I am a hero of the former civilization.

Himiko looked somewhat bewildered, as if her sense of justice and hatred had nowhere to go, and she murmured, shaking her head, "I don't know."

She was no ordinary person, but she was still far from being able to fight against an organization she once believed in. For a soldier, it was really hard to tell who was the enemy and who was the friend.

"So I'll do it for you. 'Nosy Ryan' has almost become my defining characteristic." Ryan chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"Senior brother, you have this nickname too?" Hua, who was grilling pork belly, was taken aback.

"Yes, but they just don't quite understand. I never meddle in other people's business."

"Then what do you do?"

"Accumulating one necessary condition after another, pointing towards the final destination."

Not to mention Hua, even Himiko only vaguely understood, knowing that Ryan didn't meddle in other people's business and that every action he took was related to his interests.

Perhaps those people are also a threat to him?

Having figured this out, she felt a little relieved, shaking the beer can in her hand: "But this time is different from before; I might become a traitor."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Ryan smile slightly, cross his hands, and rest his chin on them.

"Apart from using your brain more, it's the same."

......

Himiko got half-drunk and ate a full eight plates of pork belly before Hua took her home.

Ryan went straight back and took a comfortable nap, sleeping until evening when he was woken up by the sound of cooking and slowly sat up.

As he said, this was not meddling in other people's business. Just because Himiko couldn't do it didn't mean he was powerless. After realizing that the Fourth Herrscher was related to the Faith faction, he decided to take action ahead of time and dig out this cancerous tumor.

He didn't care about power struggles, balancing acts, or different paths; what he couldn't tolerate was aiding and abetting evil, regardless of what those people were thinking.

“They have to die. Only when they’re dead can I feel at ease.” Ryan slowly put on his glasses. The difficulty wasn’t in the killing, but in how to separate them from the entire Firemoth and minimize the losses.

The idea of ​​"better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free" sounds appealing, but the cost is too high; at least the vast majority of the members of the Fire Moth are enemies of the Honkai.

"Let's start with Japan, let's see who the believers are."

Ryan got up, put on his coat, and opened the door to find Hua already making dinner. He couldn't help but blush.

"Sorry, I overslept. I promised I'd cook tonight."

"It's alright, you rarely get a break, and I'm not busy lately either." Hua placed the stir-fried bitter melon and pork slices on the table. She was still wearing her military uniform and had her hair in a ponytail, looking very spirited, which made Ryan take a second look.

"Senior brother?"

"Oh, I'm suddenly realizing that you're becoming more and more reliable."

The girl paused for a moment, then her eyes turned into crescent moons. She happily ladled a bowl of soup for Ryan and slid the file folder on the table over to him.

"This is what the captain asked me to bring to you."

It seems Himiko still chooses to believe me.

Ryan wasn't surprised, after all, the two were old friends, and since Himiko offered to help, she had no choice.

He only glanced at the document and lightly touched the two photos with his finger.

The two men bear a striking resemblance, with short black hair, sharp and strong features, and goatees. They are around forty or fifty years old, and even just looking at the photos, one can sense an imposing and authoritative aura, the aura of someone in a superior position.

Director of the Government Administration Bureau, Takeuchi; Chairman of the Foundation Consortium, Kotetsu.

These two brothers are the true kings of Japan.

Chapter 202 You like being a peeping tom, huh?

The concept of a civilized nation is vague, and the Moth of the Flame has only been established for a few decades, most of which it has been doing things in secret.

Wealth, personnel, and equipment cannot be conjured out of thin air. Just like military bases, they must be built and maintained.

These things all originated from various countries, or more precisely, from large families and conglomerates. In return for their investments, the Fire Moth divided power among sixty-four members of parliament, and even the chief executive was merely an elected figurehead.

This is understandable; 'saving humanity' is a business after all. To ensure their own safety, all members of parliament are anonymous, but one principle will not change.

"Ordinary people can't become members of parliament; power will never be transferred to the lower and middle classes."

Ryan went through the history and then determined that the two men must be Fire Chaser.

No wonder it became a local tyrant. After the Third Collapse, the Fire Moth expanded rapidly and quickly replaced the previous order, moving from behind the scenes to the forefront.

The world is in such a mess that even household registrations are unclear, let alone democracy. Management bureaus and branches have taken over government functions. The collapse is still ongoing, and this business has already made its money back.

So, did they do it? What was their purpose? Was it simply to preserve their strength?

Hua Xiao shoveled food into her mouth, occasionally picking up food for Ryan who was deep in thought. She didn't understand these things, nor did she need to. She just needed to be obedient.

"According to the information Himiko found, not to mention the lieutenant's matter, these two are definitely involved in the Honkai Beast invasion."

"Why? This is their territory." Hua frowned, his face full of disgust.

“It is precisely because it is their territory that it must be protected, otherwise they will become refugees, and even if their parliamentary titles are not revoked, they will become bargaining chips in the power struggle.”

"So why?"

"It's a demonstration, showing the leaders and the Fire Moths that they have the power to decide the life and death of these tens of millions of people, and that the heavy price is something the entire Fire Moths cannot bear."

Hua didn't understand the relationship between the two for a moment. He put down his chopsticks, thought for a long time, and then said sternly, "They are using Japan as a hostage!"

“That’s right, otherwise why would headquarters invest in a place that will eventually be evacuated? It’s a good thing and a bad thing.” Ryan raised his head, looking at the halo of the chandelier, and felt that this was also an opportunity for him.

