I am a hero of the former civilization.

"Why would I hide it from you? Let's go, the final ceremony should begin soon, let's go to the top of the mountain." Ryan took her hand, and Hua didn't think of anything else, and continued to climb the mountain.

After climbing hundreds of stone steps, you'll almost reach the top of the mountain. The open space is crowded with people, and a large bonfire is burning in the center. A priest wearing a pointed hat is throwing some trash into the flames to burn.

I heard that these are all garbage dredged up from the sea, a sign of praying to the sea god to appease his anger and to pray for favorable weather.

With the bonfire as the center, people hold hands and dance as they move around. In front of the bonfire, there is a wooden platform where priests and shamans also dance and chant incomprehensible prayers.

As a scientist, Ryan had never studied the folklore of this world, and now he found it somewhat mysterious and impressive.

"I didn't expect that local religions in Japan have such a large influence."

"Well, everyone needs something to rely on, right? It's already quite impressive that they can rally followers to fight against the Honkai," Hua replied casually. She wasn't really interested, kicking a pebble at her feet. "Senior brother, do you want to go dancing together?"

pop-

A round of applause erupted as thousands of people clapped their hands simultaneously, creating quite a spectacle. Then, they joined hands and began to spin and dance, filled with religious fervor.

Ryan immediately thought of the madman in Snow Prison Town, frowned, and replied, "If you want, I can accompany you."

"Then let's not jump. It'll be interesting to watch them jump from somewhere else. There's also a fireworks display later," Hua said casually, completely rewriting Carol's strategy.

As planned, she was supposed to invite Ryan to dance, and then express her feelings amidst fireworks and dancing, but she sensed Ryan's aversion and gave up without hesitation.

"Well, it's not like I'm forcing you to come along."

“You’ve already stayed with me all night, I can’t ask for too much.” Hua smiled, pulled Ryan to sit down by the roadside, and then sat shoulder to shoulder with him, the campfire reflected in her emerald green eyes.

It was lively, even a bit frenzied. Thinking deeper, the fragility of humanity dictates that they must turn to someone for help, otherwise they cannot survive in this increasingly cruel world.

It could be collapse, or it could be the unseen gods.

Silence became the exclusive domain of the strong, like Ryan and Hua, who coldly observed this frenzied dance.

No one spoke. After watching for a few minutes, Ryan got a little tired of it and turned his head slightly to look at Hua, who was sitting on the ground.

The long dress revealed her rounded and smooth shoulders, with a cutout neckline that showed off her delicate collarbones. Her bent knees lifted the hem of the dress, and her fair legs reflected the firelight.

The most exquisite part was the back exposed by the long dress, smooth and delicate, and because of her figure, it appeared petite and exquisite, reflecting the moonlight and radiating a silvery-white color.

It's beautiful, like Megbius's long legs, instinctively attracting attention.

The girl rested her chin on her hand, her expression focused, while her other hand gripped his wrist tightly, never letting go.

Just then, a sea breeze blew by, lifting a few strands of gray-blue hair and blowing them onto Ryan's face, making him feel a slight tickle.

"It's so quiet."

"Hmm?" Hua turned her head in confusion. The hilltop was noisy, and she couldn't understand where it was quiet.

"Senior brother, are you bored?"

"No, it's just that being with you is always exceptionally quiet, like a still well."

Is the ancient well still and undisturbed?

Hua didn't quite understand, but seeing the smile on Ryan's face, he at least felt it was a good thing, so he turned around and looked around.

The sea hidden in darkness, the distant city lights twinkling, and the bustling scene before me—I hesitated for a moment.

"Have you found it all quite ordinary that you've been staying at my house these past few days?"

"It is indeed ordinary, but it is also a good thing. To be honest, I never thought that more than half a month would pass by silently, as if the slow motion button had been pressed." Ryan looked up at the sky, where there was a half moon and faint stars.

"I'm always very busy. I have to fight, research, and think about the next step. I rarely have any free time."

"After all, you carry the hopes of humanity. If anyone can defeat the Honkai, it will be you." Hua said without hesitation, her expression unusually firm.

"Thank you for your trust, but who can say what the future holds? I took on this hope willingly, and there was no coercion involved. But I often wonder what I should do after this hope is fulfilled."

"Of course, it's to become a hero of humanity and be admired by everyone!"

"That's what I deserve, but I can never stop. Even if I manage to break the Honkai, it's like climbing one stone step; I still have to keep going up."

"Climb all the way to the top of the mountain?"

"This road has no mountain peak, or rather, I am the peak."

Hua was stunned for a moment. No wonder his senior brother was so busy. He was constantly moving forward and sounded very tired. But looking at Ryan's expression, he saw a longing that came from the bottom of his heart.

"If you like it, go ahead and do it. I'll always follow you, no matter where you go."

"Haha, so I've figured out the answer." Ryan laughed into the sea breeze, just as a dense burst of 'meteors' shot up and exploded in the air with a thunderous roar, turning the mountaintop into daylight with beautiful fireworks.

"I want to take you all to explore a wider world. Whenever I feel tired, spending a few days of ordinary life with you makes me feel better immediately. This is probably what is called a balance between work and rest."

"We've been through so much together, and before I knew it, I'd become quite inseparable from you all."

Am I that good?

Hua Wei was stunned. Seeing the dazzling fireworks in the sky and the man laughing loudly, her face turned red instantly.

You can't live without me, doesn't that mean...?

She felt her face burning hot, like it was being scalded by boiling water. Wasn't Carroll's ultimate strategy just waiting for that line?

"Hua, what you're afraid of isn't that your senior brother running off with someone else, but rather being abandoned and left to live alone in this hellish world. You seem stubborn, but you're actually quite fragile inside."

