I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

Her long, flowing gray hair was being washed by the stream in the river. She wore a white tank top with a purple four-pointed star decoration on the chest, and the hem of the top hung down to her knees like a pair of wide wings. She wore black gloves with white armor attached, and black hot pants and white stockings with purple high heels attached to the heels.

Her beautiful face, now asleep, was covered in dew, and a hint of pain lingered between her brows.

Even without Lin understanding the surroundings, he knew that this was someone who didn't belong here, just like himself. Her attire was out of place with the environment, and even when she was unconscious, one could sense the extraordinary aura emanating from her.

"... Splash."

After Lin Quelu acknowledged that the dejected young Japanese girl was indeed unconscious, he stood up and looked around again. This place should be considered a wilderness area. Even though it was relatively close to human settlements, there was still a possibility of wild animals appearing. It was lucky that they were not carried away or eaten on the spot while they were unconscious.

He took out his phone, which, unsurprisingly, was completely broken. He didn't know whether it broke during the battle with the Honkai Beast or after being soaked in water for so long.

Mobile phones are a symbol of human civilization's progress. Portable information transmission can easily solve many problems. For example, Lin can now use navigation to determine his location and then consider how to leave.

But now, he can only use the most basic method to look around the neighborhood, just like people who hadn't learned to cover themselves with leaves long, long ago.

Lin estimated the distance to the smoke from the chimney, then looked down at the still unconscious girl, bent down and picked her up, letting her head rest against his chest. He then stepped out of the shallow river and headed towards the direction from which the smoke was rising.

"That Judgment-class Honkai Beast has appeared in the skies over the Far East?"

The purple-haired girl asked the red-haired doctor on the screen with a hint of excitement.

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you even more impatient than me? It did appear, but then disappeared again. According to witnesses on the plane, it was seen right above Changkong City, so it's very likely that it landed in Changkong City." The woman with red twin ponytails said with a frown, "Of course, we can't rule out that it was the consciousness of the Herrscher of the Void calling for it, so it was seen by someone when it passed through the Far East while searching for Kiana."

Regardless, these are all clues related to Kiana.

Mei, who has left Changkong City and reunited with Theresa, is still depressed in the shadow of her reunion and separation from Kiana. However, the news that Benares, the Judgment-class Honkai Beast of the Herrscher of the Void, has reappeared has undoubtedly excited her. This means that Kiana may have escaped and is currently in the Far East.

Even if the hope is slim, Mei has to try.

"Then let's..."

"I told you not to rush." The red-haired woman had a short temper, and it took raising her voice to calm Mei down a bit. "I'll be joining you soon, and then we'll go to Changkong City together. The Honkai Energy level there has been rising recently, so we need to be on the safe side. I know you're worried about her, but worrying and being reckless won't solve anything... Damn it, that messy-haired guy always says that to me, and now I'm the one lecturing others..."

"All right..."

Mei exhaled, calming down considerably. She thought of the silver-haired girl who had been taken away, and how powerless she was back then, whether facing the Honkai Energy generator or Durandal. Unconsciously, she clenched Kiana's coat tightly in her hand.

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Forty-Seven -Yae Village and Yae Sakura

The fences, steps, and brick walls along the way indicated that this was not a small village. However, he noticed that although these man-made objects were not very old, the technology used seemed... so traditional.

This wasn't Lin's imagination. Logically speaking, even in the most remote areas of the Far East, where land utilization is extremely high, there shouldn't be villages that are completely isolated from the world and out of touch with the times. But as he observed along the way, he felt more and more that something was wrong. Is it really possible to still have roads without streetlights and instead use lanterns? And why do the irrigation ditches he passed look like they're not products of this era at all?

After traveling for about ten minutes, Lin arrived at the place where the smoke from the chimneys was rising. He silently glanced at the three characters "Yae Village" carved on the stone at the entrance of the village, and then looked at the ancient village in the Far East that made him wonder if he had returned to hundreds of years ago. He began to wonder if his consciousness had been sent to some kind of World Bubble again.

However, the problem of consciousness passively entering the Quantum Sea had long been resolved, and given the current situation, he could hardly conclude what had happened.

Fortunately, there were many villagers at the village entrance dressed in simple linen clothes pointing and whispering at him as he held the gray-haired girl, saving him the trouble of exploring the village and figuring out if he had accidentally wandered into a horror movie set.

"Excuse me, where is this place?"

Lin stepped forward and asked one of them.

His and the girl in his arms were dressed as if they were from a completely different generation from the people in front of them and even the surrounding environment. No wonder the few people chatting at the village entrance had been watching them since early on. They probably thought that the outside world had become so open that girls could wear pants that almost exposed their entire buttocks and clothes that exposed their entire stomachs.

"..." After Lin asked this question, their expressions clearly changed slightly... from looking at an alien to looking at an idiot.

Then one of them pointed with a hoe at a stone engraved with the name of Yae Village.

