I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

The man whose body had been pierced by Jiu's punch was the same one who had led the way earlier. He coughed up blood, but excitedly grabbed Jiu's arm that had pierced his chest, shouting, "I caught him! I caught him..."

"Splash!"

Jiu grabbed his shoulders and tore him in two with force, splitting him in two on the spot!

Seeing their companion's gruesome death, the others felt no fear at all; instead, they became even more excited, charging towards Jiu as if they were on steroids!

Jiu's chains alone could almost wipe out all the people charging at the front, and those who managed to reach him would be easily killed by him. The battle was one-sided, with Jiu alone being stronger than all of them combined!

But... that's strange.

It's not just this group of people who are fanatically throwing their lives away; it's strange.

Jiu's efficiency in slaughtering this group was comparable to a meat grinder. Logically, he could have killed four or five hundred people in two minutes, but now he felt that the number of people he had killed far exceeded five hundred.

It wasn't until Jiu saw the man leading the way for the third time in the surging crowd that he realized what the problem was.

The Coral's "Reversal": Chapter Six - A Thousand Kinds of Calm

Are these people immortal?

Jiu stomped on one of the men's heads, then beheaded another. As more and more of these guys died, they gradually figured out the trajectory of his chains. More and more people were able to get close to him. They were fearless and seemed to have no sense of pain, so even if he killed them quickly and cruelly, they didn't feel any fear at all.

No... Even the Herrscher of Death can die; they cannot be immortal.

So, where does the problem lie? Why can everyone be resurrected?

It's not a problem with Honkai Energy. Jiu's chains can strip away Honkai Energy, but even if someone is killed with the chains, they will be resurrected unharmed in the next second and continue charging at him in the square.

Jiu's expression was clouded with gloom. He swiftly killed one person after another, rapidly recalling the characteristics of the Herrscher of Domination, wondering if the secret lay hidden within.

"Bang!"

As he pondered, he punched the man in front of him through the chest, but at that moment, his attack was slightly off-target, missing the heart.

"Bang!"

A dull thud echoed on her face, the force of which was so slight as to be almost negligible. For Jiu, most fatal injuries were minor and insignificant, let alone this light punch.

However, this caught his attention.

The person hanging on the fist lost consciousness after weakly throwing a punch, turning into blue particles and disappearing, then reappearing on the outskirts of the square.

Jiu slowly clenched his fist, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surroundings.

That's right, it was just a regular punch, but these people were already able to hit him.

Even though he's currently in a relaxed state, he can't keep going indefinitely. Herrscher are living beings too, and they can't keep going indefinitely. In the Previous Civilization, he was worn down to death by the Fire Moths using sheer numbers. It's unknown whether these Herrscher of Domination will experience fatigue. Even now, Jiu might make a mistake that could lead to an attack.

"Oh right! Can't we use 'that'?"

Suddenly, one of the people who had been charging forward mindlessly stopped, said something as if he had remembered something, and then stared blankly for two seconds.

Then, his joints glowed, blue particles coalesced into simple armor, and his face was covered with a simple goggles.

He excitedly swung his fist, creating a gust of wind, and then charged towards Jiu again!

Before Jiu could figure out how to escape, a blur appeared before his eyes, a figure moving at a speed far exceeding that of the others. His pupils contracted, and he instinctively used chains to wrap around his arms and shield himself!

"Bang!"

The immense force was far beyond what ordinary humans could match. Jiu Lian staggered back several steps before barely managing to steady himself. When he looked up, he saw a person wearing makeshift armor staring incredulously at his fist.

"Everyone! Arm yourselves! This power... it's amazing!"

This is troublesome.

As Jiu silently increased the number of chains, azure particles lit up one after another on the plaza in front of him. The originally fragile human bodies began to be covered with armor, and their eyes were covered with uniform goggles. At a glance, they all seemed to have transformed into the same person.

If it were just ordinary human-level strength, Jiu could last for a long time, but even if her superhuman speed and strength were only at the level of B-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, and she had almost no combat skills, it would still be extremely terrifying with the blessing of immortality.

Should we expand the domain of constraint? Here? On Herrscher who should be of the same kind?

"Jiu, I thought we would be good friends and help each other."

Suddenly, a soft voice reached his ears. Jiu looked over indifferently and saw Ito Kyō standing not far away, quietly watching him.

"... How could I possibly be friends with humans?" Jiu's Prismatic Eyes burned fiercely, cold and ruthless, like a machine carrying out orders, spreading despair to the world. "Your deaths would be the greatest help you could give me."

"I think so too, after all, you are Herrscher."

"You are the same."

"We are not like the Herrscher; you are just a bunch of inhuman monsters."

Ito Kyō's face was covered with an eye patch, while Kyu swung the chains.

