I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era-Chapter 89: This man is unfathomable

The brief exchange ended instantly. When skill combined with overwhelming power, the result was pure annihilation.

Sakura sat on the ground, still dazed. Cocoon's head was crushed, no different from the fate of the Black Mask. She looked at Ryan's expression.

"You seem... unhappy?"

"Yes, that Owl was a promising recruit. He shouldn't have died by my hand." Ryan nodded slightly. His conclusion from participating in the fused warrior project was:

Strong individuals are born, not made.

Those with unique abilities had a higher success rate in High-Rank Honkai Beast fusion. For example, that Owl, with the right Emperor-Class Honkai Beast, could have surpassed even the 13 Flame-Chasers, becoming a formidable technical master.

His pointless death was frustrating.

"The Fire Moth are squandering resources. So many Flame-Chasers die before reaching maturity, and even more perish at the hands of their own."

Sakura didn't understand what a Flame-Chaser was, but she knew the Owl was stronger than her. The question that had lingered in her mind seemed to have an answer.

"So you intend to end this internal attrition, and that's why you spared my life?"

"Why else? Is it your looks? Do you find yourself that attractive?"

Sakura was speechless, understanding Ryan's honesty. This man had his own plans; gender and appearance were irrelevant. Her survival was solely due to this 'Flame-Chaser' project.

Ryan considered the questions answered. The dust still hadn't settled. He paused, feeling time was short.

"Let's go. The scapegoat is chosen. Once Vill-V transmits the data, I'll deal with those behind the scenes, achieving the first step in purifying Fire Moth."

"That person isn't dead?"

"Not so easily. He'll soon trace his future. Being entangled with him is troublesome."

Sakura looked at the man's waist, hesitantly extending her hand before gripping tightly. She didn't consider if someone surviving a Kinetic Bombardment was possible; she only considered his plan.

"Can I participate in your purification?"

The incident was over. Once the masterminds were dealt with, Rin would be safe. But Sakura was intelligent. She knew this was just a light breeze; the real storm was Honkai.

Once she'd been ignorant, but seeing Ryan's immense power, all dedicated to confronting Honkai, she realized this threat was as real as those cults predicted—a judgment day for humanity.

"What are your conditions?" Ryan lifted her, feeling the close contact of her body, accelerating gradually towards the ground.

Sakura didn't show any embarrassment at the position, replying seriously, "Protect Rin. Survive this dark age."

A strange feeling washed over Ryan. That promise should have been made to Mei. Of course, Mei hadn't succeeded. In this era, no one could guarantee their own fate, let alone the protection of others.

"Why me?"

Sakura glanced back at the receding dust, seeing Cocoon realizing its mistake and turning to pursue.

"Because you're strong enough, and you value your promises."

Ryan could have easily retreated, yet he stayed to save her. In her eyes, that reason alone was sufficient.

Such trust in me?

Ryan looked at the girl in his arms. They had no personal connection, yet those violet eyes were as sharp as knives. He understood Sakura's value—a supremely sharp blade, wielded by Mei for countless ruthless acts.

I'd planned to accelerate the process, letting Mei bear the brunt. Now it seems this burden falls to me?

A touch of irony, a weariness. He thought about merging with so many Flame-Chasers, but didn't bother to sigh.

Whatever, I'll deal with it.

"Let's go. The deal is done."

Cocoon ultimately didn't pursue; they were far too slow to catch their departing backs, only finding their leader's mangled corpse.

Some frantically contacted reinforcements; others rushed to aid their leader, amidst the chaos—

Bang!

A Cocoon exploded into a bloody mist, scattering shrapnel that tossed nearby figures aside. They stiffly turned their heads, witnessing a naked man standing nearby.

His body was charred, emitting white smoke. His left arm was twisted, seemingly broken. He was badly injured; his mask was crumbling. For some reason, none of the Cocoon dared to look directly at his face.

An eerie silence descended, until Kalpas raised his hand, a single word hissed between his teeth.

"Die!"

A column of smoke bloomed in the distance. A helicopter, soaring in the air, was pulled down by a monstrous force, the final image for its pilot being a collision with the earth.

Whew... Kalpas's rage is truly something.

Ryan gritted his teeth, five more Cocoon corpses nearby, each with a single clean cut across the neck.

Sakura walked through the streets, confirming the town was completely silent. Cocoon massacres at both ends; this nameless town had truly suffered.

"All dealt with?" Ryan looked aside. Seeing Sakura's nod, he offered a gentle smile.

Final stage complete.

