I am a former Flame Chasers

Ryan gazed at the frozen sea from a distance, raising an eyebrow as he realized he was a step too late. He had no regrets, though. The Herrscher were more cunning than each other, not at all like the three stubborn and reckless Herrscher of the past. Seeing the dead fish covering the sea, he knew there was more than one Herrscher involved.

These life forms, surpassing humans, didn't need to communicate with words. Their powers complemented one another. It would be a miracle if they were caught in such an open terrain, unless Kevin had exploded.

But Kevin is living a comfortable life now, not nearly as bitter or resentful. Exploding wouldn't be easy for him.

Ryan sighed. He had no regrets. His approach had always been to outthink the enemy, not rely on sudden bursts of power. It would have been great if Kevin could have exploded, but if not, it wasn't a loss.

Boom.

He stepped onto the ice, causing a slight crack. Looking around, he breathed a sigh of relief. The Herrscher didn't stay, and no one had been injured. It wasn't a loss.

"Ryan, tell me how Mei is doing!" Before Ryan could greet him, Kevin rushed over, worry in his eyes.

"Hey, you who value women over friendship, ask me instead," Kevin said, looking Ryan up and down. Seeing that Ryan wasn't too embarrassed, he casually asked, "Okay, okay, how did it all turn out?"

Ryan's mouth twitched. He wondered if he should tease Kevin a bit but decided against it when he saw the genuine concern in Kevin's eyes.

"The plan succeeded. Mei's safe, and now she's cleaning up the mess in the administrative district. There's still a lot for her to do." Ryan gave a quick summary. The Fire Moth had changed. Ryan had removed everyone who was dragging him down. From now on, he didn't need to worry about hidden threats anymore.

This man is truly capable, but I hate people who are too smart. He deserves to die. Kalpas looked sideways, surprised that Ryan had succeeded. His eyes grew a little strange.

"I knew my senior brother would succeed, but who exactly is Aponia?"

Hua felt a mix of joy and sorrow. At the same time, she felt useless. she couldn't even handle the simplest battle. Her emotions were like a roller coaster, from excitement to depression.

Great, my plan can finally be implemented!

Only Elysia was full of joy, already mentally pledging her loyalty to everyone in her heart.

Kevin looked at Ryan with a strange expression. Ryan, feeling a bit unnerved, asked, "What do you want to say? You can admire me, and bow down to me, but I'm not gay."

"Get out of the way. I really want to thank your ancestors for eighteen generations. When have I ever offended you?" Kevin gritted his teeth, feeling both happy and depressed.

Now he didn't have to worry about Mei's safety, but the price was that this bastard had increased her workload, and it was going to be hard to see her now.

Long-distance relationships are already tough enough. Can't you be more considerate?

"Ahem, Lieutenant Kevin."

"What?" Kevin instinctively stood at attention when he heard the military rank, but then, realizing, he frowned and stared at Ryan.

The two had been roommates for years, and they knew each other inside out. Their orders weren't exactly binding.

"Can't you, bastard, at least show some respect for the new commander-in-chief?" Ryan spread his hands. He only needed the convenience that came with this new title, not intending to change their personal dynamic.

"According to the power granted by the Fire Council, I'm promoting you to Head of Security in the Research Department. Go ahead and work."

Kevin blinked, unsure why Ryan had suddenly gone crazy. Fortunately, Elysia whispered a few words in his ear, and he understood instantly.

"Yes, Your Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief!"

Right, how could I forget? He's in a position to get corrupt with personal gain. This is a good thing.

"Get out of here." Ryan raised his foot and kicked, but Kevin dodged with surprising agility, flying quickly toward New York.

Hahahaha!

The group laughed, except for Kalpas, whose serious expression stood in stark contrast.

The atmosphere lightened. Everyone was finally at ease. As Ryan had said, it didn't matter if the Herrscher had run away. As long as they could fight against the Honkai with all their strength, they would catch the enemy sooner or later.

"Don't forget our agreement," Kalpas interrupted, his voice cold, bringing the mood back down.

"You decide the time, I'll always be here," Ryan said seriously. Kalpas wasn't a hindrance; his presence still frightened the Herrscher.

With two Herrscher involved, along with Honkai beasts and pseudo-Herrscher, the fight would be much harder without Kalpas. His presence prevented the Herrscher from going all in. Without him, someone would inevitably die today, whether it was Kevin, Elysia, Hua, or Himeko.

Ryan didn't want them to die. There were only a few people he considered true friends, and there were more than thirteen Herrscher. In comparison, his friends were far more precious.

"Okay, wait for me to find you." Kalpas gave a quick response and disappeared in a flash.

"Brother, what agreement did you make with him? And this guy is so weird," Hua asked.

"Fight with all your strength and decide the winner," Ryan replied simply.

"Ah? Is he a masochist?" Hua didn't understand. Ryan was undoubtedly the strongest on the human side—how could he lose to Kalpas?

"Kalpas can't be judged by common sense. The stronger his fighting spirit, the more powerful his abilities become. No one can say for sure who will win," Ryan said while patting Hua's head. She dodged his hand expertly, and Ryan awkwardly put it down.