She remembered the unprecedented seriousness on Carol's face when she said those words.

“Ryan, I won’t leave you either!” Hua took a deep breath and finally bravely called out his name.

The continuous fireworks made Ryan's face flicker, and only a vague indication could be seen that he seemed to be smiling.

"What if I really leave you, even if I don't want to?"

Hua's expression froze, her hands clenching the hem of her skirt. Despite the cheers, exclamations, and laughter all around, she felt a profound silence, and the brilliant sky seemed like an abyss, slowly swallowing her up.

That's right, there is no hope in this world, and anyone can die. Ryan carries hope, which also means he takes on the greatest risk.

Her emerald green eyes lost their luster, but then instantly became extremely bright, even brighter than the fireworks overhead, as the girl spoke in an almost vow-like tone.

"I will wait for you, whether it's a hundred years, a thousand years, or ten thousand years, I will wait for you, no matter..."

Before she could finish speaking, she stopped abruptly, because Ryan had already embraced her.

Ryan ran his fingers through the soft strands of hair, feeling the smooth, slightly warm shoulders, and gently stroked the girl's smooth back.

"Idiot, I can't bear to keep you waiting that long."

Hua's mind went blank, and she stood there blankly. Fortunately, Ryan didn't hug her for too long. He could sense someone approaching and the girl's body was tense to the extreme, so he felt that this was not a good thing.

He gently pushed the girl away and pressed down on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, the Honkai can't take me away, and it can't take you away either. Don't think about anything, just do what's in front of you and keep up with me. I'll take care of everything else."

Ryan's tone wasn't particularly firm, but it was full of gentleness, which gradually calmed Hua's pounding heartbeat.

"Yes, I'm leaving everything to you."

The same mundane answer as always. It could be said that for the past ten years, whenever she encountered a difficult problem, this man would come to her side, and she would say the same thing.

Like the bottomless pool of neon, Himiko would feel despair, but Hua didn't even think about it; she knew that Ryan would solve everything.

Footsteps approached, and several soldiers in Moth of the Flame uniforms appeared beside them. Seeing the two embracing, they seemed a little embarrassed, and the captain in the lead coughed lightly.

"Lieutenant Hua, I apologize for disturbing you, but there is an urgent mobilization order. A large-scale collapse has occurred in Karakura City, and you are required to take action immediately."

Hua frowned slightly, instinctively disliking this guy who ruined the atmosphere, but she said nothing. She only glanced at Ryan, who nodded slightly, and she immediately understood.

"Okay, find a landing spot and have the helicopter come directly over."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Hua hadn't forgotten his identity as a soldier. After walking a few steps with those people, he turned back reluctantly and bowed slightly.

"Senior brother, I am very happy today. I will remember it and never forget it."

“Me too, Hua.” Ryan stood there, smiling and waving. The girl looked back every few steps as she slowly disappeared into the noisy night.

Various sounds entered his ears, and the pleasant tranquility vanished. He suddenly stopped laughing.

Is this your warning?

Ryan reached behind his back and stroked the smooth silver flute.

again and again.

Chapter 209 You're going to drive me crazy!

The fact that they sent someone to deliver orders without making a phone call clearly indicates the underlying meaning:

The rules of the Fire Moth may not control you, but they can manipulate others. For example, sending Hua out on missions is perfectly reasonable and legal, and no one can find fault with it.

"But like Lieutenant Rose, who knows how much danger lies behind a normal mission? That's the power of authority."

He knew Hua wouldn't be in any danger. Those people hadn't gone mad yet; they weren't just showing off their power to give him a warning, not to force him to turn against them and kill.

Ryan smiled again. Power comes from rules, and the other party's use of it was reasonable, taking into account all aspects and maintaining a good balance.

"But who gave you the illusion that I was prepared to follow the rules?"

Ryan stretched. The premise of political maneuvering simply didn't exist. He never intended to play the game of power from the beginning. Just like not having any official position meant absolute freedom.

After resting for so long, it's time to head to Twilight Street and clear out some potential hazards along the way.

The festival was over, the crowd was dispersing, and the commercial street on the mountainside would soon see its peak business season. Ryan glanced at the helicopters flying overhead and mingled with the crowd as he left, this time without going to those poor shop owners to buy goods.

He pushed through the crowd and found the blond youth still trying to pick up girls at the foot of the mountain. The youth was frantically typing on his phone, clearly chatting with many people at the same time. He only looked up when Ryan approached.

"Ready to leave?"

"Yes, it's a bit disappointing; they're overthinking things."

“That’s how big shots are, but don’t worry, it’s just an attitude, they haven’t gone crazy yet.” Coleman put away his phone and licked his lips. “Are you going home to wait? If you’re bored, you can come and play with me. It’s actually inconvenient with that girl around.”

His smile was somewhat lewd, which cleverly concealed his unease.

"Forget it, Hua won't be back for at least five or six days on this mission. By the way, aren't you guys planning to go?"

"It's just an Emperor-class Honkai Beast. The Second Squad led by the Lieutenant is enough." Coleman chuckled dryly, then asked, "Are you planning to leave Japan?"

“Well, there are some things I need to investigate on the peninsula, and it's conveniently close by.” Ryan paused, looking at the other person meaningfully: “Have you heard of ‘Paradise’? I want to go and deal with that scum.”

The peninsula has been compressed to the south, and the situation is even more critical than in Japan. The authorities are planning to draw lots to evacuate the lucky winners to China.

Coleman ran through the intelligence in his mind. He knew about 'Paradise' too. He licked his lips again and said, "I've heard of it. Those people are indeed scum, but I hope you go through the proper procedures."