"Thank you, Seele, for coming out with me."

"No need to thank me. I was just out shopping to prepare for Anti-Entropy's anniversary celebration. Seele should thank Kiana for accompanying me shopping."

The two girls walked side by side down the street. Kiana couldn't help but sigh that it had been a long time since she had walked in the sunlight in human society without hiding. Seele, standing beside her, gave her a slight smile.

Kiana could tell that Seele had been sent by Bronya to accompany her. After all, anyone could see that Kiana was feared and ostracized by others in Anti-Entropy as the Herrscher of the Void. Even if those around her who were familiar with her wouldn't feel anything about it, she still needed the kindness of those who weren't very familiar with her.

For Kiana, Seele was someone who was neither a stranger nor a familiar person. She had heard Bronya mention Seele many times, but she actually met Seele for the first time after arriving at Anti-Entropy.

Kiana found the shy girl somewhat novel, and Seele's gentleness made Kiana feel quite comfortable around her.

"This is also the first time I've held Anti-Entropy's anniversary celebration since I came back. Everyone hopes that this year's celebration can be more grand, since there are many new friends." Seele took out her shopping list and looked at it as she walked.

"Everyone does need to relax a bit." Kiana's smile wasn't wide. She looked down at her toes moving on the ground, her eyes devoid of joy. "I know you and Bronya mean well, but I don't need comforting. I know my place. It's normal for others to be afraid of me."

"But that would put a lot of pressure on you," Seele said softly. "If you don't mind, you can tell Seele anything. Although I can't do many things and I can't be as good as Sister Bronya, I can still listen to others."

"... Thank you, Seele."

Perhaps sensing Seele's goodwill, Kiana gave a slightly respectable smile.

"And Kiana also has Brother Lin." Seele's smile was radiant.

"Huh? Eh?" Kiana was stunned for a few seconds before blushing with embarrassment. "N-no, it's not what you think. That was... an accident."

"An accident? Does that mean Kiana and Brother Lin are just friends?" Seele asked curiously, pointing to her lips.

"That's not entirely true..."

Kiana hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said softly—

"I don't know what our relationship is. We seem to be very close, but I often feel that he is in a very, very far place, so far that even if I stand in front of him, there is an insurmountable chasm between us."

The Coral's "Reversal": Chapter Seven - A Thousand Blessings

"Then it's okay if I take Brother Lin away from me?"

"Um?"

The sudden silence between the two stemmed from a sentence spoken by Seele with a smile. Kiana was stunned for a few seconds before she reacted. She thought she had misheard and turned her head to stare blankly at the smiling girl with the inward highlights.

What's the meaning...

"It was just a joke, Kiana." Before Kiana could fully grasp the meaning behind Seele's words, Seele waved her hand with a smile. "Why are you taking it so seriously? I'm getting embarrassed..."

"Oh... oh." Kiana's throat felt dry and bitter for some reason. Of course, she knew that Seele couldn't possibly take Lin away, but she thought of Mei Fu Hua, so she could only try to smile. "After all, Seele is so cute, and he's a pervert. It would be terrible if she fell into his hands. Seele should be careful."

People around her leave without her even realizing it... Now, Kiana is no longer swayed by the past, but she still can't accept the departure of those around her again. That's why she wants to keep getting stronger, strong enough to protect everyone, strong enough to change this hateful world.

Perhaps her feelings for Lin were not simply admiration, but rather a longing for a man who would always remain true to himself, regardless of whether those around him left or became his adversaries. Cruelty had not defeated him; despite his many hardships, he still chose to protect those who were more vulnerable than him.

It seems that no matter when you look at him, you can only see his back.

Therefore, Kiana is "one of those saved by Lin." He has saved countless people, and Kiana is just an ordinary one among them.

This is probably the source of the invisible sense of alienation.

"Speaking of which, there haven't been many Honkai incidents lately." After signing the materials list, Seele handed it back to the shop owner. Only the decorations were left to buy. They headed to the last shop. "It feels so much quieter now."

"Indeed, it takes some getting used to." Kiana nodded.

Perhaps it's because the issues related to Honkai have been resolved recently... Herrscher of Reason and Benares are both in Anti-Entropy, Herrscher of Rock died, and several Herrscher were born and disappeared in a short period of time, without even causing widespread damage.

Speaking of the Herrscher of Reason and Bella, they are both dangerous characters, but they integrated into Anti-Entropy faster than Kiana. The Herrscher of Reason wanders around without any sense of boundaries, and will talk to anyone who interests her, not caring whether the other person is frightened or not. Over time, the people in Anti-Entropy have become desensitized to this carefree Herrscher.