Well, Lin also felt that there was something wrong with the way he asked the question, and there was a high probability that he would be asked what dynasty it was, and that the person would not know about the Han dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin dynasties. After all, no one can answer a question without considering their own knowledge and the mainstream of the times, so in the end he would have to make the judgment himself.

"Do you have a place to entertain outsiders here? My... companion was attacked by a wild beast," Lin asked the group again.

"Go up here, go through the torii gate, then turn right, and you will see the Miko. She will greet visitors."

"OK."

Following the direction the group pointed up the mountain, Lin Cong their fragmented conversation.

There is a shrine here, and the person in charge is Miko, which means that there is a relatively feudal belief in gods here. This situation is closer to Lin's conjecture—this is not the modern world.

Moreover, Lin had a bad feeling when he learned that Yae Village had a belief in gods.

The mythology of the Far East contains a wide variety of gods, so many that the number of named gods in the mythology of the whole world probably cannot match them. Even though most of them worship the most noble ones, other lesser-known gods also have their followers, not to mention some gods whose beliefs are completely outside the mainstream mythology.

Whether the deity worshipped in such remote and isolated villages, which are completely self-contained communities, is a benevolent god remains to be seen.

In remote areas, it is not uncommon for traditions such as "human sacrifice" to exist due to superstition. Therefore, in his view, Lin and the gray-haired girl's status as "outsiders" should not be considered a good one.

So Lin was on guard the whole way, worried that someone might ambush them. Fortunately, the villagers only looked at him with curiosity and no malice. He finally arrived at the shrine the villagers had mentioned.

After passing the torii gate wrapped with hemp rope, he arrived at the traditional shrine. He glanced at the empty building, then went to the donation box, threw some money in, and rang the bell.

Lin doesn't believe in God and never worships anything, but he has lived in the Far East for more than ten years and understands the process. However, he doesn't know if the Far East will still be the same as it was in his time after 50,000 years.

Speaking of which, Sakura said she used to be Miko...

Hello, how can I help you?

"..."

Lin was stunned.

He had discussed some topics about civilization with May, so he wasn't particularly surprised when he saw people who looked familiar at times.

That was just his and the world's... illusion.

But when the person in front of him opened the door and walked out, Lin wondered if he was confusing his memories with reality, or if he had really fallen into another World Bubble and met someone who looked so much like Yae Kasumi.

Her cherry-blossom-colored long hair, modified pink and white Miko outfit, and indifferent purple eyes made her identity Miko instantly recognizable to everyone. However, the Inari Mask on her shimenawa (sacred rope) added a touch of ominousness to her demeanor.

What's most captivating are the long, thin animal ears on her head that can't be faked no matter what. Those lively ears twitch from time to time, making one deeply feel her uniqueness.

"Cherry...?"

Lin subconsciously uttered that impossible name.

"Hmm? Sir, do you know me?" the shrine Miko with cherry blossom-colored hair and animal ears asked in surprise.

"..."

Lin didn't know how to answer, because he didn't know what the situation was. Could the person in front of him really be the comrade who had fought alongside him? Both the posture and the name were exactly the same, and he didn't know what had happened after he left the Intrinsic World in the Previous Civilization, so he couldn't know if this was Sakura who had lost her memory and didn't recognize him.

However, Lin wouldn't jump to conclusions about her identity without considering the details, so he quickly asked his second question, "Are you the Miko here?"

The cherry-haired Miko nodded. "I am the Miko of Yae Village, Yae Sakura... What happened to her? Does she need my help?"

"Hmm." When Lin heard the name Yae Sakura, he had already made up his mind. He had learned a secret in the World Bubble of Yae Kasumi, and combined with the identity of the girl in front of him as a Miko, the answer was obvious.

Yae Sakura asked Rin to place the gray-haired girl in the shrine's corridor. She went inside to get a towel and wiped the girl's face and body clean. After checking, she found that the girl had no external injuries or symptoms of illness, and was probably just unconscious and would wake up after a while.

Judging from Yae Sakura's skillful technique, she must have done this quite often. It seems that the Miko of Yae Village also serves as a "doctor".

After settling the gray-haired girl in, Yae Sakura looked at the man standing in the courtyard, deep in thought.

"Sir, you are outsiders, right? I would like to ask if you saw a white-haired girl on your way here?"

The "Departure" of the Heavens: Chapter Forty-Eight - Two Dragons Also Want...

"If you mean this area, then I haven't seen it before."

A girl with white hair?

White hair is not common, and Lin's first thought was Kiana, but Yae Sakura was obviously not asking about Kiana.

"Is that so..." Yae Sakura simply nodded, then glanced hesitantly at the gray-haired girl lying there. This small gesture did not escape Lin's eyes.

Is there a problem?

"No, it's nothing." Yae Sakura seemed to hesitate for a moment before asking, "Mr. Lin, what is your relationship with this girl?"

