I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

Yae Sakura is here, just as expected.

"Boom!"

The highest High Council of the Tenshu-kaku exploded with a deafening roar, and three figures rushed out from it one after another!

Lin turned to meet the onrushing Yae Sakura. The twin swords in his hands clashed fiercely with her demon sword, and the immense force made Lin grit his teeth. Yae Sakura's bewitching crimson eyes were fixed on him.

By now, Lin has completely figured out what happened in this consciousness space. After saving Bella during the ritual, he also saw some of Yae Rin's memories.

At the Previous Civilization, Lin carried out a plan.

The plan required the powers of the Herrscher of Reason and the Herrscher of Erosion, and after seeing what was going on about Rin's future, he took her away from the headquarters of the Firemoth ahead of time.

After the plan was successfully carried out, Lin San was killed by the soldiers of the Fire Moth. Therefore, he did not know what happened to Ling after that. But as it stands, she should have been sealed by the Fire Moth, waiting for Lin to find her and break the seal.

After a long period of 50,000 years, the sealed Rin ended up in Yae Village, where she caused a Honkai. Yae Sakura was eventually infected and became Pseudo-Herrscher. The agonizingly long wait caused Rin to forget who she really was. The resemblance between Sakura and Yae Sakura led her to believe that she was the murdered Yae Rin based on Yae Sakura's memories.

The resentment of being killed by the villagers, the erosion of the Honkai, the error of perception—all of these ultimately transformed into a new Herrscher consciousness independent of Rin.

She is Yae Rin, but she is not the real Yae Rin; she is merely a reflection of Yae Rin.

The real bell endured the hardship and waited in solitude; the calls that Lin heard from the outside world came from the bell.

She used her last strength to create this consciousness space, simulating Yae Village and Yae Sakura from her memories to guide Lin, while the Herrscher consciousness created the Tenshu-kaku to devour the consciousness space, Yae Sakura and Bella were infected by it.

Even the eroding crimson flames are the result of the struggle between the two.

Lin saved Bella and Yae Rin, but to completely save Rin, he had to deal with the aggregate of resentment and free it from all suffering.

"Bang!"

As the demonic sword of Yae Sakura Zero was deflected, Lin turned his blade towards her waist, but Yae Sakura, whose killing skills were more exquisite than expected, also moved her demonic sword, blocking the blade at her waist. Then, she pushed the hilt, and the bloodthirsty blade slashed towards Lin's fingers holding the sword!

"Sizzle! Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

Lin's gaze turned cold, and he kicked Yae Sakura's elbow, sending her flying!

"Howl!"

Kitsune descended from the sky, its blood-red maw wide open, lunging at Lin!

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Sixty-Four - A Half-Move Difficulty

"Hateful..."

Unable to move freely in mid-air, Bella watched helplessly as the crimson nine-tailed Kitsune was about to devour Lin. She tried to summon more power to stimulate her body, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea without making a ripple.

Bella knows that her physical body in reality is severely damaged, which is likely why she can't control many of her abilities, but...

Are we just going to watch him die?

No... Absolutely not!

"I'll lend you my power, go help Brother Lin..."

At that moment, a weak voice echoed in Bella's mind.

Lin, on the other side, held his twin swords horizontally in front of him, trying to block the impact. However, the size difference between the two was so great that it was hopeless. He was afraid that he would be torn into a cloud of blood mist and flesh pieces by those jagged teeth in the next second.

"Roar!"

A loud roar resounded through the sky. Lin's vision blurred as he saw a black shadow, no smaller than the Kitsune, crash into his abdomen. The force of the wind rushed into his ears, causing him to lose his hearing and sight temporarily. When his vision returned, the Kitsune had vanished.

Instead, he saw the dragon-type Honkai Beast that he had seen over the Far East.

After knocking the Kitsune away, the dragon-type Honkai Beast swooped down to catch Lin, then flapped its wings to slow down and landed steadily on the ground.

"Bella?"

Lin Cong jumped off the back of the Honkai Beast. He looked up in a daze at the dragon-type Honkai Beast's lowered head. It nodded to Lin, indicating that it was Bella.

"Bass!"

