I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

Well, since it's work, there's not much to say.

Raven got up to go to work. Mei would probably have to stay in the Imaginary Tree for a while longer, and then she would be acting alone as before.

The Gray Serpent stood outside the room, silently glanced back, and then walked away without a sound.

"Does this sword... have a name?"

Theresa hesitated before handing the transformed sword back to Lin. He took it, silently examining the new patterns that made the sword more ornate, and shook his head.

After fighting each other for so long, they ended up giving each other a gift. He suddenly wanted to know what the Herrscher, who could no longer speak, was thinking at the last moment.

After the experiment, the power inside the Knight's Sword has greatly increased, and it is now basically on par with the Oath of Judas. In other words, except for the inability to use its rated power, this sword is now a qualified Divine Key.

"How about I choose one? How about 'Sword in the Lake'?"

Lin Mo looked at Theresa, and after being stared at for a while, she gave a wry smile.

However, the name...

In the end, Lin didn't even know his name; he might have, or he might not.

He stared at the sword and suddenly had an idea.

"Let's call it 'Seventy-Nine'."

"Seventy-Nine? Why is it called that?"

More like a number than a name, Theresa couldn't help but wonder about Lin's taste in naming.

Only Lin knows the meaning of this name. He and that Herrscher are different people. That Herrscher will not recognize Lin's name, but the number that was once used as a number may be the only shared thing that the Herrscher recognizes.

The golden knight's sword radiated a holy light.

Elysian Realm of "Flying Flowers": Chapter One - Detective Mei Unravels the Truth

This is bad.

This is very bad.

If someone were to ask him when he was most nervous, he would say he would choose one of the following: the Third Honkai War Honkai Impact 3rd, a battle against Judgment-class Honkai Beast and Herrscher with no communication available; the Fourth Honkai War, a race against time where only Titans could touch him; and the Fifth Honkai War, where his body was so badly damaged that he was almost unable to move...

And now he will show that person his current state.

Outside the wide-open door, the silver-haired girl Kiana covered her mouth in utter shock as she stared into the room. Beside her, the Herrscher of Reason's expression shifted from curiosity to stiffness. Theresa, overwhelmed by the information, was emitting smoke as her brain shut down. Inside the room, Seele stood by the bed with her head down, her bangs obscuring her face.

The dark-haired man, wearing only a pair of shorts, was lying on the bed, with a bewildered Bella and an expressionless Bronya beneath him.

The winter sun is frozen.

Why did things turn out like this...?

When Lin and his group returned to Anti-Entropy, no one gave them a grand welcome; it was as if they had simply gone on a trip and returned.

However, necessary work still needed to be done. After briefly exchanging information about the operation with the others, Tesla handed over the body of the Herrscher of Binding, Anna, Prometheus, and Seventy-Nine to Tesla. Tesla was so excited to receive so many research resources that his eyes lit up.

This ill-tempered PhD student only showed a hint of femininity at times like this.

Lin, who was still in a sling, returned to his room, unsure whether it was the end of his work or vacation. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief... or so he thought.

As it turns out, all assumptions were just assumptions until the results were revealed.

The girl with short, highlighted hair stood smiling in front of the door, just as expected. Lin had been wondering why he hadn't seen Seele just half an hour ago, and now her appearance at the right time and place made perfect sense.

... This is reasonable without considering Lin's feelings.

"Smack!"

Lin was pressed against the wall with a normal expression. "Seele" twitched her nose and sniffed his scent, her crimson eyes flashing with suspicion.

"Hmm... it doesn't taste like Sister Bronya ~"

What exactly do you want to smell...?

After sniffing around for a while, "Seele" clapped her hands with a smile, "Great, Brother Lin, you didn't really become a 'brother', otherwise I would have to consider whether to turn you into [beep]."

Being able to say terrifying things with a smile is probably Seele's special talent.

Just as Lin thought that some paid content was about to begin, "Seele's " expression changed. She grabbed Lin's right hand, which was in a cast, and asked, "What happened to your hand?"

"Something unexpected happened." Lin tried to pull her hand away slightly, but "Seele" was incredibly strong and she couldn't break free at all. She carefully examined her before letting go.

"... What accident?"

After briefly recounting what had happened, "Seele" showed a resentful expression.

"Is that Herrscher out of his mind? Why did he have to fight you to the death, resulting in widespread destruction? If he wanted to die, couldn't he have just killed himself?"

"..."

This statement perfectly reflects Seele's personality. If her usual level of rudeness were converted to a numerical value of fifty points, it would now be one hundred and twenty points. After listening to it, she launched a verbal attack on the Herrscher of Binding without any restraint.

"But... never mind."

"Seele" wanted to say something more, but she raised her beautiful eyebrows and then closed her mouth halfway.

"... You can just say it directly, don't worry about me."

"I didn't mean to hold you back," Seele replied curtly, then pursed her lips sharply. "It's just... I thought you'd improved a bit after 50,000 years, but you're still the same as before. That Herrscher, she's always wanted to kill you, hasn't she?"

After hearing "Seele's" words, Lin understood the reason for her strange reaction earlier.

Because a similar thing happened to the Herrscher of Death from the Previous Civilization, who was also the prototype and raw material of "Seele".

Only in the brief calm after the fighting can one sit down and say some gentle words.

The mutual understanding between humans and Herrscher seems to vanish like a dream within a brief interval of life-or-death struggles.

