I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 87: Satisfying

The evening wind howled down from the mountain pass, the whirring of helicopter blades growing closer.

Ryan was completely immersed, oblivious to the external commotion, even a little excited.

At this point in time, the number of individuals who could pose a threat to him was small; Kalpas was clearly among them. In this world, only three individuals could engage a Herrscher in single combat before becoming a fused warrior.

Elysia, Kalpas, and me.

'My location choice considers all this. As long as no one survives, I can give it my all. Even if I lose, I have Cocoon to back me up.'

He ignored the approaching aircraft, the risks Sakura might face, the dangers a Flame-Chaser must endure. His full attention was focused solely on the approaching figure.

Thud.

The figure leaped from a hundred-meter-high cliff face, shattering the ground beneath them. They stood silently, fists clenched, rapidly advancing.

Their build wasn't particularly imposing, lacking overly muscular physique. Perhaps this restrained ferocity was more fitting for a ruthless character design.

"Kalpas?"

The figure halted, tilting their head. "You... know me?"

Their speech was strangely peculiar, like a toddler just learning to talk, strained and effortful.

Communication was possible.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief. Kalpas wasn't insane. With his strength, he couldn't have been captured and bled out by these natives; it was all voluntary.

Of course, this 'voluntary' aspect was highly peculiar.

"Yes, I know you. That's why I came looking for you."

"Looking... for me, why?"

Ryan, hovering in mid-air, hands in his pockets, thought furiously, his mind racing faster than when he was deceiving Sakura. His peripheral vision caught sight of the Honkai Beast corpses.

"To find you, and direct your rage towards the monsters that destroyed your homeland, to channel your fury at its rightful target."

"The world is threatened by Honkai. If you don't eliminate them, even if you find another home, it will be easily destroyed. These enemies must be annihilated without exception!"

Brilliant.

The impassive Sakura silently applauded, unconcerned by the gaps in Ryan's logic. She clearly recognized the other party, instantly finding a common goal.

Kalpas remained silent, his head bowed as if in thought, before slowly raising his hand to point at the rotors of the helicopter above.

"Those... people?"

"The enemy isn't just the Honkai Beasts; there are also their accomplices. Even subjectively, they aren't allies, but the reasons are complex. If you're willing, I can deal with them, then we can talk." Ryan chuckled, having already profited immensely from this journey by meeting two Flame-Chasers.

If Kalpas cooperated, taking down the Fire Moth Council wouldn't be a problem.

Kalpas remained motionless, appearing almost unintelligent, struggling to process Ryan's words, before suddenly raising his hand.

"How to tell someone to get away from me, quickly and simply."

The statement was abrupt, but Ryan answered, "The simplest way is to say 'Scram!'"

"Good." Kalpas spread his legs, raising his fist. "Then, scram!!"

A ferocious battle intent and killing intent washed over Ryan; this sudden turn was quicker than flipping a page. He mentally facepalmed. Scram should have sufficed; why the immediate attack?

"Hey, wait..."

BANG—

Before Sakura could react, an explosion roared past, a figure vanishing from a dozen meters away. Nearby, exploding rocks sent shockwaves through her body.

How fast!

She couldn't even see her opponent clearly, only turning to see the trail of destruction stretching into the distance. The helicopter above, having noticed the commotion, began its descent.

The fight began without warning. Ryan didn't see it clearly, only instinctively recoiling as a fist stopped inches from his face, colliding with his electromagnetic field and sending him flying backward.

I shouldn't have explained it so complexly. He must have thought I was avoiding the main point and just attacked.

Ryan regretted his approach, realizing he shouldn't have used conventional logic on Kalpas. He looked into the pair of intense emerald eyes before him.

Doubt, fury, intense battle intent.

Fine, if you want to fight, let's fight!

Ryan wasn't just a weakling who could only talk. Before his stance was shattered, he leaned, allowing the raging fist to connect.