A flash of light appeared behind him, and Lin turned around to block without hesitation. The terrifying force struck the blade, cracking it. He took two steps back, but before he could regain his footing, the bloodthirsty demonic blade attacked again!

"Boom!"

A bolt of lightning struck Yae Sakura's spot. Lin protected his body and retreated. After the lightning dissipated, Yae Sakura had retreated dozens of meters away, completely unharmed.

"Howl!"

A roar filled with resentment and anger came from not far away. Bella, whose body was flashing with purple light, turned around to meet the charging Kitsune. The two huge creatures wrestled together, and their movements uprooted the surrounding land and trees!

Lin rushed towards Yae Sakura, and halfway there he casually threw one of the long swords. Yae Sakura moon, accurately striking the sword and splitting the already cracked sword in two.

"Prick------"

Two blades, one black and one red, sliced through the air, distorting the light, and collided with a deafening hiss!

"Sizzle—"

The Yae Sakura before him was not the real Yae Sakura, but she possessed the same swordsmanship and power as Yae Sakura. Moreover, with the Herrscher of Erosion of Honkai Energy, was at a disadvantage.

Two blurry figures darted and clashed in the dense forest outside the Tenshu-kaku, their swords flashing and even the falling leaves turning to dust in an instant.

"Bang!"

Bella clamped her forepaws around the Kitsune's neck, the thin membrane of her wings turned sky blue, and she opened her ferocious maw. Extremely cold ice bursts transformed into a torrent in her mouth and slammed into the Kitsune's head, instantly covering the Kitsune's fur with a thick layer of ice crystals!

The Kitsune struggled, its vengeful beastly eyes blazing. It swung its nine tails, striking Bella and sending Bella flying.

"Whoosh... Roar!!!!"

Enraged, the Kitsune's crimson flames shot skyward, transforming into a pillar of fire. Its sharp teeth clenched, flames shooting out from between them. It stared at Bella, who was rising from the ground, and opened its massive jaws—

"Boom!!!!"

A pillar of flame burst from the Kitsune's mouth and shot towards Bella!

Bella also unleashed an extremely cold breath, which converged and collided with the Kitsune's flames in mid-air!

"Smack!"

Lin gripped his sword with his other hand and pressed the opponent's weapon to the ground, then punched Yae Sakura in the face.

However, Yae Sakura had anticipated this. She raised her hand, spread her fingers, grabbed Lin's fist, and slammed her whip kick into his waist and abdomen with lightning speed.

"Da, da!"

The two exchanged blows, and after another fierce clash where neither could gain the upper hand, they both staggered back before lunging at the long sword stuck in the ground.

Yae Sakura got her demon sword first, but instead of continuing to slash at Lin, she sheathed the sword, placed her hand on the hilt, and lowered her body like a taut bow.

"Hiss--"

She took a breath, her cold eyes fixed on her prey.

This is...

Even though Lin's reaction speed was already the fastest, he still couldn't dodge the moment he picked up the knife and saw Yae Sakura's pose...

What are you hiding from?

"————"

Silent.

Even the sound was shattered. By the time the world had recovered from the previous second, the cherry-haired girl had already appeared behind Lin, her crimson blade, burning with demonic fire, already drawn and pointing at the ground, while Lin stood frozen in place.

Tick-tock.

On the tip of the knife, a drop of viscous blood passed through the demonic flames and dripped onto the ground.

"Splash."

A line of blood appeared on Lin's right arm, where he was holding the knife. Then, the line of blood expanded, and a clean cut replaced the line of blood, severing his right arm. The cross-section of flesh and bone at the shoulder was exposed to the air, and his right arm fell to the ground.

Only then did the blood vessel belatedly realize that it had been severed, and blood gushed out.

Lin remained expressionless. Without even frowning, he bent down, picked up the long sword in his right hand from the ground, and then looked at Yae Sakura, who had sheathed her sword again and turned to face him.

When Sakura was teaching Rin her killing techniques, she once showed him the fastest sword technique that originated from her family's swordsmanship. At that time, Yae Sakura, who was already Flame-Chaser, could unleash a speed far exceeding the speed when she first fought him. Rin couldn't even see her trajectory. He could only see her appear behind the dummy after time seemed to stop, and the dummy used for practice was split in two.

