I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

"No... I should say that, like the previous Herrscher of Reason, she wanted to become you, but she could never gain your approval."

"Nobody treats her as Fu Hua, and she has no idea who she is."

For the two days following that day, Seele deliberately avoided Lin. It was unclear whether it was the Seele from her other personality doing so, or whether both Seele wanted to avoid him. Lin, on the other hand, didn't know what to say to Seele and could only focus on searching for clues about the Herrscher of Binding to reduce his mental activity.

"..."

Perhaps he was thinking, or perhaps he couldn't give Lin an answer, Fu Hua simply looked at the lake with Lin, remaining silent.

About five minutes later, Lin got up and walked towards the Anti-Entropy base. Fu Hua's voice came from behind, making him stop.

"I remember there was an artificial lake in the old base, right?"

"..."

Kevin and May were still boating on the artificial lake in the middle of the night, although it was a plan to lure out Sakura, who was still an assassin at the time.

"Lin, in 50,000 years, anything can change. Kevin has become Kevin Kaslana, Hua has become Fu Hua, and the world has been turned upside down, becoming something familiar yet strange to us."

Fu Hua gazed at the lake, recalling her past self, from a shy and introverted student to a valiant warrior. Compared to her later life, it seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye.

But that period of time is just as important as every moment of these 50,000 years. They are all experiences that constitute Fu Hua's existence. Hua became Fu Hua, but Hua did not disappear.

"The lake in front of us is very similar to the artificial lakes of the past, but they are completely different. They just share the same essence. Rather than treating them as the same thing, it would be better to treat them with the same attitude."

Lin listened quietly to Fu Hua's ethereal voice as she spoke.

The same attitude.

"I believe that no matter how the world changes, there will always be some things that will not be lost with time."

"There will always be lakes, so why bother whether they are man-made or natural?"

Lin Qing exhaled softly, nodded, and continued walking forward. Fu Hua smiled and followed behind him.

"By the way, what did you say Kevin's name was?"

"Kevin Kaslana."

"... Kaslana?"

"Didn't you know? Kiana is Kevin's descendant."

"..."

Lin stopped in his tracks, his eyes filled with a deathly intensity.

Seele listlessly cleared away her plate after finishing her meal. Bronya, who was sitting opposite her, paused, glanced at her, and then put down her spoon and stood up.

"Ah, Sister Bronya, you haven't finished eating yet..."

"It's alright, I'm full," the girl said calmly, then added, "What happened, Seele?"

"Um...no." Seele shook her head, but the complexity in her eyes betrayed her, which Bronya noticed.

"Want to go for a walk? I remember there's a lake nearby."

Perhaps it was Bronya's concern that eased Seele's mood a little, and she nodded, "Okay, fine."

Bronya smiled slightly, picked up her plate, walked to the place where the cutlery was, and then she turned around...

"Hmm? Seele?"

The girl with the inner highlights has disappeared.

Meanwhile, in the corridor, a black-haired man pulled a dazed girl along, striding forward.

The "Rebirth" of the Sky: Chapter Sixty-Five - You Are Not You

"Lin... what are you doing?"

Faced with the strange looks from those around them, Seele lowered her head shyly, a beautiful blush rising on her fair and translucent face. She tried to pull her hand away, but Lin was much stronger than she had imagined, and she could only let him lead her all the way to his room.

He pulled Seele into the room and then closed and locked the door behind him.

A click made Seele's light body tremble.

"I have something to say," Lin said bluntly, turning to the nervous Seele.

"Is there... is there something we can't say outside?" Seele bit her lower lip and said softly.

Since that day, both the other Seele and she had mixed feelings. The other Seele even refused to talk to her anymore, but Seele at the time hoped to tell Lin the truth so that the two of them could have a proper talk, and that Seele's own complicated thoughts could be relieved.

But things got worse, and even Seele couldn't help but feel disappointed when she saw the way Lin looked at her.

A kind of disappointment that she couldn't explain, a disappointment that came from nowhere.

Lin did not answer her, but instead took a deep breath and began to explain, "Fifty thousand years ago, I joined an organization called 'Fire Moth,' which is the organization to which the base we saw in the Quantum Sea belonged."

"In the early days of joining the Firemoth, I briefly worked in the Squad Five. It was during that time that I met Soul. She joined a few months later than me, so I can't really be considered her senior."

Seeing that Lin was calmly talking about serious matters, and that these matters were related to the soul, Seele felt slightly relieved and stared at him blankly.

"However, she does need guidance. Unlike the others who joined the Firemoon because of hatred of the Honkai, she joined the Firemoon because her family members were researchers there. You could say she is one of the most normal people among us."

But what Seele saw in the Quantum Sea was not a "normal" soul, but a soul that had been corrupted by the Honkai, the world, and the distorted ideology, and had slaughtered the rebels who High Council of the Firemoth.

"Her parents died from inside the fire-chasing moth."

Lin clenched his fist. The fates of many people were changed in that branch attack. Kevin, Spasi, Soul... they were all altered by the distortion of human self and went down different paths.

"She couldn't understand why people must part ways, why life must end, and why... it's all caused by humankind itself..."

"At that time, I didn't notice her abnormality, which was one of the reasons that she eventually became Herrscher."

"This is my responsibility. No matter the reason, even if there were no soul, someone else would become Herrscher. But her tragedy was caused by me, so..."

So after that, Lin did his best to take care of his two juniors, Pardo and Delta, to fill the void in his heart that was missing in his soul.

As Lin himself said, this was a mistake; it was simply transferring one person's feelings onto another, which was extremely disrespectful to both of them.

"So that's why you feel guilty towards me, right?"

Seele spoke softly.