BOOM!!!

The force of the blow caused the cliff face behind him to cave and crumble as he lunged forward, raising his knee.

Up!

Thwack—

A streak of light erupted from the canyon, piercing the air directly in front of the helicopter, leaving the pilot speechless.

Who is fighting? Who is that white-haired youth?

They had just reported that Kalpas had been thrown back, a sharp pain in his abdomen widening his eyes, fueling his battle lust.

In all his time in this world, he'd never encountered such a formidable opponent.

He raised his hand, seizing the tail rotor of the helicopter, halting the dozens of tons of machinery in mid-air. The metal shrieked under the strain.

"Monster, a silver-haired monster..."

Amidst the incessant warning beeps, that was the pilot's final transmission. The helicopter was lifted, then slammed violently to the side. In the whirling chaos, they caught a final glimpse of brilliant lightning.

Zap.

Ryan used his body as a blade, slicing the helicopter in two. Then he saw Kalpas raise both fists, forming a hammer.

You...

BOOM!!

Another burst of white energy exploded in the air, and before it dispersed, another column of black smoke erupted from the ground.

Ryan had punched a crater several dozen meters wide into the ground. Arms crossed, his head buzzed, but his consciousness remained clear.

This was Kalpas?

Unmatched strength, monstrous battle instincts. No wonder he could single-handedly defeat the Herrscher of Ice. Fortunately, before becoming a fused warrior, he lacked flame-based abilities, and besides—

I don't just fight Herrschers with instinct.

A furious onslaught, an aerial assault, a straightforward fighting style. Ryan instantly rose, raising his body and unleashing a powerful punch.

Extreme Force. Earth-Shattering Cannon!

Legs planted firmly, his fist like a thunderbolt, collided with Kalpas's descending hammer blow, freezing the space around them for a moment.

BOOM!

Ryan's legs sank into the earth, rocks buried in the electric arc. The ground trembled within a hundred-meter radius, roaring—

The whole thing went down.

His bones screamed in protest; his strength couldn't withstand all that power. Ryan was almost slammed into the earth, but similarly, Kalpas was sent flying.

He slid across the ground for a hundred meters, using his legs to brace against a hillside, creating a 'meteor crater' with a thunderous 'Boom!'

"You... are very strong."

Kalpas stared at his blackened fist. That punch had felt like a lightning bolt tearing through him. A little more power, and he might have been torn apart.

Ryan climbed out of the crater, feeling the cracks in his hand, his legs trembling slightly. Seeing the exhilarated Kalpas gave him a headache.

No wonder he could single-handedly defeat the Herrscher of Ice; he was truly powerful.

He wasn't in a typical battle frenzy; his mind was exceptionally clear. He knew he wielded Herrscher power, but his total Honkai energy was still insufficient. The Herrscher of Thunder possessed 3000HW of energy, while he had only 1000HW.

This was like 'MP'. It was invisible when overwhelming others, but against equally powerful opponents, it was a major problem.

'My attacks lack power, and my stamina is also lacking. After a few more all-out attacks, I'll be exhausted.' Ryan narrowed his eyes. In terms of energy, he was inferior to a Herrscher, but he possessed abundant combat experience and skills.

Come.

Again, a reckless charge, the roar of the wind before the attack reached him. Ryan tossed out a high-strength metal bolt, followed by a lightning-fast punch.

Furious Force. Lightning Scatter Shot!

If the electromagnetic cannon that shot down the helicopter was a precision strike, this was more like grabbing a fire extinguisher and dumping it all over Kalpas.

BOOM!

The bolt instantly accelerated, scattering dozens of beams of light, engulfing Kalpas and creating dozens of dust clouds upon impact.

Where is he?

Ryan didn't believe one attack could kill Kalpas. After a moment, his pupils suddenly constricted, his body launching upward like a plant being uprooted.

Crack.