As for Bella... she's been playing with the Arin sisters for a long time, so most people probably treat her like a child, making it hard to associate her with the Judgment-class Honkai Beast Benares.

"Oh dear, Seele's here to buy things again. Just call me if you need anything, and I'll deliver it directly to you."

The uncle selling decorations was very enthusiastic, or rather, everyone here was very enthusiastic towards Seele. Everyone liked the well-behaved, sensible, and cute little girl. Kiana smiled and looked at the slightly embarrassed Seele. Of course, she didn't dislike Seele.

"Oh? This is Seele's friend? Haha, that's great. We were worried you'd be bullied when you came all alone." The uncle turned his gaze to Kiana and said in surprise.

"No, I wasn't bullied. I just wanted to do something for everyone, so I went out to buy things..."

"What's your name? I don't think I've seen you before." The man picked up Seele's shopping list, intending to copy it by hand, and asked Kiana.

Kiana.

"Oh, that's a very nice name... Well, okay, I'll send it over to you after I've sorted out the goods."

"OK, thanks."

Seele took back the shopping list, and then, remembering something, she asked the cheerful uncle, "By the way, did you go out yesterday?"

She had also come to buy things yesterday, but the decoration shop, which she remembered had never closed since she came here, was closed. Somewhat concerned, Seele asked the others, but they all said they didn't know where the uncle had gone.

"It's not that I'm playing games at home, it's just that I'm playing games and chatting with people in a group for many years. It's like I've had a youthful time."

"Hehe, that's great." Seele couldn't help but laugh when she heard that the uncle had been playing games too much and that's why he hadn't opened the door.

After chatting for a couple more minutes, Kiana and Seele turned around and started heading back to the Anti-Entropy base. Behind them came the uncle's voice, "Welcome to come again," which sounded incredibly enthusiastic.

But Kiana, for some reason, felt a tightness in her heart.

A strange feeling welled up inside me.

She turned around and looked at the decoration shop, only to find that the man had already returned to the shop, probably to prepare to buy some decorations.

"What's wrong, Kiana?" Seele asked, noticing Kiana frowning and staring intently behind her.

"... No, it's nothing. I'm probably just a little dazed from overtraining lately."

Lin took off the helmet after adjusting it and put it back on the adjustment table. After several rounds of adjustments, Tesla basically adjusted the helmet to the system that Lin originally used. On this basis, some "Tesla features" were added. Although Lin strongly objected, she couldn't refuse because she was the creator.

This reminded Lin of another inventor who was equally unique, but that person was far more unconventional than Tesla. For Lin, it wasn't just a minor feature, but rather a major theme.

"Hmm... you look quite young, but the system seems to prefer using an old-fashioned type of phone." After inputting the data, Tesla pushed up his red-rimmed glasses and said to Lin with a hint of annoyance, "You really are a 50,000-year-old antique."

"No, I just don't like systems that are too simplified. The learning curve isn't steep, but since it's not a necessity, there's no need to learn it. Besides, the old system is more practical than the new one," Lin explained sullenly.

"... Aren't you just an old person who's not used to smartphones?"

"Hehe..." A soft laugh rang out from the side. The young researcher who had previously persuaded the Herrscher of Reason placed her hand on her chin and smiled sweetly.

"What's wrong?" Tesla turned around and asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing, I just find Mr. Lin and Dr. Tesla very interesting. Every day in Anti-Entropy is never boring."

"Hey... this isn't a place for playing around." Tesla rubbed his forehead with one hand, thinking, "Why are all these guys so unreliable lately? We're the guardians of humanity, so we'd better focus on our work."

"Of course, don't worry, boss, I guarantee I'll complete the task."

The young female researcher's earnest salute only made Tesla's face darken.

That's why I'm worried.

Just as Lin was about to leave, he heard a girl's voice behind him.

"Mr. Lin, do you have a moment?"

Lin turned around calmly. "You're a good person."

Coral's "Twist": Chapter Eight - Herrscher of Thousand People Want to Be Good People

Most high school students fantasize about the existence of aliens, time travelers, and superpowered individuals in the world. They imagine that these fantastical creatures exist in human society and can switch between the ordinary and the extraordinary at any time.

But in reality, the most troublesome thing for high school students during their youth is probably their budding romance...

Lin has seen aliens, time travelers, and people with superpowers, but what bothers him most is not these real anomalies, but rather how to handle interpersonal relationships.

In more anime-style terms, after experiencing Seele's situation, Lin's reflections on his life were filled with foreshadowing, which gave him a deeper understanding of the necessity of regulating his words and actions.

Simply put, it means... refusing to set a flag.

"Huh? I haven't said anything yet." The young female researcher hurriedly followed Lin as he walked quickly out of the equipment room without turning his head.