I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

This is the basic ability of Jizo Mitama, derived from the power of the Herrscher of Erosion. It can corrupt living beings and electronic devices for its own use, and can even corrupt Honkai creature to make them obey Lin's commands.

After Lin woke up, he searched for Kiana's whereabouts by corrupting many Honkai Beast throughout Changkong City, but so far he has not found anything. Where the silver-haired girl is hiding is a complete mystery.

Sheathed their swords and continued forward, soon arriving at a low-lying ruin. This was Lin and Bella's temporary base. Because Bella's aura as Upper-class Honkai Beast could not be concealed even in human form, no Honkai Beast would approach them.

Hearing Lin's footsteps as he returned, the gray-haired girl came out. Seeing that Lin had returned alone, even her usually expressionless face showed some emotion.

"... We didn't find it." Lin stated the conclusion directly. "But you still can't go outside. Anti-Entropy has already arrived in Changkong City, and Schicksal and World Serpent will definitely arrive here soon as well. If you expose yourself to them, you will be attacked."

Bella lowered her head dejectedly, clenching her fists. "But I want to find Her Majesty the Queen..."

"..."

Lin looked at her and sighed inwardly. Bella behaved normally in matters other than Kiana, but when it came to things related to Kiana, she would become so anxious that she lost her ability to think.

At times like these, she becomes like an abandoned puppy.

"Don't worry, the Honkai Energy fluctuations she's emitting clearly indicate that she's using the Herrscher of the Void's abilities. Given her physical condition, it's impossible for her to use them continuously in a short period of time. Furthermore, since you haven't sensed Honkai Energy from her, it means she's still in Changkong City. We'll find her sooner or later."

"Um."

Bella's emotions calmed down a bit. Seeing that Lin was about to leave again, she hesitated for half a second before saying, "Wait a minute, Lin, I'll go with you."

"..."

"As long as it doesn't turn back into its original form, it'll be fine, right?"

Indeed, as long as Bella doesn't transform into dragon-type Honkai Beast, she is a very small target and can easily bypass those detection devices without being detected.

Considering that leaving Bella alone... a dragon here would only make her more anxious, it would be better to bring her along. She could be of help if anything unexpected happens.

After Lin nodded, the gray-haired girl stepped forward and took his arm.

You can clearly feel the softness of the girl's thin, almost negligible fabric clinging to your arm.

"..."

Lin glanced at her unexpected action but remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Seeing that Lin didn't speak or leave, Bella tilted her head in confusion. After noticing his gaze, she came back to her senses and said in a natural tone, "Don't you like it? I think all the opposite sex you're close to do this in your memory."

"... No, they like to act recklessly, don't follow their example."

"Really?"

"Real."

"Oh, I like it."

"..."

What kind of image is it for two people to go out on a scouting trip hand in hand? Lin finally managed to pull Bella away with a forceful attitude. Thinking that she seemed to treat Kiana the same way, could it be that this girl, who has no expression except when fighting, is actually a particularly clingy person?

However, this reminded Lin of another person... or perhaps an Artificial Intelligence, also an expressionless and stubborn fellow.

There were no Honkai creature in Changkong City that could threaten them. According to Lin's previous exploration route, only the north remained to be explored. They made their way through without any obstacles. Bella kept trying to sense Kiana's location.

"The water level has risen..."

Lin noticed something: the water level in Changkong City had changed significantly since they first woke up, rising slightly.

This is very unusual. You have to understand that the weather in Changkong City is not one of continuous torrential rain. The fact that the water level is rising so rapidly can only mean one thing.

The city itself has a problem.

"Lin, the concentration of energy in the Honkai city of this city is still rising," Bella reminded Lin. "It's almost at the level where a new Herrscher will be born."

Can you figure out why?

"No, the reason is unknown."

A new Herrscher is born...

After arriving in the present civilization, Lin focused on understanding the situation of the current generation's Honkai outbreak through the World Serpent's database. Therefore, he was very clear about the difference between the two. There must be a force behind the current situation in Changkong City, but it is necessary to continue to investigate which side it comes from.

"Wait a moment."

Lin stopped and grabbed Bella's shoulder.