Her bright eyes gazed at Lin, seemingly filled with a young girl's determination and persistence. Despite her seemingly weak personality, she was unexpectedly strong in certain aspects.

Lin nodded silently.

"Back in the Quantum Sea, was it because of this feeling that Lin protected me so meticulously? Even after I betrayed him?"

Seele still remembers the scene, and how she involuntarily uttered "Team Member Lin" at the moment of parting.

It was as if... the soul of Hun had been reborn within her.

Lin nodded. He wouldn't pretend to make excuses at this time. He simply couldn't deny the unusual emotions he felt at that moment. Deceiving himself once was enough.

"I see." Seele closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, then opened them and smiled gently. "I understand."

"What do you know!" Seele suddenly spoke again, but this time, her tone was intense and filled with emotion. Her eyes turned bloodshot as she stared at Lin and said through gritted teeth, "Do you want him to treat you like that 'soul'? Disgusting, you two hypocrites!"

Another Seele appeared. Lin silently watched the girl who was staring at him angrily. This was the source of Seele's feeling that she was the soul.

Because Seele, whose personality is formed by the Stigmata, is essentially Herrscher of Death born from the Soul's body. She has all of the Soul's memories, but she does not consider herself a Soul. In the end, Lin gave her the name Seele.

I hate you!

"Seele" glared angrily at the silent Lin, her surging emotions making her speak without restraint.

"Always acting all high and mighty!"

In the World Bubble of the Quantum Sea, the moment she saw Lin piloting the Titan, she felt an overwhelming surge of emotions, though at that time she didn't yet understand what they were.

Later, she learned that it was a part of her soul deep within her memory.

But then, what exactly is she? She's been with Seele for so many years, so was her birth a hoax? Did everything about her actually originate from someone who died 50,000 years ago?

She would rather die than be treated like another person!

But the most ridiculous thing is that she can't even deny the extremely complicated emotions she feels for this man; these feelings clearly originate from her soul! That coward, just like Seele!

"...If this is what you want, I will treat you as someone else," Lin said calmly.

"That's what I hope for..."

"Seele" gritted her teeth and glared at the expressionless man.

Did she want Lin Cong? From now on, she would be just another Seele, just like before, nothing would change.

Yes, that's what she thinks... Really...?

"Seele" lowered her head, her two delicate fists clenched tightly, and her blood-red pupils trembled incessantly.

And just as the silence threatened to engulf the two people in the empty room, the trembling stopped.

The fierce look on Seele's pretty face vanished, and she calmly asked Lin, "You've mistaken me for a soul, haven't you?"

Lin nodded heavily.

"Then from now on, I will be your soul in front of you, so everything I do will be done by my soul."

What does this mean?

Before Lin could figure it out, "Seele" leaned in, grabbed his collar, closed her eyes, and kissed him.

Lin's pupils contracted, and he subconsciously wanted to push her away, but the previous sentence of "Seele" suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Everything I do is done by my soul."

The overwhelming guilt he felt towards his soul overwhelmed him, drowning his entire heart and causing him to give up the fight.

As the soft touch of her lips came, "Seele" quietly opened her eyes, the chaos in her bloodshot pupils almost overflowing.

The "Rebirth" of Chang Kong: Chapter Sixty-Six: Guilt, Reason, and Pain

"Lin... Lin?"

"..."

"Are you sick? Or is it just the change in environment?"

The black-haired man, who had been lost in thought in the training room, was pulled back to reality by the silver-haired girl's call. He looked at the slightly worried girl in front of him with unfocused pupils. She reached out and touched the man's forehead.

A charming, lovely, gentle, and virtuous girl—who wouldn't want to marry her?

"No, it's nothing." Lin's pupils contracted as he grasped Kiana's hand. "It's probably because I've been processing information about the Herrscher too lately."

"You should also take proper rest; worrying too much is not good."

The girl's caring breath was as sweet as orchids, which amplified the guilt and remorse in Lin's heart. He nodded silently, somewhat afraid to look Kiana in the eye.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Seeing Lin avoid her gaze, Kiana leaned closer in puzzlement. The strong scent of hormones emanating from her body after exercise was intoxicating. When Lin saw her luscious, jelly-like lips approaching, his heart almost stopped beating.

He thought of the kiss that had overwhelmed him with shame yesterday, and of "Seele's " equally shocked and angry expression after the kiss.

It was probably a subconscious reaction on her part, and Lin's reaction was also subconscious.

Fu Hua is right, he handles interpersonal relationships with women very poorly.

Kiana realized Lin had been staring at her lips, and her already flushed face turned even redder after training. She quickly glanced left and right. "You pervert... This is the training room, what if someone sees us..."

Huh? What was seen...?

"You're only allowed one kiss, no other things allowed."

The fragrance filled her lips and nose, and the girl's shyness and sweetness lingered between her teeth.

Warmth is like lukewarm water, neither too hot nor too cold, flowing into the stomach...

"Kiana, Brother Lin, it's time to rest... Ah."

In a daze, I heard the training room door being pulled open, and the softness on my lips vanished instantly.

"Seele, this... that..."

Kiana hurriedly explained something, and Lin also came to his senses and turned to look.

A surprised Seele stood at the training room door. Her gaze swept back and forth between Lin and Kiana's faces twice, then she smiled at the shy and nervous Kiana and said, "N-no problem, Seele won't tell anyone."

"It's not what you think!" Kiana's words were less convincing because of the saliva still clinging to the corners of her mouth.

"Yes, yes, I understand." Even though Kiana is older, Seele looked at her with understanding, "Go and rest, you haven't left the training room all morning."

Kiana glared at Lin in shame and anger, then fled the training room as if she were running away.

Seele smiled as she watched Kiana walk away, then stretched out her leg, clad in a stocking, to block Lin, who also wanted to leave.