Lin hesitated for a few seconds between the gray-haired girl and Yae Sakura before calmly saying, "I found her unconscious by the river and brought her here."

"..."

"What's the problem?"

Yae Sakura's sudden silence prompted Lin to ask in a more serious tone.

The cherry-haired Miko took a slow, deep breath, as if considering how to tell the truth in a language that Lin could understand, "The Miko of Yae Village are responsible for healing, governance, rituals, and exorcism, so I usually patrol around the village regularly to check if any monsters have invaded the village. Over time, I have become extremely sensitive to the aura of monsters."

Monster?

Seeing a hint of doubt in Lin's eyes, Yae Sakura explained, "Some beasts corrupted by demonic power have demonic horns on their bodies, some have pale skin and huge bodies. They have no reason and only want to devour people."

Isn't this... Honkai Beast?

However, all the supernatural phenomena so far are related to Honkai Energy. He had already guessed that it was related to Honkai when he arrived in Yae Village, but he still couldn't be sure what happened or what Honkai Energy did. He was clearly swallowed by Honkai Beast, so why did he come to Yae Village?

These are things that need to be explored later. For now, let's listen to Yae Sakura continue.

Lin focused his gaze on the gray-haired girl's face. She had been frowning and looked extremely pained, as if she had encountered something in her dream.

What are you trying to say?

"What I mean is... I sensed the aura of a demonic beast emanating from this girl."

"..."

"However, ordinary people infected by demonic energy will turn into walking corpses, but when I examined this girl just now, I didn't find anything abnormal, so it's possible that I'm just imagining things."

At this point, Lin didn't question the gray-haired girl's identity; instead, he stared intently at the beast ears on Yae Sakura's head, his questioning intent couldn't be clearer.

If that's the case, then what about yourself?

"That's why I said that most people would experience that, but I don't know if this girl's situation is the same as mine."

Yae Sakura didn't hide her ears; instead, she slightly moved her striking animal ears, as if to prove that they were indeed real.

"Something happened in Yae Village in the past, and these ears are a remnant of that time."

Herrscher? Or Flame-Chaser?

The latter possibility is almost nonexistent. The only people who can master the fusion display technology are the three organizations: Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent. And no one would come to Yae Village, a poor and remote place, to transform people into fusion displays. Moreover, even if the Hypervariable Surgery is successful, Yae Sakura would not be able to stay here.

As for the former...

Lin subtly scrutinized Sakura once more.

It's not impossible that a Miko could not only resolve the Herrscher's consciousness herself, but Lin felt that if she said it out loud, people would laugh at her for being crazy.

Just as Lin was still pondering whether Yae Sakura was truly Herrscher, a villager arrived at the shrine and called out to Yae Sakura:

"Lord Bazhong, there seems to be a monster in the village's water vat!"

"A monster? How could it be in the water tank?"

Upon hearing this, Yae Sakura frowned, her eyebrows furrowing in a cold light. With a swift movement, she deftly retrieved a scarlet katana from the house and tucked it into her waistband before approaching the flustered villagers.

"We don't know either. You should go and take a look. It's making strange noises and shaking constantly inside. Nobody else dares to go near it."

"Okay, I understand." Yae Sakura turned around and said to Lin Wen, who was staring at her expressionlessly, "Mr. Lin, I'll go and take care of some things in the village first. As for that girl... you can take care of her for now. I'll be back soon."

"...I see."

After receiving Lin's reply, Yae Sakura quickly followed the villagers down the mountain. Lin took a few steps forward and watched their backs disappear into the mountainside. He then frowned, took out his phone, and sat down on the shrine's corridor. He checked it again and confirmed that it was completely unusable.

Indeed, Yae Village doesn't seem to belong to this era at all. So, is the problem with the forest or with Yae Village?

The breakthrough point might be the gray-haired girl who is currently in a coma; we'll wait until she wakes up...

"Call..."

The sound of the wind.

The sharp sound of wind rushed from behind Lin's head. Lin turned around immediately and saw a small foot wearing purple high heels rapidly approaching in mid-air, about to imprint itself on Lin's face!

But the speed wasn't fast. Even though it took Lin nearly half a second to turn around and check after hearing the noise, he still had enough time to raise his hand to block the leg that was kicking him.

"Smack!"

The shapely calves, encased in white stockings, that had come so aggressively were easily caught in his hands, without any suspense whatsoever.

Black eyes and sky-blue pupils stared at each other silently. He saw undisguised hostility in the other's angry eyes and bared fangs. The second kick that followed was the best way to show this hostility!

"Smack!"

Lin casually reached out and easily caught the other foot as well.

"..."

"..."

The whole process took less than three seconds. The gray-haired girl was held upside down by Lin's hands, her legs gripping him, much like a rabbit in a roasting oven at a rabbit roasting shop. Her long gray hair was scattered like broken strings on the shrine's corridor.

For a moment, it was eerily quiet.