Ryan had always possessed a special talent for psychological counseling, much like the time he helped Kevin back in Neon. Kevin was filled with confusion as he transitioned from school to the battlefield. Ryan had beaten him and said, "Since you've chosen this path, you're still far from the despair you're facing."
The impact of his words was evident later on. The last trace of Kevin's immaturity was physically eradicated, and from then on, he became a qualified fighter.
Treating Sakura was also simple—just follow the prescribed method and take the medicine.
Just outside the Fifth Research Institute, in the desolate Gobi Desert, the dry sand blew past, gently brushing the two people's hair.
Sakura was still a little confused. She didn't understand why this man had called her out and looked so intent on testing her.
"You know, the so-called strong people don't care about the opinions of others," Ryan remarked, stroking the hilt of his sword while ignoring the curious onlookers behind him.
The guards and intelligence agents watched the scene in confusion, unsure of what the two were doing.
"Are you trying to test the power I've gained?" Sakura asked as she regained her senses. She knew Ryan well enough to understand that he never did anything without purpose.
"That's part of it," Ryan replied, "but I also want to give the higher-ups a preliminary understanding of my strength, so they don't become overconfident and do something foolish. However, there's something else I want to share with you."
"What's that?" Sakura asked.
"You'll have to fight to understand it." Ryan kept the rest a secret and slowly drew his sword, Chi Xiao. "Draw your sword. I won't hold back in any battle."
Was he serious?
As a professional killer, Sakura had her doubts, but her muscles instinctively tensed. The moment her sword left its sheath, even her skin began to tingle.
Ryan stood there, serious, as if facing an imminent calamity. The air seemed to crackle with his boiling fighting spirit. Sakura realized that reason no longer mattered, for Ryan was always good at reasoning with action.
How close can I get to him now?
The thought crossed her mind, mingled with the fear she'd felt when she first encountered him. Instinctively, she twisted her wrist and flicked her thumb.
Clang—the cold blade of her sword unsheathed, and as the muffled sound of metal clashing echoed in the distance, an indescribable force surged from her wrist.
Clang!!!
The sound of clashing swords sent sand and rocks flying. Sakura pupils contracted as she saw the pale ring in the distance, still not dissipated. She saw the man before her surrounded by flashing lightning, and two deep gouges appeared on the ground.
She had already been sent flying more than ten meters, but...
I blocked it!?
Though Ryan was still terrifying, he no longer wielded godly power to suppress her. She saw purple lightning erupt, and a shadow passed by. Instinctively, she took a step forward, slashing back with her sword.
Clang!
Sparks flew, and the force of the strike sent her flying, but several thoughts flashed in her mind.
He's stronger than me, but I can see and fight back. Is this the power of a mantis?
Sakura felt the power within her. In the face of this force, words seemed weak and insignificant. She turned gracefully in the air, feeling the crescent-shaped arc of electricity pass by her. She held the sword firmly and slashed upwards.
Winter cherry!
The energy collapsed and surged out, turning into thick icy fog. Within moments, everything within a hundred meters was frozen. The sword had summoned an iceberg from thin air.
The sand and dust were trapped within it. Ryan didn't dare resist; instead, he transformed into lightning and retreated a hundred meters. He looked up at the girl, standing poised on top of the "mountain."
Her face was blank, her clothes covered in icy mist, but she still gave off a familiar presence.
"The aura of a strong person. This is right," Ryan murmured, smiling gently. He realized he and Sakura were highly compatible. As fellow technical fighters, he hoped to learn something from her before confronting the Herrscher, who was also in human form.
With a twist of his wrist, Ryan leapt forward like a flash of thunder, his movements so fast they were impossible to track.
The light flickered several times before he appeared before her, leaving a trail of lightning behind. The iceberg beneath her feet split in two.
Swoosh—
Like a collapsing mountain, Sakura landed on the ground just ahead of time, her eyes fixed on a blurry figure, and she turned to strike.
Reverse robe!
The blades were surrounded by icy mist, and when they collided, the condensed ice melted in the lightning's fury. The explosion of energy sent out a flash of light, illuminating the two lightning-fast afterimages.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
A series of slashes followed—light jabs, heavy cuts, and relentless attacks.
The dense sword lights merged as Han Ying and Chi Xiao collided and bounced off each other, intertwining again. The speed of the sword strikes surpassed human vision.
Ryan was incredibly fast, skillfully using soul steel weapons to make up for his lack of raw energy.
He moved fluidly, his sword a blur, as he slipped through the flashing blades and shadows. When he saw Ying leap back several meters and squat down, he turned sharply.
Bang!
The sound echoed as the girl shot forward like a sharp arrow, her long sword aiming straight for his forehead. Ryan had already anticipated her move. He tilted sideways, catching her sword with one hand and pointing it upward.
The crisp ding of their swords clashing rang out as Sakura swift and sharp stab passed harmlessly over his head.
In that split second, Ryan left palm struck her chest.
Heart-breaking.
His strike was decisive and unyielding, yet his palm hit only resistance.
Unable to retract her sword, Sakura stepped forward, using the sword's hilt as a shield against her chest. She then swung the sword in a half-circle above her head.
Her footwork was fluid, and Ryan gaze followed the arc of her sword as it froze the air around her.
She can gather energy quickly. Is that her characteristic?
Ryan narrowed his eyes, dug his left foot into the ground, and turned with powerful force, chopping downward with all his might.
Raikiri!
The sound of clashing swords vanished as the energy distorted the air before the swords even collided. White and purple lights swirled, compressed, and finally exploded in a roaring clash!
