shame happy times are always so short. If only every day could be like this..."

Ryan also glanced at Mei, then gently moved Mobius onto a nearby rattan chair. He let out a deep yawn.

These last few days had been too peaceful—enough to make anyone drop their guard. But Ryan was someone who could shift gears in an instant. He slapped his cheeks once—lightly.

And in that moment, his entire aura shifted—sharp, detached, and cold.

"A shame, really. But we’re warriors—born into a broken world. Joy is fleeting. Only slaughter endures."

"But that’s exactly why joy becomes precious, doesn’t it? ~~~" Elysia smiled, soft and serene.

Ryan paused at her words... then nodded. She was right. It was the never-ending violence that made moments like this all the more sacred.

He saw Mei put down her phone, a trace of apology in her eyes. Before she could say anything, Ryan spoke first.

"The Herrscher of Wind has appeared?"

"No. A Judgment-Class Honkai Beast was detected. According to intel, it’s likely the companion beast of the Fourth Herrscher."

That answer caught Ryan off guard for a moment—but only for two seconds.

"She’s playing games. Probably trying to use this as a distraction, make a break through the encirclement."

"That’s my guess too," Mei said, shaking her head. The reason went unspoken.

They had no evidence. And who would report something like that anyway?

"Oh, I had a chat with the Herrscher, and I happen to know her true nature."

Yeah, good luck getting that past the Fire Moth brass.

"Thanks," Ryan said with a nod.

"Don’t thank me yet. I just think your value outweighs the entire Fire Moth Council combined. Humanity can’t afford a civil war." Mei cut off his smirk with a sharp glance. "One more thing—they only approved two of you for this operation. So it seems they’re not completely incompetent."

The others—Kevin and the like—were still seeds. Not yet ready for Herrscher-level combat.

"They were never fools," Ryan said. "Just... not exactly pure. They’re still testing me. Watching."

"So? What’s your play?"

"I’ll hold back, of course. Honestly, I suspect this battle won’t even happen."

He stood up slowly. Outside, the chopping of helicopter blades filled the air. The lights in the room flickered to life. From the doorway, Sakura’s head poked in.

"Tell Kevin I’m sorry," Ryan said, cracking his neck. "Guess things ended a little anticlimactically."

"It was fun enough. If anything, we should apologize." Mei’s voice softened slightly.

"Then let’s get going." Ryan stretched. "I’ll make sure you get your chance."

He turned toward the door, where the helicopter hovered just outside. But before he could move, Elysia grabbed his arm, catching his lapse in awareness.

He clasped her hand gently.

And in the glow of pink light, the two of them ascended—cutting through wind and snow, rising toward the waiting helicopter.

Mei watched their silhouettes disappear into the storm. She sighed, then turned and kicked the leg of a chair.

"Hey. How long are you going to fake sleep? Are you really that hung up over a guy?"

Mobius cracked open her eyes—she had been awake the whole time. She pouted.

"He’s too bold... I’m afraid I’ll fall for him."

She rubbed her face, almost subconsciously, as if still feeling the trace of his touch.

Mei let out a snort. She couldn’t stand Mobius’s stubborn pride sometimes.

She sat down beside her, crossing one leg over the other.

"Aren’t you worried?"

Mobius gave a small, mocking smile and shrugged.

Her voice was steady. Certain.

"It’s Ryan. What’s there to worry about?"

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