I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 124: Storm

"What is that??"

From a distance, Ryan spotted a massive black tornado spiraling up from the sea—a colossal funnel linking ocean to sky.

Even from dozens of kilometers away, the helicopter rocked like a lone boat tossed about in a storm. Warning sirens shrieked without pause.

"The Herrscher of the Wind is here. The Third Fleet’s in trouble."

It was more than trouble.

On the data terminal, the only thing visible was a crimson vortex of clouds sweeping across the sea—like an eraser wiping away the icons marking allied ships.

Zumwalt, lost contact.

Benson, sunk.

Carod, lost contact.

...

One after another, steel giants vanished like chess pieces swept from a board. The storm disrupted satellite feeds and optical scans; with no targets to track, all they could do was watch as the fleet was rapidly erased.

It was eerie—terrifying. Ryan’s breath came faster.

In his classification system, the Herrscher of the Wind was a mage-type: long-range, high output. Given time to build a storm, her destructive power would be overwhelming.

If he were in her place, he’d have to take down anti-air batteries one by one—this towering tornado was far more efficient.

"Ryan, let’s go help!" Elysia urged, her voice tense. She could see the storm shredding through the fleet, bearing down on the coast.

The cities would be next. If the storm reached them, casualties would number in the millions.

Where is the Herrscher?

Ryan didn’t answer. He frowned, eyes scanning the scene—but the storm’s magnitude had disrupted even his senses.

Just as he suspected—she was using the chaos to escape.

His guess solidified. As Elysia leapt from the cabin and reached out to him, Ryan only shook his head.

"Fire Moth can’t track this zone anymore. I’ll fly myself."

Without hesitation, he jumped. His speed outstripped even Elysia’s.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Ryan didn’t respond. He dove into the heart of the storm, eyes constantly sweeping the chaos.

The ocean below was a graveyard of wreckage. Capsized cruisers—tens of thousands of tons—floated belly-up, hulls streaked in red. Fighter jet debris and shattered components blanketed the water.

Even steel had been ripped apart—so why hadn’t she used this move against him earlier?

The question flickered for only a moment before he realized the answer.

Because I’m too fast.

Storms of this scale take time to build—time he would’ve used to kill her many times over.

Where are you? This would be the perfect moment for a sneak attack.

Ryan slowed, wind whipping his hair across his eyes. The sky was thick with dust and choking grey smog. Seconds later, the vortex made landfall.

The docks were obliterated in an instant. Cranes—hundreds of tons—were flung skyward like toys. Boats moored near the shore disappeared without a trace.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" Elysia flew up beside him, grabbing his hand tightly. "Forget the Herrscher. We can’t let this thing keep going."

Downtown lay only dozens of kilometers away. At this rate, the city would be torn straight down the middle. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Ryan was about to argue—that stopping the Herrscher was the only real solution—but thought better of it.

"Alright. Listen closely."

He drew Crimson Blaze, cleaving a spinning crane out of the air as he spoke, his words picking up speed.

"Don’t try to stop the storm head-on. The Fourth Herrscher’s authority is different. Basically, she can fuel this vortex with a fraction of her power, and it’ll keep going for a long time."

The Herrscher of the Wind’s authority and Ryan’s were polar opposites—two sides of the same coin: One built for prolonged devastation, the other for explosive, decisive strikes.

Elysia, not being a scholar, looked puzzled—but she understood one thing clearly: there was no stopping a vortex of this scale on her own.Tilting her head slightly, she said, "Just tell me what to do—I’ll do it."

"Alright. First, we need to get to the eye of the storm. Be careful—this is where it’s most dangerous."

Ryan didn’t waste a second. He accelerated instantly, launching himself straight into the storm’s center. The black vortex rapidly expanded in their view, like a colossal meat grinder swallowing the sky.

Countless shards of debris spun around them, forming a deadly wall. At such velocity, their destructive power was horrifying.

Ryan gripped his blade tightly, slashing nonstop, reducing incoming debris to nothing but atoms.

Slicing alone won’t work. Only full incineration can deal with this.The Herrscher of Thunder’s authority would be far better suited for this kind of situation.

"Elysia, stay close!"

Having already received preliminary intel, Ryan sheathed his sword. In its place, bright azure arcs of electricity began to dance around his body.

The air buzzed; particles of dust swirled thickly around them. The crackling light lit the way through the murk.

Elysia shielded her face, struggling to fly forward. Within 10 kilometers of the vortex’s core, the winds were so intense that even she couldn’t keep steady.

But Ryan had already shaped an electromagnetic field around himself—an energy shield that stabilized his movement. His eyes remained locked forward.

It’s not fast—but its destructive power is overwhelming. Even Elysia can’t punch through. Good thing I’m here.

Suddenly, the electric arcs around Ryan surged, snapping together into a concentrated electromagnetic rail—and then—

Purple lightning erupted!

The bolt blazed across the air like a roaring dragon. The violent hum of the vortex vanished in an instant.Everything in the lightning’s path—metal, dust, even wind—was vaporized.

The entire storm paused for a breath.

Though Ryan’s Honkai reserves were nowhere near those of the Third Herrscher, in raw combat capability—he surpassed her.