Yae Sakura and Sakura are extremely similar in many ways, including their appearance, having a younger sister, their incredible swordsmanship, and even Sakura's time as a Miko.

This reminded Lin of his discussion with Mei about the "cocoon" and the truth of the world.

In that last strike, Lin confirmed that Yae Sakura's swordsmanship was no less than Sakura's, and that he could not compare to her.

So if he can't defend against the next move, he will be killed.

He held the knife in his left hand, standing calmly without turning to run away or rushing forward in a desperate attempt. Instead, he faced Yae Sakura, who was ready to attack at any moment.

In terms of strength and speed, Lin is inferior to Yae Sakura, who has the power of Herrscher. In terms of swordsmanship and skill, he is far behind Yae Sakura, who specializes in swordsmanship.

However, in this world, the difference in strength is often not enough to determine victory or defeat.

"————"

Yae Sakura drew her sword again, but Lin still couldn't see her movement. Would his head be separated from his body in the next second...?

"Bass!"

The cherry-haired girl reappeared, but not behind Lin, but directly in front of him, and for the first time, confusion appeared on her face.

On the ground she stepped onto, a broken blade pierced right through the sole of her foot.

At that time... when did she break the knife? When?

Then she realized that it took Lin a little longer than she expected to bend down and pick up the knife; otherwise, her cut should have completely severed Lin's upper body.

"Bass!"

The conjured Yae Sakura's thoughts ceased when a black blade pierced her chest.

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Sixty-Five - Reunion

Lin released his grip and watched as Yae Sakura, her heart pierced, slowly collapsed to the ground. He picked up the fallen demon sword, and the moment he touched the hilt, the blood-red blade turned a pure cherry blossom pink, its bewitching evil aura vanished.

"Howl!"

Bella's battle with the Kitsune continued. Bella was able to use three different attribute abilities, and for a time, she was locked in a fierce battle with the Kitsune spirit, who had the advantage of playing on home ground. The scene of the two ferocious behemoths fighting was like a natural disaster, with crimson flames, ice crystals, and thunderstorms all coming together to ravage the land of Yae Village.

"Bella!"

Lin, with only his left hand, gripped his sword and charged into the battlefield. He shouted loudly, and the dragon-type Honkai Beast that had shaken off the Kitsune turned its head after hearing his call, then flapped its wings and flew towards him.

"Call--"

The swirling wind made Lin Liandi, who was already exhausted, almost lose his balance, but fortunately Bella lowered her head in time and bit the back of his collar to help him steady himself. Then she twisted her head and lifted him onto her back.

"Roar!"

Having been suppressed by Bella time and time again, the Kitsune, already a culmination of resentment, finally erupted. Using all four limbs and with its nine tails flailing wildly, it charged towards Lin and Bella like a blazing red shadow!

Bella roared and flew into the sky. Lin lowered his body and grabbed the keratinous substance on her body. In the violent wind pressure, he stared intently at the Kitsune on the ground.

It must be a fatal blow; in this space of consciousness, it is the near-absolute ruler.

"Call..."

With its sharp teeth clenched, crimson flames began to leak out from between the Kitsune's teeth. Its beastly eyes were fixed on the demonic dragon that occupied the sky, its beastly face ferocious, like Fenrir who wanted to devour the gods.

It opened its gaping maw, and the condensed Honkai Energy was about to erupt.

Now!

"Bella."

The Demon Zero Dragon's main body turned purple, and the moment she heard Lin Si's words, she gathered all the V-shaped Honkai Energy into a breath and unleashed it!

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Two pillars of different colors collided in mid-air, unleashing astonishing energy. Lin then leaped down, rapidly descending along the main body of the breath, aiming at the Kitsune's mouth, which was unable to close due to its collision with the dragon's breath.

The scene before my eyes changed rapidly; a meteor streaked across the sky and fell from the heavens.

"Bass--"

"Sizzle—"

A red light pierced through the Kitsune's entire body, and its howling motion froze.

Its body slowly split in two, with no blood flowing out, but a large amount of crimson flames flowing out like liquid.