He stared intently at a building not far away, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

That doesn't look like ruins.

The "Rebirth" of Changkong: Chapter Two - Picking Up His Wife (Not Really) and Running Away

Lin didn't know what kind of place Changkong City was now. Maybe it was the same as the Changkong City he used to live in, or maybe it was different, but he knew what kind of place Changkong City was now.

A Honkai Energy lair filled with high concentrations of Honkai energy and teeming with deadly Honkai Beast is completely unsuitable for anyone to live in, unless they want to die.

So when he saw people, especially a group of children, living in Changkong City, it would be a lie to say he wasn't surprised.

Lin squatted on the edge of the rooftop, looking at the settlement built in a relatively secluded gap between buildings where the water level couldn't reach. The buildings looked like they were all handmade, and the materials could be found in Changkong City.

A group of children live in a settlement, and surprisingly, in this city full of monsters, they are not lifeless, but full of new vitality.

With so many children living together, supplies are definitely a major issue, so someone must be regularly delivering supplies to them.

The person who can enable a group of children without combat abilities to live peacefully in the highly dangerous Changkong City must be extraordinary.

Just as Lin was pondering whether or not to approach him, he saw a familiar figure from behind.

Blue eyes reflect the sky.

The silver-haired girl woke up from the ruins. She got up, clutching her head which felt like it was crawling with tens of thousands of insects. She felt as if her body was falling apart and she had no strength.

She remembered escaping from the branch of Schicksal...

Oh, right, Class President...

No one spoke to her as she woke up, and a suffocating emptiness instantly enveloped the girl. She clutched the watch on her left wrist in a low voice, her eyes vacant.

She was alone again.

Why does it always turn out like this...? She didn't want to leave Lin's body in Sky City, nor did she want Fu Hua to face an invincible enemy alone.

But tomorrow will always come, and those who are alive must keep moving forward.

Kiana stood up in a daze. She seemed to be deep inside a collapsed house. After she came out, everything suddenly became clear. She had arrived in Changkong City from back then.

"..."

The silver-haired girl stood in the passage of time, her head bowed, yet she could see no trace of the past.

This is where destiny begins.

Kiana took a deep breath, glanced down at her watch, clenched her fist, and walked forward.

After training in Sky City, Kiana still couldn't fully control the massive Honkai Energy, and her body was still being eroded, but the rate of erosion was much slower than before. She would not let Himeko, Fu Hua, and Lin down, and would definitely defeat the Herrscher of the Void's consciousness completely!

"What lies ahead..."

After she came out, she was surprised to find a place that looked like it was inhabited not far away. According to Bianca, the concentration of Honkai Energy in Changkong City was no lower than before, so how could there still be people living here?

Are they refugees here who can't leave?

Kiana was filled with worry. She hurried towards the settlement built on the rooftop, only to discover upon closer inspection that it was inhabited by a group of children!

Kiana, whose thinking was no longer as simple as before, naturally realized that this was definitely not a simple matter, but she still considered the safety of these children. If she only thought about herself, she would not be Kiana.

So Kiana didn't linger and walked into the settlement. The children living there turned around to look at her curiously, seemingly surprised that a guest had come to visit.

"That..."

Kiana didn't know how to start. She looked at the children's dusty faces and couldn't think of a way to ask them anything.

"Big sister, are you lost?" one of the taller children asked timidly.

"Ah, it's not that we're lost. Actually, I'm quite familiar with Changkong City, it's just that I'm not so familiar with this place..." Kiana chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. She really wasn't good at dealing with children; even the icy Bronya was better at it than her. "How did you end up living here? Is there anyone taking care of you?"

The children looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion, but they still politely answered Kiana's question, "'Teacher' comes to find us from time to time. We have nowhere to go, so Teacher built a 'nest' here for us to live in."

Teacher...

Kiana smiled and nodded, noting the word down. But as she was about to ask something else, she stopped herself. Staring intently in a certain direction, a rare dark emotion welled up in her gold and blue eyes.

The children sensed something as well, and they turned around to see a hooded figure with a cloak flapping as he jumped down from the eaves and walked toward them.

"Teacher! You're back!"