Elysia froze for a split second. She had fought the Herrscher of Thunder before and knew how terrifying that authority was—But Ryan had done more with less: faster, stronger, and with unmatched balance between offense and defense.

If I had been standing in that bolt’s path... I would’ve been completely obliterated.

Still in awe, Elysia didn’t slow down. Taking advantage of the momentary gap, she shot forward like a pink meteor, piercing through the calm eye of the storm.

Inside, the wind had weakened significantly. Even the deafening roar had dulled. Overhead, she could see a hollow space piercing straight into the sky— a tunnel to the heavens.

The surroundings were dark and brooding, but at the top of the vortex, a radiant gemstone-blue glow shimmered.

"It’s... beautiful."

"Focus." Ryan’s voice cut through her daze. He had already scanned the area—no signs of the Herrscher waiting in ambush.

"She’s not here. So here’s the plan."

"What now?"

"Take my hand. Release your Honkai energy—all of it. We’re going to destroy the storm from the inside out!"

He looked to the horizon, where a small three-story building had just been lifted into the air.

"Hurry. It’s already reached the city."

Elysia didn’t hesitate. She reached out and took his hand.

A surge of crimson Honkai energy erupted from both of them simultaneously.

To their senses, it felt warm—comforting, even. Honkai energy, once so wild and chaotic, now felt alive... merging, amplifying, intertwining.

Ryan even had the illusion that their spirits were fusing—two souls linked together.

What... is this feeling?

He couldn’t explain the sensation. It was too sudden, too strange.

But from the outside—from the perspective of the world—this was a scene of sheer catastrophe.

What did it feel like to be approached by a super tornado tens of thousands of meters wide?

Not a single one of the 1.3 million residents of San Diego had the words to describe it.

Cars were gridlocked across highways, horns blaring in panic. Just two hours ago, they had been watching Fire Moth’s military operations via livestream.

Before they even had time to process it—

Doom had arrived.

Crushing. Unstoppable.

Those were the only words that could even begin to describe what was happening.

No one was cursing Fire Moth for incompetence anymore.Most had stopped running altogether—simply staring in numb disbelief at the roaring wall of wind approaching like the end of the world.

"Kosma! Why aren’t you running?!"

A tangerine-haired girl burst onto the rooftop, shielding her face from the wind, eyes barely able to stay open.

Behind the railing stood a green-haired boy. Debris pelted the metal beside him with relentless clangs. He turned to her, dazed.

"Dystopia... there’s no way out."

To someone like Ryan, the vortex moved sluggishly.

But to ordinary people, it was a demon storm moving at over 100 kilometers per hour, devouring everything in its path.

Roads were destroyed, cars overturned—escaping on foot was hopeless.

Thud!!

A deafening crash shook the air. They instinctively ducked. Off in the distance, a high-rise building crumbled—crushed beneath half the hull of a falling destroyer.

Above them, so-called "Flying Fire Meteors" filled the skies—aircraft that had lost lift, had their engines choked by debris, or were simply torn apart midair.

They tumbled from the sky in flames, crashing into the city below.

The girl trembled, opening her eyes—just in time to see that awful vertical wall on the horizon drawing closer.

Everything in its path was uprooted and flung skyward. Debris rained down like artillery fire, columns of black smoke erupting across the city.

This... is a Herrscher?

For the first time, real terror gripped her heart.

Dystopia grabbed the boy’s arm. "We’ve got to move! There’s still time—we can find shelter! Maybe an underground parking structure—anything!"

"No," the boy said firmly. "Running won’t fix this. I want to be the one who protects this city."

He hoisted the small backpack he carried.

"This storm isn’t natural. There must be a core inside—some kind of energy source. If I destroy it—"

Dystopia gaped at him. "What are you even saying?"

"I’m going into the storm. I’m going to blow it up."

His voice was serious—dead serious.

But the girl could only groan in disbelief. She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away.

"Look, I get that you want to be a hero—but you’re tiny! You weigh less than a bag of rice! How do you expect to blow up a hurricane?! Come on, please! Just come with me—don’t throw your life away!"

"I’m not the crazy one!" he shouted back. "Everyone else is!"

And looking around... she couldn’t argue with that.

They weren’t the only ones on the rooftop. Others stood there too—some frozen like lifeless puppets, others with their arms raised, shouting things like:

"God, bring your divine punishment and purge this filthy world!"

"Apostles of God, take us—your loyal flock!"

"FIRE MOTH, WHAT THE FK?!"

...

Every sentence made Dystopia recoil in disbelief.

Suddenly, Kosma didn’t seem so crazy anymore.

At least he was trying to do something.

"Wait, Dystopia."

"No. I’m not letting you die for nothing."

"Look—!"

A deafening buzz rang in her ears.

What is there to look at? she thought.

And then—a brilliant crimson glow lit up her face.

Reflexively, she turned her head toward it.

In that moment, the impossible happened.

The unstoppable, ever-advancing vortex...

Stopped.

At its center, a sphere of crimson light appeared—growing, pulsing, expanding like a living thing.

A beam of raw radiance erupted from the heart of the storm—

Like a sword thrust into the sky, tearing the entire vortex apart.

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