If others knew, they would probably think Lin was a strange guy. He always seemed to understand those monsters who wanted to tear him to pieces, and even showed them care. Although most of the time Lin dealt with them, his attempt to understand his enemies was still quite puzzling.

Lin clenched his fists and murmured, "If..."

"Huh? What?"

"If I ignore it too," Lin exhaled, "The proof that they once lived will cease to exist."

Neither humans nor Herrscher can be viewed from a single perspective. Lin loves humans, so she will do everything in her power to protect them. Lin fights against Herrscher, so she can also understand their inner confusion.

They were opposed because of their different positions, but they were still lives that had appeared in the same world.

"Hmph... Only in this respect are you naive."

After scoffing, "Seele" got up, walked to the door, and placed her hand on the doorknob.

"... Fifty thousand years ago, when you named that Herrscher 'Seele,' she may have thought about wanting to continue living. But fifty thousand years later, a real Seele appeared. Do you think this is a coincidence?"

The girl's voice was less irritable as she reminisced about memories that weren't her own, speaking with a melancholy tone.

"... I believe that everyone is born under the expectations of others, and the sincere wishes made by those who give life cannot be coincidences." Lin looked up at the window.

Once upon a time, everyone made different wishes under the same sky.

Hope will break through the soil, take root, and sprout.

Even if it's a coincidence, it's just a miracle that occurs after countless repetitions.

Seele pushed open the door, leaving behind her last words. "Stop talking nonsense."

So, we've been to the last area, and the information we have so far is enough to piece together most of the information.

Mei returned to the rest area of Imaginary Tree, where a man was waiting for her.

Kevin.

The white-haired man stood with his arms crossed, seemingly waiting for her arrival. Mei took a deep breath, stepped forward, and asked, "Kevin, although it's a bit late to ask this question, I think only you can answer it."

"..."

Uncharacteristically, Kevin didn't refute or stop Mei; he simply watched her quietly, waiting for her question.

Even if everyone tells me Lin is dead, he should still be alive somewhere in this world, right?

Elysian Realm of "Flying Flowers": Chapter Two - All About Blind Dates and Marriage

The Quantum Sea, the Hyperion.

"Haven't they found him yet?"

The girl with cherry-blossom hair and a cold face entered the cabin and asked the maid, who hadn't been to other places in a long time.

Rita looked somewhat haggard and did not answer Delta's question; her fingers were constantly searching for information.

It has been half a year since they left the World Bubble. During this time, they have been searching for Lin's whereabouts, but the Quantum Sea is boundless, and finding a specific person here is more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.

But Rita didn't want to give up.

Because she said that she would wait for him no matter what, and even if he lost his memory again and forgot her, she would make him remember her again.

Delta leaned against the hatch, the hem of her semi-transparent dress jingling as she swayed against it. She said indifferently, with her hands clasped in her pocket, "You should go and rest. He's just gone back to his own world. That's where he belongs. We're just passersby in his life."

In the quiet cabin, only the ticking sound of the search engine could be heard.

This ship hadn't been spotted before, and now it feels so empty it's chilling.

Yue and Stargazer stopped outside the door. They exchanged a glance, and both saw complexity in each other's eyes.

Travelers returning to their hometowns—isn't that just a natural thing to do...?

"Beep beep beep..."

"Um?"

The not-so-loud notification sound startled everyone, even Yae Kasumi was hiding in the shadows, poked half her face out.

Delta stared blankly at Rita, who stood frozen in place, and murmured in disbelief—

"No way... they really found it? What kind of ex-wife chasing after her husband is this...?"

Lin's temples were throbbing.

Although the past two days have been peaceful, he always felt that something was about to happen. Because his injury would take some time to heal, he could neither exercise nor go on missions. He spent his days wandering around like an old man, occasionally going fishing. He would sit by the fishpond all day, feeling like an old monk in deep meditation, almost passing away.

However, he wasn't entirely idle. For example, Welt found him fishing and discussed something with him.

"A matchmaking event?" Lin looked up after hearing this and asked with a calm expression, "You Anti-Entropy have something like this?"

"No..."

Welt seemed a little embarrassed as he pushed up his glasses, trying to find the right words.

"This is an event held in Salt Lake Town, inviting people from Anti-Entropy... to be precise, I'm going to be a judge."

"... So why are you looking for me?"

"..."

"..."

Welt and Lin stared at each other silently, the glare from their glasses stinging their eyes.

Lin got up and packed his fishing gear.

Welt grabbed his shoulder with a serious expression. "Wait a minute, Lin, you've got nothing to do lately, so why don't you attend in my place?"

Lin coldly slapped his hand away. "If you don't want to go, you can just refuse, right? Besides, there are so many other people who can go."

"After all, it's someone's kind gesture, so it's hard to refuse. As for the others, most of them are women, and among men who have time, you're the only one I can think of." Welt smiled. "I believe I haven't misjudged you. As a friend of women, you're sure to be able to handle this job."

"I misread the last sentence."

"Please! What will it take for me to go? I'll do anything!"

"..."

Lin sighed, sat on the bed with a business card in his left hand that read "Salt Lake Town Blind Date Event" printed on it, and looked at the introduction.

As the name suggests, a matchmaking event is simply a way to help people find partners. You can sign up to participate, either in advance or on the spot. Those who sign up go on stage to introduce themselves and showcase their talents. Then the judges ask the participants various questions to help everyone get to know them better. If someone is interested in someone, they can try to communicate and even start a relationship.

There wasn't just one judge, Lin; there were three in total. He was the representative of Anti-Entropy, while the other two were self-nominated.