That old schemer must be feeling really frustrated; he probably isn't a member of the Faith faction.

He still hasn't determined which faction the brothers belong to, but now it seems the risk of taking action has decreased significantly, and he can make use of them a little.

"There are still clues about the Honkai Beast invasion incident. Those involved with Lieutenant Rose are either missing or killed in action. Even the messenger who ordered the fleet to explore the Honkai source committed suicide. They really cleaned their hands."

Himiko's investigation stalled at this point; she didn't even know who had given the order, no wonder she was in despair.

The Fourth Herrscher is now a thing of the past, and Moths of Flame cannot possibly concentrate all their energy on the investigation, and the timing is exceptionally clever.

"Senior brother, what do you need me to do?" Hua suddenly sat up straight, looking ready to take action at any moment.

Ryan almost laughed. Of all the people he knew, only Hua would follow him without any scruples or hesitation, even if it meant going against the world.

"I don't need to do anything. I have no intention of betraying the Firemoth. That would only benefit the Honkai, and I don't want to drag you down with me."

"But who are these two people..."

“It’s alright, I didn’t plan to target them directly. Even if I did, who would be sure it was me?” Ryan slowly stood up and stretched his shoulders. “You can do the dishes. I’m going to visit the neighbors.”

Hua didn't know what this meant. He had just nodded when Ryan in front of him disappeared in the blink of an eye, as if he had merged into the air. He couldn't help but blink.

Senior brother, he's gotten even stronger.

"Lieutenant, the target has disappeared from the living room."

In the apartment building across the street, the agent next to the high-powered binoculars quickly reported.

Because Ryan can control electromagnetic forces, even the most advanced spy equipment cannot get close and can only observe from a distance.

"Are you going back to your room?" A man with a wide-brimmed hat and a chiseled face came to the window. Apart from his contact with Himiko, Ryan had shown no unusual behavior in the past few days.

"I don't know, but he just suddenly disappeared."

"Disappeared suddenly? Let me see." The man with the chiseled face pushed aside his subordinate, peered through the binoculars, and saw only Hua clearing away the dishes.

He paused for a moment, but without suspecting his subordinates of slacking off, he decisively ordered: "Report to the higher-ups that the target is acting strangely."

Their task was surveillance, so they had to follow orders and didn't need to have too many of their own ideas.

After a long silence, he turned around in annoyance.

"Didn't you hear me...?"

The sound stopped abruptly, and the moonlight cast the shadows of the falling snow onto the floor. There was another person in the dimly lit room. He was wearing glasses, sitting at an angle in a chair, staring at me expressionlessly.

Several agents stood around him, frozen in place, staring blankly at him.

The air froze, leaving only heavy breathing. The man with the chiseled face couldn't understand why he had been exposed, or how the other person had appeared in the house so silently in an instant, as if they had vanished into thin air.

“It is extremely impolite to pry into other people’s privacy,” Ryan broke the silence, his voice gentle, like that of a kind teacher in a classroom.

No one answered, not even their eyes changed, because they found their shirts undone, as if a gentle, invisible hand had unbuttoned them, taken their identification from their pockets, and slowly handed it to the man.

Ryan casually flipped through the documents, then looked up at the chiseled-faced man: "Second Division of Intelligence, Lieutenant Whiteman, you guys really aren't giving up. Tell me, are you on leave too?"

“I’m sorry, Dr. Ryan.” The lieutenant licked his lips, looking embarrassed. “Monitoring, no, protecting every important person is the duty and routine of the intelligence department, just like Miss Alicia’s every time she takes a vacation.”

This is a reasonable and well-founded argument. This isn't the first time Ryan has been monitored, and monitoring him is a tough job for the entire intelligence department. This doctor isn't as easy to talk to as Miss Alicia.

"Thank you for your hard work." Ryan smiled and nodded, returning the documents one by one. Just as the agents breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly changed the subject:

“But I’m more interested in what tasks the Government Administration Bureau has given you.”

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a powerful psychological impact. The agents' faces changed drastically, and in that instant, they realized they had been exposed.

Some retreated, some sharpened their guns, and Whitman even jumped out of the window, not caring that it was the tenth floor. He easily shattered the glass, and the cold wind lashed against his face.

Then, an invisible hand forcefully pushed him back out of the window.

Damn, what kind of ability is this?

His back hit the ground, and he rolled several times, catching a horrifying glimpse of the scene out of the corner of his eye.

His men were all floating in the air, as if they were being choked, their legs struggling desperately. Whiteman glanced at the figure a few meters away, gritted his teeth and kicked.

If we don't kill him, we'll die. We have to fight desperately to fight our way out!

boom--

The impact created a shockwave that shattered the floor and furniture, propelling him like an arrow straight at Ryan, his military dagger aimed at Ryan's back.

The distance of a few meters was only a split second; at least Ryan hadn't turned around yet, just as the military knife was inches away—

Ding.

The black 'shield' on his vest was extremely hard, and the alloy bayonet broke in the middle. Whiteman's eyes widened suddenly.

What kind of ability is this? Wasn't he supposed to use lightning?

He hadn't seen a single spark of lightning when he was inexplicably defeated. Just as he was about to retreat, he found his feet were bound by something.

What the hell!

The black object spread upwards from his feet like bandages, wrapping around his body, making it impossible to break free. Amidst the overwhelming terror, it completely enveloped him, making him look like a black mummy.