A pair of bloody hands erupted from the ground, Kalpas leaping from beneath Ryan's feet. He was a hair's breadth from seizing Ryan's wrist before he sat down, the thud following instantly.

A real rabid dog.

Ryan gritted his teeth. Kalpas lacked technique; he relied solely on raw instinct—and seemingly inexhaustible stamina.

His incredible speed surpassed Ryan's aerial maneuvers; his eyes couldn't keep up. Ryan relied purely on instinct to dodge.

Stops, accelerations, dives, sideways leaps, repeated multiple times.

It wasn't just his powers; Ryan used his body, his movements accompanied by only two sounds.

BOOM—

The sound of feet pounding the earth, sending debris flying.

Thwack—

The sound of spinning in mid-air, unleashing bursts of white energy.

From hillside to plain, they finally avoided the ravine. Fist met fist, with resounding 'BOOM's, the ravine collapsing like ice cracking. Ryan felt the battle turning increasingly unfavorable.

His energy was depleted, yet he'd inflicted no fatal wounds. This masked, raggedly clad figure was a monstrous, tireless, eternally enraged anomaly.

One powerful hit, and his fate would be no better than the Herrscher of Ice. Constant evasion was wasting energy.

Only this way!

Constantly retreating, Ryan suddenly stopped. Kalpas charged, a simple straight punch aiming for his face. This time, Ryan withdrew his protective energy.

Huh?

Kalpas felt no resistance as his fist connected with his opponent's face. Ryan watched the fist, powerful enough to shatter his skull, approaching with intense focus, the world seeming to freeze.

He tilted his head, a numbing pain spreading across his face. A booming sound echoed behind him. Glancing at a raised rock, he moved forward, his shoulder slamming into Kalpas's chest.

Extreme Force. Mountain Crusher.

BOOM!

One-legged Kalpas felt a dull ache in his chest, his body sent reeling backward. Before he could recover, Ryan pounced like a mountain lion, surprising Kalpas with his unusual fighting style.

Sometimes he was elusive like an eel; other times, ferociously aggressive, unafraid of a fatal blow. This combination of strength and agility unnerved him.

"But I prefer this kind of fight!"

Without regaining his footing, Kalpas launched a forward kick in mid-air. There was no sound, as if the air was compressed to its limit, the 'BOOM' only heard upon release. But Kalpas frowned.

His opponent, initially a ferocious tiger, now moved like a swimming dragon, sliding to the side. It was as if he'd anticipated the kick; the movement was peculiar, using the force of the attack to simply redirect himself sideways.

Fluid Eight Trigrams Step.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ryan moved to the side, transforming his open palm into a blade. Purple electric arcs, like blades of light, pierced towards Kalpas's armpit.

Ice Blast. Three-Piercing Palm.

A single palm strike, like a precision atomic cutter. Kalpas found the techniques bizarre; instinctively, he blocked, deflecting the blow to the side, only to feel a sharp pain in his shoulder.

The palm strike transitioned into a hawk's claw, seizing his shoulder and pulling him violently inward.

Seeing Kalpas's left elbow strike, Ryan leaned to dodge, seeing the torn clothing on his chest, the mangled muscle beneath. Ignoring the pain, he struck with a fist hidden under his ribs.

Inch-Fist. Heaven-Opening!

Thwack—BOOM!!

The two separated instantly. Kalpas stumbled back dozens of steps, his feet sinking into the earth, staring at the sunken fist mark on his chest before quickly raising his head.

"What... was that?"

He was confused. He was clearly stronger, yet he couldn't gain a decisive advantage.

Drip, drip.

Blood pooled beneath Ryan's feet. He too raised his head, his grey eyes cold and clear.

"Technique. For millennia, humanity has developed ways to overcome the strong with the weak. I combine my powers, my Honkai energy, into purely lethal techniques."

He ripped open his own torn clothing, revealing his well-defined muscles.

"Kalpas, I must thank you. I haven't had such a satisfying fight in years!"