Boom!!
An aurora of energy exploded between them, carving a deep hole in the ground like a hot knife through butter.
Sakura rolled out from the beam of light, her body crackling with arcs of electricity. She tumbled several times before using her sword to stop herself. Her purple eyes were still slightly unfocused.
This energy isn't much stronger than mine, but the lethality is unmatched.
Her mind replayed the scene, and she realized what "crushing with ease" meant. She could now understand the true meaning of Ryan overwhelming strength.
Ryan didn't just control the Honkai energy—he could directly interfere with physical phenomena.
Is this the authority of the Herrscher?
Sakura was the first to realize the answer. Even with equal amounts of Honkai energy, the strength disparity was enormous. To face such an enemy, one could either overwhelm them with numbers or—
With human experience and skill, the energy could be controlled and completely surpass the original Honkai beast's body.
Looking at Ryan emerging from the annihilation light column, Sakura heart was as calm as water. She had come to see him as a Herrscher—a foe to surpass in order to defeat.
"Yes, that's the feeling, Sakura," Ryan said, smiling. He looked at the stunned onlookers in the distance before drawing his sword again.
He had another purpose—to prepare Sakura for the battle against the Herrscher.
At least in close combat, no Herrscher could rival his strength.
Chi Xiao slowly pointed to the overcast sky, and then, his eyes widened.
Thunder strikes.
Crash—
A pillar of lightning fell from the sky, striking the ground with a thunderous roar, engulfing the girl in its wake.
Is it an afterimage? So fast.
Ryan leaned forward slightly and looked up, seeing a pink figure spinning down from the sky, followed by the sound of a dragon's roar as the long sword was drawn.
Clang!
The ice wheel struck the ground, and Ryan body was enveloped in the impact. The only trace left was a faint light as he instantly dodged. He lowered his head, seeing ice creeping up his leg.
The soul steel weapons are fully utilized.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He pulled his leg forward, gripped his sword with both hands, and slashed ahead. Suddenly, a massive ice spear materialized before him.
The spear, ten meters long, appeared out of thin air, dwarfing Ryan and his sword. But when the spear made contact with his sword, it froze in place.
Thunder explosion.
A roaring plasma ball erupted from their contact point. Under the electric arc's intensity, the seemingly indestructible ice spear exploded into shards of ice, leaving only a faint afterimage through the mist.
The Honkai energy surrounding Sakura protected her from the residual electricity. She bent down, feeling the sword graze her hair, and then slashed at Ryan legs with a fierce blow.
Woo—
A shockwave blasted out, extending a hundred meters. She locked onto Ryan in the air and shook her wrist, holding her sword in reverse.
In her mind, time seemed to freeze. A barrier formed within ten meters, and all that remained were the sword and the man leaping toward her. She concentrated the Honkai energy and pushed her body to its speed limit.
A flash of sword—freezing hell.
Ryan had anticipated the feint and knew the killing blow was coming. He had already built up strength and used a quick counterattack.
Ding ding ding—
The energy and swords collided, leaving hundreds of sword marks on the ground. Ryan was unhindered by the speed of the clash.
In close combat, no one could surpass him in sword speed.
With a swift motion, Ryan swing his sword, and the light burst out, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Sakura felt a numbness in her hands as she struggled to react. Then she saw the red sword raised again, and the sound of thousands of birds filling the air.
Ryan descended from the air, using the force of gravity to hurl a massive lightning spear toward her.
Thunder Star Gun!
There was no time to react. The Gobi Desert fell silent for a moment, before a violent thunderstorm erupted.
Boom boom—
The watchers in the distance covered their ears. The camera lenses exploded in their hands, and their muscles trembled uncontrollably.
The residual electricity spread across a hundred meters. Moments later, the ice ball containing the girl inside exploded.
Sakura didn't have time to praise herself. She gripped her sword tightly, slashing upward instinctively.
Bite.
Chi Xiao spun into the air, and Sakura eyes widened as she realized her mistake.
She tried to turn around, but halfway through, she froze. A hand of lightning had penetrated her defense, resting gently on her white neck.
"Sakura, I win." Ryan voice was calm as he leaned forward, pressing his sword to her neck. Even a mantis couldn't survive without its head.
Sakura instinctively clenched her sword and attempted to strike his hand, but after a moment, she released it with a sigh.
"Sure enough, your strength is still far greater than mine." She was not foolish—Ryan hadn't let her go because he was testing her.
He was better at close combat, and if he wanted to defeat an assassin like her, he could simply keep his distance and wear her down. There was no need to fight in a domain where he excelled.
In other words, even in terms of skills, she had lost.
"I'm just more proficient with my abilities. When you fully master the power of Yaksha, the outcome is still up in the air," Ryan said, slowly lowering his hands with a satisfied smile.
As expected of a hero with the inscription of "Moment." Once she fully masters this power and integrates her own skills, her combat strength will undoubtedly be in the first echelon of previous civilizations.
These words made Sakura feel much better. She suddenly realized that perhaps she had set her goal a bit too high.
In the past, she would have been killed in a single encounter, but now she could go toe-to-toe with him. This is the true texture of strength—it felt as though she could hold her destiny in her hands.
Ryan raised his hand, and with a flick of electromagnetic force, Chi Xiao returned to his grasp. With a flash of brilliance, he sheathed it with a sharp swish.
Facing the fearful and disdainful stares from the distance, Ryan spoke firmly:
"As long as I gain the power of the protection Rin, what does it matter if the whole world hates me?!"