"Hmm." The woman addressed as "teacher" chuckled softly to the children, then glanced at Kiana and said with a smile, "You all go back to your rooms first. I need to talk to my guests."

It must be said that these children, who have been strong and resilient since childhood, are very sensible. They all seemed to have figured something out, and then none of them objected as they returned to the house. Soon, only Kiana and the "teacher" remained.

Kiana's gaze was colder than ever before as she stared at the woman with a beauty mark on the corner of her mouth, her expression devoid of any gentleness.

Raven smiled at Kiana.

"I didn't expect to run into the Herrscher of the Void as soon as I returned to Changkong City. Does going home bring good luck?"

"Is your home in Changkong City?"

"How could that be?" Raven chuckled, but her smile was laced with sarcasm towards Kiana. "I don't have a home, and even if I did, I would have long since lost it."

"... What do you want?"

"Don't worry, I don't want the children to know about this, and I don't want to start a war with you here. Let's... go somewhere else."

Raven and Kiana left the nest one after the other, passed through the narrow tunnel, and arrived at the roof of another building. Raven opened her arms as if to embrace the air filled with Honkai Energy. Although the air was not fresh, it was still more relaxing than in the studio.

"Seeing how much you care about the children, I have to thank you on their behalf. However, I've always kept my work and life separate." Raven curled her lips into a playful smile, turned around, and looked at the silver-haired girl. "And you probably don't intend to let me go either, do you, Herrscher of the Void?"

This is the person who killed Lin...

Kiana thought of that day, the man with a pierced chest lying on the ground, and how she could only keep looking back at his lonely body left there. Her heart ached, and she clutched her wristwatch with increasing force.

But...

"I am not the Herrscher of the Void, I am Kiana Kaslana." Kiana bit her lip, looking angrily at the slightly surprised woman. "I will stop you, but not for revenge, but for... to reach a better future."

"... Heh, interesting."

Raven was momentarily dazed, then snapped out of her daze by Kiana's resolute gaze. She flexed her fingers, preparing for the upcoming battle. "Then..."

"Whoosh!"

Before the words were even finished, a sphere fell between the two of them. Before they could react, it exploded, spewing out thick white dust. A figure moving at incredible speed scooped up Kiana and disappeared without a trace as the Raven struggled to breathe.

The "Rebirth" of the Sky: Chapter Three - People always become kings without even realizing it...

Lin rarely carries people while running; most of the time, he doesn't have enough time.

The girl's slender, soft body stirred restlessly in his arms. He turned to look in the direction of Raven. She hadn't come after him. Fighting Raven here was a bad idea. Since Raven had already arrived in Changkong City, the main force of the World Serpent must have arrived as well. Fighting would only attract more enemies, and then Kiana wouldn't be able to escape even if she wanted to.

But in that instant he turned around, the girl's fist was already imprinted on his mask.

"Bang!"

The two separated, Lin Fei walked more than ten meters before collapsing to the ground. Kiana, choking, got up from the ground and looked warily at the man lying motionless on the ground.

Who is this guy? Why did he suddenly appear and take her away?

Why does it look so familiar...?

While Kiana was still feeling disappointed by the Déjà vu, the man who had been lying face down slowly got up from the ground, his mask shattering piece by piece. He raised his head and looked at Kiana, their eyes meeting.

"..."

"..."

Her thin, cherry-pink lips trembled.

The silver-haired girl stared blankly at the calm man, unable to utter a word. At this moment, she felt as if she had fallen into the illusion created by the Herrscher's consciousness once again.

Her eyes were already red without her realizing it; she thought she would never shed tears again.

She thought she would never see this person again.

What did he mean to her? He was cold and aloof, and most of the time quite cunning. He didn't consider anything else when he attacked, and had beaten her to a pulp several times. His words were usually ruthless and heartless... Kiana felt she should really hate this kind of person...

But he also taught her some things: to stand up for her when she needed him, to believe in her when the whole world abandoned her, and to say he would kill her when she became Herrscher, yet he chose to save her with his own life...

And, that same loneliness on her face.

After spending just over half a month together, she finally understood the expectation hidden in this person's ruthlessness towards her at the last moment. However, it was too late, too late, so late that she couldn't even say a word of thanks.