I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 88: How are you feeling

Ryan and Kalpas fought with a strange sense of camaraderie; one excelled at overwhelming force, the other at combining skill with power.

However, Ryan held a slight advantage. Kalpas didn't use heady techniques; his fighting style was straightforward. With Ryan's vast combat experience, he could predict his next attack.

Kalpas's strength lay in this directness. Once an opponent relaxed their guard, even a Herrscher could be instantly killed.

Of course, from the perspective of Cocoon's gathered observers, it was a fight between gods.

"What kind of monsters are fighting!?"

Owl leaned out of the cabin, seeing the ravaged landscape, a small mountain appearing to have been struck by a meteor. With his expertise, he quickly reached a conclusion:

This wasn't heavy weaponry; the traces suggested a duel between two individuals. The question remained:

What kind of monsters could cause this level of destruction?

"King, do we continue the mission?"

From the distant canyon, dull 'thuds' echoed, along with visible shockwaves, according to the report from Unit 3, which had finally returned.

They witnessed a white-haired man soaring through the air, tossing aside a multi-ton helicopter like a discarded brick.

Owl remained silent, thinking, Is there a Herrscher hidden here? Did the Fire Moth intentionally ignore this desolate wasteland because they didn't dare provoke it?

It was highly possible. Damn it, we've been sent as cannon fodder.

"Descend. Establish long-range communication. Send this report to Fire M..."

BOOM—

Before he could finish, a sudden explosion made him flinch. Turning, he saw a helicopter engulfed in flames, spiraling downwards, a white trail lingering in the air.

Owl followed the trail, spotting a figure in combat gear—a battlesuit with heavy armor, gender indistinguishable—lifting a second shoulder-mounted missile launcher.

"Evade!"

The remaining two helicopters began their descent, releasing decoy flares. The Cocoon team gripped their seats, and in an instant, their King leaped down.

Falling from a hundred meters, even with a powered exoskeleton, meant certain death. Yet, no one in Cocoon panicked. A command crackled through the comms.

"I'll capture this person alive. You prepare the antennae and coordinates for 'God's Rod'."

They didn't know their enemy's identity, but understood that if discovered by that monster's accomplice, escape was impossible. They had to strike first.

However, after witnessing the commotion, even the most arrogant assassin knew they had no chance against the opponent. The Pureblood faction's gift would be put to use.

Stun him directly!

Why was there only one person? And why wasn't he heading towards the monster?

Owl practically became a blur across the wasteland. Seeing the shattered earth, he realized the hunt was over before it began; Cocoon couldn't contend with that Herrscher-level power.

But the mission had to be completed. The individual likely anticipated Cocoon's use of 'God's Rod,' hence the intervention.

"Then I'll capture you and use this incident to shift attention; it'll achieve the same effect."

Assassins weren't reckless warriors; resourcefulness was paramount. Owl's speed increased dramatically. At a hundred meters, he narrowed his eyes.

Not running?

Click-click-click...

Gunfire erupted, hypersonic rounds raining down like a storm. Yet, Owl simply altered his course and evaded them, the thrusters on his backpack erupting in a plume of blue flame.

He launched into the air, the world seeming to slow. As the opponent raised their weapon, his brain calculated the trajectory, activating the shoulder-mounted launchers.

"You can't escape!"

A battle cry roared as he spun downwards, two thin alloy blades slicing through the rifle, plunging towards his opponent.

Fast reaction time, a skilled combatant.

He saw the opponent retreating, spinning, dual blades whirling like a vortex, skimming the ground; one blade aimed for the legs, the other for the waist.

The speed was extreme, the angles cunning, a devastating combination. Sakura, realizing she couldn't retreat, fired a shot and drew her blade.

Instantaneous Decapitation Strike!

Bang—

The blade strike was equally fast, the aim incredibly precise, slicing through the intersecting blades.

Clang!!

Owl used the impact to spin and leap, narrowly avoiding Sakura's follow-up heavy strike, landing some distance away, his brow furrowed.

"Goushinnso Memento?"

"Owl."

They exchanged a glance, finding nothing to say. Cocoon held no grand ideals, only rules.

"So you're the traitor."

"Do you think he needs a traitor to guide him?" Sakura retorted, her voice laced with self-deprecation.

This silenced Cocoon's leader. He didn't know who they were fighting, but judging by the aftermath, it seemed no inside help was needed; brute force sufficed.

"True. Answer one question, and Cocoon will drop the pursuit. Who is it that you saved Vill-V with, and why did he spare your life?"

Sakura's lips twitched; the condition was tempting. Revealing Ryan's identity would ensure Rin's safety. After a moment's hesitation, she raised her blade slightly.

"He's waiting for me to succeed. I will repay him in kind!"

"So you're foolish. You really think we lack a plan for dealing with this kind of monster?" Owl wasn't disappointed; he simply stood up, blades poised, sighing. "After all these years in Cocoon, don't you understand? The ultimate victor isn't always the strongest."

Sakura's eyes twitched. A roar from above made her turn; a large hole had been torn in the sky, a 'mace' from near-Earth orbit descending into the canyon.

Here it comes!

Ryan also looked up, a smile playing on his lips. He and Kalpas had exchanged more than a dozen blows, gradually falling behind.