"The Fire Council's orders have been passed. We can prepare to head back and receive them."

This was a good thing. Elysia and the others didn't want to fight against their comrades. They all breathed a sigh of relief and were about to leave when they saw Ryan stop at the ice cap.

"Brother?"

"You go first. I'm the new Commander-in-Chief. I have to go last."

"Huh, you're pretending now. Hua, let's go first," Elysia winked and pulled Hua into the sky. Himeko followed closely behind.

Ryan watched them disappear into the sky, then turned, walked to the edge of the ice sheet, knelt on one knee, and faced the sea.

"Hey, you really want me to invite you, huh?"

Plop.

A head suddenly popped out of the rippling sea, with wet green hair and a delicate face, though her expression was neutral.

"Why don't you join the celebration and come to me instead?"

"I have a conscience. How could I abandon you?"

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah, you're the only one who can handle the Herrscher of Death. After all, it's the authority over biology. Given the time, you can pull off a lot of tricks."

Ryan no longer regarded the Herrscher as ignorant. The authority of death was subtle and silent. By the time people realized it, they were already hit.

"She infiltrated the authority into the seawater. If it reaches the spiritual level, it will cause the creatures here to mutate rapidly. I noticed it right away and responded." Mobius, soaking in the water, explained in a calm tone.

"Your response was to concentrate all that power on yourself?" Ryan frowned, then, without warning, picked Mobius up.

"Wait a minute!"

As Mobius emerged from the water, Ryan's pupils shrank. He was prepared to face something twisted and terrifying.

But what he saw shocked him—Mobius' lower body had turned into a black fish tail, its scales glistening in the sunlight.

"What are you doing??"

"I prepared blocking drugs in advance. God knows how it turned into this. You can laugh if you want," Mobius tilted her head, her wet hair falling down to cover her face and chest.

"How can I laugh? Mermaids are rare."

"Bah, that's also a fish. I hate degeneration the most."

"I think you should focus on the word 'beauty.'" Ryan grinned and sighed in relief.

Luckily, it was a mermaid. If it had been anything else, he wasn't sure what expression to make. As he looked closer, he noticed how beautiful she was—her long hair wet, clinging to her fair skin, with purple underwear visible.

He gently touched the fish tail, its texture delicate and slippery. It felt better than stockings, and the tail twitched at his touch.

"Don't touch it!" Mobius shouted, her snake-like eyes glimmering through her hair. "By the way, don't you hate this ugly degeneration?"

"How can it be called degeneration? When you go to the sea, a fish tail is more convenient. This is clearly evolution."

Ryan's reasoning sounded convincing. Mobius was stunned. It seemed like he really liked it? But then she silently chastised herself.

How did I fall into this trap?

Mobius swung her body like a salted fish, jumped back into the sea with a "plop," and stretched out a green head.

"The blocking drug will take effect soon. I'll return to the headquarters once I return to normal. You go back first."

Ryan, watching her fish tail swim gracefully through the water, felt a pang of regret.

"You won't come with me? I won't laugh."

"Don't even think about it! If you don't laugh, someone will be overjoyed!" Mobius' voice became sharp, but Ryan thought her voice was quite pleasant—probably even great for singing.

But before he could respond, her head disappeared beneath the surface.

Ah, she really does resemble a mermaid. She comes and goes without a trace. Should've brought a camera.

Ryan shook his head, sighed, and slapped his face to regain his composure. The air swirled around him, lifting him into the sky as he returned to the ruined city.

Most of the buildings were in ruins, but thankfully, the people had taken refuge underground. The fortress had proven its worth.

Did Mei prioritize the shelter's construction? Did she expect this day to come?

When this thought crossed his mind, he noticed fusion warriors everywhere in the ruins. Some were thawed ice sculptures, others had just come from global support and were helping clean up.

Ryan didn't hide his figure. The spreading Honkai energy caused everyone to look up and see the man in the tattered white coat flying in the air.

The Fire Moth Council's order had been passed down. No one fired, but they stared at Ryan, full of doubts.

For most of them, this battle was strange. Why had the General Manager been replaced? What could this "father of fusion warriors" bring?

Something had to be said to appease the people.

Ryan looked down at their faces, all eyes on him, filled with confusion, suspicion, relief. He felt their emotions swirling. Compared to these heated emotions, any words felt pale.

He wasn't good at speeches, nor did he want to explain everything. He thought for a moment, then spoke in a calm voice that carried authority across the city.

"Everyone, from today on, we will no longer doubt ourselves, waste our energy, or sacrifice the majority for the benefit of a few. Follow my footsteps, take me as your flag, and wait—"

"We will fight against the Honkai with all our strength!"

This wasn't an exciting speech, but it was enough to clear the doubts of most soldiers. It wiped away confusion about the future.

For people like Andevich, it was more exciting than any speech. Finally, they wouldn't have to kill their own people or follow unnecessary orders. They could direct all their anger toward the Honkai, fighting to the last breath.

Boom!

The sound of leather boots colliding with the ground echoed like thunder among the ruins. Everyone stood at attention and saluted, answering in unison.

"Yes, Your Excellency, the General Manager!"