Despite Kalpas's unexpected intervention, all witnesses were dead. He remained unseen; Kalpas even took the blame, directing Fire Moth's attention towards him.

White hair, a masked man, a fiery temper—none of those characteristics matched Ryan.

"How can a gentle person like myself be mistaken for him?"

Even Sakura rolled her eyes at that; it sounded incredibly self-serving. And being shirtless, with blood smeared across his muscles, he looked anything but gentle.

"Aren't you worried about him? If you're dealing with Honkai, he's a valuable asset."

"Kalpas isn't stupid. After killing the Cocoon, he'll escape. Fire Moth aren't fools either; they won't waste their resources."

Sakura inhaled deeply. The special talent clause required Fire Moth to monitor and control 'superpowered individuals,' but monsters could break the talent restrictions, like the man before her. If he didn't want to join, no one could force him.

"You've offended him quite severely, then."

"Haha, Kalpas only listens to stronger fists. When I pin him to the ground, he'll eventually submit."

"But you're not his opponent."

"Sakura, don't overthink it." Ryan looked at the girl, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "When did I ever give you the impression I was weak?"

No strongest, only stronger?

Sakura watched Ryan leap onto a rooftop, hesitating before quickly following.

Vill-V emerged, seeing Ryan's unfriendly expression and nervously scratching her head. "What if I didn't do a good job?"

Ryan stared impassively, clenching his fist, striding forward, causing her to take two steps back, sticking out her tongue.

"Just kidding! Of course, it's done. Trust me."

Trust you? I'd rather not. Ryan remained silent, walking forward until Vill-V produced a data drive, at which point he stopped.

The data was transmitted to a satellite, then downloaded from the satellite, a complicated process culminating in his hands.

Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, nodding to Sakura, who quickly retrieved an open-top off-road vehicle from the garage. The vehicle was covered in dust, clearly unused for a long time.

This place wasn't safe for long; Kalpas's arrival would be a problem.

"Get in. Sakura, get the luggage. When you drive, take the backroads. Vill-V, get your notebook. I want to see what compromising material was worth risking your life to keep silent."

"Understood."

Having help was convenient; avoiding messy tasks was nice. Ryan simply started his computer, plugged in the data drive, and began reviewing the images, documents, and videos. Upon seeing certain individuals, his lips curled into a chilling smile, revealing his teeth.

No mistake. It was the Pureblood faction. The signatures were there, the experimental data complete. Vill-V even infiltrated the lab's data center, downloading the security footage.

Whether it's real or fake is irrelevant. The important part is the Pureblood faction's blade is broken; they need a scapegoat to blame for the evolution faction's downfall, someone to pay the price.

In other words, they're doomed.

The evolution faction will owe me a massive debt. The other factions will be relieved by the power shift. As for how to let them know Ryan did it, Wien will handle the connections.

Power struggles are so ironic; everyone knows Ryan never left the Fifth Research Institute, yet they'll still report to him.

This is the unspoken rule, the conditions Ryan carefully considered.

First, the five currently independent Research Institutes will be consolidated; Mei will become the head of the Research Department, directly interacting with the council.

Second, the fused warrior project will face no further obstacles; Mobius can accelerate progress.

Third, Sakura and Vill-V will join Fire Moth—the latter to the Fourth Research Institute, the former to the Security Department.

"This is my greatest alteration of the world's timeline; the consequences are unknown, and Fire Moth will certainly notice me. But so what?"

Having decided to push the world's timeline into the unknown, Ryan wouldn't hesitate. The step has been taken; there's no turning back.

Sakura returned with the luggage, seeing Ryan sitting upright in the jeep, his eyes deep, his expression unreadable. Witnessing this, she too fell into contemplation.

The past two weeks of travel left a deep impression on her. Now, calm, she could assess.

Mysterious and powerful, as if the world was in his grasp. Such power inspires awe, yet he isn't a cold-blooded killer. Sometimes, his choices are beyond rational explanation.

'But the pressure he exerts is powerful, at least respectable, not governed by desires.'

She nodded slightly, about to get into the vehicle, when she noticed the zipper of Ryan's backpack slightly ajar, revealing a piece of jet-black fabric. Instinctively, she turned to pick it up. The smooth texture made her pause.

Pantyhose?

Sakura blinked, puzzled by the presence of black, seemingly used, thigh-high stockings in his backpack.

She looked questioningly at Ryan, whose expression was inscrutable. Before he turned around, she quickly hid them behind her back.

Her initial assessment was wrong; this man is unfathomable.