His Honkai energy was dwindling; he was weakening, his chances of victory diminishing. Besides, Ryan didn't want to kill Kalpas; the final purpose of this battle was revealed:

Someone always had to ring the bell to end the fight.

The tungsten alloy rod, descending at hypersonic speeds, was too fast to react to. Cocoon's target was Kalpas.

He was Cocoon's only visible target. Who else would they strike?

Huh??

Kalpas also looked up, completely unprepared for a falling rod. He wasn't illiterate; he instantly recognized the weapon as a Celestial Device. Ryan's final, weakening blow had separated them, and the weapon was heading straight for him. freёnovelkiss.com

"You have backup!"

He was furious. A fair fight, and this cowardly aerial device interfered.

Ryan remained silent, unable to speak. The weapon, powerful enough to obliterate a small town, had already struck. He witnessed the earth upheaving, the blinding flash closing his eyes, the intense shockwave surging towards him.

BOOM—ROAR!!!

Electromagnetic Field.

Concentrated Honkai energy, the power forming an ionized field, separating the inside from the outside. Even so, he was still pushed back several meters by the shockwave.

Dust filled the air; the canyon walls collapsed, then were ripped apart by the shockwave, devastating everything except Ryan.

Even the Third Herrscher could barely withstand 'God's Rod' due to her Authority, that unparalleled force. The Fire Moth assassins were formidable, possessing weaponry with low-yield nuclear power.

"But it certainly won't kill you."

Ryan had no expectations, simply moving aside. This wasn't cowardice; he knew Kalpas too well.

To make him listen, he needed either Discipline or to subdue him with overwhelming force, neither of which he could currently achieve. There was no need to waste time.

The 'God's Rod' kicked up a sandstorm, perfectly concealing Ryan. Climbing a cliff face, he peered to the right, sensing Cocoon's presence through the dust.

Sharp eyesight, precise targeting. No drones were visible, yet they accurately locked onto Kalpas's position.

Professional. That's what Ryan wanted. Cocoon dared not approach, using the same method to search for someone else. Even at a hundred meters, they were within the 'God's Rod' kill zone, but caution was always best.

Knowing oneself and one's enemy ensures victory. Ryan, while planning, had anticipated Cocoon's nature, weakening Kalpas with a subtle blow, maintaining a hundred-meter distance.

His greatest advantage wasn't his strength, but Cocoon's complete ignorance of him; unaware of his powers, they wouldn't understand his ability to withstand shockwaves at such range.

Time to soften them up.

Ryan didn't continue the fight, quickly turning to another sound; the clash of steel and a girl's heavy breathing.

Sakura seemed to be losing.

His Honkai energy was almost depleted. Ryan ducked, swiftly moving through the dust, silently approaching. From afar, he heard a cold voice.

"Goushinnso Memento, your last chance. Tell me who he is."

"You're not going to use Kinetic Bombardment to eliminate him? Why not check yourself?" Sakura held her sword, blood trickling down her arm, dripping from the blade, her helmet split open, her face unyielding.

"Newcomer, don't be so stubborn. Soon, the title of 'King of Assassins' will be yours."

"Ha ha, do you know the joke I heard recently?" Sakura scoffed, a hint of disdain on her lips. "Someone told me that title is so cliché, it's utterly unremarkable."

Owl's eye twitched; he didn't know what had gotten into this [Goushinnso Memento]; she wouldn't speak, so he wouldn't bother.

Monster. When I become a fused warrior, I'll possess that kind of power. What's there to be arrogant about?

"Then don't blame me. I'll kill you first, and then send your sister to join you."

Owl had to eliminate the threat completely. He charged forward, leaping lightly. Within three meters of Sakura, all his thrusters fired.

Swish—

The blade grazed her chest, sharp enough to cut through the exoskeleton armor, tearing her battlesuit and leaving a bloody gash. Sakura widened her eyes.

Again, this near-lethal strike; his perception was superhuman.

But no matter how she anticipated, Owl returned with even greater speed. Dual blades raised, he slashed downwards. His fierce eyes focused on the blade as it severed a strand of pink hair, grazing her scalp before being deflected, seeming to be repelled by a magnet, gliding past her head.

Huh???

Owl blinked, confused, instinctively feeling a prickle on his neck. He quickly looked up.

A dark-haired young man had appeared, a claw strike aiming for his chest. Even in slow motion, the speed was frightening.

Evasion.

All thrusters at maximum speed to the left; he completed a sideways dodge in a fraction of a second.

A?

Ryan also raised his eyebrow, surprised the individual could evade. He saw a blade slashing towards his calf and met the blade head-on.

Clang!

The thin blade shattered into pieces. Owl stared at the flashing electric arc, disbelieving. His alloy blade had been cleanly severed, and the figure was before him.

Exceptional reflexes allowed him to see the opponent's face, involuntarily opening his mouth.

"It's you..."

Thwack.

A palm strike silenced him. He was suddenly lifted from the ground; Ryan held his leg, slamming him into the earth.

Owl was embedded in the ground, then launched into the air, exoskeleton parts scattering, his head buzzing. His enhanced perception became a form of torture.

He watched helplessly as a large foot descended, unable to evade, only seeing the sole impacting his chest, crushing him into the ground.

BOOM!!

Ryan stomped the man into the earth, the ground cracking for dozens of meters. He then looked down at the bulging eyes.

"How are you feeling, King of Assassins?"